Do we Really want the Puma's in Tri-Nations?

[TheRiddler]

Maybe its just the Rum talking

Outstanding work at 3.39pm on a Sunday :tard

 

[Pfitzy]

Easter Sunday lunch with my brother-in-law who considers himself a World Authority On Everything. My wife's grandparents are newly moved into the area to be closer to the rest of us. They wanted a new TV, but they're pushing 80 and have just come to grips with DVD players.

So he buys them a 50" plasma Full HD, a surround sound speaker system, and a twin HD tuner 250Gb HDD recorder with DVD recorder in-built (using their money). Then he claims he didn't buy the twin HD tuner BluRay recorder because "they barely know how to operate the VCR".

I nearly bit my tongue in two. Why not just buy them a fucking 8 Series Samsung LCD and be done with it? Octagenarians DON'T NEED SURROUND FUCKING SOUND!

 

[Gagger]

I assume he's already got the space cleared in his living room?

 

[Jury]

I'd love them in and some of the Island teams too. Expand it please. The Tri-Ns can be a bloody snore fest sometimes.

It would really be terrific and I think Fiji and maybe Samoa/Japan could certainly rationalise spots in an international Southern Hemisphere tournament. They'd be the Italys of our tournaments but it would give them more chances to compete at a high level as a country.

The main issue with this is the reason so many Argies and Islanders play in the Northern Hemisphere for such good money, it is because they can play the windows the locals can't (i.e 6 nations and Autumn tours). This makes them invaluable for large portions of the season. If you ship those blokes down here for the 3Ns less of them will get hired. This means it will be worse for their game overall.

Only Japan could really be seamlessly fitted into the Tri-nations tourney (or whatever number of nations it becomes). I'm surprised this hasn't been explored. There any many SA, NZ and Aussie expats in Japan that would attend the games and it would help the quality of Japan, they really could potentially be a tier 1 nation. Obviously they would get beaten but the future would be bright.

Alternatively the Fijian Warriors could be given a Super Rugby spot (competing out of Suva), this would mean they could easily play the Tri-nations if 50% or more of there squad in competing local (it would impact NH rugby less). However, with the addition of the conference system this option has been effectively shut out.

There will have to be a huge reworking of SH rugby to realistically have any Islands or Argentina competing in a regular tournament against us. Japan on the other hand would have to pick up there game 10-fold, they however control their own tournament and could fit in easily timetable-wise.

Sorry guys, just a bit of a rant.

It's actually a darn good rant and I agree with it, and Italy plays a lot better now than they did before they entered the 6Ns.

 

[Scarfman]

If we got SH rugby back to where it belongs: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4, I wouldn't mind that much being 3rd or 4th. Just fun to be in the best rugby tournament in the world.

 

[James Buchanan]

If we got SH rugby back to where it belongs: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4, I wouldn't mind that much being 3rd or 4th. Just fun to be in the best rugby tournament in the world.

As has been pointed out, I suspect the Pumas could improve the gameplay of the the other 3N countries as much as they will improve. They will raise the bar for tight forwards performances and turn the new 4N into an exhibition of the complete game.