FIVE months ago, the organisers of the Nations Championship released a video on YouTube which sought to explain the format of this newly-created global competition.
‘A tectonic shift in global sport is coming,’ was the opening line in a visual production which dialled up the hype to 11. A big claim.
On the surface, this competition is essentially the traditional July and November tours repackaged, with the addition of a finals weekend in London.
It’s more a clever tweak, rather than a radical overhaul of the global rugby calendar. There have also been some big TV deals and, in a further boost for Irish fans, all of Ireland’s looming summer games will be broadcast live on Virgin Media.
On the surface, this competition is the traditional July and November tours repackaged
It’s been a long time since these July Tests were available on free-to-air. Another reason to like this new format.
It immediately attracted Qatar Airways as a title sponsor, with a whopping €93million sponsorship deal put on the table, which has since been put on hold due to the fallout from the war in the Middle East.
It is believed that the state-owned airline will be announced as partners ahead of the November leg of the competition.
For a sport which has struggled to make ends meet since it went professional in 1995, that’s a serious injection of cash for all the unions.
Of course, there are plenty or asterisks attached to doing business with Qatar. A country which has such a questionable human rights record.
Think back to the grim stuff which was being reported ahead of the country’s hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. We’re veering into sportswashing territory again.
In the age of a climate change emergency, all this cross-hemisphere travel is not great for the carbon footprints either. And what about player welfare?
There are 14 players in Andy Farrell’s touring squad who pitched up for Lions duty in Australia last summer. In the space of 12 months, they are back on Australian soil again.
The Nations Championship couldn’t take place without players taking long-haul flights
Parking all the political and moral implications, the Nations Championship could be a stroke of genius.
For one thing, it is easy to follow. It gives meaning to July and November games, with points and a trophy on offer.
Pitting the six best northern and southern hemisphere teams against each other creates a bit of competitive tension, too.
And, ultimately, if Ireland are atop the winners’ podium in Twickenham in late November, it will be a significant boost ahead of the 2027 World Cup.
Rugby, especially at Test level, has been crying out for a bit of a shake-up. The Nations Championship could be a winner.
The inaugural weekend of this competition is jam-packed as well. New Zealand v France in Christchurch’s swish new indoor stadium in the opening act at 8am on Saturday morning, and rugby-mad supporters can set up camp on the sofa for the rest of an action-packed day, which culminates with Argentina taking on Scotland at 8pm.
In the middle of all of the global action, Ireland begin their summer campaign against Joe Schmidt’s Wallabies, which kicks off at 11.10am, Irish time.
It’s going to be a fascinating three weeks for Farrell’s troops.
After this clash with the Wallabies in Sydney, they head up the road to Newcastle to face Japan, with Eddie Jones at the helm, before a flight to Auckland to take on the All Blacks at their Eden Park fortress, with the hosts keen to protect a 52-game winning run which stretches all the way back to 1994.
Ireland begin their summer campaign against Joe Schmidt’s Wallabies on Saturday morning
For starters, it’s about hitting the ground running in Oz.
Farrell, who is now locked into the gig until 2031, will want to see a fast start in Sydney. Because his team has been making a habit of sluggish starts of late.
Recall last November’s lethargic loss to New Zealand in Chicago or what happened against the French in the opening round of the Six Nations.
On both occasions, Ireland were caught on the hop. True, they eventually moved up the gears and found their groove, but Farrell will be hoping they reverse that trend.
As for Saturday’s opponents? It’s hard to know what to make of the hosts. Schmidt was a key reason why last summer’s Lions series was competitive.
The Wallabies duly beat the Springboks in Johannesburg a few months later, but they ran out of gas in the autumn and copped some heavy defeats, including a 46-19 drubbing in Dublin, with Mack Hansen, the Canberra native who slipped through the cracks, scoring a hat-trick in a green jersey.
This is Schmidt’s last gig as head coach before he hands over the reins to Les Kiss, another coach who made a big impression during his time in Ireland, next month.
Ireland picked up during Six Nations after November’s lethargic loss to New Zealand in Chicago
No doubt, Schmidt will have a plan to disrupt Farrell’s side. The former Leinster and Ireland boss will have his homework done. As always.
The 42,500-capacity Allianz Arena is a sell-out, so the Wallabies will have a vocal home crowd behind them.
Ireland will be feeling confident, though. After all, they have won seven of their past eight meetings with the Aussies.
The visitors are without some serious frontliners, mind. Ryan Baird and Hansen have been sidelined for quite some time, while Andrew Porter and Jack Crowley were ruled out just before Farrell confirmed his 36-strong touring party earlier this month.
Leinster’s URC title triumph came at a mighty cost, with Caelan Doris and Tommy O’Brien both pulling up before Farrell’s squad departed for Sydney.
That’s a serious cast of absentees. But it opens up a world of selection possibilities.
Leinster’s URC title triumph came at a cost, with Tommy O’Brien, above, and Doris pulling up
Dan Sheehan getting a crack at the captaincy is no bad thing, and the Leinster hooker might even be better suited to the role than Doris down the line.
Crowley’s absence means Farrell will have to re-examine the No10 picture. Does he go for a rejuvenated Sam Prendergast or Ciaran Frawley, starved of game-time at out-half but bound for Connacht where he is set to lord it as playmaker-in-chief?
Harry Byrne looked to be in pole position before things went awry at the business end of the Champions Cup.
Either way, there will be opportunities for so-called fringe players to make their mark.
Farrell had included three uncapped players in his initial roster, with the Connacht trio of Billy Bohan, Sam Illo and Sean Jansen all making the cut. Zac and Bryn Ward brought that number to five when they were called up in the wake of the injury updates on Doris and Tommy O’Brien.
Bohan, an explosive loosehead, and Jansen, a real bulldozer of a No8, look primed to make their international debuts. Illo may have to bide his time. Ditto, the Ward brothers.
Farrell has brought several uncapped players in his travelling squad, including Zac Ward
It’s an exciting crew and it’s also worth noting that Cormac Izuchukwu, Darragh Murray and Nathan Doak have just eight Ireland caps between them.
As ever, Farrell will look to the likes of Sheehan, James Ryan, Josh van der Flier, Jamison Gibson-Park, Stuart McCloskey and Hugo Keenan to set the tone.
An ideal campaign would be a big haul of points to put Ireland in a strong position for the November leg of this new competition, a handful of new caps handed out and fresh options at lock, blindside, out-half, midfield and the left wing.
Because the Nations Championship may be the shiny new thing but next year’s World Cup remains the priority.
