James O'Connor: another big name in Toulon

[FrenchFan]

No its all the fault if the greedy club owners dont you read the other threads on here.....

>>yes i have read and answered a good few of them.

 

[FrenchFan]

Toulon, and teams like them, Racing Metro, Clermont, Bayonne teams that hire mercenaries in general, they've ****ed up the French side pretty badly and they'll **** up other nations as well if they're allowed.



Soccer and Rugby are completely different though. Champions league is the highest quality football there is, the club game at the top level is the peak. Rugby on the other hand still has the international game as the main attraction and best level of rugby, we've seen from football that big money teams and leagues can ruin this. International rugby has to remain the peak otherwise rugby goes to ****.

>>dont really agree. Ive seen games in the HCup that were more entertaining and of higher quality than in 6N. It happens. Many HCup players have been often been heard saying that the pace of some of the Hcup games were very close to Int tests. The HCup can be just as entertaining as the Champions League. I watched both too. Big money also makes the Champions league possible.

 

[Groundhog]

I don't really care if you prefer your domestic team. This sort of money ball shouldn't be necessary to club success. It's not like the French teams win the thing every year. Teams like Leinster produce buckets of Internationals and are hugely successful in Europe. wouldn't that be preferable to a situation where you spend millions of quid to bring in stars? It's hard not to be angry towards teams like Toulon who were utter **** up until they got sugardaddyed while Europe's leading clubs have to spend years building a team capable of winning the HC. I'm certainly not jealous though, it's a situation I would hate to see at Munster.
Still I don't believe that the antics of the big money French sides hurt any national side but their own, as long as they stick to player welfare guidelines. While the French teams have done a number on the Welsh regions, it hasn't harmed the national team as the regions are constantly giving young players Heineken Cup rugby to accomodate for the loss of star players.

 

[McTallshort]

I don't really care if you prefer your domestic team. This sort of money ball shouldn't be necessary to club success. It's not like the French teams win the thing every year. Teams like Leinster produce buckets of Internationals and are hugely successful in Europe. wouldn't that be preferable to a situation where you spend millions of quid to bring in stars? It's hard not to be angry towards teams like Toulon who were utter **** up until they got sugardaddyed while Europe's leading clubs have to spend years building a team capable of winning the HC. I'm certainly not jealous though, it's a situation I would hate to see at Munster.
Still I don't believe that the antics of the big money French sides hurt any national side but their own, as long as they stick to player welfare guidelines. While the French teams have done a number on the Welsh regions, it hasn't harmed the national team as the regions are constantly giving young players Heineken Cup rugby to accomodate for the loss of star players.

Dont Leinster take avantage of generous tax breaks for Irish qualified players and also have a salary budget bigger than the EPL salary cap?

 

[FrenchFan]

I don't really care if you prefer your domestic team. This sort of money ball shouldn't be necessary to club success. It's not like the French teams win the thing every year.

>>of course they dont. No one in France expect them too. It would devalue the whole competition. I dont want to see another semi final or final like last year btw 2 french teams. Which leaves the door wide open to other nations. Its up to other nations to mount a strong challenge. But u only look at the money. All these big clubs also have very strong rugby academy.

Teams like Leinster produce buckets of Internationals and are hugely successful in Europe. wouldn't that be preferable to a situation where you spend millions of quid to bring in stars?
>>I agree. And Toulouse started a long time ago and have provided the template for many. They are not Toulon. They are the most successful club in europe, 6 finals 4 ***les. They have a found a great balance btw their hugely successful rugby academy that has been a conveyor belt of french internationals for decades, and signing up foreign stars.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Vaguely back on topic:
London Irish are throwing their cheque book at O'Connor to try and sign him until January 2015, at which point he'll be free to go back to Aus for the Super Rugby season to try and break into the Wallabies.

 

[j'nuh]

Vaguely back on topic:
London Irish are throwing their cheque book at O'Connor to try and sign him until January 2015, at which point he'll be free to go back to Aus for the Super Rugby season to try and break into the Wallabies.

Absolutely bizarre to sign a marquee player for half a season. It means you spend the business-end of the season without a marquee player at all (none left available by Jan 2015) and a gaping hole to fill in the squad. :huh:

 

[Aedaphon]

Absolutely bizarre to sign a marquee player for half a season. It means you spend the business-end of the season without a marquee player at all (none left available by Jan 2015) and a gaping hole to fill in the squad. :huh:

... Agreed, but JOC just scored all the points in Irish's last win. When you're a bottom half side (only 3 wins so far this season), a signing that can win you 4 or 5 games with the boot AND attack might be worth the investment.