NPC - news, injuries etc
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Ta$man HP squad to play Hawke's Bay XV tomorrow in Wellington:
Ta$man doesn't seem to post its squad directly on social media anymore; I had to download an app to see the article in the Nelson Weekly and then make a screenshot. Link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/the-marlborough-app/id1347811969?mt=8&_branch_match_id=616492149323608413
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@Stargazer A few interesting picks in there.
Good to see Quinton Strange is playing rugby. Jamie Spowart, as well. I wasn't massively impressed by Jamie last year, but he's still very young and perhaps the best Ta$man bet to pick up a Super contract next year.
Declan Smith is the Welsh halfback I mentioned a few days ago.
I'm pretty sure that Sam Briggs is the son of former Nelson Bays captain and prop, Gavin. But, Sam plays in the backs - first five and/or midfield I think.
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@Chris-B I think I can remember Jamie Spowart playing for Kings Colllege up here in Auckland a few seasons back..
He is actually very swift,can remember a try he scored against Manawatu in the Mitre 10 Cup last year, off a lineout he actually burnt the turbos defence like they were standing still. -
@Nepia why would he jump ship to a team shitter than the one he's in now?
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@Canes4life said in Mitre 10 Cup - news, injuries etc:
@Nepia why would he jump ship to a team shitter than the one he's in now?
To get regular starts? To play alongside the best lock in the world?
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@Nepia he is getting regular starts, Plumtree has already stated his reasoning for easing him into the season and it has paid dividends. I saw a video last year of how he always wanted to play for the Canes from a young age so I don't think that will change, unless he has serious beef with someone at the Canes. I think an NPC shift is probably more because he wants to be closer to home for some of the year.
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@Machpants Thanks for that.
I have given them some excellent and robust feedback on their incompetence surrounding the organization of the competition for the Ranfurly Shield as well.
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Okay, so summarised:
New structure: all 14 teams play 10 other teams in one single table. The teams ranked 1-4 after the regular season play semi-finals and a final for the Rugby Cup and the teams ranked 5 - 8 play semi-finals and a final for the Championship Cup.
The consequence of this is that - unlike now - the teams ranked 9 - 14 are done after the regular season. Very often, those teams will be the same provinces, although rankings may differ. For how that works out, I'll use Hawke's Bay as an example.
Under the current structure, the Bay finished 3rd in the Championship division in 2018 and qualified for the semi-finals of that division and only lost by one point. With a bit more luck, we could have played the final and go for silverware.
Under the new structure, we would have finished in 10th place, so season over and no (semi-)finals to play and not competing for a cup.Realistically speaking, some provinces will very rarely play for silverware under the new structure. That will mainly affect - to varying degrees - Otago, Hawke's Bay, Northland, BOP, Manawatu and Southland, unless they somehow manage to climb up the ladder like - for example - Ta$man did a few years ago and stay in that top 8.
Supporters of the top provinces probably won't have a problem with that, but imagine your team missing out almost every year.
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@Stargazer like the blues?
Really that's pro sport, and I don't have a problem with the worst teams being at the bottom, rather than some participation cup. When the division were properly split it made sense, now with cross play, it doesn't imo. I suppose you could go full Monty and have almost everyone in, like the sevens, which I would be happy with
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@Machpants If all provinces, big and small, had an equal chance of finishing 1 - 8, I'd have no problem with it, because rankings could change every year. But in a competition where a reasonably identical group of smaller provinces risk ending up in the bottom 6 of the competition each and every year, I think there should be an opportunity to play for some kind of trophy for them as well. They could, indeed, do that similar to sevens, with the 9 - 12 ranked teams playing for a 3rd Cup, Bowl or Plate of some sort.
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I like the single table structure but NOT the prospect of an uneven draw where everyone doesn't play everyone. That is the worst aspect of Super Rugby when it went to the conference system and why people turned off it.
The 'less strong' provinces in particular have ebbs and flows in their strength through the years and some will get a hard draw in the very year they peak. Vice versa an average team could get into finals due to a favourable draw in comparison to rivals. -
