June tests: What's the point?

[TrueSlawter]

SO, what would you rather have....no international rugby at all between World Cups? Oh well, there goes the global expansion of the game, because you can't achieve this with European Club rugby. No-one outside of Europe (other than rugby tragics like me) really gives fig about Harlequins winning the Premiership, or Leinster winning the Heineken Cup.. they just don't care.

Perhaps you would like the June tests dumped, and just have the SH teams come to the NH, and fill your coffers up, while we are left to scrap over the leftovers?

Likewise there is a limited number of people who care about who wins superrugby, the ITM cup, the currie cup etc.

However I like the idea of tours but imo it should alternate.. e.g 2012 - NH teams go south, no tours around november by SH up north, 2013 - No june tests, SH teams come up north in the autumn tests.

This way the players actually get a rest, this year it would be the SH teams get the post season off, next year the NH teams get the post season off.

 

[Teh Mite]

Concurrent seasons and June tours, abolish the AIs. 6n/4n followed immedeately after the tour.


No disruption to the club seasons and the intrest will grow faster. The whole system is fundinentally broken, unless yoylu only have interest for test rugby and couldn't care less about anything else.

 

[psychic duck]

The simple reason that tours don't work at the moment is due to the fact that the NH & SH seasons don't run concurrent. Since that's not going to chance any time soon my solution would be to have NH teams tour down south one year and the SH teams tour up here the next. Easy.

if you were to make less matches then the LNR would almost certainly make the Top 14 the Top 16 immediately, thus the rest period added would be just be taken up right away, would not be in the least surprised if other domestic competitions also just extended also

also where does Tier 2 fit into your plan?

 

[Larksea]

This attitude kinda annoys me.

And it's taking the fact that Rugby outside the world cup is being devalued to a whole new level which is a blight on the game in my opinion.

This is close to a proper tour which is fantastic and people should get behind it, this is what test rugby is all about. To me the world cup is just a side show and it really ****** me off that rugby is on this big 4 year cycle where for a couple of months every 4 years we have this great comp which is all important and the other three years are all about building a team for that that one shot. This year the coaches look at players and wonder if they are going to be any good in 2015 and if not in some cases they don't get selected. Like a player is not how old they are now but how old they will be in 2015 - I do it too.

I wanna see an article about how this is Irelands best shot to turn around about 100 years of history, because really that's what it is. If they have injuries they need to just put that behind them and look at an All Black side with a new coach missing a raft full of players that helped make it such a dominant side over the last 5-6 years. A team with three players making their debut which will be three players they can target and put under a ton of pressure.

one off games in world cups are often decided by factors outside a players control, a Three game series is where you really get put in your place - there is no where to hide. You get lucky one week you have to go back again the next and prove yourself again. have a bad day and get knocked over or get your tactics totally wrong? then you have a chance to go back again and learn from your mistakes and turn the tables, get screwed by the ref? Come back again next week and have another shot with a different ref - no excuses. A world cup does not prove who is better than who but a series does.

I hope the Irish come with fire planning to knock the AB's over, this is test rugby after all.

 

[Tony Manx]

This attitude kinda annoys me.

And it's taking the fact that Rugby outside the world cup is being devalued to a whole new level which is a blight on the game in my opinion.

This is close to a proper tour which is fantastic and people should get behind it, this is what test rugby is all about. To me the world cup is just a side show and it really ****** me off that rugby is on this big 4 year cycle where for a couple of months every 4 years we have this great comp which is all important and the other three years are all about building a team for that that one shot. This year the coaches look at players and wonder if they are going to be any good in 2015 and if not in some cases they don't get selected. Like a player is not how old they are now but how old they will be in 2015 - I do it too.

I wanna see an article about how this is Irelands best shot to turn around about 100 years of history, because really that's what it is. If they have injuries they need to just put that behind them and look at an All Black side with a new coach missing a raft full of players that helped make it such a dominant side over the last 5-6 years. A team with three players making their debut which will be three players they can target and put under a ton of pressure.

one off games in world cups are often decided by factors outside a players control, a Three game series is where you really get put in your place - there is no where to hide. You get lucky one week you have to go back again the next and prove yourself again. have a bad day and get knocked over or get your tactics totally wrong? then you have a chance to go back again and learn from your mistakes and turn the tables, get screwed by the ref? Come back again next week and have another shot with a different ref - no excuses. A world cup does not prove who is better than who but a series does.

I hope the Irish come with fire planning to knock the AB's over, this is test rugby after all.

Well done.....absolutely agree!!

 

[big ginger 8]

The NH players are coming to the end of a 51 week season! Player welfare has to be paramount.

 

[coonor]

Anything can happen on the day but we have to be realistic. Ireland will be without key players and unlike the AB don't have the depth to cope with that. Our main players will be forced to play all 3 games (which I do not agree with) after a highly intense season and competetive finally. Ireland also play the complete wrong style of rugby, I have said many a times Ireland play off 9 but should be playing off 10 and 12. I haven't even mentioned that this is All Black soil and NZ are simply a far better rugby nation anyway. I will always support Ireland and I know there's always a chance but I'm just being realistic. At the end of the day this tour would have been more beneficial if we were rollaying more week games in order to blood players..... Something that Ireland really needs to do.

 

[psychic duck]

The NH players are coming to the end of a 51 week season! Player welfare has to be paramount.

however none of Kearney, O'Driscoll, Sexton, Heaslip, Healy, Cullen, O'Brien and D'Arcy have started more than 8 RaboPro12 matches, so they have hardly "come to an end of a 51 week seasom"

 

[Teh Mite]

The French and English clubs, who compete in real league competitions, however...

 

[Draggs]

The French and English clubs, who compete in real league competitions, however...

What are you saying Mite? You don't like the Pro12?
Next you will say Stephen Donald isn't a very good player.

 

[coonor]

The French and English clubs, who compete in real league competitions, however...

..... Have failed to win more than 1 Heineken Cup in 5 seasons........

 

[psychic duck]

..... Have failed to win more than 1 Heineken Cup in 5 seasons........

......... have won 9 of the 13 Six Nations tournaments since 2000 .......

 

[Draggs]

......... have won 9 of the 13 Six Nations tournaments since 2000 .......

Have an underground tunnel and a train, too.

 

[Teh Mite]

What? You're going to argue the case that the Purgatory ISN'T seen as little other then a time filler between Heineken Cup and test rugby?

 

[coonor]

......... have won 9 of the 13 Six Nations tournaments since 2000 .......

Wow that is impressive when considering clubs don't compete in the Six Nations!

 

[Saintjay]

I can't help but feel if Ireland had a reasonable world cup and done well in the six nations like Wales. Ireland fans might be viewing this tour in a different way.

 

[Peat]

But that is once again only beneficial to the NH.

And? Seriously though, this is a NH complaint about a NH issue. Of course my suggestion of improving it will be beneficial to the NH. Providing it doesn't hurt the SH, I don't see the issue there.

And why is it difficult to fit the Lions tour? It happens only once every four years and you only play a SH team only once every 12 years... To us SH guys, we'd love it if there were more tests vs. NH teams as we can become quite sick and tired of playing against the other SH teams, which we do every year.

Because Lions tours go on longer than normal tours, and my potential scenario says that the domestic season is still going on here after the touring stops - obviously, you cannot have a scenario where teams are playing in big finals with their best players away with the Lions.

Whenever a NH team visits us down here, there are always good things being said by everyone involved, the stadiums are always packed and the rugby is usually of good quality. I think this time is the best suited for both SH and NH teams:

1. It's now winter in the SH and our climate is at most times better than the NH.
2. Both NH and SH either [/b]just finished their premier season[/b] or are on the home straight (so both teams players has had a good couple of games in the bag)
3. More International Rugby!!
4. NH people love visiting SA, as we are very cheap.

Don't get me wrong bro - I am all in favour of tours down south. I just think changing the timing might be good, as the bolded is NOT an advantage to us. It means our players are at their most tired, it means preparation is interfered with by finals, injuries tend to be at their highest peak and so on. My suggestion would hopefully send down better prepared, fitter teams, teams that will feel more competitive and give it more meaning. Larksea made a fantastic post, but the truth is this isn't Ireland's strongest chance, it's so far from that it barely feels worthwhile. And that is what I wish to avoid. Hence my suggestion.

 

[coonor]

I can't help but feel if Ireland had a reasonable world cup and done well in the six nations like Wales. Ireland fans might be viewing this tour in a different way.

Tbh your absolutely right, but that's form for you! Most Ireland players always say that their good performances aren't actually that far from when their playing poorly. I suppose in top level rugby it's all about the small margins and at the moment those small margins seem to be widening for Ireland however there is something comforting in knowing that we are in some what control of our destiny. We have the players and the experience, we have the academies and clubs and we have the talent and ability but unfortunately those factors don't come together, or Atleast under Kidney they don't!

 

[big ginger 8]

however none of Kearney, O'Driscoll, Sexton, Heaslip, Healy, Cullen, O'Brien and D'Arcy have started more than 8 RaboPro12 matches, so they have hardly "come to an end of a 51 week seasom"

Yet I said NH not Irish. Anyway I know Heaslip has started 27 matches and is someone who rarely comes off. As you may have guessed I'm including international matches. Also a season doesa not just include games they have been training the entire time and the mental fatigue from competing on so many different fronts takes it's toll.

 

[antipodean]

Right for the last time, I didn't write this blog to argue that these tests are worthless! I wrote it to analyse the approaches to the tours by each Home Nation inline with the situation they are in.

Here's how each nation should approach tests; by trying to win every one of them.