Wales and Exeter's exploitation of eligibility loophole has Twitter up in arms
After Wales prop Tomas Francis has signed a new contract with Exeter to keep him at Sandy Park until 2021 this week, fans have given their reaction on Twitter.
The Grand Slam winner is one of the few Welsh players that are playing abroad currently with under 60 caps, because his contract was signed before Wales implemented the ruling. As he only has 40 caps, a player in his position would usually have to move back to Wales at the end of his contract to keep his hopes of playing for the national team alive, like what Josh Adams has done at Worcester.
However, the Premiership leaders have found a way around this by extending Francis’ contract rather than giving him a new one. This has allowed them to keep hold of a top player, and for Francis to keep his international career alive.
In light of this contract wrangling, both English and Welsh fans have given their opinion about the entire situation on Twitter. Not only do some fans feel that the ruling is unfair on players, as they should be allowed to make the most money in their short careers, but the manner in which clubs are able to work around the ruling makes a mockery of it.
Continue reading below…
This is what the fans are saying:
https://twitter.com/Wilttwits/status/1113448482025738241
https://twitter.com/cezzapazza/status/1113454483453939715
https://twitter.com/JohnBrynt/status/1113475671676858368
https://twitter.com/sportabertawe/status/1113453874998927360
Good, ridiculous & embarrassing rules that rugby have regarding players playing outside their Country. It would not happen in football. It is a hard brutal game & can be a short career due to injury players need to earn what they can. Simple solution contract them to the union 🏉
— Sean (@Seany1969) April 3, 2019
While this convoluted system has left some Welsh fans scratching their heads, the Exeter fans are happy with this news.
The fans are praising the club for managing to keep hold of Francis and working their way around the system.
Moreover, they are happy to keep a player of that quality at Sandy Park. Since joining the Chiefs since 2014, he has helped them win the Premiership, and established himself as a favourite under Warren Gatland for the national team, and is in a good position to earn more silverware this season with the Chiefs.
This is what the Exeter fans are saying:
https://twitter.com/Exechief/status/1113486389226672130
https://twitter.com/DonnaJHart11/status/1113486826642264066
https://twitter.com/VikkiSquires19/status/1113570204720795648
https://twitter.com/norman_hartnell/status/1113508086583570434
https://twitter.com/Rhods123/status/1113727356420730880
Great 👍 to hear such a good player like donnytommy will still be able to stay with the chiefs 🏉👏👏👍✅
— Jim Lawrence (@dogster01) April 3, 2019
Comments on RugbyPass
To 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.
30 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
30 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
30 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.
30 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.
30 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.
30 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.
30 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 commentsI think he is right, SBW is respected in RSA. The guy who never stood up is a worm. Sseems lots of NZ SBW hate, you do the crime do the time.
17 Go to comments