Useless cunts
Was that the tournament where Eire won just one of their four matches against whipping boys Saudi Arabia and Big Mickās man management skills saw him sending home the team captain and star player before a ball was kicked?
Samoa will surely have a say in this group yet
Looking through their squad, most of them play for good European or Super Rugby clubs
They played the runners up and Spain who had a team packed with some me of the most expensive and decorated players in European football at the time - Raul, Hierro, Casillas, Joaquin, Mendieta, Morientes, Puyol, Xavi and Luis Enrique to name a few.
Not my point. Japan would be used to the conditions. Very different to playing neutral teams.
Yes where they were undefeated against a highly rated Cameroon team who won the 2000 and 2002 African cup of nations, a German side which made the final and a Spanish side with multiple champions league winners.
Fantastic achievement to be undefeated against superior opposition
How many of the tier 1 countries are managed by southern hemisphere blokes?
Are France the only team left with a northern hemisphere man at the helm?
In fact I wouldnāt be the least bit surprised of the Japanese used mick and his teams exploits in the far east as a source of inspiration
Compare that teamās fight to the death spirit, with two last gasp equalisers against elite European opposition, to the rugby team desperately kicking the ball out of play to get a losing bonus point
Scotland.
Ireland handled some of the best footballers in the world back then, you wouldnāt remember or appreciate it so you donāt know anything about it really. Ireland couldnāt manage a bunch of sa Nz rejects with a few baseball players throwing in.
Borderline tier 1. But ok.
Iām not saying they didnāt. The point is they didnāt face the home team in the conditions.
Is the official line the conditions now?
Thereās 8 tier one teams. 3 are Southern Hemisphere sides. 5 are northern and 2 of those are managed by coaches from their own country.
Talent should be the biggest indicator but I suppose rugby is devoid of it.
16 foreign born players man. No advantage with the conditions.
Itās flopping between the conditions and the turnaround