Nail meet head

[Banquo]

I remember hearing a story from an ex all black who joined an English club when he retired from international duties. At his first training session he was somewhat surprised to find there were no balls. Everyone went and trained in the gym and there were no ball skill drills done at all.

Don’t know how true that story is, but club training in NZ often included a game of touch at some point of the session.

I can believe it- we had 5 kiwis play for us one season, including Simon Culhane. Whilst we did do a lot of ball work , and always (unwisely imo) started with a game of touch to 'warm-up', with the inevitable pulling of hamstrings, these guys always stayed behind for half an hour to work on individual skills. Furthermore, they shared a house about 5 miles from the ground, and in pre season and Tuesday training, they ran to and from training passing a ball when the weather was ok. The difference in how basic skills are valued writ large; this was a while ago, but not masses has really changed.

[Banquo]

I think one of the problems is that poor coaches feel threatened by mavericks/flair merchants. Any player who has a tendency to go off-script is seen as a negative to the team message. The extra skill level should be encouraged by a good coach and controlled rather than shunned.

The irony currently is that the team is mistake and penalty-ridden despite playing a conservative pattern. We are conceding points for NOT trying things.

Agreed. The great coaches harness the big talent (or ditch it early if its too much of a distraction from a team pov ).

I agree with your second point, and have concluded that the player base we have is likely more suited to playing a quicker more fluid game- but would somehow have to find the fitness and all round skill/technical improvements to make it work against the top 4 teams.

[p/d]

they ran to and from training passing a ball when the weather was ok.

Typical bloody backs

[Banquo]

they ran to and from training passing a ball when the weather was ok.

Typical bloody backs

Lol, good weather friends

[Oakboy]

I'm surprised about the lack of noise over the poor demand for tickets for Saturday. Has an AI match v Fiji not sold out in the past?

[Epaminondas Pules]

Yeah they’ve not sold out in the past. Not by this much, but frankly why should someone pay to watch this shit. It’s a sign of the rot / dullness that has imbedded itself into our national team. Going to take a lot to undo it. Not helped by things like the cricket showing that you can entertain IF you want to.

[Oakboy]

Yeah they’ve not sold out in the past. Not by this much, but frankly why should someone pay to watch this shit. It’s a sign of the rot / dullness that has imbedded itself into our national team. Going to take a lot to undo it. Not helped by things like the cricket showing that you can entertain IF you want to.

I was thinking along the lines of the booing at Jones's last match hastening his departure, reportedly. If fans are not willing to pay to watch England (understandably), the RFU must at least be worried. Income from filling Twickenham is central to finances.

[canta_brian]

If I was an England fan I would be fairly pissed that this conversation is still being had on rugby rebels. 20 years now and there has only ever been the occasional selection that would look to expand the type of game England play.

[loudnconfident]

I'm surprised about the lack of noise over the poor demand for tickets for Saturday. Has an AI match v Fiji not sold out in the past?

I've found such tickets easy to get in the past, (Unlike tix for the later AIs.) But there seem a lot fewer sales for this game. There is a rail strike on Saturday, tho, which may put off casual purchasers.