Native-born players are suffering due to the influx of foreign players into both France and England, writes LIAM TOLAND
MY SISTER Eimear returned from France for a few days’ break armed with LÉquipe, the French sports newspaper. Interestingly the victorious French team that put 22 points on Scotland at the weekend averaged a paltry 5.25 out of ten per player. I know the scores aren’t worked out by your brightest team of actuaries but Imanol Harinordoquy, their outstanding number eight, highest placed by the French journalists, managed an above-average seven.
The French public are not happy. Their club game is struggling, lacking a salary cap; players are flooding in from all corners of the globe. RC Toulon and Stade Français are a case in point. And to add insult to injury, without an international access agreement, Marc Lièvremont’s preparations are a lottery.
He can’t be best pleased with top French club sides, Toulouse and Clermont Auvergne, slugging it out on Sunday with nine of his squad involved. I feel for him as their Welsh encounter is only five days later. What shape his nine players will be in come Monday morning will be interesting. Hardly ideal preparation. The Top 14 fixtures secretary needs a call.
The English too, have their problems with a massive influx of foreigners into their game and now a growing trickle of natives out. Wasps’ James Haskell’s departure at just 23 years of age and 14 caps to Stade Français is a serious precedent. It’s even more embarrassing since his move is from a top club in England to France. Both France and England are now propped up by very hungry, talented foreigners that are diluting their game.
It appears Irish rugby and the Magners League have hit the right chord and resisted – in the main – the easy, quick fix. But pressures for results are huge and coaches can be forgiven for cracking.
We can see the traditional movement of Irish soccer players drying up under the weight of a wider net being cast in England. Arsenal, the home to so many Irish players in the past, is unrecognisable now as players are being attracted from Europe and Africa.
To our domestic coaches there is great danger in seeking solutions from across the waters. This, if allowed to go unchecked, will be devastating to Irish rugby.
When I arrived into professional rugby there was much to learn. The culture was a million miles from where it is now. Your average amateur intercounty player is far more prepared today than we were as professionals, ten years ago.
That said, although we were only embracing the professional game, we were still the group that were at school together, club together and eventually found ourselves playing professional rugby together. We were rarely diluted.
The crucial difference between then and now is that, when a hole developed in the team, several local players would be thrown into the mix until a solution was found. The danger in the modern era is the solution will come in the guise of the cheque book to the cost of a local.
One such local solution was discovered the morning after the night before the Trinity Ball. Argentina were due to play Leinster that evening and there was a shortage at prop. An APB went out and a Trinity reveller was summonsed. He was really in no condition to tog out but he managed. In fact, he managed so well that he went on to represent Leinster for over five years in all competitions. My point is that in the era of the must-win it is becomes increasingly difficult to be patient with home-grown, average players who may or may not develop.
After all that, I’m looking forward to the return of the crucial Rua Tipoki this weekend where the match of the weekend must be Munster v Edinburgh. I know I have mentioned his performance last Monday but Peter Stringer will be making a rare start in Musgrave Park. There’s no doubt in my mind that the best team took the pitch against Italy but, with the challenges up ahead, Stringer has a critical role to play.
The English will have learned much from Italy’s brutal, physical approach and in particular their influence over the breakdown. So whether Stringer starts or not he’ll be vital to reducing time spent at the rucks. His cameo appearances for both Munster and Ireland have had a major influence over the pace of continuity. He appears to co-ordinate the ball -carries much more efficiently, which ensures an increased activity around the breakdown. The obvious example being Luke Fitzgeralds first try in Rome. Stringer utilised a hard line run by Stephen Ferris that released Fitzgerald.
I remember back to some of Keith Wood’s finest ball-carries for Ireland – which always had Stringer at the base of the ruck. In the cauldron of a packed stadium, a telepathic communication between scrumhalf and the target is required where the scrumhalf without looking needs to decide the type of delivery. Is it to the left or right, wide or flat or indeed soft or hard in order for the target to exploit the gap that will remain open for milliseconds.
I suppose his pace of pass forces the loose forwards into a discipline of continuous ball- carries, where the flow is much more predictable. He (or Tomás O’Leary) of course is no miracle worker so the greatest threat to Ireland’s Grand Slam ambitions remains the breakdown.
Leinster’s key Magners League clash with Scarlets tomorrow night will provide a great opportunity to build up for Harlequins. There’s no doubt that Michael Cheika has reviewed the Scarlets’ 24-29 defeat to Harlequins back in January so it will be an excellent barometer of where Leinster are.
With all four provinces involved this weekend forgive me for being a little tunnel -visioned when I focus on Peter Stringer and Gordon DArcy (and Keith Earls).
PS. Ladies (or indeed gentlemen) check out the aforementioned James Haskell’s own personal web site www.jameshaskell.com, nice!
