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Are the Irish Internationals wrapped up in cotton wool?

  • 04-04-2005 7:43am
    #1
    evilhomer
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,464 ✭✭✭


    Are the Irish Internationals wrapped up in cotton wool?

    This was a question i asked myself after the appauling display that Leinster gave us on saturday. I was at the match (thanks ruggiebear :p) and i saw a slow and seriously rusty looking team playing, there was no pace, sharpness, continuity to almost anything they done, except the players who played everyweek.

    Then on Sunday Munster also lost out, not as badly as Leinster but still you would have to ask the question if these players played more games together would they be better?

    The ten week's training at the begining of the season and the resting of players for a week or two before the six nations doesn't help keep players fit and sharp.
    Not to mention the 44 man squads for the internationals.

    If the players actually had to play everyweek at provincial level as opposed to being played when the IRFU let them would Leinster or Munster have looked so poor?

    I know we will get more games out of the players at International level but what is the point if they aren't sharp enough and fit enough to be of any use?

    I'm not sure the current approach with the IRFU owning the players as opposed to the clubs is as good an idea as it may have first seemed.

    In England and France the system supports many more players at a higher level playing week in, week out. I know we don't have the pool of players they do but we could still perhaps stop allowing the IRFU say who, what, when and where.


Comments

  • #2
    jonno
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,392 ✭✭✭jonno


    I agree with everything you've said there.

    The ten week training camp is a joke as it interferes with the Provinces' preparations for HC, PP etc. I know it gives the fringe players a chance to prove themselves in the CL while the internationals are away but there is ample opportunity for them when the Six Nations starts and/or using a squad rotation system.

    I also don't like the idea of the IRFU "owning" the players and the suspicions of the IRFU picking the provincial teams for the HC seem true alot of the time.


  • #3
    MG
    Closed Accounts Posts: 823 ✭✭✭MG


    I mostly agree with you. I think the main problem stems from the poor organisation of the Celtic League.

    I'd like to see a Celtic league of 11 teams with each team playing each other once and with the top players available (i.e. not clashing with 6N or HC). This would enable the provinces to have smaller, tighter squads and mean that the second tier of players would be playing week in week out in the AIL (also streamlined)

    It would break down like this for an international

    5 6N matches
    3 Autumn Int'ls
    6-9 HC Matches
    10 + 2 CL (incl playoffs)
    1-4 Celtic Cup matches

    That means 25 - 33 games in a non-WC/Lions year for the international class players. That's about what the IRFU are aiming for and I think that is about right. We don't have a huge pool of players so we can't absorb injuries as well as other nations. Provincial players not involved in international action could play for their clubs in a streamlined, better standard AIL.


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