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was during this period that Australian teams collectively lost 40 matches in succession to New Zealand opposition, a trend that has been largely halted since RA has fielded only four sides.
So how many did they win in the 3 yrs since the Force were cut?
May the FORCE be with you!
There it is again - the assumption that AF will simply reach into his pocket to prop up an unsustainable structure past 2020. FFS.
"The main difference between playing League and Union is that now I get my hangovers on Monday instead of Sunday - Tom David
The Perth-based side, now owned by WA mining billionaire Andrew Forrest, was primarily cut from the competition for financial reasons but there were also concerns expressed within SANZAAR that Australia had lost its competitive edge attempting to maintain five sides.
There they go again...just can’t state the real truth as why they cut the Force - ah, dodgy deals done to plug up Vic rugby.
Wayne Smith is delusional and has become almost totally irrelevant to any ongoing discussions.
No I don’t. I think it’s the $-driven player drain to Europe that has made things worse for Australia. You don’t get that with NZ. Plus the really poor level of coaching at the elite level in Aus compared to Europe. Look how many Wallabies have gone to play in the UK or France and have become much better players for it. I also think the dominance and influence of Sydney and NSW rugby at a governance and selection level has negatively impacted the national game. There is too much personal and jurisdictional bias and insufficient focus on merit and current form.
And lastly, giving a few players big money and 4 or 5 year contracts does nothing but give them a sense of entitlement and send any up and comers overseas to earn big money while waiting for the incumbents to retire.
Proudly Western Australian; Proudly supporting Western Australian rugby
I pretty much agree with this, except for the bolded.
NZ are not immune to the player drain. Depth has kept them in the game longer, but they are starting to be thinned out now.
They no longer have their dominance of old.
Just to be clear, that doesn't mean NZ can no longer become No. 1 in the World. It does mean the position of the shaky isles is shakier.
MAKE THEM EARN THEIR SPOT IN THE SIDE, IT SHOULDN'T BE A GIMME LIKE IT HAS BEEN..