wowwww hadn't been on here for a while. You English take this soooooooooooo seriously, just hold up for a second guys. I knew some of you had this sort of hyperbolic chauvinism about you, but this is downright comical for me to read here...you'll think this post is cynical, or sarcastic - it's not. This is actually funny to check out.
Like - THE MAN IS A TURNCOAT *************************** !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hope he ROTS IN HELL WITH ONIONS !!! (I remember reading something like that, maybe not the HELL part, but onions yes...).
Surely, you can't be that angry about this...I mean Armitage may have played for England, but he's not an "English player" like Wilko was or Robshaw, Wood, Youngs, Care today. Rugby style wise, he has no identity. He fits neither France nor England, in fact in world Rugby for a loosie he's just a complete anomaly. The fact that he played for England is due to the fact that he had a little piece of paper that stated he was English. If you're talking training and playing in places, he's done both France and England extensively over the course of his interesting career. It's not like he's a stranger to France.
Is it the fact that a player would play for two countries that is by default a taboo horrendous act that should be persecuted without the slightest second thought, mechanically ? Like, there's just no way this is justifiable ? By my tone, you'll understand I obviously don't think so.
Hypothetically, some dude who's played in France and England and then we "poach" him or, whatever if you don't like that term we "have him play for us" like 5 little games, 5 little caps, and then he plays in England again, in Prem, and decides to play for England, I mean sure wtvr, there's no actual loyalty he owes us, me as a French fan, or the nation of France. He's a player, that means he's a business man, has his own destiny nobody can criticize, it's his fkng career, life and family.
This isn't like some guy who's delivering all England's gameplan to France or other opponents, or has actually spat on England somehow...he's just following the course of his career. It's neutral, it doesn't really have a color...you say "turncoat" - I don't even think there is a coat to turn.
I mean, if I'm English and I see him in the street some day and I go "dude, no offense, but you're a turncoat" and he answered back (after he headbutts me): "dude, it's my life, my career. Both countries mean a lot to me and I've played my whole pro career between both territories and culturally I have ties with both...who the fk are you to tell me what I can or can't do again ?" - I'd have no answer. I'd just walk away with my tale betw. my legs, apologizing.
I mean this is less relevant, but what if I brought up hey these guys (Armitage bros) played in Nice earlier and were basically French, they're such turncoats for playing in England afterwards. Nah, fk that man. They're pro athletes, they play for whoever seduces them the most, and that means money, or other more humane things.
Tuilagi has an English side, he's not all Samoan, he's lived in England a while. If I'm Samoan I don't consider him a turncoat, even though his whole family's played for Samoa. Again, it's cool, it's pro sports. Just, seize your opportunities and go for it buddy...
Of course if you leave for a better country because you don't want to stay in the gutter where life is rough and the team isn't all that great but that's where you belong, that's a little disgusting. I'd rather sink on my ship than hop onto the next "bandwagon" boat, so to speak.
I remember a recent interview from Fekitoa, I believe he still could play for Tonga at that point. Early in the interview he goes "I want to play for the All-Blacks, because...they're the best team in the world". Fairplay, take your chances man, this is where you want to be because it'll bring the most out of you as an athlete, so be it. And that's all an athlete can ever desire - SHOULD ever desire.
Those are all different examples (from the Steffon A. one) with nuances, but I'm just stretching the topic to a few of its corners here.
