Match thread Mexicans v Wildlings (Leinster v Ulster) Kick off 5.30pm 1/4/23

Not bitter at all, just highlighting a breakdown of the type of tries Leinster score. I went through the highlights of both Racing, both Gloucester and the Sharks game and there is only one long range setpiece strike play from far out.

There was only one try (maybe two) I could idenitify as that type of score. And that was from 37 tries. The vast, and I say this solemnly, vast majority are scored from close in like 5M or within the 22. It’s not attractive rugby.

Granted there is a lot that goes on in the middle of the game outside of tries being scored but the type of try we score the majority of the time from that sample of games is 5M pick and go, tap penalty 5M out, pass off 5M ruck to winger/back, break inside the 22 or lineout maul. I’d say 75% is that type of try.

The rest are on the break or turnover ball. Rarely if ever is there set moves with strike plays and it’s not attractive rugby.

Who said I was South African. I taught in South Africa fyi. Big difference.

How so? Most American leagues have one and they are the standard bearer for professional sports. When it is clear there is an institutionalised competitive advantage most sophisticated sports take action to level the playing field. Leinster’s wage bill is much more than the other provinces, can you explain how that prevents a one sided league? It ensures prolonged success due to financial dominance.

We don’t know what Leinster or the other provinces (bar Ulster) pay their players because they don’t publish their accounts. So it’s all guesswork but if we were to pay the market rates for each provinces players you could assume Leinster’s wage bill is much higher. Add to that the central contracts are paid for and e.g. Connacht and Ulster (bar Stockdale) have none, you have a gulf in fairness.

You say it would be stupidity to level the playing field because it would “inhibit the other provinces duty to produce talent”? Explain that please. If you want to be competitive and don’t have the structures other provinces/teams have there is a need to recruit outwards. Until the structures get put in place.

As for dilution of identity, I’ll leave that one with you but in the modern world closed shops and expanding outwards using internal talent is primitive. You open up and create an organisation not based on local talent like all the U.S. organisations do. It’s primitive to be closed down to outside contributions/talent.

Fear mongering. Sounds like a threat. I’m in charge of the finances we wouldn’t want Connacht going bust type of thing? Shallow and low life sort of thing to suggest. There is a disparity, it should be addressed. And as for conversations around it being a waste of time because there is one owner, they can and do sound like “it’s my ball you’re not playing if I don’t want you to” type of arguments. Fortunately, there is laws against this sort of defensive mindset.