How can we limit the french invasion?

Podge_irl

Winters wrote: »

Of the top 10 player appearances in the Heineken Cup, 9 are Irish – amazing. Given the likes of Toulouse, Leicester and Scarlets (Llanelli) have such a long history in the competition that’s an incredible stat.

One could also (perhaps churlishly) claim that is also a result of the limited number of opportunities for younger players and experienced players playing much past their best but retaining their positions. There is certainly an element of that to it imo.

Podge_irl

[Jackass] wrote: »

Regarding why keep our best players in the country, it's a no brainer...

Would it make a difference if Zebo, Murray, Earls, O'Connell, Sexton, Heaslip, O'Brien, Fitzgerald etc. all went off to France to get "experience"?

Of course it would. It's not only about the national team, competitive neigh dominant provinces is crucial to rugby in this country imo, so if all your best players are going abroad but being the superstars of the national team, how many star struck kids will go to Leinster training camps to get his autograph and how many season tickets will be sold to see all the national superstars in Blue or Red or White or Green? Would all the fans still show up week in week out if the provinces are losing or aren't amongst the best in Europe?

In terms of developing the sport, in terms of interest, youth participation, and media attention, the Provinces are now the bread and butter and are as - if not more so - responsible for the explosion in popularity for the sport in this country as the national team is.

Plus, you want the Pro12 to flourish, be the best league, and not just become a sub par competition until eventually everyone in Ireland supports Leicester or Toulon or Clermont as that's where the stars are, just like what happened soccer in this country - no domestic game, development of players collapses as local teams garner little interest and then all the best youth players head off to make it abroad and never play here. League of Ireland was as big in Ireland as English football at one point, but the lack of managing a domestic game means it's virtually dead since the late 70's / early 80's.

Keeping the provinces amongst the best is key to the success of rugby in this country, absolutely without question, and that means retaining as much of the best players as possible.

IF it becomes a case that several starting internationals are tempted abroad, and key players leave the provinces, then we'll start to have a serious problem We can pay reasonable, but not excessive wages in this country. If the carrot is there for "preference" then, an unwritten rule of inclusion in the national team being based on playing domestically, then it's the strongest imaginable counter weight to the attraction of money abroad.

The problem isn't bad enough that people might see this as a drastic measure now, but give it 10 years and we could be looking at a very different landscape in European rugby, a bit of foresight is needed rather than "I told you so's" in retrospect. It may never be warrented and Sexton and maybe one or two others over that period might be exceptions to the rule, but for the long term protection of the sport in Ireland, if it becomes more and more common that players leave, then short term pain might be required to buck the trend, and that might mean dropping players because they've moved abroad, even if they would be in the team if they played at home.

Countries like Wales, South Africa - it's too late now. For a country like England, they're trying to buck a trend before it's too late. For France they are in serious trouble because of their imports. Their underage teams are sh*t and their senior team is at it's lowest point now than I can ever remember in my life time. Ireland has been a tough nut to crack for getting our players, and our problem might be so small now as it may have just started, I'm just of the opinion that you should put the insurance in place that everyone knows where they stand in terms of playing home or abroad, and as I said earlier, would make Connacht a much more attractive destination. I'd much prefer Madigan went to Connacht for game time and Sexton stayed at Leinster for his Irish jersey than Sexton go to France and Madigan be at Leinster and Leinster are weaker and Connacht are weaker than if the talent stayed on the Island.

I don't really disagree with much of what you're saying - I think strong provinces are very important to the future of rugby in this country and I certainly don't want to see all our best players leave these shores.

However, as regards the highlighted bit, I just think we're slightly overreacting to one player being slightly arsed around by the IRFU and leaving to become the 2nd highest paid player in France. Its a unique situation and I don't think we need to start worrying, and more to the point we don't need to instigate draconian measures, until signs of a trend emerge.