Safety first but World Rugby's lack of a contingency plan must be questioned - Andy Goode
People’s safety absolutely has to be paramount but it’s only natural to question World Rugby’s contingency plans when simply awarding two points each is the end result.
It’s one thing when it’s England vs France and both teams have already qualified but Italy have had their opportunity of qualifying for the knockout stages for the first time in their history taken away from them.
Of course, they were extremely unlikely to beat the All Blacks and make it to a quarter-final but that’s not the point. It’s a sport and you can’t just write off their chances. There could have been a red card in the opening few minutes and they might have played the game of their lives.
Sergio Parisse’s reaction was punchy and I don’t agree that it would be different if it was New Zealand needing to win, but you can understand his frustration and you have to feel for the Italians on a personal level as well.
It would probably have been Parisse’s final game for the Azzurri, certainly his last at a World Cup, and Alessandro Zanni and Leonardo Ghiraldini are in a similar boat.
(Continue reading below…)
Ghiraldini was due to make a 20-minute cameo appearance against the All Blacks to cap off a 15-year international career after months of battling back from an awful injury, so it’s no wonder tears were shed when that was taken away from him.
It wasn’t possible for anyone to predict the sheer scale of Typhoon Hagibis but organisers did know these storms were probable at this time of year, so it’s just a question of whether the contingency plans are appropriate.
Clearly, World Rugby haven’t taken any of these decisions lightly and they have far more information at their disposal than the rest of us looking on from afar. They are also correct that all teams were aware of the rules prior to the tournament but just cancelling games isn’t a great look for the tournament.
'Never once in its 32-year history has a fixture been cancelled and it has opened a Pandora’s Box of issues that may yet come back to bite the organisers.'
– RugbyPass columnist @OwainJTJones on the unprecedented turn of events in Japan #rwc2019 https://t.co/CVDyhNRbIF
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 10, 2019
It may well be that the amount of devastation and disruption that Typhoon Hagibis leaves in its wake means none of these games could realistically be played even a couple of days later anyway but you can’t help feeling that should be a possibility.
It’s a very difficult situation for everyone concerned but postponing the games in the first instance, especially New Zealand vs Italy and Japan vs Scotland where qualification is up for grabs, rather than cancelling them (a final decision is, of course, still awaited on the Japan-Scotland game) would have been preferable.
It’s also particularly difficult to understand why there are different contingency plans in place for the knockout stages compared to pool games. That just doesn’t seem right when some of these are effectively knockout matches.
The latest in the war of words between the Scottish Rugby Union and World Rugby regarding the typhoon-threatened Scotland-Japan World Cup match https://t.co/OfEjivvRan
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 11, 2019
Italians might not be too happy that extra time is being given before making a decision on Scotland vs Japan compared to their game against New Zealand, but everyone is hoping it can go ahead. It looks like there may even be legal implications from a Scotland perspective if it doesn’t.
You can see their point that there should be a bit of flexibility in the schedule in extreme examples such as these, even though there are huge logistical difficulties associated with moving either the date or location of a game.
Scotland may yet not be affected but it’s already too late for Italy. They have had their chance of qualification, however slim it might have been, taken away from them and that leaves a bitter taste in the mouth.
WATCH: Scotland’s Gregor Townsend on his belief that Sunday’s World Cup match with Japan will still be played
Comments on RugbyPass
Except for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
33 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
33 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
33 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
33 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
33 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
33 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
1 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
33 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
1 Go to commentsSome thoughts to consider here, Sam. Thanks
2 Go to comments