Three thousand six hundred days and counting......

First topic message reminder :

On the 19th of June this year, it will have a exactly a decade since Ireland has visited the shores of South Africa. Since then the Springboks have visited Ireland 5 times, on Saturday the 8th of November 2014 the Springboks will face the Irish for the sixth time away from home since the last visit to the Republic.

With next year being a RWC year it means we won't see them then either.

What is the reason for this, does anyone have a clue as to why Ireland does not visit South Africa?

I realise the distances involved between the Southern Hemisphere nations are greater, hence we don't host a June series whereby we will host a rotating schedule between say England, Ireland and Wales between OZ, NZ and SA. So we get the odd two test series.

Last year we had the Quad tournament between ourselves, Scotland, Samoa and Italy, which I thought was a great idea. It would allow teams to play double fixtures at venues and all four teams got to play 3 tests during the June test window.

Would this not be the solution to use the June test windows for SA, OZ and NZ to hold quad tournaments whereby we can each invite two six nation teams and one of the Pacific Island teams and rotate it from one year to the next?

This will give context to the three series (You could call them the Craven Shield, Campese Shield and Lomu Shield)

It will also provide the Pacific Islands the opportunity to play 3 tier one nations every June which in turn would provide them more revenue (some will surely be shared) and give them more competitive matches outside their usual opponents.

Just a thought.

Portnoy's Complaint wrote:That is a bit of a disparaging thing to say about SA fans isn't it, GG?

Ireland over that period have played their best rugby - consistently - since the day dot.

Well thats what Fa says and he lives in SA.

Jake White based on his comments in 06 didnt think much of the Ireland team saying something along the lines that none of them would make it into the SA team. Ireland went on to beat them 32-15.

JP Pieterson thought Andrew Trimble's name was David Skrela.

GG if we are to believe your theory, how is that France tours NZ much more than England? I don't think it's as simple as that.

kiakahaaotearoa wrote:GG if we are to believe your theory, how is that France tours NZ much more than England? I don't think it's as simple as that.

France is a very wealthy country so probably can afford to tour whenever and wherever they want. Ireland probably operates on a much smaller budget. I thought England did tour regularly enough to NZ, no?

Its not my theory anyway just as I said the most plausable one IMO that has been mentioned.

I can't remember in my life a two test let alone three test series against England. I can recall a plethora against France. We play England almost every year up north but the same cannot be said for them touring NZ.

Frankly I never know how any of these tours are decided.

kiakahaaotearoa wrote:

Frankly I never know how any of these tours are decided.

Marketing and money.

kiakahaaotearoa wrote:I can't remember in my life a two test let alone three test series against England. I can recall a plethora against France. We play England almost every year up north but the same cannot be said for them touring NZ.

Frankly I never know how any of these tours are decided.

England were there around 2000 prior to the 2001 WC. You probably have blocked it out of your memory because England won the series. Actually they didnt they won the game in NZ in '03. Getting confused.

I think they toured there quite recently too for a two test tour, no?

Sorry it was 98. But they have had two test tours to NZ in 2008 and 2004 too.

SecretFly wrote:

kiakahaaotearoa wrote:

Frankly I never know how any of these tours are decided.

Marketing and money.

Definitely more so than the colour of jerseys....

I wonder where the "Marketing and money" generates a tour to Argentina. Scotland have to play the and then de-camp to SA.

Portnoy's Complaint wrote:I wonder where the "Marketing and money" generates a tour to Argentina. Scotland have to play the and then de-camp to SA.

It ain't us that's throwing the 2nd tier insult Scotland's way... so maybe the English journalists know why Scotland is de-camping to anywhere that they'll get a game.

Argentina?  Well, that's an advance movie ticket isn't it - paid for in advance of us being able to market much.  6N and Schmidt maybe hoisted our rates but being 9th in IRB rankings last year probably means that as beggars, we couldn't then be choosers.

Ranking has eff all to do with it Fly..for the SH big guns and Ireland/Scotland/Wales/England/France. Marketing and Money does.

Like England last year, Ireland do have to send an experimental team to Argentina in order to re-build prior to 2013, SF?   

ME-109 wrote:Ranking has eff all to do with it Fly..for the SH big guns and Ireland/Scotland/Wales/England/France. Marketing and Money does.

That was me being me there, ME - you know how it is, messing around ...as even the proverbial dog in the alley knows these fixtures are planned well in advance of any decent to 9th in the rankings! But if a guy questions why we're going to Argentina, I'm certainly the type to invent a good story to recite for him.

Ireland will probably send a mix. I expect guys like Sexton to be rested while some really experienced guys like Ferris and Ryan will go and not so experienced guys like Zebo and Gilroy might tour too.

GunsGerms wrote:

Portnoy's Complaint wrote:That is a bit of a disparaging thing to say about SA fans isn't it, GG?

Ireland over that period have played their best rugby - consistently - since the day dot.

Well thats what Fa says and he lives in SA.

Jake White based on his comments in 06 didnt think much of the Ireland team saying something along the lines that none of them would make it into the SA team. Ireland went on to beat them 32-15.

JP Pieterson thought Andrew Trimble's name was David Skrela.

What I've always felt was that to get the respect of the boks and the boere, you can't simply win when it suits you... You have to win in the lions den, in their backyard and if you can do that, you're worthy of respect... That's why Gibbs, Guscott etc get TV work here.

I would say something on that 06 tour though... It's was pretty much a 2nd XV. White rested most of his first choice players for the long 07 season and it proved a master stroke.