Rugby News from unexpected places

[Braveheart81]

So, another 5 or so good years. Nothing to be sneezed at BH.

Your premise was that he could have been developed into a Super Rugby quality 10. When would that have happened and how do you fit that in with your overall squad and what you are spending on players?

He wouldn't have been a starter for any Super Rugby side in 2015 so you'd need to have him on a low end salary to fit with the rest of your squad. Would that have worked with what Windsor was looking for? My guess is he'd have got paid significantly more with less potential opportunity overseas.

With the limited squad sizes and budgets I'm not really sure how a Super Rugby team could have really fitted him in in a mutually beneficial way without sacrificing in other areas.

There really isn't room for the 27 year old development player in a Super Rugby squad. A team is always going to go with the guy who is 5+ years higher who they think has far more potential upside for them in the future.

If your 10 suffered a season ending injury before the season started and you were in a huge hole, that's where I can see a guy like Windsor being signed because you need him in your 23 for that season.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

For those interested. MLR are now posting their games on their YouTube channel.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

The Seattle SeaWolves are 197 tickets away from selling out their entire debut season.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

Round two of the inaugural MLR season concluded over the weekend. With San Diego overcoming Utah 31-24 at home, Glendale holding off Seattle 14-19 in Seattle and Houston accounting for Austin 50-38 in Houston. So far the games have been pleasing on the eye with the Seattle/Glendale being a cracker.

In other happening in the Americas. It has been revealed that the proposed Sth American league will now involve 10 team with four from Argentina all likely based outside of BA, two from both Uruguay and Brazil and once a piece from Chile and Paraguay. The negotiations are said to be very advanced and an official name has been hinted. The Liga Sul-Americana de Rugby. Or LSR for short.

 

[Omar Comin']

In other happening in the Americas. It has been revealed that the proposed Sth American league will now involve 10 team with four from Argentina all likely based outside of BA, two from both Uruguay and Brazil and once a piece from Chile and Paraguay. The negotiations are said to be very advanced and an official name has been hinted. The Liga Sul-Americana de Rugby. Or LSR for short.

So do you think the UAR are still committed to the Jaguares staying in Super Rugby for the long term or do you think they might look to focus on this league instead? The fact they are changing the selection policy for the Pumas to include overseas based players would surely weaken the Jaguares. Yet not including a BA team in this league would hint at a continued commitment to them. Though I suppose the Jaguares could always move into this tournament at some point as well.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

So do you think the UAR are still committed to the Jaguares staying in Super Rugby for the long term or do you think they might look to focus on this league instead? The fact they are changing the selection policy for the Pumas to include overseas based players would surely weaken the Jaguares. Yet not including a BA team in this league would hint at a continued commitment to them. Though I suppose the Jaguares could always move into this tournament at some point as well.

It actually fits with the UAR's plans on developing a deeper field of professionals in the country to complement the Jaguares. They dumped their provincial championship this year in favour of the club championship but stated they intended to push for a more professional club structure. Which was always unlikely with the likes of URBA. So, this achieves their stated goals via another route. This will also complement their academy system.

The Jaguares are going to likely become exclusively a BA team (and remain in Super Rugby at present) with the four Argentine teams coming from the cities in the interior. If Super Rugby falls apart and the LSR shows signs of gaining traction then they could look to transfer in the future.

 

[Braveheart81]

So they have pushed back the RWC playoff between Samoa and the winner of Spain and Portugal to July 1 and August 1 per http://officiating.worldrugby.org/?page=appointments&id=65

Which presumably means they are having some sort of replay in Europe or just allowing longer to sort out the mess.

The thing that is terrible about this is it probably means Samoa doesn't have their best players available as the matches are now outside the test window.

Also, Australia have Marius van der Westhuizen, Paul Williams and Pascal Gauzere for the tests against Ireland.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

^^^^^^ so that means Poite & Garces are still out there.......

EDIT: AB get Pearce, Gardner & Lacey plus a triple dose of Ayoub as TMO.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Marius van der Westhuizen has been the best, as in the most consistently good, referee going round for a couple of years now. Good to see him get one of the tests.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

So they have pushed back the RWC playoff between Samoa and the winner of Spain and Portugal to July 1 and August 1 per http://officiating.worldrugby.org/?page=appointments&id=65

Which presumably means they are having some sort of replay in Europe or just allowing longer to sort out the mess.

The thing that is terrible about this is it probably means Samoa doesn't have their best players available as the matches are now outside the test window.

Also, Australia have Marius van der Westhuizen, Paul Williams and Pascal Gauzere for the tests against Ireland.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=12044151

TLDR: Romania allegedly fielded a player tied to Tonga by appearing in a 7's tournament in 2003; Belgium allegedly fielded a player with a Belgian Great grandparent; if true they would both be ineligible.

Assuming all of the above to be true, WR (World Rugby) must strip them both of their points from any RWC qualifying matches in which those guys played & work out who now plays Samoa in June. It's the only way to do it in the time available without punishing those not at fault.

 

[Braveheart81]

Assuming all of the above to be true, WR (World Rugby) must strip them both of their points from any RWC qualifying matches in which those guys played & work out who now plays Samoa in June. It's the only way to do it in the time available without punishing those not at fault.

Yes, it is outrageous to shift Samoa's matches to outside the international window.

 

[Beer Baron]

Surely a depleted Samoa would still win??

 

[Braveheart81]

Surely a depleted Samoa would still win??

You'd hope so but it's hardly fair on them.

Who knows how much worse their team gets if they can't field any overseas based players though.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Surely a depleted Samoa would still win??

Possibly-to-likely, but what if they lost?

The only way WR (World Rugby) gets out of this without looking like a bunch of cocks is stripping points from Romania and/ or Belgium & seeing who then gets to play Samoa.

 

[Omar Comin']

You'd hope so but it's hardly fair on them.

Who knows how much worse their team gets if they can't field any overseas based players though.

If they were to play Spain then they'd probably still win as Spain would also be severely affected by the timing. All their top players are in the French leagues.

If they were to play Russia (or somehow Romania) then I think they'd be screwed as those teams would be virtually at full strength (their home leagues are not very strong but at least they are fully professional). Russia would almost certainly lose to a full strength Samoa, but they may well be favourites against a Samoa full of amateur and semi-pro players.

It's pretty pathetic how long it's taken to make a ruling on these eligibility issues.

 

[Brumby Runner]

And Spain would also presumably be without quite a few of their previous players who were suspended after the game against Belgium.

 

[Omar Comin']

A Georgian rugby website is claiming that Romania, Spain and Belgium will all be disqualified, that Russia will qualify directly as Europe 1, and Germany will now play against Portugal for the right to face Samoa in the world cup playoff.

Not sure how good their sources are, but if true Samoa probably won't have much to worry about even if they can't get all their players released.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

^^^^^^ disqualifying Spain seems a bit OTT, what happened after that Belgium game was disgraceful but the players responsible have been punished as individuals, why now punish the Spanish RU as well?

Whatever happens, the playoffs v Samoa has to happen as scheduled or what's the point in having a schedule (force majeure obviously excluded)?

 

[Braveheart81]

^^^^^^ disqualifying Spain seems a bit OTT, what happened after that Belgium game was disgraceful but the players responsible have been punished as individuals, why now punish the Spanish RU as well?

They would be disqualified for fielding ineligible players if this rumour is correct. It wouldn't have anything to do with their behaviour in the Belgium match.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

^^^^^^ OK if that's the case but I thought it was just the Tongan Romanian & French Belgian that were potentially ineligible & that the French (?) Spaniard had already been cleared?