RugbyRebels

morepork wrote:What manner of man gauges his quality of life through supermarkets?

J Dory wrote:Sure.

"It just goes to show how misleading statistics can be when you pick a random metric."

Funny, that same line was trotted out when we explained that "poached" PIs playing for the ABs were for the most part born in NZ. At least the NH fans are consistent I guess.

Eugene Wrayburn wrote:Will no one tell me who our spaniard is!!

Eugene Wrayburn wrote:Will no one tell me who our spaniard is!!

Mellsblue wrote:I’ve just googled who the ‘Spaniard’ is. I wouldn’t worry if I were you. The answer just reminded me of the time I got into an argument with a Welshman about the fact I didn’t agree that Simon Shaw was Kenyan, despite him being born in Nairobi, and therefore wasn’t really a poach.

Eugene Wrayburn wrote:

Lizard wrote:Remember when selecting players born in another country (or even players with names from another country) was deemed to be a dastardly practice,verging on cheating? Notice how things have changed now that our friends in the North have discovered they can buy their way out of player development problems?

Anyway, time for the annual "6? Nations Poaching Round-Up" summarising the players born in one country but capped for another.*

Working from the squads (original plus replacements) on Wikipedia:

Scotland are easily the champions with their deliberate and successful scouting campaign securing 19 foreign-born squad members (9 ENG, 4 NZ, 3 SA, 2 AUS, 1 USA)

Wales and Italy are ties for silver with 9 apiece. Wales will no doubt argue that their 7 English-born players are a mere feudal hangover, although their 2 Kiwis might be harder to account for. Italy have cast the net a little wider, drawing from 7 other nations, boasting 3 NZers and 1 each from Guinea, Germany, Zimbabwe, Argentina, South Africa and Ireland.

England is only a little behind, with 8 foreign-born players, although they ought to receive a hefty handicap having by far the biggest local player pool, and one of the more brazen attitudes to the whole thing. They have 3 NZers, 2 AUS, 2 Fiji and 1 Samoan.

Ireland have 7 players off the boat. 2 NZers, 2 SA, a Frenchman an English and a Spaniard.

About the only thing French rugby has to its recent credit is bringing in a passport requirement for national selection. Thye only have 5 introduced players (and would probably argue its only 4): 2 SA, 1 NZ, 1 Cameroon and 1 New Caledonia (which is technically part of France).

On the other side of the coin, countries supplying players to others are
England: 17
NZ: 15
SA: 8
Aust: 4 (surprisingly low)
Fiji: 2
Arg: 1
France: 1
Germany: 1
Guinea: 1
Ireland: 1
New Caledonia: 1
Samoa: 1
Spain: 1
USA: 1
Zimbabwe: 1

Although you could technically select an English Exiles XV to play an NZ Exiles XV, the match would be hampered somewhat by the fact not a single 6N team has any foreign-born hookers!

And before you ask, for balance, I can report that the NZ October/November 2018 touring squad of 48 included 5 foreign-born players: 2 Tongans, 1 Samoan, 1 Fijian and an Aussie.

*Yes, I'm well aware that there are shades of grey involved e.g. Welsh players with Welsh parents who happened to live nearer an English whelping facility are not the same as Samoans contracted to serve their 3 years and be available which are not the same as the middling Super Rugby Player with a foreign granny who has his Scottish kit mailed to him before he's even got on the plane. Chill out, it's just a bit of fun.

Ultan Dillane I assume is our Frenchman but who's our Spaniard?

Lizard wrote:Undefeated Test Captains (with 10+ tests):

Buck Shelford 1988-90 (NZ) 14
Shalva Sutiashvili 2014-16* (GEO) 14
Kieran Read 2012-16* (NZ) 13
Dave Davies 1921-23 (ENG) 11
Dylan Hartley 2012-16* (ENG) 10

*Unfinished run

Barring injury or banning, it seems unlikely that any of the contenders will maintain their unbeaten status until the end of their careers and will therefore eventually drop off this list even if they temporarily overtake Shelford. Sutiashvili is 32 though, so might not be around too much longer.

Both Shelford and Sutiashvili captained in a draw, leaving Read with the record for most tests (13) as Captain with a 100% win record. The next best on that list is Nicolas Fernandez Miranda with 6 (2002-2005, ARG). No-one else has more than 4.

I believe that Sir Brian Lochore reached a world record 14 consecutive wins as captain before his first loss.

Lizard wrote:Owen "Starting" Franks has equaled Salvatore Perugini's record of 83 test caps without ever scoring a try.

Perugini started 53 of his tests, compared to Franks 73, so I would put the NZer ahead on tie-breaker.

Another way to break the tie is to consider that Franks has dodged being at the sharp end of 318 tries scored by his team while was in the playing squad. (He must have worked bloody hard against Japan in 2011 when his team mates got over the line 13 times including Mealamu and Hore). Perugini only had to avoid 147 tries (also working hard to avoid any of the 13 against Portugal in 2006 including scores by both locks and the replacement hooker).

3rd place is J Slipper of Australia who is on 79 tryless caps. There a bunch of active players in the 60s.

Lizard wrote:

cashead wrote:About half of England's win came during the early 2000s didn't they?

Yep. 12/25 in a four year period.

By RWC cycle:
1996-1999: 1 win, 2 draws from 14 tests (14.3%)
2000-2003: 12 wins (consecutively) from 13 (92.3%)
2004-2007: 4 from 17 (23.5%)
2008-2011: 2 from 12 (16.7%)
2012-2015: 3 wins, 1 draw from 15 (23.3%)
2016-: 3 from 3 (100%) so far

Lizard wrote:Most pundits seem to be thinking the All Blacks will extend their unbeaten stretch against the Wallabies to 6 tomorrow. Even a Bledisloe clean sweep this year won’t match the record though. All Black’s longest winning streaks v Aussie:

10 (2008-2010)*
9 (1936-1947)
7 (1967-1974)
7 (1995-1997)
5 (2005-2006)
5* (2015- )

The longest undefeated run was 11, the 1967-74 fun above was ended by a draw which was followed by 3 more wins through to 1978.

The Wallabies have never won more than 3 on the trot v NZ.