RugbyRebels

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WRU to consider bringing back the A team. What do you think?

Personally, I would prefer resources to go to an A team than sevens but can't see when in the season the A team would play. Look how many players the Ospreys are missing who aren't playing for Wales but are still retained this weekend.

Aren't the regions basically A teams.

Any who would they play? Ireland and England?

I'm not sure you can class the regions as a sides, or even the same standard. I would support the a side return, but the calendar needs to be looked at to ensure that the regions aren't screwed.

Bob wrote:Aren't the regions basically A teams.

Any who would they play? Ireland and England?

I'm not sure an A side would bridge anything between the pro sides and the full international that the U20s don't at present.

Certainly the regions couldn't afford to lose any more players as the PrO'12 carries on during the 6N

Sandydragon wrote:I'm not sure you can class the regions as a sides, or even the same standard. I would support the a side return, but the calendar needs to be looked at to ensure that the regions aren't screwed.

You thinking the A side would be a higher standard than the champions cup or even the pro12 during the 6N?

Tre wrote:

Sandydragon wrote:I'm not sure you can class the regions as a sides, or even the same standard. I would support the a side return, but the calendar needs to be looked at to ensure that the regions aren't screwed.

You thinking the A side would be a higher standard than the champions cup or even the pro12 during the 6N?

Champions cup, no. Rabo, quite probably.

Sandydragon wrote:

Tre wrote:

Sandydragon wrote:I'm not sure you can class the regions as a sides, or even the same standard. I would support the a side return, but the calendar needs to be looked at to ensure that the regions aren't screwed.

You thinking the A side would be a higher standard than the champions cup or even the pro12 during the 6N?

Champions cup, no. Rabo, quite probably.

Rabo!

I'm not convinced

Hard to tell until it's tried in some ways. I don't think the Rabo provides a step up prior to international level.

I suppose the bigger question is financial. What resources are going into the A team which could be used on the main team, or elsewhere?

if every other 6N country had an A team, then maybe. But, that is not very likely so no.

Sandydragon wrote:Hard to tell until it's tried in some ways. I don't think the Rabo provides a step up prior to international level.

It's Guiness now

Tre wrote:

Sandydragon wrote:Hard to tell until it's tried in some ways. I don't think the Rabo provides a step up prior to international level.

It's Guiness now

Old habits die hard.

Tre wrote:

Bob wrote:Aren't the regions basically A teams.

Any who would they play? Ireland and England?

I'm not sure an A side would bridge anything between the pro sides and the full international that the U20s don't at present.

Certainly the regions couldn't afford to lose any more players as the PrO'12 carries on during the 6N

It doesn't normally. At least not much. we usually have a couple of games. Since the Welsh squad is rarely released back to the regions anyway then with the addition of only a few players you could have an A squad.

Tre wrote:

Bob wrote:Aren't the regions basically A teams.

Any who would they play? Ireland and England?

I'm not sure an A side would bridge anything between the pro sides and the full international that the U20s don't at present.

Certainly the regions couldn't afford to lose any more players as the PrO'12 carries on during the 6N

I agree

Who would coach it too? Danny Wilson? Cardiff will like that

I used to be an advocate for it but I don't see the point anymore. Use sevens to capture people to Wales if someone is undecided or chuck them a cheap cap in the summer tour of Fisay night AI or even the U-20 these days

There's already too much international rugby, it's no longer "special", and keeps the best players out of the club games far too often, hence lowering the already poor standard even further.

Still, it's all about the money I guess, so not going to change anytime soon.

glamorganmorgan wrote:if every other 6N country had an A team, then maybe. But, that is not very likely so no.

Only Wales and France don't have an A team.
Wales fielding one will make (surprisingly enough) make a big difference to that.

When did the Scots and Italian A team play last? Or th SA, NZ andcOz one?

Eugene Wrayburn wrote:

Tre wrote:

Bob wrote:Aren't the regions basically A teams.

Any who would they play? Ireland and England?

I'm not sure an A side would bridge anything between the pro sides and the full international that the U20s don't at present.

Certainly the regions couldn't afford to lose any more players as the PrO'12 carries on during the 6N

It doesn't normally. At least not much. we usually have a couple of games. Since the Welsh squad is rarely released back to the regions anyway then with the addition of only a few players you could have an A squad.

Do your lot name different wolfhound and full squads like the English?

Which Tyler wrote:

glamorganmorgan wrote:if every other 6N country had an A team, then maybe. But, that is not very likely so no.

Only Wales and France don't have an A team.
Wales fielding one will make (surprisingly enough) make a big difference to that.

I don't think, given the budgets, that it would be good for our 4 pro sides to be providing players for 3 squads during the 6N .

I fail to see what has improved financially to warrant reinstating the A team, or any benefit to doing it over the current set up.

If we had an A team, Shingler would be a respected ex-Scottish international earning a living as a pundit on STV.

Bob wrote:When did the Scots and Italian A team play last? Or th SA, NZ andcOz one?

Italy A last played June 13th, 2015 (vs Ireland B)
Scotland A last played January 31st, 2014 (vs England A)

Out of interest; France A last played in the final Churchill cup, 2010; 8 years after Wales ditched the A team.
England and Ireland A both last played on January 30th, 2015



Only allowed 2 linkies per post?

I don't think we have the player numbers to benefit from it as a full time operation. I quite like the idea of it as an occasional thing. Maybe if an extended squad was taken on a SH tour, where the majority of the extra players were under 23, that would allow them to train alongside the first team but then play midweek games against provincial teams or other representative sides.

Tre wrote:

Eugene Wrayburn wrote:

Tre wrote: I'm not sure an A side would bridge anything between the pro sides and the full international that the U20s don't at present.

Certainly the regions couldn't afford to lose any more players as the PrO'12 carries on during the 6N

It doesn't normally. At least not much. we usually have a couple of games. Since the Welsh squad is rarely released back to the regions anyway then with the addition of only a few players you could have an A squad.

Do your lot name different wolfhound and full squads like the English?

Not really. We tend to name additional A team players and draw some from the main squad as well. wales could basically leave 25 players who are going to form the Test squad and select from the rest and a few more. It's not like training ever changes your team.

In terms of money, the 7s side is a complete waste and irrelevance to anything other than 7s. The money would be better spent on an A side which people might actually get to see in Wales. An A side is useful for trying out combinations and trying players in new positions and trying them in the Test side's systems and seeing what they might be like in camp away from the comfort of their own club environment.

Eugene Wrayburn wrote:

Tre wrote:

Eugene Wrayburn wrote: It doesn't normally. At least not much. we usually have a couple of games. Since the Welsh squad is rarely released back to the regions anyway then with the addition of only a few players you could have an A squad.

Do your lot name different wolfhound and full squads like the English?

Not really. We tend to name additional A team players and draw some from the main squad as well. wales could basically leave 25 players who are going to form the Test squad and select from the rest and a few more. It's not like training ever changes your team.

In terms of money, the 7s side is a complete waste and irrelevance to anything other than 7s. The money would be better spent on an A side which people might actually get to see in Wales. An A side is useful for trying out combinations and trying players in new positions and trying them in the Test side's systems and seeing what they might be like in camp away from the comfort of their own club environment.

I do worry that we wouldn't be able to come up with a name lame enough to rival the saxons or wolfhounds

Tre wrote:

Eugene Wrayburn wrote:

Tre wrote: Do your lot name different wolfhound and full squads like the English?

Not really. We tend to name additional A team players and draw some from the main squad as well. wales could basically leave 25 players who are going to form the Test squad and select from the rest and a few more. It's not like training ever changes your team.

In terms of money, the 7s side is a complete waste and irrelevance to anything other than 7s. The money would be better spent on an A side which people might actually get to see in Wales. An A side is useful for trying out combinations and trying players in new positions and trying them in the Test side's systems and seeing what they might be like in camp away from the comfort of their own club environment.

I do worry that we wouldn't be able to come up with a name lame enough to rival the saxons or wolfhounds

There's zero chance your name would be as lame as Wolfhounds so if you were trying to compete on that basis there'd be no point.