Official Rugby Thread

[ohtani's jacket]

I'm expecting a kick fest this weekend and as a neutral I'm debating about whether to even watch it. I've thrashed out the All Blacks' loss all week on other sites, but one thing is certain -- Test match rugby is going through a major rut. I enjoyed the Lions series, but these Tri-Nations Tests have been awful, win or lose.

 

[social]

Woeful from Australia - unbelievably undisciplined rabble

SA are what they are - an incredibly limited team with almost no attacking options who nonetheless stick to a gameplan and put on points via field position gained almost exclusively via their boot and/o oppo's ill discipline

Unfortunately, that's more than enough to beat the dross that Oz and ABs are serving up at present

 

[TT Boy]

South Africa have the backs (Habana will go down as South Africa's leading try scorer, not many centres have scored as many tries as Fourie has et cetera...) just that their gameplan doesn't include involving them.

Boks tried to play total rugby in last years Tri-Nations and look where that got them. Attempted it again in the 3rd Lions test and lost, so it seems that until someone can combat their kicking game, forward dominance and line-out superiority, it won't change anytime soon, regardless of its aesthetic quality and the fact that they should be putting 40 on these sides.

Aus should be missing Giteau for the next few weeks, as blatant as it comes what he did to du Preez.

 

[ohtani's jacket]

The All Blacks' game plan was the right one to challenge these Boks, they just didn't execute it well.

The Boks' backs are awful. How poor was their passing out wide? They couldn't even score on a simple overlap with a 15-13 advantage. That's poor.

 

[Langeveldt]

Nice from the boks, we can play average rugby and still come away with results consistently.. This whole Steyn/Pienaar debate shouldn't even be a debate.. Pienaar is as over rated as they come for mine, as a kicker, and couldn't hit a barn door with a banjo.. I'd have Steyn or even de Waal kicking for me..

 

[TT Boy]

Nice from the boks, we can play average rugby and still come away with results consistently.. This whole Steyn/Pienaar debate shouldn't even be a debate.. Pienaar is as over rated as they come for mine, as a kicker, and couldn't hit a barn door with a banjo.. I'd have Steyn or even de Waal kicking for me..

Pienaar is a world class 9 masquerading as a 10. He should just stick to being du Preez's understudy and Morne's occasional replacement. Surely you jest about de Waal? Metronome kicker but his even more limited in open play than Morne.

 

[Pamela]

I am absolutely shocked that only 1 england player makes it into the top 50 rugby players in the world !!!!! that is a absolute joke, we have some of the best players in the world and this is the type of attitude and list which makes our sporting superstars such losers...

 

[ripper868]

Well who do we think will play 13 for Australia then, Mortlock (knee) and Ioane (Rocknrolla) are both gone for the season, guess that Ryan Cross would be the first option, possibly O'Connor to full back and Ashley-Cooper to 13?.

 

[Smudge]

I am absolutely shocked that only 1 england player makes it into the top 50 rugby players in the world !!!!! that is a absolute joke, we have some of the best players in the world and this is the type of attitude and list which makes our sporting superstars such losers...

Apparently not.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

A decent try from Karne Hesketh in the corner in this game. Some pretty woeful rugby on show from both sides though (Otago vs. North Harbour)

 

[Smudge]

Pffft. I don't care about the quality - we finally won a ****ing game!

 

[Somerset]

You guys get lost on your way to the Air New Zealand Cup topic?

 

[BoyBrumby]

Knew Otago were locks when Volty backed them. tbh. Whatever the antithesis of a "patriotic punter" is, that's Volts.

Be interested to see what any of our Vic punters think about Melbourne's bid for a franchise in the expanded Super 15 too. Don't think Oz has the cattle for 4 teams, much less 5, myself but woulg there be a market for union there? &, if there is, would it be at the expense of the Storm?

 

[Somerset]

I've always maintained that Perth's entrance into the Super 14 spread the talent in Australia thinly enough, that a 5th Australian Super 14/15 side would be overkill. I read that Hawkes Bay and Taranaki were considering a joint franchise or similar as a 6th New Zealand side (though believe HB pulled out), and I think either a 6th New Zealand or South African side would be the better path to take. Though TBH I don't see the need for a 15th team, and would prefer to stay at 14.

 

[vic_orthdox]

Reckon it wouldn't get the support, outside of expats from up north or other rugby nations, to be sustainable.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Do wonder how yer Storm keep going, tbh. Most AFL fans seem very hostile to the concept of league, far more so than union. Know Rupe part owns them, so I suppose that helps.

As for the new team, from a financial point of view I reckon Japan would be the way to go. Potentially huge market there. Team would need to be mostly propped up with imports, but (unlike with Victoria) there is a proper rugby culture.

 

[Jamee999]

And so geographically convenient

 

[TT Boy]

South Africa already have two Mickey Mouse franchises, they don't need a 6th in the Eastern Cape. The Lions only fill around 30% (on a good day) of Ellis Park whilst the Cheetahs can't go a season without players being poached left, right and centre. Give it to Aus and fill it up with Islanders, South African mercs and some Agries.

 

[TT Boy]

Do wonder how yer Storm keep going, tbh. Most AFL fans seem very hostile to the concept of league, far more so than union. Know Rupe part owns them, so I suppose that helps.

As for the new team, from a financial point of view I reckon Japan would be the way to go. Potentially huge market there. Team would need to be mostly propped up with imports, but (unlike with Victoria) there is a proper rugby culture.

Japan wasn't interested. They already have a successful professional league and many of the sponsors of that league said they would withdraw funding immediately if a Japanese franchise was created. Most of the sides in the Top League are named after their sponsors, IBM, Toyota, Coca Cola and Sanyo all have professional sides which carry their name.

 

[ripper868]

South Africa already have two Mickey Mouse franchises, they don't need a 6th in the Eastern Cape. The Lions only fill around 30% (on a good day) of Ellis Park whilst the Cheetahs can't go a season without players being poached left, right and centre. Give it to Aus and fill it up with Islanders, South African mercs and some Agries.

Word is this is what will happen, there certainly isn't the depth of talent in Australian Rugby to sustain a 5th franchise without the majority being based overseas. Unlike with when the Force came in though, the Rebels (as they will likely be known) will be under the control of the ARU instead of being a separate entity like the Reds, Tahs, Force, and Brumbies are.