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Ireland and Wolfhounds
9 years 5 months ago #30290
Actually they should just get Fijian's/Tongan's and Samoan's into their domestic leagues and married off to the lovely local ladies.....
Although there might be an issue with the extreme cold winters...
connachta wrote: That's Why I'd like to see a test with a mix XV of Namibia/Georgia vs Kenya/Romania
Actually they should just get Fijian's/Tongan's and Samoan's into their domestic leagues and married off to the lovely local ladies.....
Although there might be an issue with the extreme cold winters...
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9 years 5 months ago #30292
I love Rugby but not to go as far as doing genetic selection... 
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9 years 5 months ago #30296
Interesting cliché, but largely true
However, it seems that some backs arrive at a good level these nations.
For example, romanian full back or winger Catalin Fercu signed for Saracens last month and maked his debut last week against Harlequins in LV Cup.
an article about him from the excellent blog Tier2 Rugby : tier2rugby.blogspot.fr/2014/03/catalin-f...-of-world-rugby.html
As for Georgia, the new coach Milton Haig don't hesitate to pick young players. 2 backs are born in 1994 and 3 in 1993.
From these young backs, 2 of them are very promising :
centre Merab Sharikadze, 21 years old
capped at 18, he played for Gloucester U19 and Hartpury College between 2011 and 2013 then he signed in ProD2 for Bourg en Bresse and for Aurillac this season. He is one of the most talented georgian back ever
an great article about him from Tier2 Rugby : tier2rugby.blogspot.fr/2014/03/the-georg...line-hope-merab.html
The other is the strong winger Tamaz Mchedlidze, also 21 years old. 1m95, 110kg, who can also plays centre or backrow. He joined Top14 side Stade Montois at 18, has his first Top14 apparence at 19 and also started 5 Amlin Cup games. During the same season he made his debut for Georgia. Today he plays for the ProD2 side Agen.
Both can expects to join a Top14 since in 1 or 2 years.
Concerning Russia, I don't agree, IMO best players are backs.
Another country with good forwards and poor backs is Moldova.
They had some class front rower, like Dmitri Arhip from Ospreys and Vadim Cobilas from Sale Sharks. A large number of professional forwards like prop Gheorge Gajion from Rovigo, and players in Romanian Super Liga and Russian Professional League, including the powerfull eightman Oleg Prepelita, a real try machine (6 tries in 4 games for Moldova last season, 20 tries in 31 russian league games last 2 season), who was named best player of the russian championship in 2013.
But their backs are sooo poor. Fortunately, they found a young english-born fly half with a moldovan granpa, Craig Felston, 21 years old, who played for Esher Academy and London Irish Amateur. He currently plays for Domont in french Federale2
sea_point wrote: Same old problem, as with Romania and a lesser degree Russia.
First class forwards, but third class backs at best...
If rugby could be played without centres and back three these teams would be pushing for World Championships..
Interesting cliché, but largely true
However, it seems that some backs arrive at a good level these nations.
For example, romanian full back or winger Catalin Fercu signed for Saracens last month and maked his debut last week against Harlequins in LV Cup.
an article about him from the excellent blog Tier2 Rugby : tier2rugby.blogspot.fr/2014/03/catalin-f...-of-world-rugby.html
As for Georgia, the new coach Milton Haig don't hesitate to pick young players. 2 backs are born in 1994 and 3 in 1993.
From these young backs, 2 of them are very promising :
centre Merab Sharikadze, 21 years old
capped at 18, he played for Gloucester U19 and Hartpury College between 2011 and 2013 then he signed in ProD2 for Bourg en Bresse and for Aurillac this season. He is one of the most talented georgian back ever
an great article about him from Tier2 Rugby : tier2rugby.blogspot.fr/2014/03/the-georg...line-hope-merab.html
The other is the strong winger Tamaz Mchedlidze, also 21 years old. 1m95, 110kg, who can also plays centre or backrow. He joined Top14 side Stade Montois at 18, has his first Top14 apparence at 19 and also started 5 Amlin Cup games. During the same season he made his debut for Georgia. Today he plays for the ProD2 side Agen.
Both can expects to join a Top14 since in 1 or 2 years.
Concerning Russia, I don't agree, IMO best players are backs.
Another country with good forwards and poor backs is Moldova.
They had some class front rower, like Dmitri Arhip from Ospreys and Vadim Cobilas from Sale Sharks. A large number of professional forwards like prop Gheorge Gajion from Rovigo, and players in Romanian Super Liga and Russian Professional League, including the powerfull eightman Oleg Prepelita, a real try machine (6 tries in 4 games for Moldova last season, 20 tries in 31 russian league games last 2 season), who was named best player of the russian championship in 2013.
But their backs are sooo poor. Fortunately, they found a young english-born fly half with a moldovan granpa, Craig Felston, 21 years old, who played for Esher Academy and London Irish Amateur. He currently plays for Domont in french Federale2
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9 years 5 months ago #30334
No offence, but how is it in any way untrue?
You're struggling to list barely a half dozen players from across all three nations playing at Tier 1/2 Club Rugby...?
As it currently stands none of the sides would come anywhere close to beating any of the top ten sides in 99/100 games, because they could not score enough points to be competitive for eighty minutes. It's all very well being competitive up front against a Tier 1 nation, but it's very rare nowadays with (the five second ruck rule etc) that a game can be kept tight enough for eighty minutes to keep the scoreline down. It's basically the reverse of the Fijian problem, who don't want to play in heavily structured games. So Tier 1 sides draw them into up front battles to suck the energy out of them...
The sooner these nations encourage exposure of their school age backs to rugby in Tier 1 countries then they can make progress, it;'ll require serious investment but it is critical for progress ...
When we see any of those nations competing in the IRB Junior World Championship on a regular basis, and not the IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy competition then we'll know they are making real progress....
croket wrote:
sea_point wrote: Same old problem, as with Romania and a lesser degree Russia.
First class forwards, but third class backs at best...
If rugby could be played without centres and back three these teams would be pushing for World Championships..
Interesting cliché, but largely true
However, it seems that some backs arrive at a good level these nations.
No offence, but how is it in any way untrue?
You're struggling to list barely a half dozen players from across all three nations playing at Tier 1/2 Club Rugby...?
As it currently stands none of the sides would come anywhere close to beating any of the top ten sides in 99/100 games, because they could not score enough points to be competitive for eighty minutes. It's all very well being competitive up front against a Tier 1 nation, but it's very rare nowadays with (the five second ruck rule etc) that a game can be kept tight enough for eighty minutes to keep the scoreline down. It's basically the reverse of the Fijian problem, who don't want to play in heavily structured games. So Tier 1 sides draw them into up front battles to suck the energy out of them...
The sooner these nations encourage exposure of their school age backs to rugby in Tier 1 countries then they can make progress, it;'ll require serious investment but it is critical for progress ...
When we see any of those nations competing in the IRB Junior World Championship on a regular basis, and not the IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy competition then we'll know they are making real progress....
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