The Orange Top14 – “Greed before success!

Today in Paris to great fanfare the juggernaut of the Orange Top14 for the season 2014/15 is officially launched. Despite the pomp and grandeur there are signs that all is not well with the “cash cow” of French rugby. Although many of the game’s stellar players frequent its corpulent ranks, many of the matches turn into sterile attritional games dominated by the forwards and often one paced. Devoid of innovation and inspiration, Orange Top14 has evolved into a competition with little to enthuse about. That's what it has become - a giant exercise of endurance and will-power to get through it and still care by the end.

The season is an endurance race for players, administrators, owners and supporters lasting from mid-August until early June. There are 392 league games, then play offs, semi-finals and lastly the Grand Final. There are great celebrations for the team that lift the coveted ‘Le bouclier de Brennus’. So much rugby played and yet so little of it can be remembered.The players are flogged across France and injuries so common that teams can augment their vast squads with “Medical Jokers”. The players are earning substantial sums but they certainly earn their corn. Additionally many players will have international commitments and the new European competition to add to their workload, no wonder Saint André has insisted upon only 34 games for his selected players. Although, his concerns about the number of foreign players plying their lucrative trade in France have often caused him to lose his temper, but in fact the number of foreign players is on the wane – only 34 recruited to the Top 14 for the 2014-15 season, compared to 58 last season, 48 in 2012-13 and 61 in 2011-12.The explanation is twofold. Firstly, clubs have one eye on the JIFF (Joueurs Issus des Filières de Formation) rules that for the 2014-15 season will remain the same as last season. So 55% of each club’s squad must be JIFFs – a player who before the age of 21 has spent either three seasons at a French club’s youth academy or five seasons licensed to play in France.

But from 2015-16 the rules become tighter with the 55% figure still in force but also a fine levied against clubs that fail to field a match-day squad containing a minimum of 12 JIFFs. The season after (2016-17), clubs will have to field at least 14 JIFF players for each game. Consequently clubs have reined in their overseas signings to comply with regulations. The trend this summer has been for clubs to sign young players as ‘espoirs’ as this category is not included in the salary cap.

Number of overseas signings per club 2014-15 Grenoble: 6. Montpellier: 5. La Rochelle: 4. Toulon, Oyonnax, Lyon & Clermont: 3. Brive, Toulouse & Racing Metro: 2. Stade Francais: 1. Bayonne, Castres & Bordeaux-Begles: 0.

Where are they from? New Zealand: 11. South Africa: 8. Australia: 6. Wales: 2. Fiji: 2. England: 2. Ireland: 1. Italy: 1. Fiji: 1.

What position? Props: 5. Hookers: 2. Second rows: 6. Back rows: 4. Scrum-halves: 1. Fly-halves: 3. Wingers: 5. Centres: 4. Full-backs

The overwhelming source of the Orange Top14’s wealth comes from TV. But, worryingly for the clubs the Top 14's blockbuster €355 million television deal is under threat after the French Competition Authority decided that Canal+ were awarded exclusive rights in an unfair manner. Subscription sports channel BeIN Sports was behind the complaint, accusing the LNR and Canal+ of excluding them from the bidding process, and they were supported by the Competition Authority.

However there appears to be a long legal battle in store, “This decision is unjustified, incongruous and open to criticism," LNR boss Paul Goze told Midi Olympique.

While this decision would not seem to have a major impact on the financial heavyweights of the Top 14, some of the smaller clubs in France could feel the squeeze. "This decision is very worrying for the smaller clubs. With the five-year deal we were guaranteed some visibility and it allowed us to put in place short and medium-term projects," explained Brive Vice-President Simon Gilham.

In France this might be the moment to consider what would be best for the game as a whole as France’s international rugby team are in the midst of a very real crisis. Perhaps, a glance across the Channel would be wise for the FFR, not at the Aviva premiership but a closer examination of the impact of the Barclays Premiership on the fortunes of the English soccer team. Purportedly the richest soccer league in the world yet how did England perform in the recent World Cup in Brazil? Saint André has been blaming the Top 14, the clubs, the players’ attitudes and the fixture list for France’s malaise; France’s problems go far deeper than the length of the Top 14 season. The style of the rugby played in the championship might be more relevant, with too many games bedeviled by the conservatism of their coaches. Is it any wonder that French internationals struggle to adapt to the faster pace of Test match rugby? Yes, Toulon won the Heineken Cup – albeit with a starting XV containing three Frenchman – but look at what happened to Clermont in the semi-final when Saracens destroyed them in a one sided match.

Friday August 15^th sees the first game in Bayonne when they take on the mighty Toulon. The sense of the “Esprit de Cloche” will resound from the stands but it will be much harder to identify on the field as the players will be playing for their living or a new contract. France might possess the wealthiest rugby union league in the world but it is not the most compelling or enjoyable. Somewhere French rugby has lost its soul and drastic medicine is going to be needed to rekindle the cries of” En vie le Bleus” ringing from the stands of the majestic Stade de France.

 http://lastwordonsports.com/2014/08/12/the-orange-top14-greed-before-success/

 

“France-…Nation Mineure”.

“France-…Nation Mineure”.

Philippe Saint André was a popular choice to succeed the hapless Marc Lièvremont in 2011. The French rugby public was confident that he could rejuvenate the French national side. But, after two lacklustre 6 Nations campaigns and the 3-0, whitewash in Australia the Midi Olympique christened France, “Nation Mineure”, a minor nation. France’s international rugby side, a year out from the Rugby World Cup, are in crisis and the national coach is under pressure from all sides.

Saint André is an aristocrat of French rugby, multiple trophy winner, scorer of legendary tries a true icon of the game. He has begun to lose the support of the French rugby public supporters’ expectation and anticipation has been replaced by a leaden reality. At no point has Saint André accepted any culpability for the team’s poor results. Yet, with a win record of 40% he has a worse record than any of his predecessors. He has consistently blamed the players never blamed himself for being unable to motivate his players, for fielding teams who lack direction, structure and creation, and for making poor selections and a particular target has been the number of foreign players in the Orange Top14. Strangely he seems to forget that a dozen or so of those players he signed into the league while coach of RC Toulon. But, the league has accepted a limit on how many games their French players can play in a season (34), limits on the number of foreign players and the extended release of players for preparatory camps with the national side. For the first time Saint Andre has a camp in September to prepare for the November internationals. His room for manouvere is narrowing. Despite this there is a growing sense of disquiet that he is operating out of his depth.

The “Spoiled brats of 2011” have largely been removed yet nothing has really changed, there is a sense of inertia, déjà vu around the team. Saint André’s diatribe against the Top14 is a broken record of a man unable to change his mindset or more crucially the mindset of the team. France’s resources are huge, the game awash with money and talent, yet both Wales and Ireland have performed much better than France with considerably less assets. France possesses world class players across the pitch; Dusatoir, Nyanga, Huget, Fofana, Medard to name a few, yet Saint André cannot get the best out of them. Perhaps, this can best be explained by his handling of the accomplished Montpellier fly-half François Trinh-Duc. The best most consistent outside half in France is constantly ignored, apparently because he does not suit Saint André and his coaching staff, this despite a brilliant season at Montpellier where the astute Fabien Galthié has built a team around him, and asked him “to just play”.

The debacle of the Australian tour could prove to be a watershed for Saint André since France were reduced to a rabble by the end of the 3^rd Test a wave of criticism has begun to build. Saint André’s tenure has been forensically examined and it can be seen that he has failed to build a team or give it as strong and identity. In fairness, since the time of Bernard Laporte France has become a shadow of the team that could play gloriously off the cuff rugby, score tries from anywhere on the pitch. Now they follow an insipid template devoid of inspiration, imagination and passion wedded to discipline and not encouraging their natural inclination to play with individual and collective flair.

The president of the FFR, Pierre Camou has at last recognised the problem or more pertinently with an election on 2016 he realises that he has to do something. His response is to sprinkle some stardust over the French setup. He has appointed the stellar French player Serge Blanco to an unspecified position in support of Saint André, this should be a warning to Saint André, typically though he has underplayed Blanco’s role; "It won`t be too bad a thing to have someone who can take off my hands certain things like the convention (an agreement between the league and the federation over the availability of international players which Blanco negotiated in 2013), and relations with the clubs," said Saint-Andre.

 He was speaking on the side-lines of the women`s rugby World Cup at the French national rugby centre in Marcoussis. Saint Andre along with his assistants Yannick Bru and Patrice Lagisquet met with Blanco briefly at Marcoussis on Tuesday. "Serge had a board meeting here, and I was working with Yannick and Patrice, so we had a coffee together and then he had to leave," said Saint André. But, he was not happy to be pressed on the subject and refused to elaborate on what exact role Blanco would play.

"I have nothing to say on the subject. We will see," he concluded tersely.

Saint André has to take stock rapidly and prove that he has the resolve and ability for the job. France are not playing anywhere near their potential, weighed down by unrealistic expectations, inadequately prepared or perversely, over coached. If he fails to deliver a remodelled rejuvenated team in November then he will not be France’s coach for the 6 Nations. It is time for Saint André to take note of the words of the great French soldier, Marshall Maurice de Saxe, “The first of all qualities of a general is courage. Without this the others are of little value since they cannot be used.” Saint André has to stand up for his convictions and let his side play the way he wants them to play and accept that he stands or falls on their performance and blame no-one else.

Available

 http://lastwordonsports.com/2014/08/12/france-national-rugby/

Italian Rugby's Most Important Season Ever

Italian rugby 2014-2015 “The year of destiny”

Sport can mirror a country, and with Italy in the grip of economic and political turmoil a malaise has also overcome its two major international team sports. As the Gazetta dello Sport digests the disaster of Brazil another world cup debacle looms over the horizon, for Italy’s beleaguered rugby team. A run of 10 defeats, including demoralising losses to, Japan and Fiji makes for a stark assessment of where the Azurri now rank in world rugby.

A member of the 6 Nations since 2000 Italy has still to really establish itself, other than being a great trip for fans. Victories have been sparse but, there is now a palpable sense of decline. Part of the problem lies with the structure of the domestic game. The two top teams; Benetton Treviso and Zebre play in the Guinness Pro-12, but, neither threatens the top of the league. Below them is the grandly named, “Campionato nazionale di eccellenza” (championship of excellence) composed of semi-professional teams that used to make up the backbone of the Italian national side. These teams still attract high levels of sponsorship but see themselves as independent entities and have no designated role in the development of players to feed the two professional sides or the national team.

For any organisation to succeed it’s the quality of its people that counts the most and the structure of Italian rugby is abjectly failing to provide the high quality players the country needs, Italy lacks the player depth needed to maintain its current vaunted position. The F.I.R. Federazione Italiana Rugby, like all unions has its detractors, but it’s responsible for safeguarding the development of the game of rugby in Italy. Simply put it appears as if the F.I.R. is unable to fulfil that singular obligation. F.I.R. president, Alfredo Gavazzi, and his vision for the future of the Italian game, ” progetta statura” – that only big guys can play rugby. The academy in Tirrenia is a place where the boys don’t become men but only machines, a place where they train all the muscles except one: the brain, by focusing on building a physique – it ignores the other skills, it fails to build a culture of attacking rugby, managing a game and the development of a style unique to Italy. Gavazzi knows that he also is running out of time. Italy has no international rugby coaches or world-class executives, some of the country’s oldest clubs have been marginalized, the standard of refereeing is bleak and the testing Autumn internationals could break his hold on power. There is a pressing need for the F.I.R. and the national team to take a different direction.

After the travails of the summer Jacques Bruni must realise that he too is running out of time. Bruni has never been one to look for the easy option, hard work and discipline have been the core values he has instilled into his team, but they are struggling for credibility. Italy are unravelling and the portents are not good. Their talisman the wonderful Sergio Parisse is struggling, even his legendary durability beginning to fade. Too many players ply their trade away from Italy, who can the local young players look up to? Tomaseo Allan, the “new Dominquez” will be playing in the French D2, why not for Zebre? Bruni still has at home, the precocious Michelle Campagno and the lion hearted Qunitin Geldhuys but otherwise, to watch the rest of his players Bruni will need a Sky TV subscripition.

The baggage of such a depressing run of defeats will be weighing heavily on the team and Bruni has very little talent to bring in to try and freshen up an increasingly jaded squad. Even the “Emerging Italy” team were heavily beaten by Georgia in the summer. Treviso and Zebre will struggle this season, the Guiness Pro-12 will be a much tougher proposition with the changes to european qualification. Both have trawled the Southern hemisphere for largely fringe Super rugby players to augment their sqauds but, they will simply not be able to compete against the resources of the Irish or even the Welsh regions.

In the Autumn Italy faces Samoa, Argentina and South Africa and Bruni and perhaps Gavazzi will need at least one victory to hold on. Probably the Samoan game will be the one that they target, but it will not be easy. Italy will have to play very well to secure a much needed victory.

Italy’s much heralded and universally welcomed entry into the 6 Nations was to show the rugby world that emerging rugby nations could eat at the “Top table” of international rugby and give hope to others like Georgia, Romania and Russia. Yet, with Italy’s apparent collapse of standing perhaps it’s time to consider promotion and relegation from the 6 Nations. After all there has to be accountability for poor results and the potential ignominy of relegation might be the incentive Italy needs to put its house in order before it’s too late.

 http://lastwordonsports.com/2014/08/05/italian-rugbys-most-important-season-ever/