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'Financially there's massive incentives for those type of uncapped players': Why Japan is a growing threat to Australian Rugby

By AAP
(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

Brave Blossoms coach Jamie Joseph has offered an alarming insight into why the increasing player drain to Japan is becoming a huge headache for Australian rugby.

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On top of Brisbane product James Moore excelling for Japan at the 2019 World Cup, Joseph last week selected three more Australians in his 50-man training squad after in-form centre Dylan Riley and classy back-rowers Jack Cornelsen and Ben Gunter all became eligible for defection.

As if the exodus of Test stars including incumbent Wallabies captain Michael Hooper and fellow World Cup stalwarts Will Genia, Bernard Foley and Quade Cooper to Japan wasn’t already a major worry, the prospect of more and more of Australia’s brightest young prospects chasing millions of Yen could prove catastrophic long term.

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Stressing he wasn’t specifically talking about the Australians in his squad, Joseph admitted “financially there’s massive incentives for those type of (uncapped) players to go over to Japan”.

Wallabies coach Dave Rennie has already expressed his concern, saying cash-strapped Rugby Australia simply can’t compete financially with Japan’s Top League clubs who are backed by billion-dollar corporations like Robbie Deans’ undefeated Panasonic Wild Knights.

Deans earlier this year told AAP the Top League had become the “new destination of choice” because of its unique, back-to-the-future model and the country’s wholesome lifestyle.

Fellow Kiwi Joseph tends to agree, saying it’s not only the money that is that is luring players away from New Zealand and Australia.

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“A player like myself, who did play for the All Blacks and then came to Japan, what I did is I fell in love with the country,” Joseph said.

“I learnt the language. I adapted really well and my wife enjoyed it and there’s a lot of people like that now.

“For families and young couples, it’s quite a nice place to play rugby and I guess set yourselves up for the next stage of your lives.”

Joseph can appreciate the concerns about the threat Japan poses to Australian rugby, but think it’s too early to speculate about any potential long-term damage.

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“Who knows if they would have been in the Wallabies squad or not. It’s very difficult to say,” he said of Riley, Cornelsen and Gunter.

“But every union that loses a big number of players that leave their home shores to go and ply their trade elsewhere, there’s always going to be a wee bit of a sore point.

“In this case, with the lads that I’ve selected in this particular time, they’ve only just become eligible, they love Japan, we’ve had chats about their commitment going forward, they want to play Test rugby.

“So there’s a little bit of internal criteria that’s important to us as coaches before we actually select players to play for Japan.”

Joseph stressed that none of the trio had been capped for Japan yet – but he clearly rates all three highly.

“Physically, all three of the Australian boys that have been selected in the squad are a lot stronger, a lot more powerful and have been playing rugby a lot longer than the local Japanese guys,” he said.

“And generally when you’re looking at the foreign players, they’re contributing to the physical side of the game, which is lacking through genetics (of the Japanese). Nothing more.

“Or the experience and composure that they show.”

Like Moore, Riley and Cornelsen – the son of Wallaby Greg Cornelsen, who famously scored four tries in a Bledisloe Cup Test – arrived in Japan looking for opportunities after being unwanted by Australian Super Rugby clubs.

Deans enticed Gunter to Japan and Joseph said the chance to develop players like him from a young age was appealing.

He cited Moore, a lock hailing from Brisbane State High School, as a prime example.

“He (Moore) came over with very little rugby (accomplishments) but showed some good qualities,” Joseph said.

“And over the course of two years we were able to develop him into a very good rugby player and he excelled at the World Cup.

“But he would not have been playing for Australia, mate.”

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Trevor 1 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

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Bull Shark 5 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

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