Comments on: One Night in Paris http://www.therugbyblog.co.uk/one-night-in-paris Rugby Union opinion and discussion, for the fans, by the fans. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 22:41:51 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: One Night In Paris http://www.therugbyblog.co.uk/one-night-in-paris/comment-page-1#comment-7810 One Night In Paris Tue, 07 Jul 2009 10:15:38 +0000 http://www.therugbyblog.co.uk/?p=362#comment-7810 hallo, interesse an einem linktausch? einfach per mail melden! gruß hallo, interesse an einem linktausch? einfach per mail melden! gruß

]]> By: Rob Watson http://www.therugbyblog.co.uk/one-night-in-paris/comment-page-1#comment-2275 Rob Watson Tue, 23 Oct 2007 12:12:29 +0000 http://www.therugbyblog.co.uk/?p=362#comment-2275 <p>And what an interesting four years it's going to be eh? A clean sweep of new coaches for the Tri-Nations teams, the Boks will also lose their captain and fly half, and the All Blacks will see an even bigger exodus as all their stars head off to start contracts they negotiated on the strength of their dead-cert World Cup win that never materialised!</p> <p>And what about England? I can remember reading the Sunday papers on 23rd November 03 whilst still basking in the glory of the previous day's win, reading Paul Ackford's predictions for the England team of 2007. I can't remember many of them, but on one wing was Marcel Garvey!</p> <p>It's hard to say where any of the big teams will be in 2011. At this point in 2003, the All Blacks resembled a basketball team and the Boks were just starting to train with their clothes on and couldn't buy a win against England - so much has changed since then.</p> <p>Things could go either way for so many teams. NZ's stars might return home from their 2 and 3 year contracts in Europe and be able to defend properly and to ruck legally, but they might also struggle to re-integrate the team as a unit again.</p> <p>England might build on the confidence of another RWC final and benefit from Rob Andrew's new deal with the clubs or we might fall apart as even fewer English players get first team rugby.</p> <p>And if we think our game's full of politics, just look at what the next South Africa is going to have to face. Here's to 2011, Even now I can't wait!</p> And what an interesting four years it’s going to be eh? A clean sweep of new coaches for the Tri-Nations teams, the Boks will also lose their captain and fly half, and the All Blacks will see an even bigger exodus as all their stars head off to start contracts they negotiated on the strength of their dead-cert World Cup win that never materialised!

And what about England? I can remember reading the Sunday papers on 23rd November 03 whilst still basking in the glory of the previous day’s win, reading Paul Ackford’s predictions for the England team of 2007. I can’t remember many of them, but on one wing was Marcel Garvey!

It’s hard to say where any of the big teams will be in 2011. At this point in 2003, the All Blacks resembled a basketball team and the Boks were just starting to train with their clothes on and couldn’t buy a win against England – so much has changed since then.

Things could go either way for so many teams. NZ’s stars might return home from their 2 and 3 year contracts in Europe and be able to defend properly and to ruck legally, but they might also struggle to re-integrate the team as a unit again.

England might build on the confidence of another RWC final and benefit from Rob Andrew’s new deal with the clubs or we might fall apart as even fewer English players get first team rugby.

And if we think our game’s full of politics, just look at what the next South Africa is going to have to face. Here’s to 2011, Even now I can’t wait!

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