Re: Japan RU Team : Thu Oct 24, 2019 3:32 pm  

I have enjoyed watching the Japanese side & reading some of the press it has started a big rethink of how their game should be played by some people in that sport. I have experience of playing in Japan in the 1970s & agree that they because of their size (discounting overseas imports) they would be better suited to League. But there lies the problem, they have a long tradition of playing Union that goes deep into their corporate structure & those at the top are fiercely protective of the sport switching codes there is tantamount to treason & can ruin your career prospects. It makes unions campaign against our sport over the last century look like a lovers tiff. You would have to start getting youngsters who have not been involved with Union to play.

Re: Japan RU Team : Thu Oct 24, 2019 5:49 pm  

Interesting read.... https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/49878877

Interesting read.... https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/49878877

Re: Japan RU Team : Fri Oct 25, 2019 1:13 am  

Saxy wrote:

I may be about to talk a complete load of pigswill, but I've watched a lot of the Japanese team in the RU World Cup over the last couple of weeks, and they seem to come pretty close to demonstrating the speed, handling and skill levels of an RL team playing the 15-man code. This approach has been unique in this WC and took them all the way to the quarter-finals, where they were simply outmuscled by the structure of South Africa....this notwithstanding, they were fast, adventurous and skillful, and had the Boks really scrambling in defence a fair few times. I reckon a couple of the team would be worth a poaching attempt - anybody else see this or have I been drinking too much creosote again?

I don't think we can afford them to be honest and is it worth the gamble?