WRW WEDNESDAY: WHAT WOULD GET RUGBY FANS ON THE STREETS?
...and in a packed programme today...
DERBY DAY ABOVE ANY OTHER
It’s been a long time coming, but Derby Day is almost upon us and what a shame it is that the last two minutes against Bath has robbed us of a seriously interesting sub-plot.
Saints are extremely confident going into this, having won three of their last four. But when you take out their three defeats from their opening rounds, the Covid cancellations, they’ve won seven from ten, (losing to Bath, Bristol and in the one thumping, Harlequins)
It promises to be another fascinating clash of styles similar to Bath, although Tom Youngs was quick to point out after Sunday, Leicester will open it up when they feel it’s on. My thought is that I wonder whether the coaching staff will advise keeping it tighter this week - after all, there’s no hurry to start playing Barbarians-style when you have as good a set-piece pack as this.
THE RUN-IN FOR ALL THE TEAMS
Six games left and were Tigers to win all six especially given their opposition, it would still leave them in good shape for the top 4, as long as Sale and Harlequins drop points.
Both have awkward run-ins, especially Alex Sanderson’s team. So it’s not impossible but they remain in good form.
Northampton - the likelier team to supplant either in the top four - have a better run-in, but Leicester would seriously spike Saints’ hopes with a third successive Derby win (if you include the Covid cancellation).
For what it’s worth, I can see Tigers winning all three home games but the challenge will be at the AJ Bell next week.
BREAKING NEWS
Less than 80 words in his statement, so he leaves in a manner akin to his tenure. Silently.
LOOK BEYOND THE HEADLINES
You won’t look far to see headlines proclaiming the end of the European Super League but somewhere among them, will be the reference to Eddie Jones staying place as England Head Coach. Few expected anything else and the reasons why England had such a poor Six Nations will now be poured over.
Covid restrictions can’t be overlooked and yesterday’s RFU statement suggests Covid-19 is behind three of the stated causes for a 5th place finish. The rest of it is one long excuse and a warning to a certain Australian - don’t do it again Eddie.
This is not a statement packed with subtlety. Not just Eddie to blame for picking players with no game time, but “a wider group were fatigued as a result of being the only country to have back-to-back seasons; resulting in players having no mental break from one season to the next.”
Wasn’t me, guv.. It was those 12 or 13 middle-aged blokes over at Regal House…
The summer ahead
And then look through this..
To evolve its strategic approach to the game, the RFU aims to deepen its alignment between England Rugby performance and professional clubs. This will start with a proposed summer conference for England Rugby, professional clubs, referees and medics to find common ground and goals for the English game moving forward. Discussion points will include the increasing speed of the game, decision making, data and analytics, refereeing, player development and welfare.
If the intention is to directly align the performance units of the clubs and England, you can see the benefit of this on one level. After all, it’s frankly silly there isn’t a standard analysis system used in professional rugby.
But who shows up? Does Eddie Jones turn up and explain why he regularly dismisses the worth of Premiership form? If this is going to be a conference where the England coach just demands fealty, this is going to be a waste of time. I await Premiership Rugby’s response with interest.
But what about the fans?
The idea of a high-powered conference is not a bad one at all. But it needs to be at a level above Jones and performance staff.
The issues of vital importance are not those decided by those in the backroom, but at the helm. What are thy? Promotion/relegation, player safety, how the game is run, the role of private equity, future competitions, the growth of the global game and how we build a broader audience. I could go on.
Who gets invited? RFU senior executives, the Premiership owners, the Championship owners, the National Clubs Association for the junior clubs, the RPA and other more independent representatives and yes, the fans. You know that meddlesome sector of opinion, represented by the very
But here’s a thought. How do clubs listen to their fans? There is the private, controlled world of the focus group, supporters meetings and sometimes the odd statement. But where are the fans making, what Congressmen John Lewis called “good trouble”?
I’ve not seen any fans’ organisation either be created or make its voice heard at any Premiership club and especially any Supporters Trust attempt to buy shares in those clubs. Is there even an organisation for rugby season-ticket holders?
It’s one thing to moan at an unaccountable elite, but unless you organise, no-one will bother listening.
PASIFIKA PUSHED OUT?
All is not quite what it seems with the establishment of two new franchises within Super Rugby, intended to boost long-term development of the Fiji and Samoan international sides. Though the warning signs were there.
Fijian Drua and Moana Pasifika are designed to be franchises to “funnel through” Fijian and Samoan talent into Super Rugby, and then international rugby. Unquestionably, this is a good thing and long overdue.
But what these franchises really mustn’t do, is aid New Zealand and Australia more than the Pacific Islands. If they do, what’s the point?
The Fijian Drua will be, and must be, a Super Rugby team supported by World Rugby and run by Fijian Rugby.
The Fijian Drua were an immediate hit in Australia’s NRC. They won the competition in 2018 and were wholeheartedly supported by the Fijian community wherever they played throughout their three-year stint.
The brand of rugby they played was, at times, irrepressible. Any other iteration of the Drua, including one where Australian and New Zealand Rugby try to use it as a part of their pathways, would be disingenuous.
After all these years, and so many individual players of note, it seems that the Pacific Islands have arrived.
But this is a kicker.
To put it simply, Moana Pasifika look to be another NZ franchise who will funnel players through to the All Blacks. The significant difference being a set-up based around cultural background, as opposed to geography.
Now, we have to get some context. Much as there has been multi-racial integration here since the 1950s, a large population has integrated into New Zealand from the Pacific Islands for a lot longer than that, especially into the Auckland area. So there are plenty of New Zealanders, of Samoan Fijian and Tongan heritage but born in New Zealand, who are desperate to play for the All Blacks. Equally, there are many cases of boys who come to New Zealand to play schools rugby and never look back, one of the latest being Folau Fakatava who plays for the Highlanders.
The usual rules for a NZ franchise within Super Rugby are that 80% of your squad has to be New Zealand-qualified, with 20% available for other nations.
But you can’t use those factors to justify a decent stink starting to emerge from the Moana Pasifika end of the deal.
Australia and New Zealand are not meant to benefit from this projects.
New Zealand Rugby are investing in this project, alongside World Rugby. Given NZR’s leadership role in the whole scheme (approval process now has go through them and Rugby Australia), you’d be wondering who decides which players fall into which category, given the decidedly grey area there is around when a player qualifies for which team.
Also, would it actually matter which category if you establish yourself within Moana Pasifika, then move on when you’re New Zealand-qualified to the Crusaders to the Highlanders?
That makes the role of the New Zealand Rugby Players Association decidedly of interest. Kevin Senio also happens to be the NZRPA’s Player Services Manager, while their head Rob Nicol talks of “untapped potential” in a phrase with distinct colonial overtones.
This at a time where little consultation is taking place with Samoa and Tonga, who could easily stage games right now in updated stadia. While the Fijian Drua will play 5 games on home soil, will Moana Pasifika play anywhere else bar South Auckland?
This isn’t what was sold a few weeks ago.
DATE FOR YOUR DIARY
RUNNING FROM DEEP
Bad news that South African teams will not be able to travel North for the Rainbow Cup. SA Rugby Mag reports that:
Just over a week ago it first emerged that the PRO14 Rainbow Cup was in some jeopardy after South Africa’s four participating teams were told to suspend their visa applications over issues that arose around clearance from the UK government to be based in the planned Bristol base.
Meetings were continuing on Tuesday, but it’s expected that franchises will be informed that they will not be heading into action this weekend.
It remains to be seen what the alternative might be for South Africa’s sides, particularly as the Rainbow Cup was seen as a crucial competition in terms of preparing leading players for the British & Irish Lions series.
Expect very different opponents for England this summer, according to the Daily Mail. Out goes the US and Canada originally planned for North America but now unlikely, even at Twickenham. Fresh opponents may come from closer to home:
So the England v USA match remains in doubt, with one source describing the process behind the scenes as a 'total mess'.
It is unclear whether the England-Canada match is at a more advanced planning stage, while Jones's men may also take on Georgia and the reinstated Saxons - the national 'A' team - are due to face Scotland.
As the Scots were supposed to be touring Georgia and Romania, there is a possibility that moves are afoot to create a round-robin event.
This is not necessarily new…but…
Thanks for your company once more.
Derby Day preview to come..
I've been arguing for a while that fans need a better voice. And this week's round ball events have only thrown its need more starkly into relief.
Do they really think they could have pushed through the ring-fence and it's shameful, unjustifiable extension without a complaisant, ineffectual supporter base?
Interesting thoughts on Moana Pacifika. It should not, indeed, be an extension of NZ/Aus development pathways but it is worth nothing that more Tongans and Samoans live in South Auckland and Hamilton than in Tonga or Samoa.
"Wasn’t me, guv.. It was those 12 or 13 middle-aged blokes over at Regal House…"
Is that "William Regal House"?
If it is will the real HBK please stand up and deliver some "Sweet Chin Music"