Don’t expect Warren Gatland to select any bolters this time
“Standard of the club game is so far below international standard as to make comparisons laughable”
Optimism, hypocrisy and concern. Three words that can be used to describe the game of rugby over the last week. Optimism, because all the players suggested by the media as possible Lions contenders despite not playing in the Six Nations are living in a dream world if they believe it’s true.
Warren Gatland has four international teams to pick from who have just competed in the biggest international competition outside the World Cup. Why then would he be tempted to pick players from what are club competitions? Despite protestations to the contrary, the standard of the club game is so far below international standard as to make comparisons laughable.
Add to which, the returning stars from the Six Nations would make a big difference to each team’s overall performance, helping other team members to shine, despite not quite being up to international level.
Gatland is no fool, he will be well aware of the difference the returning stars make, especially when combining with the many overseas internationals now plying their trade in our leagues.
It is those overseas players who have shown the hypocrisy of all the Unions that select them to play in their national teams, once having lived in a country for just three years.
The latest incarnation, Denny Solomona, is interesting because he served most of his qualifying period not playing Rugby Union.
Solomona joined Sale only in December so has been playing Union for just 15 weeks, yet there is a strong probability that he will be chosen for England’s summer tour to Argentina.
Like Nathan Hughes, he has openly expressed a desire to play for England because of the money the RFU pay to players, despite earning a more than reasonable sum playing for his club, Sale.
Personally, I don’t blame them. If the money had been there when I was playing, I would have gone for the biggest salary I could get in the knowledge that it was a relatively short career with few opportunities once ended.
However, I don’t think that I would have chosen to play for another country, despite being qualified for four of the Five Nations as it was in my time (Welsh grandfather, Irish grandmother, French grandmother and born in London!). Back then, there were a number of players who sold their heritage for an international cap – but they did it for the opportunity to play international rugby, not for money.
For those of us who played in the amateur era the chance to represent your country was priceless, with many players actually paying in lost earnings for the privilege.
Despite the game turning professional over 20 years ago, the rules concerning residential qualification have remained the same, even though there has been an influx of professional players coming here for the higher salaries. The impact on the rest of the game has been catastrophic with the South Sea Island nations bearing the brunt of players lost, hindering development of their national teams while watching an increasing number of their players representing all the tier one nations.
With a vote by World Rugby in May finally to change the residential time frame by a paltry two years, supposedly championed by the RFU, you would have expected the RFU to make it a policy of the Union not to select players who have not completed five years residency. They have however, chosen to abide by the current rules rather than make a stand. Further hypocrisy has been shown by all with regards to player welfare, as World Rugby agree a global season that could see players playing for 11 months of the year.
Hailed by the Premiership as a game changer, despite the extra burden on players, what is surprising is that the objections of RPA have not been more vociferous, with only chairman Christian Day seemingly willing to comment.
Although it will bring the Premiership more in line with the Top 14 season, the Premiership cannot afford the bigger squads seen in the wealthier French league and will have to rely on fewer players playing more games.
The concern for a sport like rugby must be that an extended season should see breaks allowing players the chance to rest and recuperate, but with new competitions filling the additional weeks, that seems highly unlikely.
One of the greats of the crossover (amateur to professional) generation, Martin Johnson, has raised another concern over the potential use of performance enhancing drugs, citing the gym culture that now pervades certain levels of the game.
The need to be bigger and stronger has always been a part of the professional game, and many, if not all, players are encouraged to take supplements of one kind or another. Although these are legal ways to help train and recovery, many are potentially dangerous to health and wellbeing.
There is also the risk that as you are taking supplements, the pressure to take something that will get you to your target quicker with less work is overwhelming and young players in particular are at greater risk.
The final concern is the dreadful state of Australian rugby, with falling crowds and threats of player strikes, the future of the game is uncertain.
For a double World Cup winning country, to suffer such a fall from grace should be a concern for us all.