Give Argentina a Fighting Chance!
All that remains is the end of season tour for our Boks in 2006. They’ll play Ireland once and England twice. What a great chance to pick up some lucrative revenues and some sustained momentum as they head on into a World Cup year. This years Tri Nations was tough, we fought back nicely and the net result gained at the closing of this new extended version is that we learnt a hell of a lot about our selves as a team. We learnt that if we dig deep, we do indeed have the potential, yet at the end of the day, now realise that we still have a way to go before we can even think or dream of hoisting the William Web Ellis Trophy next year.
We should consider our selves lucky that we’ve been allowed this kind of testing ground to gauge our performance, yet we still manage to whinge and moan about too much rugby, too much travel, unfair draws etc …the usual gripes as we reflect on another Tri Nations gone by.
What about the poor people?
The Argentinians play some passionate and phenomenal rugby! Everybody loves playing the Pumas! First and foremost they’re tough bastards. They play for themselves, they play for their team, they play for their country and they play for the pride they have for the shirts on their backs. They are one of the last remaining bastions of true sportsmanship, yet they are certainly no pushovers.
The tragedy however, is that year after year they pick up the festering scraps of the over burdened calenders of the ‘old boys club’. The New Zealanders, Australians and South Africans with their extended Tri Nations step out on a ‘limb’ in some pathetic form of charity to travel to, or host the Argentinians, who always give the three a run for their money, despite being unable to pay their players properly and using a depleted squad thats more often than not pillaged by the club scene in Europe.
This isolationism cannot continue! Argentina must be included for the sake of the game!
We all love the rugby world cups right - but how easy is it to pick the quarter finalists? Pathetically easy - and you know i’m right! It’s the same big guns almost every time!
Think of the football world cup - picking the quarter finalists is far more challenging and hence far more exciting and I believe this is a direct result of FIFA’s investment in football on a global level, equally through many years.
The IRB on the other hand is failing our sport and it’s this failure that will continue to keep sides like Argentina (and there are others - the Pacific Island Sides to signal out a few) in the dark ages and ensure that the ‘old boys club’ of the Tri Nations and Six Nations remain at the forefront of all the lucrative TV, revenue deals and the game time that is so crucial to reaching and maintaining a professional and internationally competitive level of rugby.
Despite being neglected - Argentina still manage to compete - imagine what they could do if they were brought in out of the cold?
Argentina 2007 Rugby World Champions? I think not!
But with a bit of luck and if the IRB would stop failing the sport… 2015 World Champions?
Now there’s a thought!
Enders
Yo, Enders. Quite a serious post for this blog! Great views though… cannot help to agree with you, also. I think the rugby gods are shaking in their boots at the thought of a well paid, well trained, professional Puma rugby team!
Cheers,
Nostra
Enders you beaut. Echo my thoughts. The IRB have failed us miserably by not giving the RWC to Japan.
Enders - nice stuff - bit serious for the sinbin ma boooi! But you know sometimes we need to get serious! Completely agree with your column!!-
Thanks Wardie and Nostra - - glad you buggers agree. Wardie - thats one point I thought of and never raised…. read this column for a bit more on the topic guys….
http://rugbycricket.suite101.com/blog.cfm/all_black_fijian_pairing_bad_for_rugby
Good stuff Enders. Traditional unions are simply protecting their own money and power. It was no more obvious than the awarding of the 2011 World Cup to NZ rather than Japan…
Japan should have been given the honour…. it was actually the only option!! Sure it would have been nice for us….but at the end of the day the game has been cheated out of reaching a far corner of the earth and hence growing the sport that much further…
NZ is the far corners of the earth. PLus they need to get money into that country somehow. Man that place sucks donkey balls
Enders,
since its inception in 1930 only 7 contries have won the football world cup.
good point dog (damn shit hiphop music)
Its not only if there is quality players, but if there are good enough structures in place to get the most out of a player.
Image habana playing at his best for 5 weeks in a row.
Look at Nz their players preform week in week out.
They still suck donkey balls though
Discount phentermine….
Discount phentermine….
Cheap phentermine 37.5 mg….
Cheap phentermine 37.5 mg….
Delivery overnight valium xanax….
Delivery overnight valium xanax….
Viagra….
Viagra….