England to whitewash Australia
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<p>Expectation is a bitch.</p>
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Nathan Hughes has made the English training squad. <br><br>
<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/international/82715418/england-name-uncapped-former-auckland-no-8-nathan-hughes-in-training-squad'>http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/international/82715418/england-name-uncapped-former-auckland-no-8-nathan-hughes-in-training-squad</a> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Tim" data-cid="602380" data-time="1470114537">
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<p>Nathan Hughes has made the English training squad.<br><br><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/international/82715418/england-name-uncapped-former-auckland-no-8-nathan-hughes-in-training-squad'>http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/international/82715418/england-name-uncapped-former-auckland-no-8-nathan-hughes-in-training-squad</a></p>
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<p>The poms lost the moral high ground about selecting islanders year ago (and to be fair, most f them acknowledged it too).</p>
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<p>This is pretty blatant.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="MajorRage" data-cid="602385" data-time="1470114879"><p>
The poms lost the moral high ground about selecting islanders year ago (and to be fair, most f them acknowledged it too).<br><br>
This is pretty blatant.</p></blockquote>
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Rumours that the squad were seen wearing light blue berets and Jones was referred to as "Secretary General" are unfounded. -
<p>Yeah, I'm not ecstatic about this one. Sure, Hughes is eligible but I also ask <em><strong>should</strong></em> he be eligible? And for me - and many others - the answer is no. The thing is I don't blame Percentage Eddie for this, he is coach and his job is to get the best team on the field within his parameters. I also don't blame Hughes. He has become eligible to play international rugby for one of the top sides in the world, why would he say no (unless of course he really wants to play for the land of his birth).</p>
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<p>It's the current laws that need looking at, but what the hell, we've all been over this many times before.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="rotated" data-cid="602561" data-time="1470146333">
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<p>Didn't he play for Fiji A when he was Auckland? I thought the national team, the 7s team and one side of their choosing (for us it is Maori I believe) all bind you to that union. Did that change?</p>
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<p>He was selected for the Fiji Warriors (basically Fiji A) in 2012. Fiji Warriors first played in 2006 in the PRC but alongside Fiji Barbarians so was not considered the actual A side. This went on for the first five years. Wiki tells us that after 2011 Fiji Warriors were considered the proper Fiji A side which would make Hughes ineligible for any other international side. However, Wiki also tells us that he is qualified to play for Fiji, Tonga and England.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I think all we can glean from this with any certainty is that Wiki cannot be trusted.</p> -
<p>This also from Wiki in regard to Hughes:-</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"In 2009, Hughes was scouted by <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelston_Boys'_High_School' title="Kelston Boys' High School">Kelston Boys' High School</a>'s Athens Henare, the head of department for P.E for Kelston, when they toured Fiji in 2008."</p>
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<p>Hmmm.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Catogrande" data-cid="602572" data-time="1470151688">
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<p>This also from Wiki in regard to Hughes:-</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"In 2009, Hughes was scouted by <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelston_Boys'_High_School' title="Kelston Boys' High School">Kelston Boys' High School</a>'s Athens Henare, the head of department for P.E for Kelston, when they toured Fiji in 2008."</p>
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<p>Hmmm.</p>
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<p>So we poached him, didn't use him, he went to UK & now they have him.</p>
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<p>I'm OK with him playing for England so long as he stays there for 10 years. Those poaches are a bit shitty, but they don't annoy me anywhere near as much as ones like Rikey Flutey who go to England, qualify, play, get dumped, move offshore immediately. Those one's where the player clearly has zero long term (or even short term) tie to the country are shithouse. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>If a guy goes to a new country, likes it, commits to the country & decides "yup, this is where I want to live & raise my kids etc" then he should totally be allowed to represent that country without people screaming poach. If he goes somewhere, qualifies, plays 1 year, gets dropped & moves to France we should be allowed to throw dogshit at him in the street. Which, handily, French streets are full of. </p> -
<p>Suggested revision to thread title: "England to limewash Australia"</p>
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Bones" data-cid="602562" data-time="1470146614"><p>
It's not the Maori.</p></blockquote>
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Can be and has been before, and might actually be now. -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Catogrande" data-cid="602572" data-time="1470151688"><p>
This also from Wiki in regard to Hughes:-<br><br>
"In 2009, Hughes was scouted by <a class="bbc_url" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelston_Boys'_High_School">Kelston Boys' High School</a>'s Athens Henare, the head of department for P.E for Kelston, when they toured Fiji in 2008."<br><br>
Hmmm.</p></blockquote>
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Your point Cato?<br><br>
Being scouted for a school does not disqualify him for his country. Sure it COULD have led to a international level poaching but didn't. <br><br>
However him being scouted by an English club did ....<br><br>
Hmmmm -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="booboo" data-cid="602592" data-time="1470164695">
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<p>Can be and has been before, and might actually be now.</p>
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<p>Ummm....when?</p>
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<p>Edit to add:</p>
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote">
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<p> </p>
The Junior All Blacks are considered New Zealand's 'second XV' after the Test side, with no age or genealogy restrictions other than the player being eligible for international selection.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote">For official purposes this team is not considered defunct, any future information regarding the Junior All Blacks will be revealed on allblacks.com</blockquote>
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<div><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.allblacks.com/Teams/Junior'>http://www.allblacks.com/Teams/Junior</a></div> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="booboo" data-cid="602593" data-time="1470164930">
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<p>Your point Cato?<br><br>
Being scouted for a school does not disqualify him for his country. Sure it COULD have led to a international level poaching but didn't.<br><br>
However him being scouted by an English club did ....<br><br>
Hmmmm</p>
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<p>I guess my point Booboo is that when he was scouted by a school it was a blatant poach to improve the rugby credentials of the school. This is a school, you know, a learning establishment. Being scouted by a club when you are a professional rugby player is simply business. I'm not trying to say that either is an attempt to poach the player for national selection but one is a simple by product of the business that rugby is and of course part and parcel of allowing people to ply their trade wherever they may wish to. The other is just an attempt to make the school's rugby side more successful.</p>
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<p>As i say, nothing to do with poaching at an international level but the school thing leaves a nasty taste for me.</p> -
<p>That's a bit facile Bones. Why him? Why not anyone else? Because he was a stand out rugby player, that's why.</p>
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<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://stats.allblacks.com/asp/bornoverseas.ASP?stats_ID=8'>http://stats.allblacks.com/asp/bornoverseas.ASP?stats_ID=8</a></p>
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<p>Out of interest vis-a-vis the poaching debate - came across this page that lists all ABs born overseas. I'd be very interested to see a similar page for other international teams. </p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Catogrande" data-cid="602758" data-time="1470207658"><p>That's a bit facile Bones. Why him? Why not anyone else? Because he was a stand out rugby player, that's why.</p></blockquote>
How do we know it was just him?
