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Official Rugby Thread

BoyBrumby

Englishman
It's all politics, dude...

What you say is pretty much spot on. Georgia (& Romania, Russia, Spain, Belgium and, more fancifully, Germany) have nowhere to advance too. It's broadly analogous to the situation Ireland faced in test cricket (& still do to some extent). They're reduced to accepting crumbs from the masters' tables and improvement is difficult when they aren't regularly exposed to the highest level.

The Italian experiment was worthwhile, but realistically they've gone backwards since their admittance and seem unlikely to improve in the short to medium term, especially now one of their main sources of reliable talent (the Argentine with an Italian parent or grandparent) has dried up after Argentina belatedly embraced professionalism.

The very fact their stand off options are a Scot with an Italian mum and a one-eyed Irishman speaks loudly of their paucity of talent.

Personally I'd like to see a two-legged play off between the bottom team in the Six Nations and the winners of the second tier competition. At least then there could be no argument that should Georgia displace Italy they're worthy of doing so.

It won't happen, like, but one can dream.
 

Howe_zat

Audio File
In the early 2000s they would pick up the odd win against the Welsh and Scottish teams that would go on to get pasted by Australia and South Africa in the autumn. This decade the north has largely held its own.

It's fair to say that Italy have stuck where they are while the Six Nations as a competition has moved on.

It's also a bit of a myth that Georgia would be any better. They've never beaten a tier 1 nation despite playing against 'rotation' sides, whereas Italy had a handful of wins under their belt on their way into the six nations.
 

BoyBrumby

Englishman
In the early 2000s they would pick up the odd win against the Welsh and Scottish teams that would go on to get pasted by Australia and South Africa in the autumn. This decade the north has largely held its own.

It's fair to say that Italy have stuck where they are while the Six Nations as a competition has moved on.

It's also a bit of a myth that Georgia would be any better. They've never beaten a tier 1 nation despite playing against 'rotation' sides, whereas Italy had a handful of wins under their belt on their way into the six nations.
There's something in that, but a team plateauing where their main oppo has improved is pretty much the same as going backwards in effect though.

Italy did beat Georgia in their most recent test too (O'Shea made a slightly snarky comment in a presser to the effect that he was "sorry we beat Georgia" when he had his umpteenth "You're a bit two bob, do you deserve to be there?" styley question) but to my way of thinking it's not so much they deserve to get the arse from the 6N, more that the rest of Yurp is faced with a closed shop.

Speaking of getting the arse, how much longer can Brunel last with France? 3 wins in 14 tests isn't too clever by any reasonable measurement. Yes, England were very good, but our admittedly quality kicking game was helped by the understandable positional confusion partly caused by him selecting two centres on the wings and a wing at full back.
 

Howe_zat

Audio File
Not just any wing at fullback, but the least reliable player in the six nations. Huget is a meme.

Apparently some of the French substitutions towards the end of the England game didn't know what position they were being brought onto. Vahaamahina didn't know he was captain against Wales, and some of the new players coming through haven't been able to get a gig in the first division because of the swollen wage packets in the Top 14. Whole system is a shambles.

~

Regarding Georgia, I don't really mind the six nations being a closed shop tbh. The competition is fine, it has a shitload of support, and it's not the only international rugby. So I'd only change it if you're sure you're making the competition better. And if flying out to the caucuses becomes a part of the six nations, I'm not convinced that does much for the identity of the competition? Every year thousands of British and Irish fans go for a weekend in Rome that they probably couldn't do in Tblisi, and if they're flying six hours out there, why not seven hours to New York?
 

Niall

International Coach
is rugby popular in georgia?
Rugby Union | Georgia | Highest attendance | ESPN Scrum

They get big crowds for their games and from all accounts its very popular in the country.

However as others have said its Ireland test cricket all over again, I don't think their is any appetite to expand the six nations and promotion/relegation play off is not going to appeal to any of the six nations side. Nobody would miss Italy, but imagine the fall out if Wales/Scotland or even Ireland were ambushed in such a match?

e.g Be similar to the reaction when Ireland/Bangladesh beat Pakistan and India in 2007.
 

Furball

Evil Scotsman
Rugby Union | Georgia | Highest attendance | ESPN Scrum

They get big crowds for their games and from all accounts its very popular in the country.

However as others have said its Ireland test cricket all over again, I don't think their is any appetite to expand the six nations and promotion/relegation play off is not going to appeal to any of the six nations side. Nobody would miss Italy, but imagine the fall out if Wales/Scotland or even Ireland were ambushed in such a match?

e.g Be similar to the reaction when Ireland/Bangladesh beat Pakistan and India in 2007.
Exactly this.

Of course there's self interest involved, but part of the appeal of the Six Nations is its history. Ok, Italy would be the losers if there was relegation but it's not long ago that Scotland finished bottom of the pile. There's no way that England or Ireland v Georgia is a more appealing fixture than playing Scotland.
 

Magrat Garlick

Rather Mad Witch
I can see some potential in a competition with Italy, Romania, Georgia, Russia and Germany. Leave the home nations to do their thing and try to grow something new and better
 

wpdavid

Hall of Fame Member
Quite like old times with English indiscipline conceding penalty after penalty. Same old culture that the rules don't actually apply to them.
 

wpdavid

Hall of Fame Member
And that should be the end of it. Well done Wales, comprehensively the better side. As for England, same old same old when the poor dears have to play away from HQ in a deciding match in the Six Nations.
 

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