The WRU are no better - if you get a chance look up how they treated Newport RFC and acquired their Rodney Parade stadium. Rugby seems to want all the trappings of Premier League football and are making all the same mistakes.....
Ah, the regional game killed the clubs for sure...I remember the games between Pooler, Swansea, Cardiff, Newport, Llanelli, Neath, Bridgend, Aberavon, Newbridge, Ponty, Ebbw Vale etc etc. Club rugby crowds were amazing. To be fair, when it went pro the standard dropped....the regions, same as Southern Hemisphere and Ireland give the national team a huge advantage, so it's Wales or club rugby, not both apparently. Must confess, the English Prem is way way better than the Pro 14 leagues.....it's only really European cup games that drive all the non English teams up a notch, not domestic leagues.
Twitchy bum time here (possibly as I have a 2.5 hour exam this afternoon). One hell of an Ireland team they've just named, 11 Lions play Wales 6. Crowd hopefully will be a factor, unsure why anyone has us as favourites, apart from the England game, and Italy where they put out a weaker team, Ireland have been very good for a long time. Hopefully it won't be a game of two teams trying to avoid mistakes, but a full on blood and guts slug match with killer tries. Who can execute under the most pressure? Not holding much hope for Scotland away, England are simply too powerful at home and in prime position for the championship if Wales don't win....could be different though if Wales do win, as the England game followes it. Italy v Fance....who knows with France!
I'd love to see Wales spuff this chance down the drain, but alas I think they might just clinch it. Come on Ireland!
Yeah....the World Cup bid where the home nations all promised in 1999 to share pool matches and have the semi and finals in the host nation....the agreement Wales honoured in 1999, as did England in 2015 putting much mulla in Irish coffers.... The one Ireland decided their 2023 bid wouldn't honour... Yeah, Wales were the ones in the wrong on that one eh.
I read it as Ireland saying they couldn’t give a toss about anyone else, but feel free to think it was (another) dig at the Welshies. ;-)
If we lose we lose, England bonus pointed each game....we took a decision to play people outside our 'best' 15 against the Italians, were poor against the French and Scotland at their place is a tough gig. I think we and Ireland know more about our squad depth than anyone else, it's a trade off.