2018 June Internationals

[victorsra Profile Website]

It is just now that Italian Pro14 teams are showing evolution. O'Shea needs time and he is not even close to be at risk.

[sk 88 Profile Website]

O'Shea is the national coach not Pro 14 coach.

And I'm not too sure what evolution shipping 69 points to Gloucester is either but heigho-ho the O'Shea spin machine is purring very nicely again regardless.

[victorsra Profile Website]

Of course. And if Pro14 teams are terrible he has a limit to work.

[olivier Profile]

O'Shea won't change anything. Italian rugby is a complete farce. Zebre and Treviso are back to their usual losing history.

[Bruce_ma_goose Profile]

It is just now that Italian Pro14 teams are showing evolution. O'Shea needs time and he is not even close to be at risk.

I think the fact the Pro14 coaches Bradley and Crowley are managing to get a lot more performance out of the same national players than O'Shea is, is what may put pressure on him. The performances against Argentina and South Africa were pretty abject and backs coach Catt in particular appears to have contributed very little to the setup.

A competent coach is essential for Italy before playing Romania or Georgia in November and performances so far do not give massive confidence in OShea being the man. We shall see if I'm wide of the mark come July!

[TheStroBro Profile]

I think the fact the Pro14 coaches Bradley and Crowley are managing to get a lot more performance out of the same national players than O'Shea is, is what may put pressure on him. The performances against Argentina and South Africa were pretty abject and backs coach Catt in particular appears to have contributed very little to the setup.

A competent coach is essential for Italy before playing Romania or Georgia in November and performances so far do not give massive confidence in OShea being the man. We shall see if I'm wide of the mark come July!

God this is garbage. O'Shea doing a Solid job. Bradley and Crowley just as well and it's helping.

[Bruce_ma_goose Profile]

I think the fact the Pro14 coaches Bradley and Crowley are managing to get a lot more performance out of the same national players than O'Shea is, is what may put pressure on him. The performances against Argentina and South Africa were pretty abject and backs coach Catt in particular appears to have contributed very little to the setup.

A competent coach is essential for Italy before playing Romania or Georgia in November and performances so far do not give massive confidence in OShea being the man. We shall see if I'm wide of the mark come July!

God this is garbage. O'Shea doing a Solid job. Bradley and Crowley just as well and it's helping.

I'm glad most are broad minded enough to accept opinions contrary to their own without reverting to the behaviour and language of the playground.

Assuming you watched a single second of Italy's EOYTs before reaching your enlightened opinion, what aspects of their performances against the Boks and Pumas do you think reflected well on the Italian coaching staff or showed signs that the positive progress at Benneton and Zebre (assuming you've watched either of them as well) is transferring into the national side?

Also please name any other coach in the history of international rugby who did not come under pressure having won only a single match in a calendar year whilst losing 10 or more fixtures during the same period?

[NaBUru38 Profile]

I wonder which teams will play the Nations Cup in Uruguay.

[Armchair Fan Profile]

I doubt we will have any clue about that until after Rugby Europe Championship

[Canalina Profile]

Attempt of scheme (in bold the confirmed fixtures)

[carbonero Profile]

Argentina vs Scotland is the last game of the window. And Wales will play South Africa in Washington: http://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/42434744

[NaBUru38 Profile]

June 2: South Africa vs Wales (unconfirmed)
June 9: Argentina vs Wales
June 16: Argentina vs Wales
June 23: Argentina vs Scotland

[ihateblazers Profile]

I'm glad most are broad minded enough to accept opinions contrary to their own without reverting to the behaviour and language of the playground.

Assuming you watched a single second of Italy's EOYTs before reaching your enlightened opinion, what aspects of their performances against the Boks and Pumas do you think reflected well on the Italian coaching staff or showed signs that the positive progress at Benneton and Zebre (assuming you've watched either of them as well) is transferring into the national side?

Also please name any other coach in the history of international rugby who did not come under pressure having won only a single match in a calendar year whilst losing 10 or more fixtures during the same period?

Treviso and Zebre are not totally shit this season, they are not good teams yet. You need to reign in your expectations a little bit. Italian players are also simply not as good as other t1's and higher t2's

[TheStroBro Profile]

I'm glad most are broad minded enough to accept opinions contrary to their own without reverting to the behaviour and language of the playground.

Assuming you watched a single second of Italy's EOYTs before reaching your enlightened opinion, what aspects of their performances against the Boks and Pumas do you think reflected well on the Italian coaching staff or showed signs that the positive progress at Benneton and Zebre (assuming you've watched either of them as well) is transferring into the national side?

Also please name any other coach in the history of international rugby who did not come under pressure having won only a single match in a calendar year whilst losing 10 or more fixtures during the same period?

Must be the American in me that will call out the BS of a jock?

We're talking Italian Rugby? Correct?

Jacques Brunel somehow after being a failure for Italy has taken over France. Hell Brunel's accolades as a Top 14 coach are nothing compared to Noves.

Now, when you get a new coach for the national team and new coaches for Professional teams you need time. Now, could O'Shea be on the hot seat after Six Nations if Italy performs poorly, definitely. But Brunel coaching France might get him his win.

[victorsra Profile Website]

I'll be honest: I have a theory that sounds crazy and people in the forum will me mad and call me idiot:

Italy is the only case of "success" in the history of rugby of a tier 2 nation becoming a tier 1-ish in the professional era. And it was before World Rugby world-domination plans. What about Argentina and Japan? They were never tier 2s properly, as rugby is big in terms of participation and very well structured in those countries for a century. They weren't tier 1s because they weren't part of "the club" of those 8 nations. And the Pacific Islands are a case apart. They are tier 1 nations that can't have this status because they are tiny and poor and rugby clubs' economy punishes them. Romania was big in the "wrong period" and Georgia is now a candidate, but no one can say much before Georgia beats Tier 1s regularly (and international rugby is denying Georgia the oportunity to be a new case of real success).

Like it or not, Italy has beaten 6 of the 9 tier 1s, has a professional league (and had one before PRO12's experiment), has good consistent long-term attendance numbers for the national team even losing almost always. And started the jump before rugby turned professional.

World Rugby doesn't have a clear formula to turn a tier 2 into tier 1 (Japan and Argentina are not exemples, they have the environment). They are doing many good things (specially Get into Rugby and interesting long-term development investments), but they are yet to see how those investments develop into a second stage of actual rugby growing). But Italy did it. They found a way decades ago. Before start messing up with bad decisions from their Union and short-term thought.

[amz Profile]

I'm tired of BS Italy with every occasion on this forums...

[ihateblazers Profile]

I don't take Joy from criticising Italian rugby, but it's hard not to considering the advantages they have over t2 nations and how they've squandered them. Moving to the Stadium Olimpico Is about the only good decision the Italian federation has made since joining the 6 nations and that was forced upon them! Being apart of the 6 nations and the t1 club has given them a safety net to sit on their hands and not activley grow. Becoming really competitive will take some time.

Edit:
Improved age grade results, Zebre/Treviso in the playoffs of the pro 14 with increased crowds are more important and achievable than the national team at this stage.

[IanCleverly Profile]

Not seen it put forward anywhere apart from the site linked to, but Uganda will play (the) Czech Republic sometime during the summer:-

Whilst club rugby has been on a Christmas break, some of those selected as part of the National Team training squad have been put through their paces, this is in preparation for the fixtures early in the year and then most importantly the upcoming Rugby World Cup qualifiers. The Rugby Cranes will have a trial game with Kenya Cup Kabras Sugar Rugby Club in January before they return and prepare for their fixture against the Czech Republic, location still unknown to us. Rugby Cranes assistant coach Robert Seguya has called in a large number of players as part of his training squad for the upcoming National Fifteens sides engagement perhaps in anticipation of the unavailability of some of the players who will have sevens rugby engagements (Sevens series qualifiers in Hong Kong held in April, Sevens Rugby World Cup held at San Francisco in July, and finally Commonwealth games in Australia).

http://rugbynationuganda.co.ug/rugby-cr ... pare-2018/

[Canalina Profile]

Czech Republic is going to play also in Madagascar, in february or march (I don't remember exactly, but the date is already fixed). Maybe it's a one and only tour: Uganda + Madagascar.
The article talks about "early in the year", not summertime.
In Madagascar the czechs will play twice: firstly against a club, then against the Makis.

[NaBUru38 Profile]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_mid- ... rnationals

[dropkick Profile]

O'Shea won't change anything. Italian rugby is a complete farce. Zebre and Treviso are back to their usual losing history.

The Italian teams are much more competitive this year. They're winning more games, playing better rugby and when they do lose, its by a lot less than last season.


The Italian U20 side were very competitive last summer in the world U20 championship so they're starting to turn a corner. It won't happen overnight and they've left it a bit late but better late than never.


As for O'Shea, I thought Italy were poor the last few times I've seen them. He would be under pressure if it was any other team but I think he has been given a license to develop players and the team rather than go all out to win every game.

[rugby.change Profile]

I'd suspect your right on Fiji and Tonga playing on the 23rd. From what I believe, the PNC is still taking place, just delayed like it was last year.

It would make far more sense for the 23rd to be the opening fixture of the PNC, Fiji vs Tonga, then on the 30th June and 7th July to be the dates for the Samoan games. They are away on the 16 June so a week off to travel ready for opening date on 30 June.

Perhaps:
Fiji - Tonga (23 June)
Fiji - Samoa (30 June)
Samoa - Tonga (7 July)

[argie Profile]

The UAR has announced the venues for the mid-year test matches.

Saturday, June 09 - Argentina vs Wales - Estadio San Juan del Bicentenario (San Juan)
Saturday, June 16 - Argentina vs Wales - Estadio Brigadier López (Santa Fé)
Saturday, June 23 - Argentina vs Scotland - Estadio Centenario (Resistencia)

[victorsra Profile Website]

When Los Pumas will play again in Cordoba? They never do.

[argie Profile]

Relations between the UAR and the Government of Córdoba after the passage of Scotland in 2014 didn't go well. Some difference of money....
The UAR wants that Córdoba pay to be venue for the Pumas match.