Player Availability

[jezzer]

The boul' Mr. Murphy lined out for Leicester in the Powergen SF and played a full 80 mins. Makes a bit of a mockery of the idea of witholding starting players from club games. Can't be that he won't start vs. Scotland either as Girv was released to play as well.

[Flash Gordon]

The boul' Mr. Murphy lined out for Leicester in the Powergen SF and played a full 80 mins. Makes a bit of a mockery of the idea of witholding starting players from club games. Can't be that he won't start vs. Scotland either as Girv was released to play as well.

Well I guess we'll see whether that's true this weekend!!! I think have a break in the middle of a very intense and compact tournament like the 6 nations is probably a good think......10 week training camps are another thing alltogether though.....

[CM]

The boul' Mr. Murphy lined out for Leicester in the Powergen SF and played a full 80 mins. Makes a bit of a mockery of the idea of witholding starting players from club games. Can't be that he won't start vs. Scotland either as Girv was released to play as well.

jezzer, how do you come to that conclusion? Do you have his fitness stats to hand? Can you say that he'll be able to give 100% after playing over the weekend? Given that every coach wants to keep their players from playing club rugby during the 6N do you not think there's advice out there saying that it affects them?

[Colm]

Also ... Easterby played for the Scarlets too. I think because they are contractually bound to play games of "high importance" and I'd say a Powergen Cup Semi Final is regarded as an important game.

[jezzer]

CM,

You misunderstand me.

I'm just pointing out that it's unfair on the provinces to have a rule for one player and a different rule for another.

As far as the merits of the layoff are concerned, I'm not sure witholding them gives us much of an advantage, if any. Sure, we don't want burnout, but to stand any chance of winning, our backs need as much time away from EOS as possible!!!

To be honest, I'm on the fence on the whole availability issue, but interesting to see Hadden making a good case for the prosecution..

[CM]

I'm just pointing out that it's unfair on the provinces to have a rule for one player and a different rule for another.

Well there's nothing EOS can do about players abroad so that's why they play. To be fair Leicester do their best to rest Murphy when they can.

I think the amount of games the players were available for in years gone by was wrong but I think the balance is right now. And EOS has shown that it isn't his starting 15 that he wants rested but he just doesn't want anyone playing CL the week after an international. So Bowe wasn't released 2 weeks ago even though he wasn't going to be in the 22 while Trimble was even though he was starting. There has to be sound advice behind that and given that we have practically no injury concerns has to reflect well. On the other hand Scotland have lost their hooker to injury because he was released to play for the Borders. Apparently the other two can't throw very well and it could seriously undermine their chances in the 6N because of that.

[epaddy]

Unfair?

The IRFU pay the provincial players week in week out wages. Its not unfair at all