Toulon... wtf

[Big Ewis]

As far as affecting the National team it does not we have great academies in France producing great players the National teams performances have nothing to do with money or foreingers it has all to do with the FFR and their coach selections, once they get decent coaches instead of Yes Men in suits,

that's very true. It's not 100% the FFR/coaching staff's fault, but it's close. You have to add into the equation the foreigner problem a bit still, but also in particular the Top 14 calendar. But I agree with you in that those two things are not the main cause. The far bigger problem is simply the coaching staff, I don't think anyone could discuss that further. Simple as that.

EDIT:
and btw, about the coaching staff, I'd literally have any coach from the Top 14 over PSA and Lagisquet right now I think. For the ones I can actually speak for, I'd have Christophe Urios (OYO), Galthié (MP), Gonzalo Quesada (Stade Frites-Patate), any of those two Castres guys (Darricarère for the backs and Milhas), Raphaël Ibanez (Bordeaux).

Possibly Frank Azéma (newly in control in Clermont since Cotter's departure), the guys from Brive, the crew for Grenoble which I don't know but looking at their team's form despite having no stars...

And I'm not even talking about Laporte who'll never ever come back, and Delmas+Mignoni whom I'm sure aren't crazy enough to plunge into there...

 

[gaston le gaff]

This is all in agreement, young players are coming through the academies and leaving around 22/ 23 not many will get regular games in the TOP 14 for obvious reasons, but i have always said that a loan situation should happen between the 2 top divisions, this to my great joy is starting to happen, the players stay attached to the TOP 14 teams but the Pro D2 picks up the wage bills normally the time is 1/2 seasons, this gives the youngsters the game time which they would not get in the TOP 14 and also the great experience which is needed before you step up into the Elite....playing Espoirs week in week does not give you that expirience which is necessary for the Elite divisions. This gives you an all round better player than if he stayed with his TOP14 team. The players aged 22/23 are far and few who make it without this sort of experience, and believe you me the Pro D2 is a tough leaugue to operate in, far tougher than the TOP 14 but the quality and speed are not the same, (ask Tony after he experiences it a bit at BO.) so if groups of teams were to get together eg (Montpellier Narbonne, Beziers Carcassone this could happen very easily as they are all in the same areas and the youngsters would be always within reasonable disatance of their families, which is also important

 

[Basco]

I don't see what the problem is with having foreigners. They lift the level of the competition. If you'd kick all the foreigners out it'd be like having all the French Top14 players transferred to the ProD2.

 

[gaston le gaff]

I don't see what the problem with having foreigners. They lift the level of the competition. If you'd kick all the foreigners out it'd be like having all the French Top14 players transferred to the ProD2.

Who said foreigners were a problem certainly not moi!!!!!!!!

 

[Big Ewis]

I don't see what the problem is with having foreigners. They lift the level of the competition. If you'd kick all the foreigners out it'd be like having all the French Top14 players transferred to the ProD2.

you're coming a bit late with this and I don't have the patience to repeat everything. But here's one example that would give you an idea about the 'cons', as opposed to the 'pros' (because there are pros too), that foreigners cause:
Tighthead prop: long, laborious training, and very rare to find a good one anyways. Just buy a good one who's already all trained and ready to go from Georgia or Samoa. No time to lose. Our French Tightheads never get the attention they need, playing time...etc...whole league is full of non-French Tightheads...country is in a Tighthead deficiency situation. French scrum suffers. Clubs are taking shortcuts, unnatural shortcuts, hiring all these internationals. Foreigners are there to fill gaps and add a dynamic to a group, but shouldn't be the fabric itself you need to build teams with.
It's artificial, a huge shortcut, and a problem for local talent.

 

[iINDOMINUSxx]

going to add this hear as i think Mourad Boudjellal said this and this explains everything.

Toulon boss Mourad Boudjellal has dismissed suggestions there are too many foreign players in French domestic rugby as 'bullsh*t'.

Foreign players in Top 14:
South Africans - 51
New Zealanders - 31
GB & Irish - 29
Fijian - 20
Australian -17
Samoan - 16
Tongan - 12
Argentinian - 11
Georgian - 11
Others - 22

so yeah not much foreigners in the top 14 yeah ?

 

[Big Ewis]

damn...that's a lot of Saffas...but Scotty, Boudjellal doesn't say there aren't too many foreigners in the Top 14, he's saying it's not a problem that there are so many.
He's saying "yeah there may be a lot, but it's not a problem".

 

[profitius]

going to add this hear as i think Mourad Boudjellal said this and this explains everything.

Foreign players in Top 14:
South Africans - 51
New Zealanders - 31
GB & Irish - 29
Fijian - 20
Australian -17
Samoan - 16
Tongan - 12
Argentinian - 11
Georgian - 11
Others - 22

so yeah not much foreigners in the top 14 yeah ?

Nearly 16 per squad and they're also most likely to start.

 

[iINDOMINUSxx]

i know it will dominate but does anyone have the numbers off french players in the top 14 ?

 

[TRF_Olyy]

There's at least 7.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

There's at least 7.

At least, I know there that fat prop who plays centre in Toulon, a couple of props else where, I will need to look on Wikipedia to find some more players.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

 

[Big Ewis]

rosbif humor....fresh and witty, as usual

And btw, that Saffa number must be wrong. They must not have accounted for all the ones we poached in there who are French now, so the number's probably closer to 40 really...pffff, 51 Saffas in the Top 14, how preposterous...

 

[ratsapprentice]

The Irish ain't gonna be happy about that graphic! :lol:

 

[iINDOMINUSxx]

i dont like that either

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

i dont like that either

Quiet you.

 

[ratsapprentice]

i dont like that either

What?

 

[profitius]

The Irish ain't gonna be happy about that graphic! :lol:

Nothing new from the southern French. They call us Anglo Saxons! The Bretons would be more knowledgeable about history.

 

[Big Ewis]

Nothing new from the southern French. They call us Anglo Saxons! The Bretons would be more knowledgeable about history.

exactly ! Was going to make that comment but then randomly didn't. But for the common frenchman, yeah like, those islands past the Channel...it's just one 'big thing'.
But also when the French refer to all of you past the Channel as "anglo-saxons" we really mean it as a way to group up styles that share similarities. Everybody knows about the Ireland England thing, but we're basically saying "the home nations". Just as a way to encompass that whole Rugby landscape out over there.

 

[iINDOMINUSxx]

What?

this

The Irish ain't gonna be happy about that graphic!

 

[ratsapprentice]

...nope... still don't get it.

 

[Big Ewis]

Scotty, rats is obviously flirting with you sexually and in a very sex-oriented fashion. Answer him not. He's trying hard to get your attention. Be careful, the sexual predators are legion and fresh meat like yourself is what they want.
I'm just being a messenger of the truths of the lifes. Beware of the sexualities, for they are sometimes dangerful.

 

[iINDOMINUSxx]

if someone actually decided to use ewis tips and techniques then there must be something wrong with you

 

[Big Ewis]

if someone actually decided to use ewis tips and techniques then there must be something wrong with you

"use ewis".......use ewis..use ewis......useless use ewis useless use ewis use less.