Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
NZ NZ

Club subplot to Ireland v Wales clash - Neil Best

By Neil Best
Wales wing George North scores a try against Ireland

We may all have come on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now.

This is true of all test sides but for both Ireland and Wales their truth is slightly different.

For Ireland the starting fifteen is not only taken from only four club sides, but in recent seasons the team has been more strongly weighted towards one – Leinster, currently Ireland’s most successful club side. And in many ways Ireland’s success of recent years had shadowed that of Leinster.

As for the Welsh, their starting front row is Scarlets in a pack that’s half Scarlets. In the backs they have Scarlets represented at nine, centre and wing. Meaning – as is often the case with Ireland – half the Welsh starting fifteen is drawn from just one club side.

While that might be a huge disadvantage for the Scarlets in the Pro14 during the Six Nations – it’s a huge advantage for Wales. The same is true for Leinster who make up just under half the Ireland starting fifteen on Saturday – and without injuries they contribution would be comfortably over half.

Although Scotland do have a near half Glasgow component to their side for the Calcutta Cup clash with England, their starting fifteen is still comprised of representatives from six club sides despite Scotland only contributing two professional sides to the Pro14.

In contrast England have three different clubs represented in the front row, five in the pack alone and had Simmonds been involved it would have been forwards from six different club sides. That spread is mirrored in the backs. For England partnerships and understanding have to be fostered at test level rather than adopted and transposed from the most successful club or clubs.

There is an element of discontent that is generated by the Welsh and Irish approach of building on and to and adopting the success of club sides. When I played for Ireland there was a feeling that if you were from Ulster -the Northern province -you had to be that little bit better to dislodge a Leinster or Munster player. That said, over the years I’ve heard similar mutterings of complaint for some Munster players and fans.

But there is a clear rationale to protect and replicate partnerships, combinations and understanding that are already deep and effective. And if there is a by product of tight selection calls going the way of a player from the “preferred” club side, so be it.

Both Ireland and Wales are clearly benefiting from having a “key” club making up the core of their test teams. It makes it easier to create a climate of understanding and loyalty and frees up squad training time to focus on other areas of performance. It also allows both teams to perform at a level that matches and often exceeds sides drawn from much greater professional playing pools.

Because of these factors both Wales and Ireland operate with a natural fluency and unison that flows directly from their protectionist selection policies and clearly defined club setup.

On Saturday the teams cancel out each other in terms of this “advantage” but it will be an undoubted factor in the overall outcome of the Championships.

Each Haka has its own interpretation, but you have to make sure you are in unison with your team-mates; the Haka should be a proper war cry.

Video Spacer
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Join free

Aotearoa Rugby Podcast | Episode 6

Sam Warburton | The Big Jim Show | Full Episode

Japan Rugby League One | Sungoliath v Eagles | Full Match Replay

Japan Rugby League One | Spears v Wild Knights | Full Match Replay

Boks Office | Episode 10 | Six Nations Final Round Review

Aotearoa Rugby Podcast | How can New Zealand rugby beat this Ireland team

Beyond 80 | Episode 5

Rugby Europe Men's Championship Final | Georgia v Portugal | Full Match Replay

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

J
Jon 8 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

35 Go to comments
j
john 11 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

44 Go to comments
FEATURE
FEATURE Andy Christie: 'Diversity breeds strength in a group rather than weakness' Andy Christie: 'Diversity breeds strength in a group rather than weakness'
Search