https://www.florugby.com/articles/10779513-greed-kills-world-cup-campaigns
Rugby World Cup efforts are killed by capitalism
With England's World Cup victory in 2003, the All Blacks and Springboks have won
the last four competitions, marking 20 years of Southern Hemisphere dominance
at the Rugby World Cup.
There is one indisputable variation in the way the two hemispheres view the
game's culminating event, despite the fact that they are on separate annual
calendars.
Before a single ball is kicked in pool play, one part of the globe games rugby
significantly less, while the other squad plays rugby much more.
The yearly Six Nations tournament, in which each side played five tests, has now
come to an end. The battle has been extremely intense because it features the
elite two nations in the globe, France and Ireland.
The participants will play out their individual Top 14, Premiership, and URC
campaigns upon returning to team land and finish European Cup tournaments by
late May.
Yet, the Northern Hemisphere countries significantly hurt their chances of making
the Rugby World Cup throughout the summertime. The unions schedule full-
fledged test series in August to replenish their accounts in order to make up for
the lost cash during the customary November worldwide season, when they
would typically sweep it in from sold-out stadiums.
In the summer of 2019, Italy and Ireland played England 2 times. Wales contested
four matches versus two of the best in Europe, playing both England and Ireland
two times.
Although these were billed as "warm-up" games, they were played with teams
that were almost as strong as test series. In addition to the five test series they
had already played this year, that indicated they would participate four more.

Wales, the Grand Slam champion in 2019, was unable to reach its full potential at
the conclusion of that year's Rugby World Cup. By the time they faced South
Africa in the semifinal, the number of injuries was staggering.
Gareth Anscombe ruptured his ACL versus England during one of the summer
warm-up games, and he was unable to board the flight to Japan.
No. 8 Taulupe Faletau also lost the race due to an injury sustained in a pre-event
training run.
Josh Navidi suffered a hamstring strain and was forced to miss the quarterfinal
victory over France. Before the semifinal, Liam Williams was ruled out while
George North hurt his leg just perior to the halftime. Jonathan Davies and
Hadleigh Parkes, two midfielders, were questionable to even participate because
of injuries.
Of course, ailments are to be anticipated, but in this case, several important
members of the team were leaving like flies as they prepared for their 15th test
series of the year.
They would have been cannon fodder if they had advanced to the Rugby World
Cup final for a 16th test match, as evidenced by the All Blacks' thrashing of them
in the bronze medal game. Wales put up a fantastic fight and made a heroic
attempt, but they were unquestionably a shell of the team who won the Six
Nations that February.
Given the fact that they still challenged South Africa to the limit in the 19-16
semifinal defeat despite having a walking wounded side, they may have claimed
the William Webb Ellis trophy with better player handling.
When they most required them, they lacked the performing facilities they would
have required to maximize their abilities.
In pool play, Scotland and Ireland also struggled, losing shockingly to Japan. While
neither team was performing very well, Japan got right to work after timing their
effort just so.
Japan defied common wisdom and withdrew all of its performers from Super
Rugby for the whole season in order to prepare for the Rugby World Cup,
depriving the Sunwolves of any Japanese internationals.

Instead, a shadow Rugby World Cup team competed against a few Super Rugby
'B' teams and even amateur club rugby players.
After that, Japan only contested four test matches in total, three in the Pacific
Nations Cup versus Tonga, Fiji, and the United States, and one warm-up match
over the Springboks.
With just that time spent preparing, Ireland was shocked 19–12 in group play.
Several of the Irish participants were from the Leinster team, who had already
competed in the Pro14 final and the European Cup final. Ireland was
performing its 11th test match of the year.
Relative to their Irish rivals, Japan's players have played a pitiful quantity of rugby.
The outcome implies that the Brave Blossoms were better off playing far less
during a Rugby World Cup year rather than more.
Even though European players get a two-month summer holidays in June and
July, their real playing burden and commitments throughout the previous year
leading up to a Rugby World Cup nevertheless far outnumber those in the south.
There is a strong case to be made that the Northern Hemisphere countries were
murdered by greed in 2019, as they exhausted their performers before they were
required to peak.
Even England, which kept its roster relatively intact without dropping any
important players, was unable to match South Africa's energy in the decisive
match after going all-out to shock the All Blacks.
Nevertheless, when it comes to preparation for the competition, the Southern
Hemisphere nations adopt the exact opposite strategy.
The All Blacks throughout Super Rugby Pacific will be required to miss matches, as
has been the situation for some years, thus resting mechanisms have been put in
existence.
The Rugby Tournament, which the countries of the Southern Hemisphere will
participate this July, will be scaled back with less travel and some matches.
Instead of the regular six in-competition tests, they will only take three.

The Bledisloe Cup will be decided by one more test between the All Blacks and
Wallabies, while four more tests will be played between South Africa and
Argentina.
August features one additional warm-up test for New Zealand, Argentina, and
Australia while South Africa hosts two.
South Africa will have 6 test matches under its belt whereas the Southern
Hemisphere countries only have 5.
The two top squads in the globe, Ireland and France, have the best possibilities to
end the stalemate in the Northern Hemisphere.
Participants like Johnny Sexton, Josh van der Flier, Antoine Dupont, and Romain
Ntamack participating in summer warm-up games defies every sense of logic.
It's debatable whether Sexton will even play for Leinster this season. He is so
essential to Ireland's candidacy that it must be done whatever it takes to keep
him. This is too good a chance to waste.
Irish Rugby needs him to play in a Rugby World Cup final in November, not
another Champions Cup final in May. Japan served as a model. They are not
required to play.