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'You have to ask if the Wales development system needs a serious overhaul'
A number of prominent figures in Welsh rugby have asked some searching questions following their regions’ dismal start to the European Champions Cup season.
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These are led by widely-respected administrator and former Saracens and Harlequins boss Mark Evans who took to Twitter to register his concern.
“Awful weekend for all the Welsh teams,” he wrote.
“Given that, quite rightly, most of the players are home grown (like Scotland and Ireland) you have to ask if the development system (including schools, club, pro and union) needs a serious upgrade/overhaul. Unlike other factors that is controllable.”
Awful weekend for all the Welsh teams.Given that,quite rightly,most of the players are home grown (like Scotland &Ireland) you have to ask if the development system(including schools,club,pro & union) needs a serious upgrade/overhaul.Unlike other factors that is controllable.
— Mark Evans (@evans_marke) January 16, 2022
He then qualified this by adding:
“Welsh teams have not challenged in European Cup for a while. Not pulling up too many trees in URC either. Some key factors in Welsh rugby set up aren’t within their own control. Best to concentrate on those that are.”
While Cardiff won some admiring comments for their contribution to an exciting Friday night contest in which Harlequins claimed a 36-33 win, with only one game remaining in this season’s abridged pool stage format, Dai Young’s club are still looking for their first win.
As a result of their much-publicised, ill-fated trip to South Africa, Cardiff have faced an extremely disrupted spell during which they went a significant period without any match action. They also opened their campaign against Toulouse with a hastily-compiled scratch line-up.
However, Ospreys – who this weekend lost 10-25 against visitors Racing 92 – are also winless following three rounds of European action. Their West Wales rivals Scarlets are in a similar situation after they were hammered 45-10 by high-flying Top 14 outfit Bordeaux Begles.
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Dragons are also still searching for their opening European success following a 25-10 Challenge Cup setback in Italy against Benetton, while their league form is also a matter of major concern since they have registered only one United Rugby Championship win to date.
Regional rugby in Wales! ?????
— Mike Phillips (@mikephillips009) January 16, 2022
Former Wales and British & Irish Lions scrum half Mike Phillips also prompted plenty of debate with his Tweet (above).
This led a number of his followers to question whether Wales needs four regional sides, or if one in the east and one in the west would be a more successful option.
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In addition, plenty pointed to the funding gap which exists between the French and Irish sides and Wales.
By contrast, former Wales international Steven Jones was quick to note the stream of home-grown players which the regions are producing for the national side.
“All this negativity regarding regional rugby is killing me,” he said.
“We have four regions full of young Welsh talent which can only be good for the future of our game. Would you rather watch regional teams full of overseas players, because that’s what everyone is pushing for.”
All this negativity regarding regional rugby is killing me. We have 4 regions full of young welsh talent which can only be good for the future of our game. Would you rather watch regional teams full of overseas players because that’s what everyone is pushing for.
— Steven Jones (@stevejabbajones) January 16, 2022
However, his message found only qualified support from another ex-Wales star Lee Jarvis who wrote:
“I would rather watch a team that can win games regardless of where they are from.
“Some great youngsters coming through but they need experience around them to perform IMO. So much focus on 60 cap rule and team Wales it only benefits one party.”
I would rather watch a team that can win games mate regardless of where they are from ?
Some great youngsters coming through but they need experience around them to perform imo.
So much focus on 60 cap rule and team Wales it only benefits one party.
— ??? ?????? (@LeeJarvis10) January 16, 2022
Comments on RugbyPass
🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
27 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusades , you can keep going.
1 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
27 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
27 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
27 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike 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.
27 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.
14 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?
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