Bledisloe Cup/The Rugby Championship

[gilgamboa]

@johnnysachs

Not worried mate just an observation. Losing to Argentina for first time in 35 years with a sparse attendance and players fighting with fans at the end is the nadir for them. There were lots of column inches written and theres probably a documentary in the pipeline about Irelands “heroics” in beating Australia 2-1 in some friendly matches during the summer. The events of the last few weeks have contextualised those results.

Not so lomg ago that fellas were sounding a similar deathknell for rugby in Ireland. Some journalists had a stream of articles about it around how we would n3ver be able to compete financially etc etc

Its a relatively young professional sport. Australian structure is in tatters at the moment but its a bit early (20 years early maybe) to be writing it off. Super rugby will keel over in the next few years and they can go back to the drawing board then. The Australian super rugby teams were far more competitive this year for example. In 2017 between 5 of them they had no win against a kiwi side. This season they had 4 or 5 with one less team

They need to look at contracting players like Ireland and NZ to stop the top tier leaving

[Fagan_ODowd]

@gilgamboa

@johnnysachs

Not worried mate just an observation. Losing to Argentina for first time in 35 years with a sparse attendance and players fighting with fans at the end is the nadir for them. There were lots of column inches written and theres probably a documentary in the pipeline about Irelands “heroics” in beating Australia 2-1 in some friendly matches during the summer. The events of the last few weeks have contextualised those results.

Not so lomg ago that fellas were sounding a similar deathknell for rugby in Ireland. Some journalists had a stream of articles about it around how we would n3ver be able to compete financially etc etc

Its a relatively young professional sport. Australian structure is in tatters at the moment but its a bit early (20 years early maybe) to be writing it off. Super rugby will keel over in the next few years and they can go back to the drawing board then. The Australian super rugby teams were far more competitive this year for example. In 2017 between 5 of them they had no win against a kiwi side. This season they had 4 or 5 with one less team

They need to look at contracting players like Ireland and NZ to stop the top tier leaving

The NZ players are leaving. Contracts or no Contracts.

[gilgamboa]

@Fagan_ODowd

The NZ players are leaving. Contracts or no Contracts.

The players below the top tier are. The guaranteed all blacks starters are all staying

Those leaving players are largely interchangeable with 2 or 3 others in their playing pool

[Little_Lord_Fauntleroy]

Holy fuck, @gilgamboa and the rugby boys very quiet about the apartheid flag being flown today

[GeoffreyBoycott]

I thought you were a rugby boy now as well?

[Little_Lord_Fauntleroy]

This isn’t about me

[anon61878697]

We cant afford to lose Australia - that would only leave 7 countries that take the game seriously.

[Little_Lord_Fauntleroy]

I’m not sure if you can include apartheid era south Africa as a country

[GeoffreyBoycott]

Proceedings getting under way shortly at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth. It’s just the Championship points on offer this afternoon as Australia retained the Nelson Mandela Challenge Plate for 2018 with their win in Brisbane three weeks ago.

[Fagan_ODowd]

Kurtley Beale gives SA a try after 30 seconds here in a less than full Mandela Bay Stadium.

[GeoffreyBoycott]

Port Elizabeth not a rugby hotbed.

[Fagan_ODowd]

The Southern Hemisphere doesn’t appear to be a rugby hotbed.

[Fagan_ODowd]

Powderpuff try there for South Africa

[GeoffreyBoycott]

South Africa ripping Australia apart here. 14-0. Faf de Klerk is a top quality scrum half.

[GeoffreyBoycott]

50,000 sell out later tonight at the Estadio Jose Amalfitani, Buenos Aires.

[Tassotti]

Australia right back in it

[GeoffreyBoycott]

Game on now.

[anon32894817]

Very sloppy from the all blacks but they still lead 14-3 after twenty minutes.

[gilgamboa]

@anon61878697

We cant afford to lose Australia - that would only leave 7 countries that take the game seriously.

I dont recall your concern when we lost offaly as a hurling stronghold. Sure yer all ireland is hardly worth a wank now

[Little_Lord_Fauntleroy]

Bizarre