URI:
   DIR Return Create A Forum - Home
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       ComeAllWithin (Harlequins Rugby)
  HTML https://comeallwithin.createaforum.com
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       *****************************************************
   DIR Return to: ComeAllWithin Board
       *****************************************************
       #Post#: 156492--------------------------------------------------
       Re: England 23 for Argentina
   DIR By: MaidstoneQuin
       Date: July 16, 2026, 3:33 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Don’t remember so much anger with the likes of Hughes, Solomona
       etc.
       He’s been consistently one of the best centres in England, and
       is happy to play for England, and qualifies.
       If you are born here etc and qualify through the more regular
       means, then make sure you reach his levels, and youll be
       selected over him. If you don’t, then within the rules agrees
       then he will get picked.
       #Post#: 156493--------------------------------------------------
       Re: England 23 for Argentina
   DIR By: T-Bone
       Date: July 16, 2026, 4:10 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       --- Quote from: MaidstoneQuin link ---
       >
       > Don’t remember so much anger with the likes of Hughes,
       Solomona etc.
       >
       > He’s been consistently one of the best centres in England, and
       is happy to play for England, and qualifies.
       >
       > If you are born here etc and qualify through the more regular
       means, then make sure you reach his levels, and youll be
       selected over him. If you don’t, then within the rules agrees
       then he will get picked.
       >
       --- End Quote ---
       Plenty of people objected to solomona, but mainly because wasn't
       very good
       #Post#: 156496--------------------------------------------------
       Re: England 23 for Argentina
   DIR By: Quinky
       Date: July 17, 2026, 2:01 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       --- Quote from: MaidstoneQuin link ---
       >
       > Don’t remember so much anger with the likes of Hughes,
       Solomona etc.
       >
       > He’s been consistently one of the best centres in England, and
       is happy to play for England, and qualifies.
       >
       > If you are born here etc and qualify through the more regular
       means, then make sure you reach his levels, and youll be
       selected over him. If you don’t, then within the rules agrees
       then he will get picked.
       >
       --- End Quote ---
       Or Mike Catt, Matt Stevens, Dylan Hartley...
       #Post#: 156497--------------------------------------------------
       Re: England 23 for Argentina
   DIR By: RodneyRegis
       Date: July 17, 2026, 2:03 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       --- Quote from: MaidstoneQuin link ---
       >
       > Don’t remember so much anger with the likes of Hughes,
       Solomona etc.
       >
       > He’s been consistently one of the best centres in England, and
       is happy to play for England, and qualifies.
       >
       > If you are born here etc and qualify through the more regular
       means, then make sure you reach his levels, and youll be
       selected over him. If you don’t, then within the rules agrees
       then he will get picked.
       >
       --- End Quote ---
       What do you mean, "so much anger'? One person suggesting English
       players should be English is hardly pitchforks. He's a springbok
       u20 and is on record saying he didn't want to play for us.
  HTML https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/articles/c809xvl4z4zo
       #Post#: 156498--------------------------------------------------
       Re: England 23 for Argentina
   DIR By: MaidstoneQuin
       Date: July 17, 2026, 3:12 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       --- Quote from: RodneyRegis link ---
       >
       > What do you mean, "so much anger'? One person suggesting
       English players should be English is hardly pitchforks. He's a
       springbok u20 and is on record saying he didn't want to play for
       us.
       >
       >
  HTML https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/articles/c809xvl4z4zo
       >
       --- End Quote ---
       It would be fairly dismissive to think its just Danny making a
       statement on it, its a massive topic of debate, just scroll
       through various forums or on X, with regular fans talking about
       it.
       Rikki Flutey is another one. My point is I don't recall a bigger
       stand against players like BVJR playing for England when you
       really look at the long list of players we seemingly welcomed
       and didn't really question/strongly opose.
       Also that's not strictly true about Benhard saying he didn't
       want to play for England. What he actually said was SA was his
       first choice. That is a completely different dynamic.
       #Post#: 156499--------------------------------------------------
       Re: England 23 for Argentina
   DIR By: FrostAndFire
       Date: July 17, 2026, 3:17 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       --- Quote from: Quinky link ---
       >
       > Or Mike Catt, Matt Stevens, Dylan Hartley...
       >
       --- End Quote ---
       Funny that. I wonder what the difference there could be.
       #Post#: 156500--------------------------------------------------
       Re: England 23 for Argentina
   DIR By: Fearless Fred
       Date: July 17, 2026, 3:27 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       On a separate note, has anyone tracked how many games Marcus has
       played this season? Given he was with the Lions last year as
       well, he must be close to the maximum mins played per season (or
       even over it) which'll mean we won't see him for the first few
       rounds of the Premiership...
       #Post#: 156501--------------------------------------------------
       Re: England 23 for Argentina
   DIR By: JammyGit
       Date: July 17, 2026, 3:53 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       --- Quote from: FrostAndFire link ---
       >
       > Funny that. I wonder what the difference there could be.
       >
       --- End Quote ---
       What a baffling choice of players to talk about.
       Mike Catt: English by birth (mother), moved to England after
       leaving school
       Dylan Hartley: English by birth (mother), came through the
       English schools and academy system
       Matt Stevens: English by birth (both parents), played uni rugby
       in England and then Bath picked him up
       As much as I have no problem with van Rensberg, comparing him
       with those three players is obviously extremely daft.
       Better off comparing him with Mouritz Botha as another residency
       qualification. Or Lesley Vainikolo. Or Perry Freshwater. Or Mark
       van Gisbergen. Or Hendre Fourie. Or any of the other residency
       qualifiers mentioned like Flutey.
       #Post#: 156502--------------------------------------------------
       Re: England 23 for Argentina
   DIR By: Banstead Quin
       Date: July 17, 2026, 4:31 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Wow, so much to unpick here.
       Residency is a black and white thing for me. I'm against it and
       I can't abide how countries use it to their own advantage and
       claim these people as Irish, Scottish, Australian hero's because
       they can't get enough good players through their own systems.
       Would Andre deciding he might have wanted to play for England
       have tested that? For sure it would have but more on a Quins
       level and the fact that he would have been head and shoulders
       the best 12 available for selection.
       The one I feel most sorry for is BJVR as he's in a no win
       situation. If he's a success, he's a South African who couldn't
       make it into the Boks squad. If he's poor, he's a money grabbing
       toad trying to make up for the fact he couldn't get into the
       Boks squad.
       #Post#: 156503--------------------------------------------------
       Re: England 23 for Argentina
   DIR By: JammyGit
       Date: July 17, 2026, 5:10 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Yeah.
       I disagree with RR's view on it but it's just a matter of
       preference. I don't think that every true blue Englishman who
       plays for England actually cares about representing their
       country specifically (most do, obviously) so for me the question
       of how committed they are never comes up; these guys give it
       everything for every team they play for, regardless, and would
       no doubt be just as committed if they played for another country
       instead.
       I don't like that the residency qualification has led to the
       project player, where comparatively richer unions have thrown
       the cash about to persuade foreign players to come over and play
       for their teams with the express intent of capping them once
       they qualify. It is a cynical exploitation of laws that are
       intended to ensure that players who dedicate significant
       portions of their career to a given country get a fair
       opportunity to represent them, and to provide some clarity to a
       messy eligibility system. I'm actually happy that the disconnect
       between the clubs and the RFU mean that there is no real attempt
       to do the same in this country, with every residency cap being
       an opportunistic one rather than a long term plan.
       I think there are as many examples of "adopted" players becoming
       sporting heroes and falling in love with their country. There
       are obviously examples of mercenaries. There are also examples
       of English players I wish weren't, or those who very much don't
       care about it and would rather be somewhere else (hello Willis
       brothers, Armitages, etc).
       I am struggling to think of any country with a fully
       professional rugby system that hasn't taken advantage of the
       residency system. South Africa are probably the "best" for this,
       with only a handful (most notably The Beast), then probably NZ
       or Australia, then the French... but the French have done it
       plenty. Plus they continue to take advantage of their former
       empire as various places confer French nationality, including
       Wallis and Futuna, and New Caledonia, which is another
       interesting angle to consider.
       Unfortunately I'd have to say it's the Celts who have abused the
       system, but possibly also Italy and Japan (I don't know enough
       to comment on intent).
       It's still extremely funny being called a racist for saying that
       Bundee Aki isn't Irish, though.
       *****************************************************
       Page 2 of 13
   DIR Previous Page
   DIR Next Page