Marce
John Hipwell (52)
Ditto Hooper, apart from last night, tests 1& 2 I thought he played poorly.
It wasn't his best series, you can describe it as average but at least he didn't make any silly mistake like Wilson in his first starter game
Ditto Hooper, apart from last night, tests 1& 2 I thought he played poorly.
The funny thing is that Ireland has the same system than RA, 4 professional franchises who eat all the resources. They have been average at best in all the professional Era but now they look like a powerful rugby nation.This is why we need a domestic comp, we need more than 5 sides so we have more professional opportunities for our players to keep them here.
Ok mate, obviously incorrect and just had a look, seems quite a few are just paid under table (like rugby in old days) but basically you right, no way would enough get it to be a fully pro game! Just what I had been told, and as it by quite some way apparently biggest sport Ireland I guessed it was open. Think I recall Isaac Boss saying oit basically a catholic played sport and rugby was the protestant game, why it was so good when Rugby played at Croke park a few years ago, firt time he reckoned most Cathlolics has ever seen rugby.
Yep Irish union are doing things right, we see comments that they have more money to pay there Leinsters etc, but that is because they know their budget and don't have more teams than they can afford. They also 2nd and 3rd tier comps that help feed players up the chain I think.The funny thing is that Ireland has the same system than Rugby Australia, 4 professional franchises who eat all the resources. They have been average at best in all the professional Era but now they look like a powerful rugby nation.
I wonder if they have the same problems with Gaelic football and soccer competing for viewerships, supporters and sponsors like rugby in Australian Sport Market.
Is the system the main issue? Probably Ireland is a different market but there are some coincidences: Gaelic football is pretty similar to Aussie Rules. The most popular sport there but only played at professional level in one country. Maybe the different is that Irish soccer sucks competing against their European rivals and Irish rugby has been more succesful. At least at 6 nations level and now at world stage, so Irish rugby attracts more people and sponsorship than Irish soccer, I don't know.
Probably Aussie rugby is more similar to Irish soccer than Irish rugby but that's not 100% accurate cause soccer in Ireland looks like a popular sport.
Maybe the loyalty to the sport is more intense there. I mean, most of the supporters who want a domestic competition for Australia and leave Super Rugby have the argument that you need succesfull teams to attract people and sponsorship. Competing against Kiwis is quite difficult for Aussie teams, and nowadays is almost impossible to see an Aussie champion but that's what happen in Ireland, they don't have a domestic competition so Leinster and Munster aren't champions every season but despite that they have the support of their communities.
Gaelic is an amateur game, so what’s the pull for Irish rugby players? What can they offer that clubs in the All Ireland league can’t?The funny thing is that Ireland has the same system than Rugby Australia, 4 professional franchises who eat all the resources. They have been average at best in all the professional Era but now they look like a powerful rugby nation.
I wonder if they have the same problems with Gaelic football and soccer competing for viewerships, supporters and sponsors like rugby in Australian Sport Market.
Is the system the main issue? Probably Ireland is a different market but there are some coincidences: Gaelic football is pretty similar to Aussie Rules. The most popular sport there but only played at professional level in one country. Maybe the different is that Irish soccer sucks competing against their European rivals and Irish rugby has been more succesful. At least at 6 nations level and now at world stage, so Irish rugby attracts more people and sponsorship than Irish soccer, I don't know.
Probably Aussie rugby is more similar to Irish soccer than Irish rugby but that's not 100% accurate cause soccer in Ireland looks like a popular sport.
Maybe the loyalty to the sport is more intense there. I mean, most of the supporters who want a domestic competition for Australia and leave Super Rugby have the argument that you need succesfull teams to attract people and sponsorship. Competing against Kiwis is quite difficult for Aussie teams, and nowadays is almost impossible to see an Aussie champion but that's what happen in Ireland, they don't have a domestic competition so Leinster and Munster aren't champions every season but despite that they have the support of their communities.
The both underplay and get the ball moving providing good service, yes Foley had a better running game, but Lolesio is probably a better defender and kicker (swings and roundabouts)Thats a little unfair on Foley. He used to make a lot of line breaks and pop up in support often, finishing tries. The rest of his game was not the best. Lolesio is the opposite and doesn’t have the keys to the players outside him.
Nice points. Can also add the kick out on the full that was taken back into the 22m. Fundamental stuffUltimately that was a game about little things we didn't execute. All in the first ten minutes:
- Frost charges down from the kickoff but can't regather - not really a crime as we're still in their half.
- Tupou leans in at the subsequent scrum and we get short armed rather than putting some pressure on (penalty to us thereafter)
- Lolesio missing a regulation 3
- Hodge totally fluffing a pass to Wright which was a tryscoring opportunity in the 22
(Paul Williams not calling "use it once" to an England maul going backward at the next lineout was, well.... )
- Tupou getting through the line and absolutely butchering a pass to Frost with the line wide open
Can't win games even against a mediocre England if you're not going to get your one percenters right.
Nice little stab there about budget. The IRFU brings in more money than RA because of the 6 Nations gold mine and the worlds most generous tax system for professional athletes.Yep Irish union are doing things right, we see comments that they have more money to pay there Leinsters etc, but that is because they know their budget and don't have more teams than they can afford. They also 2nd and 3rd tier comps that help feed players up the chain I think.
I not in anyway saying the system would work in Aus or anywhere else, just seems a good system, have as many top div clubs as you can afford and then something like 50 clubs in 3 divisions, only playing 2 pro players at anytime.
That one was lineball. Wilson was lying on the 22, I thought as did Hodge and the rest of the team that he was in and so Hodge booted it out. Wasn't a miskick, was a misunderstanding.Nice points. Can also add the kick out on the full that was taken back into the 22m. Fundamental stuff
that’s a no.9 call all day to kick outThat one was lineball. Wilson was lying on the 22, I thought as did Hodge and the rest of the team that he was in and so Hodge booted it out. Wasn't a miskick, was a misunderstanding.
Mate wasn't a stab at anyone, but I do think Ireland do it well, actually Wales do very similar to Ireland, they have cut teams to what they can afford, and run a secondary pro or semi pro comp. I not in anyway comparing it to RA (you really a bit defensive) or NZ, as I couldn't see it working in Aus as there no real teams already set up for a secondary 10-12 team comp and maybe the tyranny of distance would make it too hard. What Ireland and Wales are able to do is have a countrywide secondary comp (and with populations of 3-5 mill) basically using existing long term teams/provincial/town ie Pontpool etc which makes a difference. I think both countries have done it a well, and have made some unpopular decisions, but are starting to show sucess for it. As I say I don't see it working in Aus, as original structure etc not there, not through anyone's fault, just how rugby has grown in the country etc.Nice little stab there about budget. The IRFU brings in more money than Rugby Australia because of the 6 Nations gold mine and the worlds most generous tax system for professional athletes.
If Aus were able to keep all their players, had the pick of local sporting talent best suited for contact sports and then pay for each team to have a few project players that are already identified as elite players, while the other countries in the same league bleed playing resources and cannot offer the same level of financial resources.
Australia are so similar to Wales and NZ and Ireland have the most similarities
The IRFU brings in more money than Rugby Australia because of the 6 Nations gold mine and the worlds most generous tax system for professional athletes.
That one was lineball. Wilson was lying on the 22, I thought as did Hodge and the rest of the team that he was in and so Hodge booted it out. Wasn't a miskick, was a misunderstanding.
The provincial crowds are the same as Aus crowds, just in smaller stadiums. Ticket sales don’t mean a lot these days unless it’s for an international game charged $100+ per ticket and 40k+ in the stadium. It’s so small on the revenue %, clubs would elect it to be the first part of revenue sacrificed. Gold Diggers podcast with David Bond goes a little bit through ticket sales etc.That's in part due the loyalty of their rugby community that sells out all the games played in Dublin. Italy can't take advantage of that cause their community doesn't support them buying tickets or watching on TV
You make a lot of good points.Mate wasn't a stab at anyone, but I do think Ireland do it well, actually Wales do very similar to Ireland, they have cut teams to what they can afford, and run a secondary pro or semi pro comp. I not in anyway comparing it to Rugby Australia (you really a bit defensive) or NZ, as I couldn't see it working in Aus as there no real teams already set up for a secondary 10-12 team comp and maybe the tyranny of distance would make it too hard. What Ireland and Wales are able to do is have a countrywide secondary comp (and with populations of 3-5 mill) basically using existing long term teams/provincial/town ie Pontpool etc which makes a difference. I think both countries have done it a well, and have made some unpopular decisions, but are starting to show sucess for it. As I say I don't see it working in Aus, as original structure etc not there, not through anyone's fault, just how rugby has grown in the country etc.
We can see some countries do things well for different reasons without being a comparison to how we do it down here. Even in England and France there are an awful lot of clubs that we hardly ever know or see that are semi pro, and have a few overseas pros in them, I had Nephew that played for a couple of seasons in Guernsey etc, couple of young fellas I coached (lol even WOB knows them) were players for Cambridge etc, it's a different system over there that they are getting worked out real well as professional rugby has become established. I not sure that NZR or Rugby Australia have still quite got it worked out as well.
Like the 50/22 the week before, this was an incorrect call IMHO. The line belongs to the player. The player never "left" the 22. The ruck formed with last feet in the 22. Therefore we're inside the 22.
So did I. I don't mind that ref and usually they make it very clear to the half back but I don't recall hearing it. It is the players responsibility at the end of the day. I guess it's why its a big moment but not a moment that Hodge can have that makes me want to just walk into the Ocean.Interesting, I didn't go back to check but watching live also thought they were good to kick it out and initial reaction was that Hodge did a good job...