Mike Blair Talks Premiership vs Rabo

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http://talksport.com/rugby-union/full-contact-sunday-april-20-14042188145

Mike Blair popped up on Brian Moore's show this weekend. He's on around the 24 minute mark and he mentions how different he found the premiership environment compared with the Rabo.

Specifically, he said you feel the pressure all the time. He acknowledged that Newcastle were always likely to be fighting a relegation battle but still was amazed at how tense their match was against Sale in only the second week. He couldn't imagine feeling that pressure in a Scottish side in the Rabo so early in the season.

Moore pressed him further, and he said that there's far more thought about areas like exit strategies (i.e. getting out of your own 22). In the Rabo, it would be "get it to the nine or ten", while Aviva teams had far more structures.

Tom Varndell agreed that every league game seems like its own cup final, with the counters set to zero as the final whistle blows.

Blair was of the opinion that the Aviva pressure must help England if their players are repeatedly exposed to such situations. He thought Scottish players could use a similar environment, pointing out that Edinburgh haven't had a crucial match for a while now.

(Then again, if that's always been true, then you might wonder why the experience wasn't always useful for England. )

Worth a quick listen if you have a few minutes.

I think it would be practically impossible for the Irish to field a team from a monetary, resources and numbers of players point of view, the could maybe have a best of club team in terms of players but in reality they are unlikely to be competitive and there would be very little money there to back them.
Off course we never know how things change in future but as of now it's a non starter idea.
The only way it could be possible is with best of sides from ireland, Wales, Scotland, maybe a couple of Italian teams and then teams from the likes of Germany etc but then again who would sponsor the league etc it's unlikely there would be any inetrest

So out of curiosity what happens if Ireland has a really bumper year of professional young players coming in...do they all get spots in the 4 provincial side on salaries reflecting ability? I know Leinster A play B&I, what about the other provinces?

AP is fully pro, as is the next tier. Frances top 2 tiers are also fully pro. As both need to be for relegation to make sense.

Munster and Ulster A teams also play in B and I and connacht field a team in it as well. The next step down is the AIB league but this is an amateur competition and far and away off the professional game although in fairness it is getting better. The provinces also have U-20 sides so their younger guys can compete against each other.
Some of the players on the fringes of the senior squads will play in the AIB when they are not being used in the provincial squads but generally there are never enough people playing to mean that the provinces have to use these AIB sides to field their players and it's a good job for Ulster because they only have 1 club side in the top division of the AIB league.
Basically the structure in Ireland goes
Provinces
The A teams
Provincial U-20's
AIB League

It's also one reason why you see a number of squad outsiders from provinces head to England or France to gain experience in professional sides with the best of them returning home simply because AIB league is such a drop down in standard it is off no use to them.

Perfect thanks for that. Answers my next qn which was why we see Irish players who are not marquee names, playing in England.

Must make it tricky for players who are late bloomers as they pretty much have to try to get game time in England or elsewhere as it's so hard to break into the established provincial sides.

Yes it defo is Quins that's what happened with Ricky Lutton of Ulster who now plays as a tighthead for Ulster but was with Canterbury in New Zealand to learn his trade before returning home and now playing for Ulster.
Ulster also let Tommy Seymour go and look at him now a Scottish International it's a tough balancing act but realistically we just don't have the resources to make more professional sides

I understand. But given the successes of the provinces in recent years you would have to say that concentrating your teams has worked well, even if talent sometimes doesn't get a chance to shine.

Only slight negative is that the national side loses out fractionally vs the clubs in lost talent. But it's pretty marginal and looks to be working well for both at the moment.

Copeland is a good example of how the irish system works.

he was told by Lenister he wasn't to the standard he needed to be.

He gets a job with I think Rotherham.

Blues pick him up and players well.

next season he is back in Ireland now having reached the level required

Irish players like to be at home even for less money. I don't know if it goes to our GAA roots but they only go aboard because they aren't good enough and their goal is always to prove themselves so they can come back.

neilthom7 wrote:Munster and Ulster A teams also play in B and I and connacht field a team in it as well. The next step down is the AIB league but this is an amateur competition and far and away off the professional game although in fairness it is getting better. The provinces also have U-20 sides so their younger guys can compete against each other.  
Some of the players on the fringes of the senior squads will play in the AIB when they are not being used in the provincial squads but generally there are never enough people playing to mean that the provinces have to use these AIB sides to field their players and it's a good job for Ulster because they only have 1 club side in the top division of the AIB league.
Basically the structure in Ireland goes
Provinces
The A teams
Provincial U-20's
AIB League

The AIL is actually semi professional, The players do get paid albeit a very small amount. I seen one guy and he was making around 3,700 a year.

Sorry my bad I meant semi professional most guys get match fees etc but it is also not normally their full time jobs unless they also play for provinces or Academies

Always knew the Rabo was lacking something!