Fair play to Italy [rugby]

Fair play to Italy [rugby]

I went to the game on Saturday and have to say Wales were outplayed by a more determined team desperate for a win - said before I'm a passionate [Wales] rugby fan, I know many on here are anti rugby but for me I like both sports, Wales were clueless to be honest but Italy played well and the sheer joy among their players was a sight to behold their fly half (#10) did a caterpillar wriggle of joy like a little toddler on the pitch bless him...

Re: Fair play to Italy [rugby]

2 by UPTHEPORT

What I don't get is you got the same 6 sides invited every year why aren't other countries allowed in work all the egg fans say it's because they ain't good enough well if they ain't playing at a decent level they wont improve

I'm a big cricket fan over the years the likes of Ireland and Holland have been allowed to play in the domestic game over here to help development it seems to me there's a closed shop in the egg

Re: Fair play to Italy [rugby]

3 by CathedralCounty

UPTHEPORT wrote: March 21st, 2022, 10:57 am What I don't get is you got the same 6 sides invited every year why aren't other countries allowed in work all the egg fans say it's because they ain't good enough well if they ain't playing at a decent level they wont improve

I'm a big cricket fan over the years the likes of Ireland and Holland have been allowed to play in the domestic game over here to help development it seems to me there's a closed shop in the egg

I agree, to an extent, it is somewhat a closed shop - indeed for rugby world cup qualification it’s a case of jumping through millions of hoops - while in football a lesser nation (in ‘soccer’ terms) like say Canada (who played in the 1986 world cup and look set to qualify for 2022) have a fair to middling chance to qualify whereas the lesser but no less worthy rugby nations (like say Germany believe it or not who have a decent rugby team) have to jump through hoops and have virtually no chance of qualifying, in fairness Rugby 7’s allows lesser rugby nations to compete and in some cases do so fairly well (say Kenya) but in 15’s I do feel rugby needs to be more democratic.

Short version – a form of promotion/relegation (say team who finish in lowest aggregate position over 3 years plays off against 2nd tier team [say Georgia] with highest aggregate finish over past 3 years and repeat every 3 or 6 years) – but at moment commercial deals have been signed for way into future.

Problem is while football rarely sees true hammerings in rugby due to physicality and training of fully professional teams v semi pro teams its is borderline dangerous to play them off against each other (so say in football England may beat San Marino 5:0 but in rugby would truly batter Romania) horses for courses.

Re: Fair play to Italy [rugby]

4 by OLDCROMWELLIAN

CathedralCounty wrote: March 21st, 2022, 11:44 am
UPTHEPORT wrote: March 21st, 2022, 10:57 am What I don't get is you got the same 6 sides invited every year why aren't other countries allowed in work all the egg fans say it's because they ain't good enough well if they ain't playing at a decent level they wont improve

I'm a big cricket fan over the years the likes of Ireland and Holland have been allowed to play in the domestic game over here to help development it seems to me there's a closed shop in the egg

I agree, to an extent, it is somewhat a closed shop - indeed for rugby world cup qualification it’s a case of jumping through millions of hoops - while in football a lesser nation (in ‘soccer’ terms) like say Canada (who played in the 1986 world cup and look set to qualify for 2022) have a fair to middling chance to qualify whereas the lesser but no less worthy rugby nations (like say Germany believe it or not who have a decent rugby team) have to jump through hoops and have virtually no chance of qualifying, in fairness Rugby 7’s allows lesser rugby nations to compete and in some cases do so fairly well (say Kenya) but in 15’s I do feel rugby needs to be more democratic.

Short version – a form of promotion/relegation (say team who finish in lowest aggregate position over 3 years plays off against 2nd tier team [say Georgia] with highest aggregate finish over past 3 years and repeat every 3 or 6 years) – but at moment commercial deals have been signed for way into future.

Problem is while football rarely sees true hammerings in rugby due to physicality and training of fully professional teams v semi pro teams its is borderline dangerous to play them off against each other (so say in football England may beat San Marino 5:0 but in rugby would truly batter Romania) horses for courses.

Not disagreeing with any of that, but would further emphasise the critical commercial deals signed years in advanced and the income generated by fixtures against 'old enemies', without the certainty of which professional rugby I believe could not exist in European nations, with the possible exception of France. The sums involved are dwarfed by TV money Football can demand of course; not forgetting the vast sums 'invested' by dodgy owners. Not that English and French rugby clubs are exempt from some unethical owners with 'creative' accountants.
In fairness to Italy they have stated they would be in favour of a play off relegation/promotion game with the bottom team from the six nations and the winners of the next level down European competition. I have no doubt they would comfortably beat e.g. Georgia again, as they have done recently. Although Georgia have recently managed to create a mainly professional team through a combination of most of their players contracted to clubs outside their own country and some government finance. Personally I would be in favour of such a promotion/ relegation game(s); even though if the unthinkable happened and Wales were relegated there would IMO be a danger of them never being able to re-establish themselves amongst the 'elite'.

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