Munster's pursuit of Springbok stars begs questions of IRFU stance on Aki
We now live in very interesting times regarding how the IRFU goes about its contracting business. For so long it was generally sweetness and light under David Nucifora’s baton.
Ireland had accelerated ahead to such an extent that the high-performance boss had no qualms last November rubber-stamping handing the national team’s reins over for the 2020 Six Nations to an assistant coach who has never before run the whole shooting match anywhere.
It sounded all so rosy: World Cup history, a fond sayonara to Joe Schmidt and then onwards and upwards with Andy Farrell at the helm. Now, though, that outlook isn’t so comforting.
Ireland bombed at the finals, Schmidt carried on throughout 2019 like a coach who had lost his iron grip the second he announced in November 2018 he would be moving on, while the porous defence that recently left in a combined 15 tries in 160 minutes against England and New Zealand has placed grave question marks over Farrell’s credentials.
Does he really have the bottle to take Ireland on and have them do better than they did under Schmidt? Only time will tell on that score, but it is interesting how sceptics are already predicting he won’t see his contract through to its World Cup 2023 expiry.
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Farrell failing would be a massive black mark regarding the Nucifora way and all the succession planning he has been cooking up since 2014.
Curiously, the Australian was another to be awarded a cushy pre-World Cup contract extension… what is it about the IRFU habitually agreeing to meaty staff contracts before a world finals only to then be left with egg on the face when results fall short of expectation?
Ultimately, Ireland’s four-year World Cup ‘improvement’ under Nucifora’s planning was the All Blacks taking seven minutes longer than Argentina to go 17 early points up in a quarter-final. Ouch!
Ireland promised after 2015 they would not be caught winging it at the 2019 RWC with an inexperienced out-half starting at No10 in a big match in place of Johnny Sexton, but they have not delivered on that aim https://t.co/Y2QThUAiJW
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 27, 2019
As regards player contracts, something which Nucifora’s fingerprints are all over, the months ahead will be intriguing for an organisation that raked in record revenues of €84.2million in the last financial year but spent €45.6m on the professional game and was only left with a slender surplus of €3.2m.
Nucifora’s brief has forever been about driving hard bargains and securing best value for money for an IRFU who are always most interested in their bottom line.
This season heralds somewhat of a lull in negotiations surrounding top-end deals concerning Ireland’s elite centrally contracted contingent. Only Devin Toner, who was axed by Schmidt for the World Cup, and Rob Kearney, who was unsettlingly made to wait until last May to sign his current one-year extension, fall out of contract next summer.
"Whether he is the official captain or not, he is going to be one of three people hugely important in the dressing room."https://t.co/JCJUqiK8F5
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 7, 2019
But it is what will happen in the next layer of contracting that will most catch the eye. Take, for instance, the respective situations brewing at Connacht and Munster.
Having starting in 23 of his adopted country’s last 29 matches and become a staple of Schmidt’s Test sides since becoming eligible under residency in November 2017, New Zealander Bundee Aki’s status has immeasurably grown since he last put pen to paper on a Connacht extension in October 2016 that is taking him through to summer 2020.
He is returning to the contracting table emboldened by his much-enhanced CV and feeling very much entitled to a new IRFU funded central contract that comes with all the trimmings attached for top-end players.
The curiosity, though, is what may happen if he overplays his hand. If he snaps up a more lucrative deal in the UK or on the continent, under current regulations it will spell the end for his Test career as Ireland haven’t selected an overseas-based player in a XV in the 58 Test matches played since Johnny Sexton was still tied to Racing when Scotland were beaten in March 2015.
Contrast this potential sacrificing of Aki’s burgeoning Test career with the power play ongoing at Munster. Damian de Allende, another Test-playing No12, is being courted by Johann van Graan, along with fellow Springbok RG Snyman.
Nothing has yet been signed, van Grann admitting midweek: “I don’t want to speculate further until there is confirmation of it. We have spoken to both players and we have got big dreams for the squad.”
This is a huge coup for Munster.https://t.co/VM2y1sLkJ4
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 4, 2019
How odd will it look if Aki is deemed surplus to Ireland requirements due to basing himself abroad, yet de Allende and Snyman could be signed by a province on deals that would allow them to continue to represent South Africa? Very odd is the answer.
Having won the World Cup with a matchday 23 containing five players who played last season in the English Premiership and another two who were heavily involved in the French Top 14, Rassie Erasmus – van Graan’s predecessor at Munster – has starkly illustrated that you can succeed at Test level with a squad mixture of overseas and home-based players.
Success in Japan and in the Rugby Championship had laid bare the myth that the best way to succeed at international level is to only select domestically based players.
Could South Africa's #RWC success lead to the end of protectionism in other countries?
– @heagneyl looks at the argument for an open-door policy ?? https://t.co/o5nb0byhfI
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 3, 2019
With Erasmus shattering the mould and embracing the streetwise smarts that his non-South Africa based contingent have to offer, maybe it is time for the ultra-protectionist IRFU to remove the blinkers and allow incoming boss Farrell to consider selecting overseas-based players for the Ireland Test squad.
What the lifting of restriction would immediately do is put an end to the unruly annual charade that is Irish Test players like Aki often being made to plead Oliver Twist-like at Nucifora’s table because the IRFU stubbornly won’t ever match like for like the salaries available elsewhere.
As for Munster and their South African flirtation, it’s nothing new. Ever since the unheralded Trevor Halstead played a crucial role in helping the province to its breakthrough European success in 2006, there has always been a fascination with the Africans.
In the hour of his greatest triumph, Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus remembered his late Munster colleague Anthony Foley https://t.co/TMUvPcg7zK
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 5, 2019
Jean de Villiers, Gerhard van den Heever, Jaco Taute and Gerbrandt Grobler are just some of the names of varying degrees of success who have been and gone in Limerick since the halcyon Halstead era.
Of the eight southern hemisphere-born players on their current roster of 45, four are South African, three are Kiwi and one is Australian, but that isn’t to suggest they are overstocked with foreigners. Far from it.
They instead have ample wriggle room to manoeuvre under IRFU policy and plenty of scope to facilitate the potential arrivals of Allende and Snyman.
Johann van Graan could have stayed working with the Springboks but he took a leap of faith with Munster in late 2017, a decision he has no regrets over despite South Africa going on to win the World Cup https://t.co/Q5TVYCnxpR
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 7, 2019
Two of the current eight, Aussie Jed Holloway and All Black Alby Mathewson are only on short-term deals, two of the South Africans – CJ Stander and Jean Kleyn – are Irish capped under residency, and two of the Kiwis – Tyler Bleyendaal and Rhys Marshall – are Irish eligible under residency.
That effectively means there are just two full-time non-Irish qualified slots taken, those filled by the Boks-capped Arno Botha and fellow countryman Chris Cloete, who is a year away from becoming Irish-eligible.
No wonder van Graan is flirting with two recent World Cup winners and doing whatever it takes to add that missing something which might transform Munster from serial European semi-final losers into an outfit that gets back to the big time of reaching finals and lifting trophies.
Interesting times, indeed.
WATCH: The latest episode of Don’t Mess With Jim sees Jim Hamilton discuss South Africa’s World Cup win and Saracens’ salary cap breaches
Comments on RugbyPass
Like tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
14 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
13 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
4 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
4 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
26 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
14 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
26 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
14 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
84 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
4 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
14 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
13 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
14 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
14 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
14 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to comments