The Wrap: While we were all sleeping…

With rugby’s global calendar chock full of what the broadcasters like to call ‘content’, what was previously considered the ‘off-season’ is now a nebulous concept for many rugby fans and players.

But for readers who managed a week or two at a remote holiday location sans internet, or who were busy counting then un-counting Bitcoin, or fixated on the Ashes series, waiting in vain for a Moeen Ali off-spinner to turn, here is an update on what you missed over the holiday period.

French centre Mathieu Bastareaud curiously ruled himself out of contention for the renaming of Margaret Court Arena in Melbourne, while George Smith staged an 18-day sit-in at a Tokyo lock-up, in protest at the lack of a local Uber service.

Neither incident, it must be said, was as perplexing as the criticism of new Rugby AU CEO Raelene Castle for failing to make headway on Australian rugby’s pressing issues – all before she’d even started in the position on January 15th.

At the risk of appearing quaintly old-fashioned, this column supports the idea of allowing Ms Castle a few days at least to settle her feet under her desk before passing any judgment.

To the playing pitch where there has been much excitement about the emergence of two young backs, Marcus Smith (18) of Harlequins and Leinster’s Jordan Larmour (20).

Based on their performances this season, both have been included in their respective Six Nations squads, although with Eddie Jones under pressure not to expose Smith too early, it is possible that the electric Larmour will see more game time.

Both exhibit the fearlessness associated with all of the best talents who emerge at an early age. Importantly, Smith also has the ability to receive and distribute the ball with square shoulders, the benefits of which seems to have escaped Australian and South African fly-halves of recent times. How Nick Evans, now backs coach at Quins, must be enjoying his retirement!

For those wondering what the fuss is about, consider that if Smith and Larmour were playing in Super Rugby they would be generating Richie Mo’unga and Damien McKenzie-like commentary in these pages. Exciting times!

Elsewhere, rugby website www.rugbyvision.com published their 2017 World Club Rankings, an attempt at applying a form of quantitative analysis to compare club teams from all of the four leading world competitions.

Talking points abounded – the Hurricanes topped the list, despite the Crusaders (second) conclusively winning Super Rugby in 2017, away from home in the final. Three Pro 14 sides – Leinster, Glasgow and Munster – were ranked above the highest placed English Premiership and French Top 14 sides.

At the bottom end, the Melbourne Rebels were ranked 56th. Judging by the depth of their 2018 squad and the intensity and smarts new coach Dave Wessels is bringing to their preparation, put your house on them being ranked far higher this time next year.

As a bit of fun over the holidays, the list provides great value. But it also demonstrates the folly of trying to definitively account for different competitions, hemispheres and timing of seasons. At the end of the day, your guess is as good as the next mans.

If that frustration leads fans to support for a world club challenge to determine things on the field instead of by algorithm, they might care to think again. International rugby has enough challenges as it is, without it having to fight even more battles against ambitious clubs determined to wrest primacy away from national bodies.

French rugby head Bernard Laporte continued his crusade to better develop home-grown talent by announcing new limits to the number of foreign players able to be fielded by French clubs. While any measure in this respect is to be applauded, don’t assume this to be the savior of both French and international rugby just yet.

For a start, French clubs don’t have a history of acceding to their national body, and there is every chance that overseas player contracts will increasingly include a wink and a French passport. Also, the police raid last week on Laporte’s office will be considered by many to be less than a coincidence – the squirrel grip remains alive and well in the top echelons of French rugby.

Don’t also assume that, even if successful, this move will solve the problem of player drain to the north. With over 1,000 players from the southern hemisphere playing in the northern leagues it is logical that the rate of player loss will slow – after all there is a finite number of places available.

But what will happen instead is that – without any commensurate reduction in total salary payments – the type (quality) of player will change. Clubs allowed fewer imports will simply shift their focus, targeting and increasing their offers to the best players, not unlike Montpellier has already done with Aaron Cruden, Bismarck du Plessis and Nemani Nadolo.

(Photo: AFP)

Money previously divided between lesser imports will instead find its way into the pockets of the elite players, mirroring the EPL, where salaries of the stars at the top end of the scale have galloped away from the run of the mill players who make up the bulk of the league.

Nevertheless, it is no small matter that Laporte recognises the importance of protecting the primacy of Test rugby over club rugby, speaking to the warnings of Sir Clive Woodward who, over the break, expressed fears that Test rugby is in decline, and that only three nations can win the next World Cup.

South Africa showed that they are determined to remain one of those three nations, edging Rassie Erasmus into Allister Coetzee’s head coaching seat, in a manner that proved Australian rugby isn’t on its own when it comes to bitter, messy transitions.

In Australia, the announcement of a new CBA between Rugby AU and the players was met with equal measures approval and disapproval. One of the criticisms centered on how an increase in Super Rugby squad numbers is seemingly at odds with the culling of the Force, for cost-saving reasons.

Consider however that last year the Force used 38 players on the field, and the Rebels 39. Add in some development players expected to come through and play Super Rugby in the following year or two, and it is obvious that squads in excess of 40 players, including full and development contracted players, are required.

During 2017 the Rebels were forced to draft players from Sydney club rugby and local club rugby from outside of their training group. How are sides operating on that kind of pick-up basis supposed to be truly competitive against sides like the Hurricanes and Crusaders?

I recently asked new Rebels coach Dave Wessels what he thought was the toughest aspect of Super Rugby, and he unhesitatingly replied, “the relentlessness of it, and the attrition on the players.”

Conspiracy theorists paint an increase in the number of contracted players as further evidence of Rugby AU mismanagement and betrayal of the west. Others look at the physicality and intensity of the modern game and understand it as necessary.

Rugby AU’s announcement also trumpeted salary increases for the players, although rugby’s place in the world of moneyed sport was interestingly contrasted by the actions of a number of tennis players competing at the Australian Open in Melbourne.

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What was stunning about Bernard Tomic’s reaction to failing to qualify for the main draw wasn’t his mocking, churlish comments to reporters, “I’ll count my millions” but the revelation that he ‘earned’ $30,000 in so-called ‘prize-money’ just for losing a qualifying match.

First round loser Coco Vandeweghe refused to play on until a banana was delivered courtside, arguing that the absence of bananas constituted improper court preparation. The notion that she might herself slip one into her own kit bag pre-game, obviously had never occurred to her.

Novak Djokovic too stepped forward, threatening to lead a player revolt over a paltry $4m winner’s purse and the measly $60,000 paid to first-round losers, some of whom spent less than one hour on court.

I doubt that any rugby fan begrudges elite rugby players the opportunity to earn multi-millions of dollars from the game if they are good enough. But unlike in tennis, let us hope that this is never at the expense of humility, good grace and perspective.

Finally, it is my long-held view that there is nothing more tedious than a celebrity flogging their latest book. That statement can now be qualified… perhaps the only thing more tedious is a non-celebrity with a book to flog!

A World In (Union) Conflict: The Global Battle For Rugby Supremacy has been critically acclaimed by a number of leading rugby writers, Fairfax Media’s Paul Cully last week describing the book as “fascinating” and “superb”.

Anyone with an interest in how rugby works – the commercial and political factors driving rugby forward, and a concern or curiosity for what that might mean in the future for fans, players and rugby nations, particularly in Australia and New Zealand – should find it an interesting and thought provoking read.

The book is available worldwide in both paperback and digital form through Amazon, iBooks, Google Books, Kobo, and www.booktopia.com.au. Search by author name.

For New Zealand please support Unity Books (www.unitybooksonline.co.nz stores in Auckland and Wellington)

Here’s to a cracking 2018!