Rugby World Cup minnows: Part 1

Yep. It is easy to see how nz, with it's huge population, vast markets and unlimited resources can force the smaller, weaker nations like England and Australia to agree to a system that ensures that only nz can win.

I agree with that Aaron, we all want or at least 'wanted' to win it, I no longer dream of it to be honest. Perso I have lost faith in the rugby international system after what happened at the 1995 rwc. System is rigged imo, big boys club politics are running the show. look what happened for the small teams at the last rwc, 3 days turnaround then 10 days etc while big teams have their nice 7 days turnaround planned from day 1. Rugby is a sport based mostly on circumstantial evidence so refs have all power to interpret what they see on the field. If on top of that big nations have the best schedule, host WC and have their politicians say how it is important for their nation to win the cup, then other nations have no chance whatsoever.

That all adds up to the cost of running the event. The Rugby World Cup is also a comp to find a winner not a participation comp to give everyone a run like the 7s and under 20s.

LNR website probably. It's a good site leaves a lot of other official Rugby websites for dead.

Unions are compensated for loss of income in RWC years (often that income is from a reduction in tests). These players to play for their respective national teams are often forking out for their own flights and accommodation to play for their test side. Some may not want to do that or for every fixture. It's a fair bit of money all end up if they play in the AIs, June tests and Pacific Cup year in, year out as not of all of them earn big money compared to the likes of Habana, Giteau, Carter, etc.

Fiji has a great shot at deciding Pool A.

No if they had actually scored those tries they would have . Conjecture loses out to actual scores every time.

I'm sure their European clubs are taking good care of them,,but the issue here is World Cup representation and PI nations want their best players there while the clubs are standing in the way..the PI countries want to win the World Cup too you know..not just make up the numbers..

Re Uruguay I just did a bit of research after work and saw that their best and only pro player plays for Castres in the Top 14, Rodrigo Capo Ortega. Thing is we wont see him at the rwc cause he, apparently, chose not to make himself available. Funnily enough the article that I found also said that anglo media (The Telegraph were mentioned) had accused Castres of not releasing the player or at least pressuring him not to go. After a while Capo Ortega himself explained his decision to the media (his wife is pregnant and will give birth during the rwc). He said castres have always been legit with him and let him play the qualifications games for example. Impossible to know if he's really saying the truth, is it the baby thing, the baby + wife + club, money etc? Re the other players, lots of positive stuff about Felipe Berchesi who played for Chambery (Fed 1 aka 3rd division, was in Italy before) till June and has signed for Carcassonne in Pro D2 for next year. Agustin Ormaecha plays scrum half for Mont de Marsan in Pro D2. Seems there are a couple of other guys who play amateur rugby in Italy and elsewhere. I hope those teams do well at the rwc as they are 'our teams', I mean peoples/amateurs teams. Personally whenever I hear or read stories about those guys from the P.I, South America, Georgia, Romania, Russia etc I cant help but feel they are very lucky to be able to live their passion in rich and developed countries. Let's be honest, besides Alesana Tuilagi, Nalaga, Taumalolo, Gorgodze and a few others those guys aren't world beaters and when they arrive in Europe they are still very raw and unproven at this level. That clubs, amateurs, semi pro or even pro, offer them a chance to play rugby, get a job on the side etc is imo already a great thing to do, something locals dream about. If those clubs weren't there, these guys would be back home working shifts as no one else would help them. this is why most times I hear or read these guys talk in the media they are overwhelmingly grateful to have been given this chance and they call their mates, cousins etc back home and encourage them to come over. That's the way this works, word and mouth stuff, and why you have so many islanders, eastern euros etc in pro/ semi pro rugby in Europe. When I was there I have seen amateur clubs (then 3rd div) welcome guys from our P.I (wallis & futuna, new Caledonia) or Romania, Czech republic etc and these guys were always offered much more assistance than the locals (free rent, part time job at the council etc) on top of the win bonuses which were for all players. My mates who played at this level were all ok with that because I do feel that at amateur level in france there was a real solidarity between players and club coaches, managers etc. Sure there was sometimes a bit of jealousy when unemployed locals were getting less than the new guys but overall everyone was on the same page. For me this is the true power of world rugby, offering people a new life, new opportunities etc. Without rugby, these guys would be jobless in wallis (no jobs in the P.I), or earning then $300/500 a month in Romania or Russia, Georgia etc. The rugby community offered them a better life and all people I talked to realised that.

The "minnows" aren"t allowed to win consistently against the top 10 nations let alone the AB"s . The AB's coach at any time in the last 40 years is allowed to openly criticize /replace referees they don't like with impunity while other nations are heavily fined for any percieved dissent..No opposing team is allowed to approach the NZ Haka performance with again the threat of heavy fines while no such penalty has been levelled to protect traditional national displays by the other Pacific nations -the "minnows" -Fiji Tonga or Samoa .No AB player has been red-carded for more than 40 years . Nigel Owens at the last BC match bent over backwards with a half-twist to avoid yellow carding any AB' player for their repeated infringements. The ranking system is so blatantly self-serving its not funny yet no one is allowed to say the truth about that either . The best bet for the other 90% of member countries is to break away from the opaque top heavy and oppressive IRB and set up their own organisation and make one country-one vote the order of the day -true justice and balance and equitable development will come very quickly after that happens that's for surety

easy..World Rugby should supplement lost wages..they're making oodles of $$$ from the showpiece..is not the World Cup to showcase the best talents in rugby union?..the PI teams are not only undermined by player unavailability (albeit, pressured by their clubs)but are having to play these big countries with all the resources at their disposal with one hand tied at the back..

Should have? Didn't Guessing he refers to the second match 1981 3-3 halftime, NZ won 14-6 http://stats.allblacks.com/asp/teamsheet.asp?MT_ID=1799

Sailosi, when did that happen? All Blacks have only ever been beaten by Australia, England, France, South Africa and Wales, however their last defeat to Wales was something like 60 years ago. To be fair, I recall Ireland and Argentina almost beating them - I remember Lomu scored at the death back in 2000 to win the game for the All Blacks over in Buenos Aires...however almost isn't good enough, Wales have been competive for maybe 60 minutes, but end up getting smashed in the last 10 minutes...

Levani Botia for Fiji...Good runner, his one on one tackle is pretty strong and always gains ground with ball in hand ..can play centre and openside flanker Peni Ravaii, that guy can bench press 300kgs and recently he did push-ups with 2 props on top of him ...freakishly strong and fast..though he mainly plays prop, he can also slot at hooker, centre and on rare occasions, wing...

How about this: http://www.theroar.com.au/2014/02/01/how-to-expand-the-irb-rugby-world-cup/

That's fine, but there are plenty of nations that would consider a narrow loss to one of the big nations a success.

Nalaga is injured unfortunately

Aaron what you say in your post is exactly what I say and is also happening for all players, not only P.I! When players negotiate a contract they are asked if they will make themselves available or not, for their NT, and miss half the season or not. Then they are offered 2 contracts as you say: they are free to choose the one that pays less and play for their NT! With the money not spent on those players, clubs will pay other players as rwc covers like Turner, VuliVuli, Bobo etc. P.I guys also benefit from that! Everyone in life, you and me, are forced to choose between money and something else so when you say 'players forced to choose between money and tests' I feel yep, like Carl Hayman, McAlister, Giteau and hundreds of players who choose money over tests! You and I had to choose between a cosy life near mum and dad and the mates in our countries and a riskier life, maybe better if we do well, in oz/NZ and we chose to come here. Players have choices to make. All my life I have heard clubs also negotiating with french players about being available or not for June tours. Employers never particularly like to lose their employees for months while paying them, with the risk of being injured. Clubs do 'encourage' many french internationals to retire or not make themselves available for June tours, say they are tired or injured, I have heard this all my life and that 40 odd years. Now that it concerns southerners everyone is shocked here! This is the professional world most people wanted! NZ and Oz say NO to islanders or other foreigners at SR level, other nations say yes but you guys have to follow our rules. The top 14 season started on the w-e, some clubs will be without their internationals until end of November as legally players will need 30 days off after the rwc final, for those who go that far. Of course clubs had to plan ahead and when signing contracts with players they had to ask who was available for selection and offer contracts to those guys. Then if there is a bloke, french, Islander, saffa or else who say ' mate, if I don't play for my NT and play 10 more games than the others, how much are you gonna give me?' The club will listen carefully. That's part of the negotiation process, I don't particularly love it but it's our world. We all have choices to make in life. And some players choose money over tests caps, their call. Time to be adult and responsible. I can't believe we are talking about this again! I saw this article and felt great, Fiji and Uruguay, it might be interesting! How wrong I was. Don't you wanna talk about how good your P.I are, how they may upset bigger teams like Tonga did at the last rwc? Am done with that.

Read Bethams comments re Johnson after the world cup selection. Again, who are these players. I pretty much know the entire squads of all top 14 and d2 teams.

..the Tongan coach surely must be another liar too.. Sport: Tonga rugby coach forced to change squad Updated at 10:15 am on 27 June 2015  Tonga rugby coach Mana Otai says he was forced to change his squad for next months Pacific Nations Cup because some players were pressured by their club teams to make themselves unavailable. Thirty-one players have been named to contest next month's Pacific Nations Cup, including five new caps. Mana Otai says he had spoken to some overseas-based players who wanted to be involved but pulled out after speaking with their clubs. "There's a lot of contractual issues with a lot of players who are not available, being pressured by their clubs not to be available for Tonga, while the World Cup is on - especially more so in France. I think there is three, at least, I had picked originally but they have withdrawn late regarding contractual pressure. Understandably, if I couldn't provide them the same security financially their first priority is to look after their welfare and their families but it is someone else's opportunity to step on board." Mana Otai says all players who are eligible and available for a country should be able to play at a Rugby World Cup but there's no point worrying about things he can't control.