Re: Did the All blacks Miss Lomu ?

On Sat, 29 Nov 2003 16:56:54 -0500, MasteroftheRevels
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:

>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.
>>
>> Lo.
>>
>
>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?
>

It's nothing to do with the club structure and everything to do with
the number of SH players working out their retirement in the ZP. Since
rugby went pro, English clubs have benefitted far, far more from SH
players and coaches than anywhere else in the world. Being exposed to
so much talent and skill on a regular basis has raised the standards
and the knock on effect for the England team is obvious. Make no
mistake - England's current position in world rugby is built on the
contributions of ringers and blow-ins as surely as if Team England had
poached them itself.