I'll keep things honest and simple your Highness as I like my head on my shoulders or even up my arse rather than on one of your Sire's stakes should I earn your ire.
1. The Little Johnnys' v The Johnny Come Latelys'
So long as everyone knows what's coming , or the prospect of it , ( and there has been enough history throughout the Association over time to be of this mind ) then there really shouldn't be an issue.
Start from the end game and work backwards in what you then must do to prepare yourself . And if you miss out then you either :
- Accept the fact you are not good enough and reframe what you want from the game
- Don't Accept that fact and get back to work and reframe the forward goal
The boys just aren't at school for Rugby . They are there to hopefully get moderated reality as to how things are out in the big bad world and to develop work ethic , goal planning skills , and self management skills around goal attainment and goal failure .
And if they can do this in the context of sports that than translates into ultimately what they become and end up doing then hey baby chips and gravy - mission accomplished
And speaking of the Johnny's - I am sure there is going to be a showdown
2. Lemon and Oranges ? I guess a Lemon is more bitter than an Apple - but moving on from such citric ponderings ...predatory bretheren ? well engineered and well funded ? Come now Prince ... how often do I and others have to re-affirm that funding "cost" has nothing to do with it in real , literal terms. More hysteria and untruths . The truth is its about incremental revenue boosting when the house isn't full , and , if these boys do lead to better performance based outcomes in whatever they are at the respective schools for - then the enrolment lists gets pumped because whether we all want to accept the ugly truth or not , a significant number of potential customers of a school will pay full freight for their perception of performance .
And that's just not a Rugby thing . Apply that to any part of a curriculum where ambitious prospective customers will consider placing their child into what they perceive is quality - and they'll pony up the bucks for it because its also a status affirmation . That's exactly why parents drive around with those dicky stickers pumping the school on their rear windows..make way ! low achievers keep left ! high achievers coming through !
Unfortunately , Moral High Ground isn't a GPS or AIC Sport
3. As to your last paragraph I have no clear idea what you are talking about Prince ...only some muddled confused insinuation of some sought which seems beneath someone of your stature. A clumsy attempt at a personal jab which one might expect from a sardonic jester but not from a man of class and standards
With fondess , and as ever ,
Garry