Rugby News from unexpected places

[WorkingClassRugger]

Talking about Spain. They are two wins away from the RWC. This weekend they play Germany at home with their King in attendance in a game they should comfortably win. This isn't the same Germany team that made waves last season. An internal dispute between the game's backer and the Union has gutted the team. Then they will need to hold their nerve and do the job on Belgium (which on form they should do again comfortably). Do this and they will be progress to their 2nd ever RWC. Forcing Romania into the repecharge in the process.

 

[KevinO]

Talking about Spain. They are two wins away from the RWC. This weekend they play Germany at home with their King in attendance in a game they should comfortably win. This isn't the same Germany team that made waves last season. An internal dispute between the game's backer and the Union has gutted the team. Then they will need to hold their nerve and do the job on Belgium (which on form they should do again comfortably). Do this and they will be progress to their 2nd ever RWC. Forcing Romania into the repecharge in the process.

Would love to see Spain make the World Cup, such a shame about Germany as I think they could have caused the shake up European Rugby needs. For the 6 Nations to change to promotion/relegation/playoff off style comp the pressure has to be coming from a Nation with a stronger economy than Georgia or Spain.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

Would love to see Spain make the World Cup, such a shame about Germany as I think they could have caused the shake up European Rugby needs. For the 6 Nations to change to promotion/relegation/playoff off style comp the pressure has to be coming from a Nation with a stronger economy than Georgia or Spain.

It is a shame particularly as they have the players sitting out internationals in support of the main backer of the game in the country. It's hard to find out the exact details. Apparently the financial backers (who owns Stade Francais) wanted more say in the Unions operations while the Union didn't like that idea. And things have just gone from there.

 

[Omar Comin']

It's great to see these developments.

I think what World Rugby really needs to do now on the back of it is to expand the world cup to 24 teams. It provides for a fairer schedule (4 team pools avoids 4 or 5 day gaps between games), increases the number of knockout games (with a round of 16 after the shorter group stage) and most importantly will encourage further development of nations around the fringes of qualifying.

In terms of competitive depth Portugal is currently ranked 24th in the world, and they were at the 2007 world cup. And there's a number of countries ranked below them that are on the way up such as Brazil, Kenya and Germany (if they sort their issues out). Ideally you'd go to a 28 team and finally a 32 team tournament when reasonable to do so.

Having one weak team in each (or some) pools is okay and I think the quality of the 24th team by 2023 will be good enough to avoid 80+ point thrashings (at the very least I don't think you'd have more of them than in some previous tournaments). The main challenge would be in improving the teams ranked from 10th-18th. You don't want a situation where in some pools you have a certain winner or a certain top 2. There's still a bit of improvement needed from the likes of Italy, Fiji, USA, Japan and Georgia etc to ensure that. But it doesn't seem impossible by 2023.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

Talking about Spain. They are two wins away from the RWC. This weekend they play Germany at home with their King in attendance in a game they should comfortably win. This isn't the same Germany team that made waves last season. An internal dispute between the game's backer and the Union has gutted the team. Then they will need to hold their nerve and do the job on Belgium (which on form they should do again comfortably). Do this and they will be progress to their 2nd ever RWC. Forcing Romania into the repecharge in the process.

Spain belted the Germans 84-10 in front of a little under 16,000 in Madrid last weekend. Meaning they are now one win away from the RWC. Their victory featured on the cover of the largest sports publication in the country. They've received more coverage and interest is growing for the game in Brussels.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

Regarding the Sth American League. According to Americas Rugby News, the URU are looking to partner with the two biggest Soccer clubs in the Uruguay to form these franchises. Nacional and Peranol. Seems like a solid idea.

http://www.americasrugbynews.com/20...-clubs-for-south-american-professional-rugby/

 

[Lindommer]

What competition are they aiming for, WCR?

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

What competition are they aiming for, WCR?

It's part of a planned South American League mooted for next year. Will also feature teams from Brazil (2), Argentina(as many as 3) and Chile. Read an article suggesting there could be as many as 10 teams involving Colombia and possibly Mexico. It will apparently feature a full schedule of home and away games plus finals.

 

[Lindommer]

Excellent news, hope it gets up. The established Argentinean clubs are, surely, secure enough to take part in such a competition. Let's hope this lot don't over-reach themselves in their early history a la our Super 18.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

Excellent news, hope it gets up. The established Argentinean clubs are, surely, secure enough to take part in such a competition. Let's hope this lot don't over-reach themselves in their early history a la our Super 18.

The Unions seem confident of it getting up next year. I agree. The key will be to ensure that they don't overextend the competition and let it grow organically. As for the Argentine teams. That will be the most interesting of the lot. I suspect we'll not see any teams from BA involved. The URBA clubs are staunchly amateur. I can see teams from Cordoba, Tucuman and Rosario.

 

[Derpus]

Spain lost to Belgium to fall short at the last.

Interestingly, Romania qualify in their place. Ref for the Spain -v- Belgium match was Romanian. Would love to see the penalty count from that game.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

Spain lost to Belgium to fall short at the last.

Interestingly, Romania qualify in their place. Ref for the Spain -v- Belgium match was Romanian. Would love to see the penalty count from that game.

It was very lopsided. The Spanish players didn't react well to it either. The FER have actually submitted a formal complaint about him. Should never have been a Romanian ref.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Spain lost to Belgium to fall short at the last.

Interestingly, Romania qualify in their place. Ref for the Spain -v- Belgium match was Romanian. Would love to see the penalty count from that game.

http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/co...draw-may-10-in-kyoto.17566/page-7#post-995561

See posts #128 et seq.

I've always subscribed to the theory that you take poor refing outve the equation but based on Omar's take on the game it looks way dodgy, perhaps even Dr Gerd Bezeidenhout (? sp, simultaneously a Test ref & SARU Board member) SA v NZ 1976 level dodgy.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/co...draw-may-10-in-kyoto.17566/page-7#post-995561

See posts #128 et seq.

I've always subscribed to the theory that you take poor refing outve the equation but based on Omar's take on the game it looks way dodgy, perhaps even Dr Gerd Bezeidenhout (? sp, simultaneously a Test ref & SARU Board member) SA v NZ 1976 level dodgy.

I watched the 1st half and the Spanish may actually have reason to be more than miffed. The Belgians seemed immune from high tackle penalties and some generally dirty play. Highly questionable.

 

[Omar Comin']

I've always subscribed to the theory that you take poor refing outve the equation but based on Omar's take on the game it looks way dodgy, perhaps even Dr Gerd Bezeidenhout (? sp, simultaneously a Test ref & SARU Board member) SA v NZ 1976 level dodgy.

The thing is Spain didn't play very well and probably could have won in spite of the refereeing if they'd been a bit smarter and not let it get to them so much. But the decisions really did go against them quite regularly, and that's gotta be a lot harder to move on from during the match when you know the referee is from the country who stands to benefit if you lose.

It sucks for Belgium too as they played quite a solid match and there's a good chance they would have won no matter who the referee was, because Spain were under a lot of pressure anyway and made plenty of mistakes without the referees help. But what should be a huge win for them is now perceived as tainted.

 

[Derpus]

Yeah they couldve just appointed a neutral ref like any sensible person would. It's literally a no-brainer.

 

[Braveheart81]

The problem is they are damned if they do and damned if they don't.

Referee appointments are done ahead of time and presumably the tournament of five countries involved referees from most of the five countries involved (plus others).

At the time of the referee appointments it wouldn't have been known that the tournament was going to come down to that last match and if Spain lost, Romania would go through.

If you then make the last minute decision to change the referee you are effectively saying that the referee can't be neutral because the result affects the country of their nationality.

If you don't change the referee and something even mildly controversial happens accusations fly and the result appears tainted.

 

[Dan54]

I think regardless there has to be be very harsh penalty handed out the Spanish players for what happened at end of the Test, it cannot be allowed to go unpunished or one of the main ethos of rugby is seriously compromised!

 

[Braveheart81]

I think regardless there has to be be very harsh penalty handed out the Spanish players for what happened at end of the Test, it cannot be allowed to go unpunished or one of the main ethos of rugby is seriously compromised!

Absolutely. It was disgraceful.

 

[Omar Comin']

If you then make the last minute decision to change the referee you are effectively saying that the referee can't be neutral because the result affects the country of their nationality.

It would have just been a common sense removal of a potential conflict of interest for a match of unique significance. Not the most dangerous of precedents given the status of the match.

It's particularly bad when on the same weekend the England v Ireland match had a replacement assistant ref because the South African originally assigned to the game had attended an England training session the week before!!