R
rugbywhisperer
Guest
OK, any one who knows me knows I have a little beef about the way the Ausie S14 franchises are playing too many immature and underdevepoped players (primarily backs), purely I believe so they can have them as opposed to another franchise. The absolutely immature and inexperienced play last night by the Red's backs highlighted for me the need to grow up.
For years now we have taken what were very good, sometime great schoolboy players and tried to turn them into good senior player without them developing their game at the senior level. Many if not most of them are struggling to stay afloat and hence never quite develop their true flair and skills.
Here some facts for backs I have done, no guarantee for the accuracy but it's pretty well damned close.
Lowest
Team Average Minimum Run
Age Age on Age
Sharks 24.9 22 22
Bulls 26 20 24
Hurricanes 23.5 20 24
Blues 25.3 22 25
Chiefs 25.5 21 24
Reds 23.1 19 19 (Cooper originally ran on at age 18)
Waratahs 23.1 20 20 (Beale originally ran on at age 18)
Force 24.4 19 19 (JOC (James O'Connor) originally started at age 18)
Brumbies 24.3 19 21
To the best of my knowledge and recollection, NO NZ or SA team has been so casualy with teenage talent. The only NZ example I can recall was a very youn Jonah Lomu, made a meal of his first test at age 18 and spent a few years learning his craft - outside of test rugby and came back bigger and better. If he has remained at test level I doubt he would have survived.
To me, this highlights the fact we are using our players (backs) far too early. There is however some level of intelligence shows to forwards where there are matured in senior club rugby until they are ripe. So why are we burning our backs?
In fact, when you analyse the data further, the average age of the Australian run on backlines is nearly 3 years younger than the others.
IMO, we should be playing the Matt Toomas (why is he there), Beales, Coopers, O'Connors et all in club and under 20 until such time as they are ready for the heavy stuff. The NZ and SA teams are shielding their younger players, playing them in senior club and only rarely letting themout of the cage before age 22. My predictio is that at the current usage, the JOC (James O'Connor)'s, Coopers and beales will be but memories in 3 years time, replaced by more cannon fodder from the schoolboy ranks.
This all makes a great case for a parallel and simultaneous Under 20/21 S14 competition played as a curtain raiser to the big mans game each week. You could even go further and have a tri nations U20/21 test series as well.
When and only when these lkds reach age 21 should they be let loose in the big man's game. We might see some longevity and consistency in their games if that were to happen, but quite frankly I am over seeing these kids doing just dumb stuff in a game, stuff that would have been drummed out of them had they learned their craft properly instead of being force fed.
For years now we have taken what were very good, sometime great schoolboy players and tried to turn them into good senior player without them developing their game at the senior level. Many if not most of them are struggling to stay afloat and hence never quite develop their true flair and skills.
Here some facts for backs I have done, no guarantee for the accuracy but it's pretty well damned close.
Lowest
Team Average Minimum Run
Age Age on Age
Sharks 24.9 22 22
Bulls 26 20 24
Hurricanes 23.5 20 24
Blues 25.3 22 25
Chiefs 25.5 21 24
Reds 23.1 19 19 (Cooper originally ran on at age 18)
Waratahs 23.1 20 20 (Beale originally ran on at age 18)
Force 24.4 19 19 (JOC (James O'Connor) originally started at age 18)
Brumbies 24.3 19 21
To the best of my knowledge and recollection, NO NZ or SA team has been so casualy with teenage talent. The only NZ example I can recall was a very youn Jonah Lomu, made a meal of his first test at age 18 and spent a few years learning his craft - outside of test rugby and came back bigger and better. If he has remained at test level I doubt he would have survived.
To me, this highlights the fact we are using our players (backs) far too early. There is however some level of intelligence shows to forwards where there are matured in senior club rugby until they are ripe. So why are we burning our backs?
In fact, when you analyse the data further, the average age of the Australian run on backlines is nearly 3 years younger than the others.
IMO, we should be playing the Matt Toomas (why is he there), Beales, Coopers, O'Connors et all in club and under 20 until such time as they are ready for the heavy stuff. The NZ and SA teams are shielding their younger players, playing them in senior club and only rarely letting themout of the cage before age 22. My predictio is that at the current usage, the JOC (James O'Connor)'s, Coopers and beales will be but memories in 3 years time, replaced by more cannon fodder from the schoolboy ranks.
This all makes a great case for a parallel and simultaneous Under 20/21 S14 competition played as a curtain raiser to the big mans game each week. You could even go further and have a tri nations U20/21 test series as well.
When and only when these lkds reach age 21 should they be let loose in the big man's game. We might see some longevity and consistency in their games if that were to happen, but quite frankly I am over seeing these kids doing just dumb stuff in a game, stuff that would have been drummed out of them had they learned their craft properly instead of being force fed.
