No ‘home’ team gives any money to the visitors

Really? Why do Aus and SA keep playing Wales outside the Nov window then? Charity to Wales?

Ah, but Aus / SA are able to demand payment because it falls outside of the international window. If they play when they can, they can’t ask for the money.
So, I guess WRU believes it’s worth the circa £750k they have to pay in additional revenue.
Now try that when the players aren’t available (as per almost all English ones) and see what your gate sales are and whether you want to bid for a loss making test, then share the loss with the opponents!
It’s a none argument AA, all home nations play by the same rules, and the rules need to change.

I thought the reason England have not played NZ recently was that England would not pay NZ a big enough share?

all home nations play by the same rules, and the rules need to change.

That was my point

Why should England pay the AB’s? It’s not like we struggle to sell out Twickenham against any other team. Do NZ give anyone a cut when they play at home?

Any excuse to have a pop at the English though eh?

NZ wanted money to play, that’s absolutly right. I think they only requested it of England though, not any other nation. England rightly told them to do one. Seems reasonable?
This is coming over a bit anti English AA, I see your post about the rules need to change for all so not sure that’s the intent but it is.

I will admit I thought it was a “good topic for discussion” but the serious point is something that all tier 1 nations ( are Wales still that? ;-( ) need to consider.
I dont know the ins and outs of who pays what and how much. Seems theres a lack of transparency and fairness in the whole thing.

and why would Samoa want to play England if it costs them money and England never go to Samoa?

Presumably because if as a visiting team they aren’t earning much/anything then they may as well do it against high profile opponents.

Predictions for the weekend?

England by 25
NZ by 10
Australia by 2
Ireland by 15

NZ by 10

NZ by 25 imo.

I see Hartley is benched

NZ to win but might be close if Wales can remember to go forward before they go wide. Kiwis are missing the “go forward” of Keino and Retallick a lot.

I suspect Hartley is on the bench so that George can get rid of the perma-sub tag. George seems to be the better player, but Hartley first with George as the “finisher” is the best way to cover the hooker position over 80+ minutes. In ye olden days George would probably have been the starting hooker.

I wonder what the evidence is to support the use of “tactical” replacements. It is touted as helping to reduce injuries, but I’m not sure that it does. I vaguely remember that it was introduced after a Saffer admitted feigning injury so that his team could have a fresh player.

England by 20
NZ by 5
Scotland by 10
Ireland by 20

if Wales can remember to go forward before they go wide

We have no decent carriers to use to get go forward! Gone from a massive backline to a midgit backline

Wales: Halfpenny, Amos, S Williams, O Williams, S Evans; Biggar, Webb; R Evans, Owens, Francis, Ball, A W Jones (capt), Shingler, Navidi, Faletau.

Replacements: Dacey, W Jones, Brown, Hill, Tipuric, Davies, Priestland, Roberts.

6 lions in the starting line up and 4 on the bench 😀

I see what you mean, just Faletau and AWJ from the starting XV.

On the plus side Scotland were worse off than that on paper though Gray was much better at carrying than usual. What the Scots did really well was to protect their ball after the carry and get it to Price (cracking good player in the making) quickly, I’m not sure Wales have the back row to give Webb the same service.

A lot of what’s been written here and in the press regarding the match fees seems very much the big bad RFU pocketing cash and not sharing it around despite others doing the same.

It needs sorting and the IRU need to pull their finger out and do something about it. What, I don’t know because like most things it’s probably horribly complicated to get to the bottom of.

Some interesting calls by Jones. I thought Hartley had a pretty solid game last week and whilst I think George is the better hooker, I’m not sure Hartley is suited to being a sub. Plus when he was last a sub for Saints he got banned again….

^ I remember that game….my stream crashed. In the few minutes it took to reboot Hartley had come on and been sent off again!!

For clarity Scotland pay all the teams they play in the Autumn tests. I would imagine it is cheaper to play Samoa than NZ. They still make a lot of their annual budget after paying their opponents. As for telling NZ to do one.

Why would England pay to play against the All-Blacks?

Because that’s how it works.

Do NZ pay opponents when they play at home?

Also, worth taking a minute to remember that 14 years ago today we saw the biggest ever achievement in NH rugby.

Duckman – do they? I thought no pay to away teams? Actually interested, not picking a fight!

In other news, George North is like a Ferrari that you’ve lost the keys for…. 🙂

Also, worth taking a minute to remember that 14 years ago today we saw the biggest ever achievement in NH rugby.

No, Llanelli beating The All Blacks was longer ago than that!

^ 😀

Scott Williams is apparently going to get his 50th cap if he starts on Sat- I don’t know why but I found that quite surprising

Blimey….don’t know too much about him, but thought he’d be on 15-20 tops!

[/quote] Blimey….don’t know too much about him, but thought he’d be on 15-20 tops!

I’m sure Lawes kniws who he is!!

[video]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OFgfGlbkrII[/video]

Playing like shit at the moment though 🙁

Is he Roberts replacement then? Got it in my mind that Roberts and JD2 played an absolute bucket load of tests together?

For clarity Scotland pay all the teams they play in the Autumn tests.

What’s your source for this?

Do NZ pay opponents when they play at home?

They did give Samoa a “share”(undisclosed sum) recently, but that was dependent on selling sufficient tickets. England paid Samoa the last time they visited. Not sure if anyone else has besides those two.
teams don’t visit Samoa due to the lack of infrastructure. Samoa sometimes choose to host home games in NZ. Samoa are a poor union for many reasons, scapegoating and trying to shame England for not doing what nobody else does (and actually doing more than most/all) is crap.
WR need to sort some things, and in all honestly Samoa need to sort some stuff too.

Got it in my mind that Roberts and JD2 played an absolute bucket load of tests together?

One of them is usually injured. I expect lots of Williams caps are off the bench too.
That try against England was in 2012 so he’s been around a good while.
Seems to have lost all his pace since being injured v England at last World Cup though.

New Zealand: McKenzie; Naholo, Crotty, Williams, Ioane; B Barrett, Smith; Hames, Taylor, Laulala, Tuipulotu, S Whitelock, Squire, Cane, L Whitelock.

Replacements: Harris, Crockett, Tu’ungafasi, S Barrett, Todd, Perenara, Sopoaga, Lienert-Brown.

Looks shit. Wales by 20+ NZ so desparate they have drafted in Brad Barrett at 10 and he’s a shitty lump of a 12 and as for former Cardiff boy Casey Laulala at tight head!!! He must have bulked up a bit since he left Wales.

Think I need a lie down

Looking like a bonus point win for Cheetahs v Edinburgh…pray for TJ!

Had a hunt, can only find that SRFU would not disclose whether they paid anything over ‘hosting the game’ which is all the IRB require.
Suspect England are seen as the bad guys because the union is rich, but everyone else is playing exactly the same game…

anagallis_arvensis – Member

Looking like a bonus point win for Cheetahs v Edinburgh…pray for TJ!

Here come Glaws. Four in a row which is almost unheard of in recent years and Irish up next at home. Finally look like a team with coaches and leaders with good defence, basics and game plan. A few names still injured too. Top6 is a possibility.

Last time I saw Glaws was at the Sale game…..we’ve not won in the league since! Was surprised by the scoreline tonight.

Glaws are defending very well. I actually think that they look better without Kvesic. 12T is still shit though.

Ok wrecker “pay” probably isn’t the correct sum “% of gate receipts” would be a better way of putting it. I had a conversation with somebody who works full time for the SRU about it last year when Engerland were getting a kicking over paying whatever Island team they played.It used to be quite open knowledge, I don’t understand the secrecy around it as tinybits alludes to. Unless it is guilt on behalf of the developed rugby nations over what they share with not just the Island teams,but tier 2 sides from Europe as well. And for clarity, we are all at it.

Good result for Glaws last night…they’ve discovered their backbone and can actually defend pretty well. Purify was very good last night I though.

Not sure what’s happened to Newcastle who looked very good at the stat of the season.

I’d have Kvesic as one of the most over rated players in the league!

England v Tonga in the League WC semi – watch the highlights if you don’t know the result. Incredible stuff.

I flicked it on after an hour gone. Mental last 20 mins, certainly no going back to sleep after that!!

Kvesic looked good for Worcester but was pants when he moved to Glaws. Not seen that much of him since his switch to the Chiefs.

Nightmare start for Quinn’s – 26 nil down at halftime to Barf. Ouch.

Awesome eh Tim? Final will be tough!