[2018 6 Nations] Round 5 : England v Ireland (17/03/2018)

[RugbyMarvel]

I think he could either go the way of Hooper yes, but can see him going more the way of McMahon, a sort of hybrid back rower. Lots of gas and likes a carry but not quite top class anywhere in the back row

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

I think he could either go the way of Hooper yes, but can see him going more the way of McMahon, a sort of hybrid back rower. Lots of gas and likes a carry but not quite top class anywhere in the back row

A 6.5? Sounds great.

 

[RugbyMarvel]

A 6.5? Sounds great.

Love a 6.5. Haven't seen one in a while.

I'd prefer him to go the way of Hooper but I just fear he won't.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

Love a 6.5. Haven't seen one in a while.

I'd prefer him to go the way of Hooper but I just fear he won't.

So an entire backrow of 6/5's, sounds like a recipe for success... Now we need the locks to all be 5.5's, the 12 to be a 10.5 (because 11 would be confusing) and we are sorted.

 

[RugbyMarvel]

So an entire backrow of 6/5's, sounds like a recipe for success... Now we need the locks to all be 5.5's, the 12 to be a 10.5 (because 11 would be confusing) and we are sorted.

Then you get Slade, who could be a 12.5, very confusing.

 

[Which Tyler]

Then you get Slade, who could be a 12.5, very confusing.

(10+12+13+15)/4 = 12.5
Yup

 

[dunney77]

JG doesn't believe Ireland have a world class player...

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

They don't have A world class player they have multiple world class players.

 

[Sewin Fisher]

JG doesn't believe Ireland have a world class player...

JG said it was a knock on when the TMO disallowed try for Wales as well.
Didn't see an apology from J G when world rugby admitted it should have been a try https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/wales-receive-formal-apology-world-14284371

 

[TRF_Olyy]

It was a knock on,
The try should have been awarded because they were looking at the grounding and he did ground it first

Right result, wrong reasoning.

But this has been done to death in the England vs Wales match thread

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

Also don't see why he should've had to make a public apology for expressing his very reasonable opinion regardless.

 

[AM_Bokke]

Relatively new AmerIcan Rugby fan here.

I think that it must be said that rugby all over the globe is under financial pressure because rugby just isn't a very good business model.

Rugby has high operating costs (large squad sizes) that can't generate that many revenue opportunities (games played) due to the physical nature of the sport.

Compare this to:

Basketball - the NBA only requires that a team field 8 players per game. There are 82 regular season games and a long playoff.

Football - top clubs have squads of 25 and they play 50(ish) games a year.

Baseball - baseball can be played everyday by most players so the MLB has a 162 game regular season.

Hockey - an NHL team fields 20 players per game. 18 of which are skaters that avg 20 minutes of playing time per game. They have an 82 game regular season and a long playoff.

Rugby is a total dog compared to these operating models. It is destined to have a hard time.

And I don't think that the NFL would have taken off today. NFL Europe is sort of an example in that the NFL owners just got tired of the losses and folded the league. They absorbed 10 years of losses in the world's 2nd largest sporting market. It was too much.

The NFL is also lucky that all of its development costs are paid by educational institutions. Football and hockey don't really have this.

I think that this is why World Rugby is so invested in sevens. Rugby sevens actually has a chance at being financially sustainable.

15s is destined for controversy in my view.

 

[Leinster Fan]

Relatively new AmerIcan Rugby fan here.

I think that it must be said that rugby all over the globe is under financial pressure because rugby just isn't a very good business model.

Rugby has high operating costs (large squad sizes) that can't generate that many revenue opportunities (games played) due to the physical nature of the sport.

Compare this to:

Basketball - the NBA only requires that a team field 8 players per game. There are 82 regular season games and a long playoff.

Football - top clubs have squads of 25 and they play 50(ish) games a year.

Baseball - baseball can be played everyday by most players so the MLB has a 162 game regular season.

Hockey - an NHL team fields 20 players per game. 18 of which are skaters that avg 20 minutes of playing time per game. They have an 82 game regular season and a long playoff.

Rugby is a total dog compared to these operating models. It is destined to have a hard time.

And I don't think that the NFL would have taken off today. NFL Europe is sort of an example in that the NFL owners just got tired of the losses and folded the league. They absorbed 10 years of losses in the world's 2nd largest sporting market. It was too much.

The NFL is also lucky that all of its development costs are paid by educational institutions. Football and hockey don't really have this.

I think that this is why World Rugby is so invested in sevens. Rugby sevens actually has a chance at being financially sustainable.

15s is destined for controversy in my view.

Whatever about the rights or wrongs of this post, it has absolutely no relevance in any way to this thread.

 

[AM_Bokke]

Whatever about the rights or wrongs of this post, it has absolutely no relevance in any way to this thread.

Sorry. I agree with you. It's just that when people are like "clubs need larger squads, players need to play less games, etc." it just seems clear to me that that it all doesn't make much sense.

 

[Leinster Fan]

Sorry. I agree with you. It's just that when people are like "clubs need larger squads, players need to play less games, etc." it just seems clear to me that that it all doesn't make much sense.

I get what you're saying, and it should be discussed, but I do think it's probably the wrong thread. The player welfare/season length debate is especially topical in England at the moment which means it ends up sidetracking a lot of threads. I do think what you're saying is topical even if I don't agree with all of it. It is worth discussing in a seperate thread though IMO.

 

[Pom in Exile]

JG doesn't believe Ireland have a world class player...

Saw that.
Numpty

 

[curtbob7]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/43451007

already posted but what an absolute plonker.

Also including Daly in his team of the tournament over Earls.

 

[Amiga500]

Relatively new AmerIcan Rugby fan here.
I think that it must be said that rugby all over the globe is under financial pressure because rugby just isn't a very good business model.

Only in the two countries where the unions have allowed the clubs to dictate to them.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Is it really allowing when the clubs outdate the union?

 

[Amiga500]

Ireland, arguably, do not have any world class players in their Grand Slam-winning squad. You could argue there are better scrum-halves and fly-halves than Conor Murray and Johnny Sexton who would get into a world XV. Tadhg Furlong is one you would argue less about. But what they do have are 23 players playing very well.

Jeremy,

When you are arguing whether a player *might* not make it into a World XV, then by definition, its a given that player *is* world-class.

Whether they are the best or 2nd best in the world doesn't matter - if they are close enough for a reasonable argument, then they are world class.

Regards,

Me


[Anyone else feel its long past time the Beeb put him out to pasture. His opinions and insight into today's game is pretty woeful.]



For the record, I think Ireland have probably have at least 4 world class players:
- Healy
- Furlong
- Murray
- Sexton

O'Brien would also have been included if he was fit.

Slightly OT: We also are in the very fortunate position of having half a dozen other young players who may go on to become world class:
- Ryan
- Leavy
- Carbery
- Ringrose
- Stockdale
- Larmour