Apr 1st, 2008 | Satire | 5 Comments | print
by Stan Doffe, International Correspondent
The International Rugby Board (IRB) today announced that former US Eagles and Ireland coach Eddie O’Sullivan has accepted the position of Top Associate of Rugby Development for the Pacific Nations Cup.
The Cup, formerly known as the IRB Pacific 5 Nations, currently includes the nations of Fiji, Samoa, Japan, Tonga, New Zealand and Australia. O’Sullivan has been brought in as TARD to expand the competition to include other Pacific Rim Nations in the Americas, namely Canada, USA and Argentina, as well as Uruguay.
“When I was first offered the job by the IRB, I jumped at the opportunity,” said O’Sullivan. “It was really, really great … something I won’t forget for a long time. But afterwards, I felt a little awkward around the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) executives. I knew when they found out about the Rim job, they would not be happy. Loyalty is a strong virtue in my relationship with the IRFU, and it was clear I had breached their trust.” → continue reading
Mar 10th, 2008 | Laws and Refereeing, Test Rugby | 4 Comments | print
While watching the Warratahs v Brumbies Super 14 match this weekend, the injured skipper Stirling Mortlock came on with water for the team while someone was being treated for an injury on the field.
I don’t know about you, but having a player with so much experience and so much access to the coaching staff smells a little funny to me.
One of the most important distinctions between rugby football and American football is the fact that to player decisions are made on the field. The players have to read conditions on the ground and react. In light of this, having Mortlock observe from afar and then come on with water just feels wrong.
Next thing you know, the coach will be the waterboy!
What do you think?
Mar 10th, 2008 | Test Rugby | 7 Comments | print
As I’ve noted in the past, bind-and-grind rugby is dying a slow death. But as England showed two weeks ago,success can still be had if your opponent does not respond in kind. So what happens when when two dinosaurs meet, i.e. England v Scotland?
You might assume that fighting to be the last of your kind would be motivational, but who wants to die alone at the bottom of the evolutionary ladder? I think England feels this deep down and simply could not bring it on game day to defeat Scotland.
The Scots on the other hand went into the match winless in the 2008 Six Nations Championship and were anxious to make something of this important home-game (as a win would buffer their chances of getting the wooden spoon).
So despite a match largely bereft of an creative rugby, two kickers waited for their chance to slot over penalties. Fans and pundits crooned, and the English media focused on petty player selections issues and papparazzi-style rumors about who would get axed for last match against Ireland at Twickenham on March 15. All this is meaningless tactics to sell newspapers of course. Until England gets a coach who is willing to evolve England’s style, simple personnel changes will do little to improve England’s record.
I say we make Welsh coach Warren Gatland train England for a month or so and see who the dinosaur truly is; is the players or the coach. Only then can then natural selection take its course.
Nov 7th, 2007 | Test Rugby, RWC 2007 | 11 Comments | print
South African rugby: a nation in union? Not any time soon.
Since the end of the apartheid era in South Africa, racial quotas (whereby a specified number of each team must be non-white) were instituted in South African sports in an attempt to increase participation by non-white players. As in America, this type of affirmative action has been controversial primarily since it has led to team selections not being based on merit.
Unlike the non-elite teams, the South African national rugby team has been immune from racial quotas, but the lead-up to the 2007 Rugby World Cup intensified calls for quotas to reach all levels of sport, including the elite/national level. Parliamentary Sports Committee chairman Butana Khompela even suggested that passports might be confiscated if the Springbok world cup squad was not representative of the country’s demographic which is 8% white.
In the aftermath of South Africa’s Rugby World Cup victory, it seems that the focus has started to shift away from quotas to support player development. In October when presented with the Webb Ellis Cup in Pretoria, President Thabo Mbeki indicated that development should be built from below.
In Cape Town today, Sports Minister Makhenkesi Stofile officially endorsed this notion:
Quotas are out. We are not going to decide who must be on the team. All we are saying is expose everybody, give them an opportunity. […] Let us put our resources into the development of talent.
→ continue reading
Oct 11th, 2007 | Test Rugby, RWC 2007 | 14 Comments | print
Only four matches remain in the 2007 Rugby World Cup and following last weeks results there is currently no clear favorite for even the semi finals, let alone who will be crowned champion. The early exit of Australia and New Zealand has effectively debunked all pundits and experts, leaving predictions for the finals anyone’s best guess.
Rather than speculate wildly as to the results of this weekends games, let me make a case for the best possible result for Saturday’s semi finals: France over England and Argentina over South Africa. This sets up a repeat of the epic championship opener of France v Argentina. Even if beleaguered England managed a place in the final, the ‘down-and-out team does good’ story will not have the drama of the first and final matches of the tournament featuring the same 2 teams. → continue reading
