Jake White wants to kill team announcements
Former Springbok head coach Jake White wants to do away with team announcements in rugby union.
Writing in his column for alloutrugby.com, White says team announcements 48 hours before a game in the XV man code are bad for the sport and the long held procedure is making it harder for smaller teams to get the drop on the giants of the game.
White, who led the Springboks to Rugby World Cup glory in 2007 was at a Premiership Football match and said the late team announcements were a talking point on the day of the game, and thinks a similar approach could work in rugby union.
"In a competition that’s become as lopsided as Super Rugby, with Kiwi teams dominating all comers, keeping lineups a secret until matchday might give lesser sides a shot at upsetting the contenders. It would even things out because coaches would be under pressure to contingency plan for whether the opposing lineup is strong, weak, full of speedsters or weighted towards a power style of play.
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"Look what it did for the Lions, the only SA team to win in New Zealand this season.
"We’re talking about a sport that’s becoming more and more technical and where analysis is playing a bigger role every season. By unveiling the team two days in advance, your plans are telegraphed to your opponents and they know what’s coming."
He concludes by saying: "Pushing back the team announcement would add a level of excitement to the matchday experience for supporters and a layer of unpredictability to the contest.
"In the Art of War, Sun Tzu says, “If your enemy reacts to you, you’re in a position of strength.”
Read White's full alloutrugby.com column here.
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I have heard it asked if RA is essentially one of the part owners and I suppose therefor should be on the other side of these two parties. If they purchased the rebels and guaranteed them, and are responsible enough they incur Rebels penalties, where is this line drawn? Seems rough to have to pay a penalty for something were your involvement sees you on the side of the conned party, the creditors. If the Rebels directors themselves have given the club their money, 6mil worth right, why aren’t they also listed as sitting with RA and the Tax office? And the legal threat was either way, new Rebels or defunct, I can’t see how RA assume the threat was less likely enough to warrant comment about it in this article. Surely RA ignore that and only worry about whether they can defend it or not, which they have reported as being comfortable with. So in effect wouldn’t it be more accurate to say there is no further legal threat (or worry) in denying the deal. Unless the directors have reneged on that. > Returns of a Japanese team or even Argentinean side, the Jaguares, were said to be on the cards, as were the ideas of standing up brand new teams in Hawaii or even Los Angeles – crazy ideas that seemingly forgot the time zone issues often cited as a turn-off for viewers when the competition contained teams from South Africa. Those timezones are great for SR and are what will probably be needed to unlock its future (cant see it remaining without _atleast _help from Aus), day games here are night games on the West Coast of america, were potential viewers triple, win win. With one of the best and easiest ways to unlock that being to play games or a host a team there. Less good the further across Aus you get though. Jaguares wouldn’t be the same Jaguares, but I still would think it’s better having them than keeping the Rebels. The other options aren’t really realistic 25’ options, no. From reading this authors last article I think if the new board can get the investment they seem to be confident in, you keeping them simply for the amount of money they’ll be investing in the game. Then ditch them later if they’re not good enough without such a high budget. Use them to get Jaguares reintergration stronger, with more key players on board, and have success drive success.
Go to commentsYeah, and ours is waaay bigger than yours. Just as you's get a semi…oh hold on that never happens
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