Rearrange; "It", "********" and "is".
The Premiership has been especially fabricaed to be the closest and most even league in the world
thanks to two things;
1. The wage cap system of £1.7m limit for the whole squads wages (including the academy)
and
2. The 1 forigener rule.
Both of these make sure it is "the best" on a spectators level, meaning not only 1 rich team has all the superstars while the rest make do with the dregs ,a-la EPL *coughchek$kicough*, and local talet is brough through and developed instead of no end of continental players brought in (again, a-la EPL *cougharsenalcough*.
As for "the GP teams seem to play a slower and more predictable game", I don't agree. We have some very big packs ar the club sides in England, but when you look at the packs playing for say example, Sale, who do we have there;
Sheridan, ***teral and Evans; Sheridan is a massive powerhouse but supprisingly quick and nimble in open play, ***terall is a strong hooker acts like an extra openside in the lose and Evans is, well, a bog standard prop.
In the boiler room; Chris Jones and Christian Day; Chris Jones is an international 7s player and Day is a **** hot young talent for the future.
And the back row; Lobbe, Lund and Chabal. A backline like that speaks for itself.
That pack sums up the best in the Premiership... So where are the 'up-yer-jumper', "slower and more predictable game" players in that pack, when the only particularly oversize players I notice are Sheridan and Chabal, and telling them to not suck in 3 defenders with the ball is like trying to tell a Quinnell to not eat all the pies; it ain't gonna happen. As for the rest of them however, they play a fast, open, "broken" game.
Now as for the backs, Hodgson is one of the best and certainly the most creatives Fly Half to come from the northern hemisphere in many, many years, Cueto, Bell, Ripol and Robinson are proven runners and there are 2 slippery Scrum Halfs in Foden and Wigglesworth.
If your telling me that it's easy to tell what that team is going to do every week (apart from win), I'll call you a filthy liar. And if you say watching them is boring, it proves you're a filthy liar, or biased and one-eyed "waaaaa... not my league so it's rubbish", much like any anti Union fan would say just because it's not 13 man kickitaway.
Sale are not the only team in the league like that though;
- Northampton (if they've ever got a fit squad) have the backline many could only dream of in Sharky, Los, Cohen, Quinlan, Clarke, Lamont and Reihana. Their pack isn't nearly as spectacular, but ther are the likes of Daniel Browne and Sam Harding who are forwards who could be considered for centres while with the big men there's Budgen, Tupai and Tonga'uiha who will all go through anyone if they're up to speed.
- Bristol are playing above their station and taking full advantage to remain at the top by throwing the basics rule book out the window and chucking the ball about, flowing the game effictively and using what superstar players they have to full effect; Shaun Perry is the most exciting Scrum Half I've ever seen since Dwayne Peel, while they also have Roadrunner (Lemi) and The Chiropractor providing superb breakaways and massive hits which is always fun to watch.
- Wasps. Now there's a team full of superstars. They'll turn it on when need be, but can happily trundle up the pitch when things get easy thaks to the massively strong but mobile pack featuring Worsley, Vickery and Dellaglio.Then you considder the backline is made up from Josh Lewsey, Paul Sackey and Mark Van Gisbergen... Oh, momma do you not want these ******** running at you, be cause they will run rings around you.
- Gloucester have always prided their game on a strong pack pushing the opposition back (wayhey, a rhyme!) with their powerhouses like Azam and co, but somthing happened aroung 2 yeats ago... The bone idle cider guzzlers learned how to run a ball around and even chuck it to good effect. This was enhanced firstly by the Forrester/Hazel partnership which is part of Gloucesters heart and soul, but is also partially dont to emergence of young and frest talent reaching maturity... James Simpson Daniel and Pete Richards leading the charge. It's not uncommon to conceed a try that's come of a 75m run involving 5-6 different players against them.
- Irish are the enigma of the league; you never know if they look superb or ****. However, even if it's a wanky Irish team out, they're always willing to chuck the ball around. They have a smaller pack then most and struggle in the set pieces because of it, but with the calming influence of Mike Catt, the backs can play the most impressive rugby in the league on their day, Rikki Flutey being their superstar. A highly under rated side.
- Newcastle are much like Irish, only with an even weaker pack and a heavy reliance on Johnny Wilkinson. Which is a shame considering there's so much talent in the backs; Burke, Tait, Visser, Flood,
Shaw to name a but a few. When they put it together, they will run off into the distance and leave defenders for standing. Although they're f***ed when they need to retain the ball.
I've missed off Saracens, Worcester, Quinns and Leicester because I think I've made my point (and I can't be arsed to type for much longer), butwhen you put together all the availible talent in the GP and the way they do play their rugby, that's a very snobbish remark.
The GP is not predictable and it's not boring.
But now I've written an essay, and prooved you wrong on all your reasons against the Guinness Premiership, I need to get my smart alec comment in;
Why the GP is Ace:
- The most competitive league in the world
- It's growing at a faster rate then any other, bit the clubs that compete and the fanbases they have.
- The clubs own themselves
- I say so
Why the CL isn't better then the GP:
- Shitty little stadiums
- The 3 teams out of 11 dominating every season
- Ringfencing
- I say so
