Four nations - How the 4th teams compare

[jim_57]

France showed the most potential IMO and it's unfortunate they haven't really been able to re-test themselves in the last 2 years. They were leading England at half time in England, they were 16-12 to NZ after about 55 minutes with alot of injured players missing and kept it respectable against Australia. They suffered quite a few injuries to their full-time players from memory so it really wasn't suprising when NZ overran them with alot of semi-pros on the field.

I would make France a permanent member and expand the comp to 5 nations keeping the NH/SH qualifiers as it is now. Not sure when the best timing would be to introduce this seeing as the next 4/5 nations won't be until 2014 in the Aus/NZ. 2015 would be ideal when hopefully France will have a second SL effectively doubling their professional player base.

It may be best to work with something like this:

2014:

• 4 Nations - AUS, NZL, ENG, PNG - In Australia & NZ
• Mid-year Euro tri-nations - ENG, WAL, FRA
• Euro Cup - WAL, FRA, IRL, SCT, lebanese, ITL
• Pacific Cup (Mid-Year during origin stand alone weekends)

2015:

• 5 Nations - AUS, ENG, FRA (Now Permanent), NZL, WAL (or qualifier) - In UK and France
• Mid-Year Euro & Pacific tri-nations - AUS, NZL & PNG - ENG, FRA & WAL (Winner of the euro/pacific cup plays last place for a spot in next years tri-nations)
• Pacific Cup, Euro & Atlantic Cups (WC qualifiers)

2016

• Tours organised end of year
• Mid-year tri-nations and Pacific Cup (Atlantic Qualifier joins)
• End of year euro cup

2017

• World Cup year
• Mid-Year friendlies

... and then the cycle repeats except it's a 5Nations both in '18 & '19 with France permanently there, mid-year tri nations and pacific, euro and atlantic cup played yearly.

The mid-year stand alone weekends could look something like this:

Week 1

• Origin 1
• NZ V PNG - Tri Nations game 2
• Pacific Cup - Cook Islands V Samoa (4V5)
• PC - Tonga V USA (3V6)
• Fiji V ???
• ENG V WAL - Tri nations game 1

Week 2

• Origin 2
• NZ Origin (Aukland V the rest?)
• PC - PNG V Samoa (1V4)
• PC - Fiji V Tonga (2V3)
• WAL V FRA - Tri Nations game 2

Week 3

• Origin 3
• NZ V Pacific Islands XIII
• FRA V ENG - Tri Nations game 3
• WA V Victoria (When/If they both bring through enough players to make the game respectable)

OK so that got a bit long winded but I think it all could work really well.

 

[titoelcolombiano]

France showed the most potential IMO and it's unfortunate they haven't really been able to re-test themselves in the last 2 years. They were leading England at half time in England, they were 16-12 to NZ after about 55 minutes with alot of injured players missing and kept it respectable against Australia. They suffered quite a few injuries to their full-time players from memory so it really wasn't suprising when NZ overran them with alot of semi-pros on the field.

I would make France a permanent member and expand the comp to 5 nations keeping the NH/SH qualifiers as it is now. Not sure when the best timing would be to introduce this seeing as the next 4/5 nations won't be until 2014 in the Aus/NZ. 2015 would be ideal when hopefully France will have a second SL effectively doubling their professional player base.

It may be best to work with something like this:


2014:

• 4 Nations - AUS, NZL, ENG, PNG - In Australia & NZ
• Mid-year Euro tri-nations - ENG, WAL, FRA
• Euro Cup - WAL, FRA, IRL, SCT, lebanese, ITL
• Pacific Cup (Mid-Year during origin stand alone weekends)

2015:

• 5 Nations - AUS, ENG, FRA (Now Permanent), NZL, WAL (or qualifier) - In UK and France
• Mid-Year Euro & Pacific tri-nations - AUS, NZL & PNG - ENG, FRA & WAL (Winner of the euro/pacific cup plays last place for a spot in next years tri-nations)
• Pacific Cup, Euro & Atlantic Cups (WC qualifiers)

2016

• Tours organised end of year
• Mid-year tri-nations and Pacific Cup (Atlantic Qualifier joins)
• End of year euro cup

2017

• World Cup year
• Mid-Year friendlies

... and then the cycle repeats except it's a 5Nations both in '18 & '19 with France permanently there, mid-year tri nations and pacific, euro and atlantic cup played yearly.

The mid-year stand alone weekends could look something like this:


Week 1

• Origin 1
• NZ V PNG - Tri Nations game 2
• Pacific Cup - Cook Islands V Samoa (4V5)
• PC - Tonga V USA (3V6)
• Fiji V ???
• ENG V WAL - Tri nations game 1

Week 2

• Origin 2
• NZ Origin (Aukland V the rest?)
• PC - PNG V Samoa (1V4)
• PC - Fiji V Tonga (2V3)
• WAL V FRA - Tri Nations game 2

Week 3

• Origin 3
• NZ V Pacific Islands XIII
• FRA V ENG - Tri Nations game 3
• WA V Victoria (When/If they both bring through enough players to make the game respectable)

OK so that got a bit long winded but I think it all could work really well.

First of all - I love your thinking and I think this is the way forward but further down the track. Just one other think - I think we are a long way off having a mid year international window because of these reasons:

• Tier 2 not close enough to tier one yet
• They would need to be qualifying tournaments for the end of year (ie Euro Cup top 2 and Pac Cup top 2 go to end of year 4 Nations - eg: Eng, France / Aus & NZ) and Aus will not play due to State of Origin and should not be exempt from qualifying
• Need a stronger RLIF to impose international dates on the ESL & NRL and ensure that players are released to all nations.

I also don't like this habit we are getting into of having a break from usual proceedings the year before a world cup - RU has a 3 / 6 nations every year! Even in a world cup year - surely we can do the same. It builds continuity, strength and depth of playing nations and would be easier to build the media / public profile year in year out.