2019 RWC - Squads
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@Daffy-Jaffy
Stargazer posted it in the eligibility thread.Agree that it seems well researched - though a quick look at wiki shows Nepo's younger brother (by 3 years) Luteru was born in NZ, which should have made him eligible by 99 if Nepo was also in NZ at the time. Don't know the family history though.
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@mofitzy_ I just edited a couple of the numbers from the 365 article list that were wrong including for NZ which listed Vaia Fifita as one and also had Fogapoa Savai’i, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea in the England squad - so not so well researched then! lol.
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@Daffy-Jaffy said in 2019 RWC - Squads:
Here's your ammo for when those northerners want to accost you about NZ poaching from the islands.
Number of Foreign-born Players per Country -
19 Samoa
16 Tonga
15 USA
14 Japan, Scotland
12 Australia
8 Italy, Wales
6 England
5 France
4 Canada, Fiji, Ireland
3 New Zealand
1 Georgia, Russia South Africa
0 Argentina, Namibia, UruguayThe Main Donors -
48 New Zealand
18 England
13 Australia, South Africa
8 Tonga
7 Fiji
6 IrelandNah, nah, not listening, NZ pillage and rape the Islands, not listening, don't mention Vunipola, Tualagi and Aki, NZ pillage and rape the Islands, nah nah, not listening
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@Daffy-Jaffy Danny Care just sounds very bitter and jeolous. In the end, loyalty doesn't matter if the selectors think another player is better. Just like anyone else, selectors want to win the RWC; loyalty doesn't win you Cups; the best team does.
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@Stargazer said in 2019 RWC - Squads:
Danny Care just sounds very bitter and jeolous.
A whiney little bitch half back, and an English one at that. Who would have thought?
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@Daffy-Jaffy said in 2019 RWC - Squads:
Interesting, I picked that list from a Rugby 365 article. Your links info looks more thoroughly detailed and researched though so may be more accurate.
That Rugby 365 article still has Fifita in the list of foreign-born players (not in the NZ squad though); so one foreign born player too many. If they make that kind of mistakes, I won't trust the other country lists, either.
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@Stargazer Yeah i became aware of that. See my reply to Mofitzy above (they listed a Papua New Guinean in the England squad!). Not very thorough research or proof reading before it was published, but i often find 365 and even Rugby Pass like that.
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@Snowy said in 2019 RWC - Squads:
@Stargazer said in 2019 RWC - Squads:
Danny Care just sounds very bitter and jeolous.
A whiney little bitch half back, and an English one at that. Who would have thought?
I listened to the podcast this morning and those quotes do sound whiny but he was very at ease with not making the Cup squad. He was using himself as an example of when players born/bred in a country are overlooked by a Jean-y come lately.
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@Wurzel Fair enough. I don't like the residency rules either but he also wasn't good enough to make the squad. I didn't make the ABs again, more to do with being old and useless at rugby, than residency, but I am disappointed nonetheless.
Has the 5 year rule been implemented yet? That will make it a bit better I suppose.
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@Daffy-Jaffy said in 2019 RWC - Squads:
Here's your ammo for when those northerners want to accost you about NZ poaching from the islands.
Number of Foreign-born Players per Country -
19 Samoa
16 Tonga
15 USA
14 Japan, Scotland
12 Australia
8 Italy, Wales
6 England
5 France
4 Canada, Fiji, Ireland
3 New Zealand
1 Georgia, Russia South Africa
0 Argentina, Namibia, UruguayThe Main Donors -
48 New Zealand
18 England
13 Australia, South Africa
8 Tonga
7 Fiji
6 IrelandExtraordinary that Namibia apparently have 0 foreign born players, with their SAF links up to 1990.
Bothma, who pulled out, was SAF born.
Frankly, I'd prefer it if Namibia had a few Saffan pros to bolster them a bit.
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@Daffy-Jaffy said in 2019 RWC - Squads:
Hmmm Fox Sports... Not one Saffer good enough to make your Snubs XV?!
Reminds a bit of something muttered back in 2003...
Bok Snubs to win the Snubs RWC then! (or maybe just win the semi) -
@Billy-Webb Agreed, also there are a few European back rowers I would pick ahead of Samu in my team and locks ahead of Fifita.
Edit: maybe they see it as a 'who they thought would go but isn't' team rather than a ' best player not going' team as I was first thinking. -
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Thinking about what Leagues provide professional players to the RWC squads after reading this article ( http://www.americasrugbynews.com/2019/09/11/mlr-representation-at-rwc-2019/ )
MLR employing 10 Uruguyans (as well as their contributions to the USA and Canadian squads).
This got me thinking a bit about how Super Rugby no longer employs many cap-tied players from nations other than that of the home union of the franchise.
By my count Super Rugby is only contributing 10 players to RWC squads outside of (Aus, NZ, Arg, SAF)
2 to USA (Lamborn from Rebels, and de Haas from Cheetahs)
1 to Canada (Ardron from Chiefs)
2 to Tonga (Lousie at Hurricanes, Vunipola at Brumbies)
4 to Samoa (Laupepe at Hurricanes, Niuia at Highlanders, Alaalatoa at Crusaders, Malolua at Reds)
1 to Georgia (Bregvadze at Sunwolves)Amazingly 0 to Fiji.
Not so amazingly, but worth noting: 0 to Namibia.Remember the good old days of Fa'atau, Vunibaqa, Caucaunibuca, So'oalo, Bari, Lima lighting up Super 12.
Note: That Twiggy Forrest and his Rapid Rugby is contributing the exact same number (10) of players to T2 nations this RWC as is all of Super Rugby (excluding Sunwolves and Japan).
Also. Semi-professional or amateur level rugby in NZ, AUS, SAF contributing more (11) players than SR. 4 x Currie Cup players to Namibia, Only 1 NPC player (Kapeli), 4 x various Auckland and Christchurch club players, 2 x Sydney club players.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_Rugby_World_Cup_squads
(note: this source lists the player's 'highest' current club/franchise level. So some of the Rapid Rugby players, and even some of the SR players to Tonga and Samoa (who are fring SR players), would also have been playing club rugby in Sydney, Brisbane, Auckland etc etc
Edit: Since writing this post, have discovered the T2blog as referenced below.
Interesting graph from there, on pro contracts: http://tier2rugby.blogspot.com/2019/09/rwc-squad-facts-figures-trends.html
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Looking at the origin of the RWC coaches:
NZ: 7
Australia: 3
Wales: 3
South Africa: 2
Argentina: 2
Ireland: 1
Scotland: 1
France: 1Worth noting that the 3 Welshman are coaching the 3 lowest ranked teams. Rumours that there is a rift with Phil Davies and the Namibia squad according a Tier2 blog I will link later. Renolda Bothma retiring, Davies says dropped, Chysander Botha omitted.
Squidge rugby's video on Canada was very unflattering of Kingsely Jones.
If you ever read a T2 froum, you won't see many positive thoughts on Lynn Howells , the Russian coach, who seems to be perceived as on a T2 merry-go-round. prepared to travel, jobs for the IRB boys, jobs filler.
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Interesting blog on T2 players missing from this RWC:
The best players from Tier 2 nations not at RWC 2019
News and opinion focusing on Tier 2 rugby nations.
Of those missing for reasons other than form or injury. Villians would appear to be:
- Worcester Warriors,
- SH central contracting,
- lack of interest (E.g. 2 high level Russian players, some of the PI qualified players)
- other NH clubs not quite as evil as Worcester
- Phil Davies
2019 Rugby World Cup squads - Wikipedia