World Top 3 Rankings.......can any NH side consistently stay there?

First topic message reminder :

Given my current post regarding France I thought I would widen the discussion to all NH sides. I feel NH sides are seriously disadvantaged in maintaining the top spots consistently.

Our setup for a season is a total mess. International coaches have them for a few weeks here and there then 3 spells in February-April, June-July, November.
Basically its a total mine field. We've already seen what Gatland achieved with Wales when he had them for longer training periods. Given there are so many Rugby commitments in the annual calender we are hindered compared to our SH counterparts who have geared their season to performing against us and maintain the status quo.

They play S15 from Feb to July, Tri Nations & Autumn tours. That essentially means that a national coach over there gets to prepare his side for months. With that amount of time its no suprise to me that the SH sides do so well when they come over in November. Given that our June Tours tend to be warm ups for the Tri Nations games you can see why the focus is so great on their part. They have a far less complex season to deal with and their system works in block format. Essentially they need to be in the top 3 though as IRB money is handed out on a scaling model.

If they could move the HC to April & May with a late season kick off in the Leagues from June to Oct a national coach could actually keep the players from Nov to April without having to worry about it. I'm sure the Tours could fall during Jan-Feb to accomodate both the SH and NH teams. Plus it would be summer as well so as a spectacle the Rugby would be better. I admit that it would bunch International Rugby together a little though but it could allow us to perform at the highest level.

Added bonus ofc would be that Club/Regional Rugby would get to play during the Summer which I think we can all aggree would be a good thing.

Anyone else feel the current system does not really allow us to compete against the best in the World?

No harm done fly, you are however more entertaining when you are witty.

It's not like billy and I are taking anything seriously today.





Maybe tomorrow will be more appropriate.




Just saying.

Peter Seabiscuit Wheeler wrote:2011 - 2012 Ireland win 6, draw 1 lose 9, vs 6 nations

The point remains, you arent ranked in the top 3 because beating Australia was a one off in context of other recent results.
Did Ireland manage to maintain a 60% average against Sanzars for a number of years running in any of the years they were beating 6Ns teams?
Nope. Hence why just like the rest of the NH losers they havent got a cat in hells chance of anything other than occassionaly appearing in 3rd place because of statistical anomilies in the way the ratings points are worked out that will soon be adjusted for by following results.


I dont see any signs of a fundamental shift in the balance of power in world rugby, unless NZ really does go bankrupt and Australia just stops bothering with Union altogether.


( PS nice edit, assume that was you Biltong)

Yep PSW, it feels like I am cleaning up after you today.

But why do you insist in interrupting with billy and my conversation with serious rugby related matters?

Always up for a laugh biltong

Come on with the stats Fly

Haha what else did I do? Surely not the comment about a welsh holocaust ....

Sorry!

Shhhhhhhhhhhh!


(He is busy collecting them as we speak)

I am really interested because i feel that Ireland have done very well, possibly only second to the French since the inception of the 6N.

Yeah Billy noone would deny that Ireland have been consitently strong in the 6 nations, certainly more so than Wales for all their grandslams.
Trouble is they havent been consitently strong enough to challenge the tri nations as anything more than a portential banana skin.

I actually did a piece not so long ago about Ireland being consistently 2nd in the six nations, I can't remember their win ratio but it was in the region of roughly 70.48289307942%

eirebilly wrote:Go and have some fun Fly. What are Irelands full stats since the 6N's then?

That would be interesting

Oh dear no!!! - I'm not a matematician and I don't have the few months off to do all that! I'll leave it there - my yearly stat attack is now complete... back to the throw away one-liners (or half a bloody pagers) for me

Ok, since the 6N began

France played 65, won 46 for 71% wins
Ireland played 65, won 44 for 68% wins
England played 65, won 43 for 66% wins
Wales played 65, won 33 for 51% wins
Scotland played 65, won 16 for 25% wins
Italy played 65, won 9 for 14% wins

Well what a difference a year makes. England fast closing in on that second spot.

It really highlights how up and down Wales have been, and how consistently bad the Scotts and Italians have been.