The Northern & Southern hemisphere Rugby union thread (6 Nations,Super Rugby,sevens)

[Iceman]

I think the 6 Nations is unfortunately a closed shop. Too much self interest from the unions to allow further expansion.

I don't know the politics. Just remember Italyw eren't always a part of it. I thnk they should do a 6 Nations vs Tri Nations all star match (even though it would probably be one sided..but still fun to see how it varies year by year). And also a World league. You could even count the results of the Tri Nations and Six Nations so all inter-Hemisphere matches would already be taken care of.

 

[Hound55]

There is no Tri-Nations anymore, since Argentina joined a few years ago.

Frankly... as soon as Sergio Parisse is gone, one of Romania or Georgia would probably be better suited to the main Six Nations. Parisse has been the lone star on that squad for years.

 

[Hound55]

I wouldn't mind some kind of league play with the best 7 or 8 from the Northern Hemisphere (Six Nations + Romania, Georgia and Japan) going against New Zealand, South Africa, Australia, Argentina, Western Samoa, Tonga and Fiji though. Pool revenue and costs so it doesn't become unaffordable for the smaller nations, because logistics would be the main obstacle preventing it from happening.

 

[jmc]

I'd like to see a proper European Championship every 4 years. Won't happen though.

 

[jmc]

Fiji take out the Cup at the USA Sevens in Las Vegas, beating New Zealand in the final.

 

[Kaleb]

Just finished watching it, Fiji have just looked so dominant from the very beginning of this tournament.

 

[Iceman]

There is no Tri-Nations anymore, since Argentina joined a few years ago.

Frankly... as soon as Sergio Parisse is gone, one of Romania or Georgia would probably be better suited to the main Six Nations. Parisse has been the lone star on that squad for years.

Oh so is it a 4 nations between those 4 teams now? And if so do Argentina often win games? Pretty tough competition!

I wouldn't mind some kind of league play with the best 7 or 8 from the Northern Hemisphere (Six Nations + Romania, Georgia and Japan) going against New Zealand, South Africa, Australia, Argentina, Western Samoa, Tonga and Fiji though. Pool revenue and costs so it doesn't become unaffordable for the smaller nations, because logistics would be the main obstacle preventing it from happening.

That would really get me excited for the sport again. I watch the Six Nations and would be interested in the Southern Hemisphere Tournament if they show it here. Apart from that and Lions games, I don't worry too much if I miss random tests between international teams. I wish there was a structure like that, even if took place only every couple of years or so. (same for cricket)

 

[jmc]

Argentina got their first win last year since joining the competition in 2012, but they've been pushing the teams closer and closer each year.

 

[Iceman]

Ah good to see. Italy also are worth their place in the 6 Nations tournament to me even if they normally finish last as they often win a game or 2 and at least can give the others a good game. Italy vs Scotland should be close this year.

But even more impressive from Argentina. There are no average teams to pick up a victory against out of NZ, SA & Aus! Who did they beat?

 

[jmc]

Australia sadly, lol. They actually led South Africa with about 10 mins to go last year by about 12 points but ran out of juice, and nearly came away with two draws as well. For the most part they've challenged Australia and South Africa pretty well, New Zealand is about the team they've yet to really give a scare.

 

[Fallen Angel]

I wouldn't mind some kind of league play with the best 7 or 8 from the Northern Hemisphere (Six Nations + Romania, Georgia and Japan) going against New Zealand, South Africa, Australia, Argentina, Western Samoa, Tonga and Fiji though. Pool revenue and costs so it doesn't become unaffordable for the smaller nations, because logistics would be the main obstacle preventing it from happening.

That's basically a World Cup anyway.

 

[Iceman]

Australia sadly, lol. They actually led South Africa with about 10 mins to go last year by about 12 points but ran out of juice, and nearly came away with two draws as well. For the most part they've challenged Australia and South Africa pretty well, New Zealand is about the team they've yet to really give a scare.

Good stuff. Some of these newer teams compete well in the 1st half and fitness gradually takes its toll toward the end of the match.

 

[Hound55]

I don't even see Argentina as a new team. They've been a pretty good team for a long time now, one of the toughest home nations to play in and have a lot of quality talent in various positions. They've just always been in isolation because of their geographic position.

Honestly, I think they'd be genuine contenders to win the 6 Nations if they were in that comp.

 

[Hound55]

That's basically a World Cup anyway.

Yeah, but a World Cup you're stuck with just pool play. I'd like to see the best all playing each other in a league format - particularly the nations which don't frequently get to play one another.

 

[Iceman]

Yeah, I don't see them play enough.

And a Cup tournament has unique attractions with some huge games in the knockout phase. But a league I think would be really competitive with many teams in with a chance of finishing near the top and every game would matter to those trying to win. I prefer that to so many random one off sets of games between nations.

 

[jmc]

I prefer pool play because it's more unpredictable, but it has to be even pools. The World Cup needs to be expanded to 24 teams because it's current format of 20 team means uneven pools, meaning some teams have unfair schedules.

 

[Iceman]

I like both. The unpredictability of Cups where the 2nd best team can go out early on and the deserving finishing order of leagues where teams usually finish very near to where they should.

 

[Hound55]

Yeah, but you don't get to see those third tier teams really square off at each other because teams get layered across the pools. So you seldom get to see like Japan play an Italy or Georgia because they'd wind up in different pools.

Pool play is good too for how much each game means and it develops pretty good rivalries if teams see each other a few times in recent cups (Wales vs Fiji or the bloodbaths that are France vs Canada immediately spring to mind).

The genuine best tend to meet each other in the final stage, but unless they're geographically grouped you don't often see those other tiers of teams play one another.

 

[Hound55]

Well... we got a game out of David Pocock. Looks like he'll miss Friday's game with a syndesmosis to his ankle.

God dammit...

 

[Hound55]

Scotland are just playing terrible at the moment

When aren't they

They're like watching a second grade team. And I don't mean that In an insulting way. They're like a second grade team for a really good club; like, they've been well trained, have discipline and know what they're doing, they just all lack that next level of talent, skill and athleticism that just makes it hard to compete. The discipline and energy keeps them closer in games than the talent-level should.

Like just watching their backs try and run, compared with the Welsh guys gallop. Hogg's first half try he was running like a midget off his face on PCP. It's like they were all born without any type of grace, like an early cave people who have just discovered running.

I say this as a guy who cheers for Scotland in the 6 Nations myself...

 

[chamber-music]

Would be interesting to see the standard. Italy did well to step up to join the 5 Nations tournament. Wonder if anyone else will in the future.

Romania and Georgia are pretty good if I remember correctly.

 

[Hound55]

You take Parisse off of Italy and I don't see any significant difference between the three.

 

[jmc]

There's a decent chance that Romania could topple Italy at the World Cup, and Georgia have run Argentina close in their last 3 meetings and have beaten Samoa, so they won't be easy beats come September. There's talk of those two teams leaving the Six Nations B due to the gulf between them and the rest of the teams in that competition, and perhaps linking up with the US and Canada to form a new competition.

 

[Hound55]

Could probably throw Russia and Japan in there. Russia is probably on that tier just a fraction below Romania/Georgia. Those two leave B and Russia will just dominate it every year.

 

[jmc]

Russia's actually gone backwards big time. Twice now they've played Germany in the last 9 months (one was a World Cup qualifier) and both times they were trailing in the last 10 minutes before the Germans ran out of steam, and Germany got lapped by Georgia by about 60 points in round one. Spain's getting better now they are using their French based players, they were only using the local amateurs until recently I believe.