[2016 RBS Six Nations] Round 2: Italy vs. England (14/02/2016)

[YoungScud]

I think someone should start a 6N promotion/relegation thread... just so I can sit back and enjoy the fireworks

No fireworks, just boredom. It's been done to death over many years. The existing nations will never agree to it. Too risky for most.

 

[dai_seven]

That's a good call.
The Baa Baas (picked from the 4 Home Nations) could include those teams on a rolling basis too.
The Lions could include them as a pre tour warm up game as a further possibility

 

[MarkyH]

That's a good call.
The Baa Baas (picked from the 4 Home Nations) could include those teams on a rolling basis too.
The Lions could include them as a pre tour warm up game as a further possibility

A/Saxons teams and Baa Baas Vs touring Georgia, Romania, Russia teams. Maybe they could also play our club teams as part of a pre season warm up. Then we'd be able to better gauge where they are before any changes are even considered for the 6N

 

[Maverick1987]

If that was the case, the whole structure of European rugby would need to change. Each country has 5 6N games in 7 weeks (plus 3 or 4 Autumn internationals) sandwiched in between the European Cup windows. Your suggestion is to increase the International window for the replacement 6N to 8 games. My question would be how?

For example if the tiers were England, Wales, Ireland and France in the top tier and Scotland, Italy, Romania and Georgia in the bottom you would play 6 games instead of 5 . Maybe there could be relegation and promotion in there too . Bottom of the top tier against top of the 2nd tier to see if anyone goes up or down

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

If that was the case, the whole structure of European rugby would need to change. Each country has 5 6N games in 7 weeks (plus 3 or 4 Autumn internationals) sandwiched in between the European Cup windows. Your suggestion is to increase the International window for the replacement 6N to 8 games. My question would be how?

Your maths isn't very good. 4 teams means that there are 3 other teams to play. If you do home and away that is 6 games in total, not 8. Get rid of playoffs for the Aviva and just have the winner win and voila, freed up an extra week, got home and away games, got 2 tiers with more similar skill level, promotion and relegation and more rugby! Win win all round. The only thing preventing this is the typical inertia in rugby governance.

 

[Tony Manx]

Your maths isn't very good. 4 teams means that there are 3 other teams to play. If you do home and away that is 6 games in total, not 8. Get rid of playoffs for the Aviva and just have the winner win and voila, freed up an extra week, got home and away games, got 2 tiers with more similar skill level, promotion and relegation and more rugby! Win win all round. The only thing preventing this is the typical inertia in rugby governance.

It is not inertia but money!!

Loss of play off games equals financial loss to the clubs who would have to watch their players getting battered to fill the national bodies' coffers!!

Besides, there is a good argument that there is already too much international rugby!!

Incidentally watched England bore them serves to a win yesterday and wondered why Lancaster had been sacked?!!

Joseph did not prove anything to me yesterday other than he can catch the ball.... That must have been the easiest hat trick scored in test rugby!!

Will be interesting to see how England measure up when play their next three games where they will have "tier 1 NH opposition".....well at least Wales is!!

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

It is not inertia but money!!

Loss of play off games equals financial loss to the clubs who would have to watch their players getting battered to fill the national bodies' coffers!!

Besides, there is a good argument that there is already too much international rugby!!

Incidentally watched England bore them serves to a win yesterday and wondered why Lancaster had been sacked?!!

Joseph did not prove anything to me yesterday other than he can catch the ball.... That must have been the easiest hat trick scored in test rugby!!

Will be interesting to see how England measure up when play their next three games where they will have "tier 1 NH opposition".....well at least Wales is!!

Compensate them if their players are in the international side. Let's face it, the teams likely to be in the play offs are also most likely to make up a large bunch of the internationals. A proper 2 tier 4 nations per tier championship would have 36 games (18 each tier) as opposed to the current of 25 games all in the 6N. It will make a grand slam much harder to achieve, each game should be closer and there is a chance to get revenge in the same year. That's just 1 week longer international window and 1 more game per week to show on TV, hardly a major issue fitting it in. I predict it would be a lot more popular and may actually help Scotland and Italy. It's better to watch a team winning against teams a similar level than losing all the time to better teams. On top of that Romania and Georgia would get much more exposure. I think it could potentially be a huge money spinner. If even a fraction of that goes to the clubs (all nationalities) it will cover any lost club revenue imo.

Honestly I can't see many downsides other than people not liking change. I think it would be much better. The only real downside would be saying Scotland and Italy aren't in the top tier but, harsh though it sounds, it is the truth. They aren't.

 

[Every Time Ref]

It is not inertia but money!!

Loss of play off games equals financial loss to the clubs who would have to watch their players getting battered to fill the national bodies' coffers!!

Besides, there is a good argument that there is already too much international rugby!!

Incidentally watched England bore them serves to a win yesterday and wondered why Lancaster had been sacked?!!

Joseph did not prove anything to me yesterday other than he can catch the ball.... That must have been the easiest hat trick scored in test rugby!!

Will be interesting to see how England measure up when play their next three games where they will have "tier 1 NH opposition".....well at least Wales is!!

Harsh. The first one was a gimme, but the second required reading the move and timing his run right, and the third was a great finish.

Tries don't prove everything, and I would still like to have seen a fair amount more from him in open play, but to write his hattrick off as "easy" is unfair.