Welcome, as soon as once more, to the Weekend Version.
Look, I really like the Northern Hemisphere excursions each July. However there’s one factor that comes with them that actually frickin’ annoys me, and it’s their bastardisation of crew sheets with their 15-9 then 1-8 then 16-23 arrange.
It’d be no shock to you that cash was the unique incentive for numbers on jerseys. Within the late 1800s there was a giant black marketplace for counterfeit match programmes, so the Aussie and Kiwi membership managements found out a great way to get patrons to purchase their official programmes was to place numbers on the gamers’ jerseys. From that time onwards, groups used numerous combos of letters and numbers, together with the 15-9, 1-8 utilized by Scotland, England and Wales within the Nineteen Fifties.
In 1967 the RFU had had sufficient of the free for all of jersey numbering and standardised it to what we see at present with 1-15 beginning at loosehead prop and working by way of to fullback. The one adjustments since then have been the numbering of reserves. The one anomaly, as Happyman identified on Thursday’s podcast, is that whereas the beginning entrance row are numbered 1,2,3 for the loosehead, hooker and tighthead, the reserves are numbered 16,17,18 for hooker, loosehead and tighthead. One thing I’d by no means heard of till he talked about it.
However I digress.
You’d suppose as soon as the RFU gave gamers completely good imported Arabic numbers, the wealthy personal schoolboys in command of the member unions might work out that you simply’re supposed to start out from the smallest quantity and work your means up.
However no, some unions insist on beginning with the least essential gamers and dealing their means up. And, you understand, usually I’d give these individuals somewhat leeway, but when I let the individuals who suppose that the backs are an important individuals on the sector do their factor then I’ve to let the individuals who suppose what ever the fuck that different crew listing is do their factor and I’m not going to do this.
So, I’m calling on World Rugby to standardise the best way crew lists are displayed. Make it 1-15! Let’s lose 15-9,1-8, 16-23 ceaselessly. I imply, when you’re blissful doing issues the identical means rugby league does it, simply preserve letting them try this loopy shit.
Now That’s The Proper Path.
Watching the Wallabies final Saturday felt like a brand new starting. Possibly not a basis, however positively a model new cornerstone. What the brand new Wallabies teaching employees managed to do in beneath two weeks was distinctive. Sure, reduce the sport plan to fundamentals. Sure, the gamers are comparatively proficient athletes, however, they recognized what the enjoying group was able to and designed a sport plan round that, after which skilled the crew and applied that plan.
And for probably the most half, a minimum of till fatigue made it a bit ratty across the edges, the crew adopted by way of. I used to be that blissful, I practically needed to get the Wallabies jersey out Sunday morning and parade across the native farmers markets like I used to be personally answerable for their efficiency.
Over the subsequent few weeks I hope to see progress on our sport plan earlier than the meat and potatoes of the worldwide season begins and we begin taking up groups effectively above us on the world rankings. So, if all goes effectively tonight I’ll meet you on the markets tomorrow for espresso, put on your jersey, or pull out that observe go well with you could have from the John Howard days.
Nicely, that’s all from me this week. Have a fantastic weekend, and I’ll discuss to you within the feedback.
Sully out.
