Rotation and season structure

[Puja]

Thought I'd open a thread about this, rather than bitching about it on individual teams' match threads.

Once again, we have a Premiership weekend ruined by teams effectively conceding games before they begin. This should be a weekend to sell the Prem as a vibrant tournament, with 5 teams going into the last weekend scrapping for the playoffs, and press coverage has tried valiantly to sell this last-day drama, but the truth of it is that two of the games have a predetermined result, as Saracens and Gloucester have been given 5 points by the Bath and Saints selections (zero 1st XXIII players and two or three 1st XXIII players respectively). Add that to Newcastle and Exeter being so far behind the pack and the only game in actual question is whether Harlequins can ruin Bristol's day or not.

I don't blame Bath or Saints for their selections (well, not 100%), cause the former want to rest players and prepare for the playoffs (and have earned that right!), and the latter are choosing to look after players like FSmith, Mitchell, Freeman, and Pollock who are going to have a busy summer and will get little enough rest in years to come. Plus, I can't simultanously complain about that and of Maro being wheeled out for his 107th consecutive weekend of playing 80 minutes (I understand picking him for this one cause it's last chance to save their season, but frankly they should've reacted to that Bath selection by telling him he's having to withdraw with a bad cold and he needs to go home and rest in case they get to the playoffs).

But there's something rotten in the structure of the Prem that this has come up two weekends in a row. The obvious answer is my usual one of fixing the Prem in one block that goes Aug-Jan, which would get rid of the difficulties of mid-season Euro finals, but I don't know what other options there are that would work.

It can't continue though. If the Prem wants to be an inviting place for investors and sponsors and television deals, then we can't have clubs effectively throwing games - if the teams and the league doesn't treat itself as valuable, then why should anyone else?

Puja

[Banquo]

It’s a World Cup year is a factor. But agreed.

[Oakboy]

Joined-up thinking needs joined-up administration. Which unit of world rugby exists for the good of rugby (rather than to look after its own interest). I doubt there is even a broad consensus on what 'the good of rugby' means.