It’s like Stockholm syndrome
Need Murray and Pashun Pete there in the Autumn internationals to provide leadership so that when it comes to the crunch games in the World Cup the likes of Crowley will have hit their straps.
I’ve been asked to moderate here so I’ve had a really good think about this. My conclusion is…there are two sides to the story.
Yes…it is a concern that we’re building towards the next World Cup with some players who won’t be involved by then due to age/declining ability.
But…you don’t necessarily need to rip up the script 3 years out. It’s hard to build a completely new team from scratch. It makes sense to lean on experienced players & introduce new players in a coordinated way rather than chucking loads of debutants in together without a solid structure around them.
As long as this is managed carefully & communication between the management & player group is open & honest then we might have a situation where some experienced players will be discarded mid-cycle & game time for the next generation will ramp up over time.
We still have lots of time to introduce these players & growing pains can be ironed out over multiple Six Nations championships, summer tours & autumn series.
I trust in Faz & the backroom team to have road tested enough combinations & have identified different options for key positions come 2027. It’s not imperative that we’re beating all & sundry in Autumn 2024 so let’s not throw the baby out with the bath water & enjoy the journey together.
2 Likes
It’s very similar to Limerick hurling posters pre 2018 where they just wanted to drop every single player.
1 Like
Gerry you are spot on. While you are here, can you recommend a good bottle of plonk to gift my aunt
You simply can’t go wrong with Blue Nun.
3 Likes
You’d have to admire Eddie Jones and how he realised the only way forward was the Aussie kids at the last World Cup. Schmidt will reap these rewards.
The Cadbury Wallabies are now demonstrating why I tipped them to reach the final of the last World Cup, the one where they lost to Fiji and then lost 74-6 to Warren Gatland’s Wales.
1 Like
Based on Thornleys leaked team there will be minimal change.
I don’t agree with wholesale change but I do think that there should be some newer players brought into the 23 - primarily on the bench.
1 Like
Promises have been made re the lions tour im sure.
Farrell has put himself into a very tricky position. England, New Zealand, South Africa or France wouldn’t entertain it so I’m not sure why we are.
Also it would be best if none of the players could go.
You’ll be right eventually
It was nearly as good a tip as @Sidney predicting the rise of South African rugby in March 2018 when the rest of the forum was salivating over how new Grand Slam champions Ireland would defenestrate them in the 2019 World Cup quarter-final.
The SA lads are peak prepped for the WC. They won’t ever be easily beaten.
Ahem
I’ll be right eventually
1 Like
In fairness South Africa are a top team but they have gotten the breaks at the World Cup.
They lost to nz in 19 and then meet Japan in the quarters, wales in the semis and England in the final.
There stand out game probably is the France quarter final at the last World Cup which was incredible tbh but DuPont wasn’t right and entamack was injured too.
They beat an average England side in the
Semi and then just got over the line when nz were reduced to 14 men.
You make your own luck but they were always more beatable than we thought imo.
Outstanding cup team tbf.
1 Like
Agree with this. England, NZ, maybe France too all could have beat them. They certainly got the rub of the green to win the last WC
1 Like
He’s quick to drop aki. I’d be guessing he hasn’t signed that new deal?
1 Like
No Ulsterman on the team to defend the honour of the Falklands
3 Likes