Rugby World Cup 2019: State of tier two rugby
At no other point in the rugby calendar are the fortunes of the tier two nations cared about as much as they are during the Rugby World Cup.
Whether it’s the increased spotlight, the gulf to tier one that becomes apparent, the desire to root for the underdog or even a combination of all three, the rugby world comes together in unison to show its support for those nations unlucky enough not to participate in the Six Nations or The Rugby Championship.
Although upset victories over tier one nations have been limited to just Japan this year, that doesn’t mean that there haven’t been other impressive performances and sides promising encouraging upward trajectories. The flip side of that is that there have also been disappointing campaigns and a number of teams who face testing four-year periods if they are not only to get back to the Rugby World Cup in France in 2023, but also prove to be more competitive than they currently are.
We run through all 10 of the tier two teams at this year’s tournament and review how their campaign went and what their fortunes look like moving forward.
Canada
Unfortunately for Canada, the one game where they would have hoped to make a real impact at the tournament, their final group stage match against Namibia, was called off due to Typhoon Hagibis. Away from that contest, the North Americans were on the wrong side of three heavy defeats and, understandably, weren’t able to fire too many shots against Italy, New Zealand and South Africa.
Head coach Kingsley Jones brought an experienced group to Japan and stalwarts like DTH van der Merwe, Ciaran Hearn, Phil Mack and Hubert Buydens will all have likely played in their last Rugby World Cup. Flanker Lucas Rumball could well be the centrepiece of the side moving forward and currently uncapped scurm-half Will Percillier is one to watch, but with the quality of rugby in other nations in the Americas swiftly improving, there’s no guarantee Canada will be back in 2023.
Continue reading below…
Watch: The Canadian team help Kamaishi recover following Typhoon Hagibis
Fiji
Having failed to take the scalps of Wales or Australia and slipped to defeat to Uruguay, albeit with a heavily-rotated side, the tournament has to be looked upon as a disappointment for Fiji, who were viewed as one of the tier two sides who could genuinely spring an upset and qualify for the quarter-finals. That said, they were very competitive with the Wallabies and Wales and were harsher punishments handed out on the pitch to Reece Hodge and Ken Owens, those two games could have unfolded very differently.
Fiji aren’t in a bad place moving forward, either, and their comprehensive win over Georgia was indicative of where they stand among tier two nations. Away from the second row, the core of Fiji’s side are all of an age where they should be in their prime over the next four or so years and the U20 side, who avoided relegation from the U20 Championship this year, is producing difference-makers for both the seven-a-side and 15-a-side codes. They could get a healthy injection of star power following the 2020 Olympic sevens, too.
Georgia
A disappointing campaign for Georgia and Milton Haig, who lost to Fiji and couldn’t offer as much trouble to Wales and Australian as the Pacific island nation did. That saw them finish fourth in Pool D and miss out on automatic qualification for the next tournament. Unable to work a scrum advantage over their opponents and lacking the desired top-end pace in the back line, the gulf between Georgia and the tier one nations in their group was shown to be significant.
A tear was in the eye when Georgia's Mamuka Gorgodze departed the Test rugby pitch for the final time on Friday https://t.co/2D5h8mYVqD
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 11, 2019
Like Fiji, there’s a rejuvenation needed in the second row and potentially attentions will be turned to one or two more of the promising young front rowers earning their corn in the Top 14. The half-backs are in very good shape moving forward and there’s more talent to come out of the U20s in the back row, such as Ioane Iashagashvili, and midfield, such as Lasha Lomidze, though the lack of speed in the back three is also an issue at that level. That said, Georgia should be confident of qualifying for the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
Japan
Without doubt the posterboys of tier two rugby, Japan have, as the Rugby World Cup hosts, delighted and excited the crowds throughout the competition so far. Not only have they booked their place in the quarter-finals, the first Asian nation to ever do so, they also won all of their pool games, including victories over Ireland and Scotland. The hosts’ skill levels and ability to deal with the conditions have been as good, if not the best of any side at the tournament and it came to fruition in their incisive performance against Scotland.
Their place at the 2023 Rugby World Cup is booked and the squad looks in strong shape moving forward, despite some key holes that will need to be filled. Ultra-consistent hooker Shota Horie will need to be replaced, which could be former U20 captain Kosuke Horikoshi’s role over the next four years, whilst a successor to Yu Tamura will need to found sooner or later, too. The back row is about to welcome Tevita Tatafu and Shota Fukui on a more permanent basis, leaving the second row as perhaps the most important area for Japan to find some extra depth and competition. Their U20 side won promotion back to the Championship this year, which, if they can stay there, will bode well in the years to come.
Namibia
Namibia shared two points apiece with Canada on Sunday as a result of their cancelled game and their story mirrors that of the North Americans in that they were unable to offer a threat to the Springboks, All Blacks or Azzurri in Pool B. If you’re splitting hairs, though, the African nation arguably did offer a little more than Canada during the tournament, particularly in their game against Italy.
Unlike some of the other nations at the tournament, head coach Phil Davies brought in a number of younger players prior to the Rugby World Cup, many of whom picked up valuable experience out in Japan. Damian Stevens and Cliven Loubser are a promising half-back combination moving forward, whilst the likes of Chad Plato, Obert Nortjé, André Rademeyer and Wian Conradie – all 24 years of age or younger – look like Namibian stalwarts in the making. Barring a big leap forward from Kenya or Nigeria, the latter of who are beginning to tap into their worldwide diaspora, Namibia look relatively safe as the 2023 qualifier from Africa.
Another World Cup match has been cancelled as the typhoon damage in Kamaishi is too much to allow Namibia to take on Canada as planned
https://t.co/p3rzAGGyXX— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 12, 2019
Russia
Four losses and no points for the European side, though they won a number of fans with their gutsy displays against Japan, Samoa and Ireland. The game against Scotland was a bridge too far for the Russians who looked out on their feet, but with just two players in their squad playing top tier rugby in Europe, it was not overly surprising. If the legacy of this tournament for Lyn Jones’ side is professional contracts in the Top 14, Gallagher Premiership or Guinness PRO14 for standouts Tagir Gadzhiev and Kirill Golosnitsky, then it will be a positive one.
That pair are both just 25 years of age and they will be the foundation pieces for Russia moving forward. They were the joint-youngest players in the squad, too, with 15 of the 31 players over the age of 30, and there is a big rebuild on the cards for the Bears. Given their somewhat fortunate qualification for this year’s tournament, Russia will be up against it to make it back in 2023, with Georgia favourites for European qualification and the likes of Spain and Portugal both coming on strongly of late.
Samoa
A tournament to forget for Samoa, whose sole win came against Russia. That was not unexpected, honestly, and though they were competitive against Japan, they were lucky not to have two red cards against Russia, something which could have resulted in them finishing bottom of Pool A. Scotland and Ireland, even with the latter reduced to 14 men, dealt with the Pacific islanders fairly comfortably.
Similar to Russia, Samoa relied on an older and more experienced group in Japan. Having been unable to deliver something tangible from the group, e.g. automatic qualification for 2023, Samoa will now go into rebuild mode and try to balance those demands with those of ensuring they are one of Oceania’s qualifiers for the next tournament in France. Unfortunately for Samoa, they do not have the abundance of talented players coming through their pathway that Fiji, Georgia and Japan do.
Expectations were not high for Tonga coming into the tournament, partly due to form over the last few years, although also the difficulty of their pool, with them sat alongside three tier one sides. They were comfortably beaten by England, though they came close to upset wins over Argentina and France and could have taken both of those scalps were it not for little moments or contentious refereeing calls not going their way. Their efforts were rewarded with a solid win over USA on Sunday, though.
Continue watching below…
Watch: Tonga: Road to Japan
The balance of power between Tonga and Samoa, which used to reside with Samoa, has begun to swing a little of late, with Tonga picking up the last two wins between the sides and, based on performances at this Rugby World Cup in isolation, the Sea Eagles look the better team overall. Like the other Pacific island nations, Tonga will face a substantial amount of turnover heading towards 2023, although unlike Samoa, the recent iterations of the U20 Trophy have shown Tonga to have a few stars in the making in the forms of Apitoni Toia, Malakai Uasi and Hateni Tafolo.
Uruguay
It’s been a thoroughly encouraging tournament for Los Teros, who not only knocked off Fiji in a historic win, they were also very competitive against Wales and Australia, the latter of whom, if they’re honest, will feel like the 45-10 scoreline flattered the Wallabies. The only real disappointment came in their 33-7 loss to Georgia, a game where they were coming off a short turnaround after their win over Fiji.
The age profile of the side is also encouraging, with standouts such as Juan Manuel Cat, Mateo Sanguinetti, Santiago Arata et al all set to still be key figures in four years’ time. Inspirational captain Juan Manuel Gaminara and wing Leandro Leivas may miss out with both players in their 30’s, but Uruguay have ready-made replacements in the forms of Manuel Ardao and Baltazar Amaya. They have been comfortably the most impressive tier two rugby nation from the Americas.
USA
Consigned to zero points at the end of Pool C by Tonga on Sunday, this is not the tournament that head coach Gary Gold will have been hoping for. What the Eagles did show, however, was a resilience and doggedness in defence, as they frustrated France in particular, before Les Bleus had a late flourish. That said, they would have circled the Tonga game and although the islanders were only able to rack up a 12-point advantage, it was a game that Tonga were in control of for the vast majority.
The situation is not as gloomy as it is for some of the other teams finishing fourth or fifth in their pools, however, as the USA not only have the blossoming Major League Rugby to lean on and develop over the coming years, they also trusted a number of younger players in Japan, players who look like they can form the foundation of the side moving forward. David Ainu’u’s tournament was sadly curtailed by injury, Hanco Germishuys is a force in the back row and Ruben de Haas looks like the starting scrum-half moving forward, before even considering exciting hooking talent Kapeli Pifeleti, who just missed out on selection. If the Americas again have two qualification spots for 2023, the USA will feel confident.
Watch: Cancellation hit O’Shea’s Italy hard.
Comments on RugbyPass
Pot Kettle, the English and French teams have done it for years.
19 Go to commentsHas virtually played every minute of previous games. Back row of Li Lo Willie , Grace and Blackadder would be the 1. Crusaders issue is a very average 1st 5 who cannot run. Kicking in general play is also below par They need to put Yong Kemara in. He must have so.e talent for them to bring him down from Waikato. Hoehepa would struggle to play in so.e club sided
4 Go to commentsI hope this a good thing making all these changes!
2 Go to commentsThe Hurricanes are good, especially with a decent coach now. However, let’s be real, the Crusaders and Chiefs are clearly a good degree weaker without the players they’ve lost overseas now. The Canes lost one player. It’s also why the aussie teams ‘seem’ to be stronger.
9 Go to commentsOr you could develop your own players instead of constantly taking from the SH competition and weakening it in the process? With all the player and financial resources these unions have compared to SH countries you’d think they could manage that, or is weakening the SH comps and their national sides an added bonus? Probably.
3 Go to commentsNot so fast Aaron, we might need you in black yet lol. God knows he’d be a lot less nerve-racking than hot and (very) cold players like Perofeta. It’s really a shame Reuben Love isn’t playing 10, we’ve got enough 15 options.
4 Go to commentsAnd those from the NH still seem to be puzzled (and delighted) why NZ’s depth isn’t what it once was. Over 600 NZ players overseas, that’s insane. This sort of deal is why Super Rugby coaches have admitted they struggle now to find enough quality to fill out their squads.
6 Go to commentsArticle intéressant ! La question devrait régulièrement se poser pour les jeunes français originaires de Nouvelle-Calédonie, Wallis-et-Futuna et de Polynésie entre la Nouvelle-Zélande et la Métropole… Difficile pour la fédération française de rugby de se positionner : soit le choix est fait de dénicher les jeunes talents et de les faire venir très tôt en Métropole, au risque de les déraciner, soit on prend le risque de se les faire “piller” par les All Blacks qui, telle une araignée, essaye de récupérer tous les talents des îles du Pacifique… À la France de se défendre en développant l’aura du XV de France et des clubs français dans ses collectivités d’Outre-mer !
3 Go to commentsWrong bay. He needs to come to the REAL BAY which is Bay Of Plenty and have a crack at making the Chiefs.
3 Go to commentsIs Barrett going play full back??? They already have all the centers…
15 Go to commentsForgive my ignorance, I might not fully understand so would appreciate clarification: Didn’t the Bulls have to fly with three different carriers, paid for by the South African Rugby Union, whilst Edinburgh got a chartered flight sponsored by EPCR? Also, as far as I understand it South African teams don’t yet share in the revenue from the competition and are not allowed to host Semi-finals or Finals at home. Surely if everyone wants South Africans to “take the competition seriously” then they must make South Africans feel welcome, allow them to share in the revenue, and give them the same levels of access as the teams from the other countries. Just a reminder that South Africa has a large and passionate Rugby audience. Just by virtue of our teams being a part of these competitions means that more of us are likely to watch the knockout games, even if our teams haven’t qualified. It would be silly to alienate such a large audience by making them feel unwelcome.
19 Go to commentsFirst of all. This guy is very much behind the curve. All the bleating, whingeing, whining and moaning took place days ago already. Not adding anything to the topic other than more bleating, whingeing, whining and moaning. 🍼 Second of all, not one mention of the fact that South African teams can’t get home semi finals or finals. The tournament was undermined and devalued by the administrators. 🤡 Thirdly, football teams often have to juggle selections in mid week games, premier games, champions league games etc. and will from time to time prioritize certain titles over others. 🐒 And lastly FEK Neil, and anyone else for that matter, for insisting on telling teams how to manage themselves. If they make what is largely a business decision that suits them and doesn’t suit you - tough shite. 💩 It’s not rocket science as to why the Bulls did what they did. If this guy is too slow to figure it out (and is deliberately not mentioning one of the key reasons why) then he isn’t a journalist. He should join the rest of us pundit plebs in comments section. 🥴
19 Go to commentsSo the first door to knock on Rob is Parliament followed by HMRC. The Irish Revenue deliver a 40% tax relief rebate on the HIGHEST EARNING TEN YEARS of every pro Irish rugby players contract earnings at retirement. That goes a long way to both retaining their best talent and freeing up wages for marquee players. Who knows, if that had been in place in the UK, you might not have been able to poach Hoggy and Jonny Gray from Glasgow…!!!
3 Go to comments1. True, if that “free” ticket means access to all but the prized exhibit - EVIP only. SA cannot host semis, even if they’ve earned it (see Sharks vs ASM Clermont Auvergne at… Twickenham Stoop). 2. Why no selective outrage over Lyon doing the exact same thing a week earlier? Out of all the countries France send the most “B teams”, why nobody talking about “disrespect” and “prioritising domestic leagues” and “kicking them out”? 3. Why no mention of the Sharks fielding all of their Springboks for the second rate Challenge cup QF? No commitment? 4. Why no mention of all the SA teams qualifying for respective euro knock out comps in the two seasons they’ve been in it? How many euro teams have qualified for KO’s in their history? Can’t compete? 5. Why no mention of SA teams beating French and English giants La Rochelle and Saracens? How many euro teams have done that in their history? Add no quality? The fact is that SA teams are only in their second season in europe, with no status and a fraction of the resources. Since joining the URC, SA has seen a repatriation of a number of players, and this will only grow once SA start sharing in the profits of competing in these comps, meaning bigger squads with greater depth and quality, meaning they don’t have to prioritise comps as they have to now - they don’t have imports from Pacifica and South America and everywhere else in between like “European” teams have - also less “Saffas” in Prem and T14, that’s what we want right? 'If the South Africans are in, they need to be all in' True, and we have to ensure we give them the same status and resources as we give everyone else to do just that. A small compromise on scheduling will go a long way in avoiding these situations, but guess what, France and England wont compromise on scheduling because they ironically… prioritise their domestic comps, go figure!
19 Go to commentsthe success of the premiership can be summarized by : only 10 teams. It makes a huge difference with the overcrowded top 14 (let us not talk about Leinster and URC…)
1 Go to commentsGood for him. The ABs were fooling around again with converted fullbacks that had a penetration of a marshmallow. Laumape or as Aki has shown for Ireland, go forward is important in the centres. If it had been DMac - Aki- Aumua - Ioane- Telea- Jordan in France the final result would have been different.
4 Go to commentsDan Carter a apporté son professionnalisme, des méthodes de travail, un esprit qui manquaient à l’USAP. Son influence, même une fois blessé a été énorme. Et pour citer une anecdote, certains soirs il venait de lui-même à l’entraînement des jeunes pour dispenser ses conseils. On ne peut pas compter ce qu’il a apporté au club en heures de jeu sur le terrain. Est-ce que le club en a eu pour son argent ? Avec la publicité sur son nom et le titre, je suppose que oui.
1 Go to commentsThe SA sides are suffering from a bum rap here. There isn’t a side anywhere in the world that would do things differently in their shoes. They’ve been set up to fail in the EPCR comps by vested interests, with last minute intercontinental travel requirements that costs an arm and a leg to book in advance just on the possibility they might be required. And the total nonsense that denies any chance of home venues is entirely biased and absolutely unsporting. Either EPCR, the Top14 & the Gallagher Premiership get it sorted on a fair and equitable sporting basis for ALL participants or expect the ridicule to continue. Right now, these comps are a joke!
19 Go to commentsSA sides should do the right thing and leave the champions cup, they are lowering the standard with completely one sided games, not up to the right level. The greatest club tournament in the world is being banjaxed by the weak SA sides.
19 Go to commentsCouldnt agree more. SA sides need to show more committment and really have a go at the Champions Cup. Its quite possibly the most prestigious title in Europe and SA sides need to respect that prestige and serve up their best. EPCR needs to do more to ensure that sides from South Africa and sides travelling to and from SA have a better chance in this competition. The Bulls were put in a really difficult position of having to travel there and back in one week. One could argue that this is what the SA sides signed up for and that La Rochelle didnt complain or send out weakened sides despite having to travel to SA and back and play on successive weekends but surely the situation is also unfair on La Rochelle as well and so EPCR needs to think about successive gameweeks and the travel effect of the competition
19 Go to comments