Gerry Thornley: Ireland’s system of maximising its resources will continue to be rewarded in 2024

Maybe Rassie Erasmus and South African rugby have it sussed. Unlike the vast majority of their international rivals – be they New Zealand, France, England, Ireland or even Wales, to a degree – they permit their players to play abroad, so allowing Japanese, Top 14, Premiership and Irish provinces to pick up much of the financial slack while players accumulate game time in a variety of competitions.

They even permit their coaches to work abroad before bringing them home in time for World Cups.

The Springboks liberally select South African players based in those leagues and mix them in with home-based players whose franchises now compete in what was once the Celtic League and the European Cup, while still playing in the Rugby Championship during what is for many of these players the supposed off-season, not to mention their end-of-year tours.

The Springboks players seem to play almost non-stop, all year round. Their off-season is, at best, blurred. And they finished 2023 as back-to-back world champions.

The Counter Ruck: the rugby newsletter from The Irish Times

---

Munster beat Ulster to set up quarter-final date with Ospreys

---

Keenan on the scoresheet but Ireland men and women fail to reach Madrid semi-finals

---

Hugo Keenan’s Sevens dream is a fantastic risk to take – only the Olympics has that kind of power

---

Of course, they have an unrivalled pool of players, their Afrikaans conveyor belt having been swelled since the break-up of South Africa’s rotten Apartheid regime by wonderful, indigenous talent that had previously been subjugated.

Furthermore, socio-economic factors have decreed that they simply cannot hope to keep all their best players at home and/or select a team based entirely on players who ply their trade in South Africa. In many ways, mother being the necessity of invention, their more flexible selection policy is a case of “needs must” for Erasmus and the SARU.

Meanwhile, the IRFU maximise much smaller playing resources compared to the likes of the NZRU, FFR and RFU – as well as the SARU – in a little island where rugby is dwarfed by indigenous sports. Thanks in large part to the late Tom Kiernan and the recently deceased Syd Millar – men of rare vision – the IRFU have arguably a more coherent, and certainly more sympathetic, approach toward their players.

It endeavours to have them primed for key campaigns, safeguards them against burnout and prolongs their careers. This is in tandem with many other factors such as a well-honed system for identifying and developing talented players through the four provincial academies (admittedly helped by fee-paying schools which serve as quasi academies), as well as shrewd use of the eligibility rules, and identifying and hiring exceptional coaches from abroad.

The net result was to develop the best Irish side ever to compete in a World Cup last year. One that had won a historic series win in New Zealand and sealed a first ever Grand Slam in Dublin, on St Patrick’s Day against England in what was Johnny Sexton’s last Six Nations game and, as it transpired, his last competitive appearance on Irish soil.

Yet, no less than in the previous nine World Cups, this still couldn’t smash the glass ceiling of a quarter-final.

So much for all that careful husbandry of players and finances and the provinces. It’s tempting to think that South Africa’s system is better and Irish rugby may as well just release the shackles and pick players based abroad. Except, of course, that Ireland’s system is also a prime example of maximising resources and, by and large, it has been rewarded. By concentrating on the talent in four provinces, that quartet have been hugely competitive.

Admittedly, the IRFU has been further assisted in their policy by the sportsman’s tax relief, whereby if a player retires in Ireland they receive a 40 per cent rebate on the tax they paid

On balance, the four proud provinces punch above their weight. Between them they have won seven Champions Cups – which is seven more than their most comparable rivals, ie Wales and Scotland. They have also won 13 titles in what is now the United Rugby Championship, compared to five titles by the Welsh regions and one by the Scots. They each have a strong fan base and stadiums which have been developed over the years.

It’s worth stressing that these achievements by the provinces could not have happened had the IRFU permitted their head coach to select players based abroad. Not only has it kept the best players at home, by and large, but this in turn has helped the IRFU and Team Ireland to best manage their resources. Admittedly, the IRFU has been further assisted in their policy by the sportsman’s tax relief, whereby if a player retires in Ireland they receive a 40 per cent rebate on the tax they paid.

For, say, a player who paid €1 million in tax over 10 seasons, this would equate to €160,000 tax free. It encouraged Irish players to spend their careers at home and has succeeded in that regard, even if it has also been a carrot for players from abroad.

So be it. The Irish provinces need to be supplemented by signings from overseas. Sometimes one can’t help but feel that the debate around signing players from other countries, or even selective player movement between the provinces, is viewed through the prism of Gaelic games, where players play for their county of birth and 80,000 attend the final. This is to praise, not criticise.

But that’s not comparing like with like, and the provinces remain competitive in an international, professional team sport while mostly retaining their identity and best serving the Irish team. It’s some balancing act.

There was no fundamental flaw or underlying reason behind Ireland’s quarter-final loss to the All Blacks. Too much analysis is results-based. Ireland were, it’s true, slightly off on the night against New Zealand, but still came within one play of winning – although having the 13th best lineout in the tournament was a crack in the pavement which had emerged in the warm-up games.

But ultimately, the World Cup proved that there was nothing between the best four sides and, save for opening night, the margins were wafer thin. It’s banal, but the truth often can be banal.

What’s more, lest we forget (and it is forgotten), it’s a minor miracle that Ireland go toe-to-toe and blow-to-blow with New Zealand, South Africa, France, England and even Australia, whose playing and/or financial resources are far greater, and ditto that Ireland were the number-one ranked side in the world for more than a year, and were one of the four viable contenders to win the 2023 World Cup.

Looking into 2024, and the URC, Champions Cup, Six Nations et al, Irish teams will continue to punch above their weight.

gerry.thornley@irishtimes.com