There seems to be an odd feeling amongst some Welsh rugby fans at the moment. It seems nothing is good enough.
Why do I say that? Well the huge amount of complaints people seem to be making following on from the Ospreys (admittedly dire) 9 – 9 draw with Glasgow at the Liberty Stadium on Friday.
Some people, such as Demle Parfitt in the Wales on Sunday, and many others I have spoken to, feel that it is not good enough. More they feel it shows everything that is wrong with the Magners League.
Or in other words, they want their cake and they want to eat it too.
Make a Choice
Here is some facts for you. The Ospreys were missing 23 players for that game (according to the Evening Post) between injuries and international call ups. If they could put out their first team how different would it be?
Well lets look at that a moment. An Ospreys team below… made up entirely of players they couldn’t play.
1. Duncan Jones
2. Huw Bennett
3. Adam jones
4. Alun Wyn Jones
5. Ian Evans
6. Jonathon Thomas
7. Marty Holah
8. Ryan Jones
9. Mike Phillips
10. Dan Biggar
11. Shane Williams
12. James Hook
13. Tom Isaacs
14. Jamie Nutbrown (with Nikki Walker for just over a half)
15. Lee Byrne
How do you think that would do against the team the Ospreys named? Exactly.
But what has this got to do with cake?
A lot of those players, vital players like Ryan Jones and James Hook, are in the Welsh squad to play New Zealand (and most of those injured would be if they weren’t injured)… they are training to give us the best chance possible of beating the All Blacks in a game we haven’t won in 50 years.
Judging by the public response to tickets we want this game to happen. More fans will be at that game than the 4 average regional gates combined. We want to win that game… but then we moan that the week before the regions weren’t good enough which proves the Magners League is a faulty product.
Sorry, but did I miss a trick? What has the Magners to do with this? The WRU wanted a glamour match vs the kiwis because it looks good and sells tickets, the public love watching us play the best teams in the world, especially the Kiwis, and the regions accepted because of some back room deal which presumably gives them more money.
So everyone wants this AND wants our players playing the week before in the Magners league and so coming into the game with no preparation time – a game that the All Blacks warmed up for by playing Australia?
Genius.
Faulty product
That is not to say that the Magners League is perfect, or even that great at all. There are problems. Outside of the derbies the lack of away fans can lead to a dead atmosphere. The regions aren’t getting the crowds we would have hoped, and frankly i have to say that the whole thing is being marketed very, very poorly.
Teams aren’t sending out their best teams, and there is a lack of intensity compared to the Heineken Cup matches. So yes, it is a faulty product that we should be looking at doing something about. But the standard has raised this season (a bit anyway), in my opinion, and there is hope that the play off system will lead to more interest as the season goes on.
The Guinness Premiership has been poor this season (Gatland said so, didn’t you know), and having been at the opening double header and another game I am inclined to agree with gats on that. So let us not point to the GP and say ‘that’s how you do it’ as can be seen by some fans.
People need to put real thought into how to improve the Magners, but moaning about it in the national press because you didn’t get a good game to watch in the pub when you were having a pint is pathetic, ill thought out and helps no one. If we want to play New Zealand we need to accept that this weekend was going to be a poor one by the Welsh regions.
Or maybe Delme feels like giving his press pass to someone else for that game?
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My thoughts as a response on the Magners league and welsh rugby in general.
Firstly the Welsh team needs to come first most people would agree. Unfortunately the regions and The WRU have their own agenda which is bound to conflict whilst the prime requisite is to generate as much cash as possible. The parties that lose out are the players and the fans and I believe if we are not careful the 4 regions. Too many internationals has reduced the appeal of regional rugby further.
Regional rugby in Wales is an alien concept there is no historical allegiance to any region only clubs. We have never had county teams except to manufacture a special occasion (mainly east v west)
Crowd attendance in Wales for regional games is pretty poor for several reasons these are the main ones I suggest.
No real achievement in winning only qualifying for Europe, no relegation no real financial reward.
Extremely difficult to travel to away games unless committed and have deep pockets. The scots currently have the worst of it.
TV coverage which insists on stupid kick off times its not a Saturday afternoon sport any more.
Despite it being our national game at the top end it’s football on a week in week out basis .
A major fan base in the valleys has been alienated and it is where the grass roots of our game lay.
Extremely poor marketing and execution as a Cardiff Blues supporter I cant understand the ineptitude in this department with so many good examples to copy elsewhere.
Reduction in the games the home nations stars will appear and the limit on non welsh qualified players.
Cardiff and the Ospreys have currently 20 players called up for welsh duty which decimates both regions for possibly 4 games in the Autumn and a further 5 games in the Winter. 9 internationals although some players will be released back for the lesser games. This results in less people coming to see the regions, poor results due to weakened sides meaning less people…..Add in the rest period before these games before long there wont be any regional games they can play in.
As a regional season ticket holder I want to see top players in a winning side but am thwarted by this crazy international policy.
Benafactors the TV rights and the WRU keep the game going in Wales it’s not the turnstile monies, I believe that this will eventually lead to a region folding if one of the revenue streams collapses.
Regions can’t support a one function stadium and maybe Parc-Y-Scarlets may lead to the collapse of them first, how can they finance this on regional rugby alone ?
Cardiff Blues are reportedly paying 65,000 a game in rent to Cardiff City is this sustainable ? if for example they dont qualify out of the HC pool and magners league form continues to be poor what crowd figures will be seen later on in the season ?
Overseas players are being sought to fill the gaps left by international duty and resulting injuries just as well or we are left with premiership teams playing regional rugby.
I would like to see 3 Autumn internationals and a restructured Magners league there is no current place for anglo welsh and I dont see the value of adding italian teams to the magners (except for the italians who face an horrendous travel bill !)
Marketing needs to improve to bring fans back Leinster provided a great example for the Halloween game whist for example at the Cardiff Blues open day you could get free samples of bread and butter toatally pathetic. Entertainment consists of 6 year old cheerleaders pre match and whatever is advertised Cardiff always screw it up.
Cardiff City Stadium is along with PYS and Liberty a much nicer place to watch rugby but two thirds empty its pretty soulless it looks bad on TV personally I would want less regional games televised to encourage support but maybe show the away games in Ireland and Scotland as it’s next to impossible to see these.
Rant over I feel better now