Loose Pass
This week we will be mostly concerning ourselves with perspecitve and pranks…
Welcome to Loose Pass – our weekly assortment of disjointed thoughts. This week we will be mostly concerning ourselves with perspecitve and pranks (real and imagined)…
And so the Heineken Cup has become an exclusive French-Irish affair. 'Tis probably a fair reflection of Europe's current balance of power.
Indeed, the exit of the Saints and the Ospreys marked the passing of the game in England and Wales – or so you would believe from the obituaries churned out by the Sunday papers and the crowing Irish denizens of cyberspace.
But is that entirely fair?
Sure, Welsh and English clubs have under-performed, of that there is no doubt. But are we comparing like for like?
The cream of Irish rugby is roughly divided between two sides. For Munster and Leinster, read Ireland Probables and Ireland Possibles.
The Welsh have a more even distribution across the nation's four elite sides. Moreover, there are fewer than 50,000 registered players in Wales. Ireland has over 150,000.
England's 12-way dilution is tempered by foreign imports, but it is still a factor. Sure, the French are in the same position in terms of sheer numbers, but the lack of a salary cap means that their top five or six sides can happily pepper their benches with seasoned internationals.
The same cushy deal isolates the same five or six French sides from the threat of relegation, and that's an issue that envelopes all 12 Guinness Premiership clubs during the early stages of the season, and a fear that dicates priorities.
Conversely, the likes of Munster can sleepwalk through the Magners League and come out smelling like roses.
Just look at the difference between the Munster that lost to Leinster at Thomond Park on April 2 and the Munster that beat the Saints at Thomond Park on April 10. It verges on the laughable.
With eyes for just one competition, the only surprise is that they don't win the Heineken Cup every year.
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It looks a little like our April Fools' Day prank. Sadly it seems all too real.
Reports emanating from Australia suggest that the IRB is to discuss raising the value of a try to eight points.
Why? Well, “we're in the mass entertainment business” – or so says Australian Rugby Union chief John O'Neill.
Such a move would undoubtedly lead to more defensive penalties, so where is the added excitement?
Real excitement is born from close-fought contests – games like Munster's victory over Northampton.
The Saints were in contention even after Munster's final points of the afternoon. Under the proposed new currency, Ronan O'Gara's conversion of Doug Howlett's second try would have left the visitors adrift on the wrong side of a 45-22 scoreline.
Let's hope this little scheme goes the same way as the ELVs.
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If the IRB must tinker with anything, perhaps they could look into ways of making speculative potshots at goal less attractive.
How about a scrum to the defending side at the spot of a fluffed penalty kick or drop-goal? This would surely rid the game of the long-range shies that regularly double as time-wasters.
As always, please share your thoughts, ideas and suggestions.
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Speaking of April Fools' Day pranks, credit to the Scotland boys for taking part in this effort by the BBC. We might have believed it had Sir Clive been involved…
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“He is a prop so he just thinks about the next scrummage – and his next meal.”
– Dorian West reports that Soane Tonga'uiha isn't losing any sleep over his contractual wrangles.
Compiled by Andy Jackson