Country v B&I Lions

[Wheatman]

Thanks Hugh. Just thought it was a good succinct post describing the bittersweet viewing of the game I had. I didn't want to take anything away from the blokes who played, but it also described well how I felt country rugby was used to sell the game, and that it wasn't representative. I know we covered it earlier, but it was also heartening to see many other people agree with the author in that piece. Country rugby has plenty of its own issues to resolve - however I still respect the jersey and the honour it would have been to wear it although I never got close.

As for posting there, it's probably a good thing that dial-up was the only form of internet when I was heavily involved with my local club otherwise I might have gone a little crazy. Have now settled to only being a spectator as it's hard to be as involved with family and club 40km away. Feel a lot fresher on a Sunday morning!

 

[Hugh Jarse]

I played some footy around in and around Canberra in my younger days. Crookwell, Cooma, Goulburn et al. Not real bush but good enough to appreciate the values of the Country RU lads.

As a welded on city slicker now, I can still appreciate what is great about bush footy and that is why I have been a rather "vocal" critic of the con job used by the ARU over the Combined NSW/Qld Country Presidents Invitational XV fiasco.

Call a spade a spade, but if you are calling it a spade, then don't go and get a backhoe and maintain a pretence that it is still a spade that is being used to dig the hole.

 

[Braveheart81]

I completely get that NSW Country and Qld Country are two competitions with their own players.

Whilst the Combined NSW/Qld Country name was probably a little misleading, I think that overall, there shouldn't be too much to get upset about.

Many of the players who played in this game are country boys who moved to the city to further their rugby careers. If they hadn't done that they may be still living and playing in the country. I find it hard to begrudge those guys who have tried further their rugby careers.

Whilst clearly a bunch of guys who play for NSW Country or Qld Country in rep matches missed out on an opportunity to play the Lions, a bunch of other guys who I think are no less deserving got an opportunity instead.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

I completely get that NSW Country and Qld Country are two competitions with their own players.

Whilst the Combined NSW/Qld Country name was complete bulldust, I think that overall, there shouldn't be too much to get upset about.

Many of the players who played in this game are country boys who moved to the city to further their rugby careers. If they hadn't done that they may be still living and playing in the country. I find it hard to begrudge those guys who have tried further their rugby careers.

Whilst clearly a bunch of guys who play for NSW Country or Qld Country in rep matches missed out on an opportunity to play the Lions, a bunch of other guys who I think are no less deserving got an opportunity instead.

Fixed.

I do not begrudge anyone who has turned out to play against the B&I Lions. Kudos to the all.

Just call the teams for what they are, and do not mislead the public.

We are the suckers who buy all the merch, tickets and Foxtel subscriptions, and we produce the next generation of players.

 

[Braveheart81]

Is there a history of a Combined NSW/Qld Country team?

I can certainly find a lot of information about a Combined Country team purely referring to a combination of NSW country teams but nothing relating to NSW and Qld being combined.

If it was already a new creation for this match then I don't see how everyone can be so up in arms about the integrity of it.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

It was an Invitational Team not a Representative team.

Those invited/selected were players who are playing country footy, or started playing their footy in the Country.

The players did not represent NSW Country or QLD County.

 

[Brumby Runner]

I previously posted that I thought this game was a waste of time. Now even the supporters seem to divided about whether it was truly a "country" game or a benefit for marginal 1st grade players.

To add to my contention that there are a lot of more deserving players who are going to miss out completely on the opportunity to play the once-in-twelve-years demi-gods, I have listed below those who I think missed the Force and Reds games, and those who will likely miss out on Wallabies' selection, and those who are currently injured in the Brumbies' squad, all of whom might be available by early July if an Australia A game was then scheduled.

Force v BIL : Cowan, Longbottom, Tessman, Wykes, Alcock, Sheehan, Godwin, Jacobs, Dellitt;

Reds : F'Sautia;

Wallabies' 31 man squad : Sio or Kepu, Kimlin and MMM or Dennis, McCalman, Cummins and Tomane or Morahan, Lealiifano or McCabe or Horne.

Brumbies : Palmer (maybe), Murphy, G Smith, Aeulua, White, A Smith.

Throw in Pyle who might miss the Rebels' game through injury, and we'd have the makings of a very strong A team. Unfortunately, most or all of these will miss this once in a players lifetime opportunity (except George of course), and all are extremely more deserving of that honour than the run of the mill players that fronted for the country farce.

 

[AngrySeahorse]

Throw in Pyle who might miss the Rebels' game through injury, and we'd have the makings of a very strong A team. Unfortunately, most or all of these will miss this once in a players lifetime opportunity (except George of course), and all are extremely more deserving of that honour than the run of the mill players that fronted for the country farce.

Australian Rugby is so god damn poor when it comes to handling Country Rugby - especially the pathway to higher honours. Compare it to other sports & I reckon even semi professional or amateur sports have a better pathway from the bush than Australian Rugby. Therefore it is only fitting that Country players playing out of Country areas get the chance to play in a game like the CC one - even if it wasn't the entire team. To me, the ARU owes Country & its Rugby supporters, not the other way around.

"extremely more deserving", hardly. The Force players that missed out was Foley's doing, that was not the fault of the CC game. The members of the Wallabies squad & regular Super Rugby players who 'missed out' are going to have plenty of genuine opportunities to play in big games or go over seas to further their careers later. The Country players in the CC team are not going to have these opportunities (or at least it is very unlikely), the purpose is a once in a life time game for them & really more a game for the people. I think we had just over 20,000 people there who had a good time regardless of the score.

I suppose its hard for some people to understand this when they have a Super Rugby team in their own area & fail to understand what games like this are about for those of us that don't.