Re: Did the All blacks Miss Lomu ?

Alan Luchetti wrote:

> "MasteroftheRevels" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
> news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > Lo wrote:
>
> > > > If Lomu had spent a couple of seasons in the English ZP to round
> out his
> > > > skills, where the standard of play is so much higher than the
> NPC/S12, was
> > > > fit and available, then yes NZ would have won RWC03.
>
> > > What a muppet. Firstly to assume the ZP is at a higher level than
> the
> > > NPC/S12 and secondly to assume that NZ would win the RWC03 based on
> one NZ
> > > player training in the ZP.
> > >
> > > Shows how little you know.
>
> > England are the World Champions and all of them play in the English
> ZP.  NZ
> > finished a wretched 3rd and all of them play NPC/S12 with a bunch of
> Samoans and
> > hapless SAs who are even worse.  Can anybody seriously now doubt that
> the
> > English ZP is the premier rugby competition in the world?  Or did
> RWC03 that
> > finished a week ago not happen?
>
> The only yardsticks I have:
>
> 1. Players who miss out on S12 readily get a run-on ZP start.
>
> 2. ZP player of the year returns to Aus and can't get the S12 starting
> spot that he lost before going to England.
>
> 3. Aus, NZ & Eng are near enough to level pegging.  Aus talent is
> diluted into S12 3 ways. NZ talent is diluted into S12 5 ways, Eng
> talent is diluted into ZP 2 ways.  (Auckland, Canterbury and Leicester
> have disproportionate representation, but it's hard to see how that is
> relevant)
>
> 4. I haven't seen that much ZP, but most of what I have seen (with the
> odd honourable exception) has been pretty dreary (some marvellous
> scrummaging though -- breathtaking, scintillating) (also lots of artful
> obstruction just away from the breakdown)

Here we go again.  England won RWC03 and are the World Champions.
Deservedly so.  Pat on the back.  However, its been a week now.  Somehow or
other they did this all by playing in an inferior NH competition.  The
English talent is not diluted 2 ways.  It matches at least the NZ quota of
5 x S12 sides.  Straight off the top there have been outstanding
contributions from Leicester, Northampton, Wasps, Gloucester & Bath.  After
that it thins out a bit - but we are talking quality not quantity with
Harlequins, Saracens, Sale & Newcastle.  You only have Leeds, London Irish
& Rotherham not really feeding England.  Of those, Irish feed Ireland and
Rotherham you can forget about.  9 decent ZP Premiership Clubs to 5 NZ S12
franchises of which only Canterbury & Auckland are up to much.  There is
4.5 times the talent in the ZP.  I rest my case.  You are lucky I don't
bring up European Rugby.  That puts even more distance between the two
hemispheres.


--
One must change one`s tactics every ten years if one wishes to maintain
one's superiority.
--Napoleon Bonaparte