45 man English squad?

Fair enough - the lines have been drawn wrong perhaps - my honest view is that it is representative sport - and these guys are representing us so I wish them the best - no matter what I think of how it came to be (and Im not really that bothered) - when they pull the shirt on - they are my team

Incidently - I believe Im as English as they come as far as supporting the team - but i i were good enough when I was younger - and couldnt get in the England side - and Ireland came along with my parents passports in their hands - I would bite their hands off - rather be a test player than a club player

It is lonely - but I think if we persevere it will get busier - Im happy on here for now

Well guys, my 2 cents for what its worth is that if you have blood ties thats ok, even if its distant i.e. Grand mother...

But the bloody 3 year residency rule is daft plain and simple.

Looks like richardt strauss will most likely play for us next year, atleast the IRFU seem to pushing it, but u know what, he has nothing to do with ireland apart from he's been living here for a while.
DAFT!

And i hate the Idea of a nice move coming off where you hear the commentators singing lovely names from your own country only to interrupt the sweet music(to my ears anyway) with "strauss" or on the bbc your likly to here some names i cant even spell.

There has to be a residency law somewhere though Ding - if you have lived somewhere for most of your life - I agree that 3 years is somewhat weak - but 8 years??? 10 Years??? went to school there for at least 3 years etc - I think we probably all agree that just jumping on a boat and working in a bar for 3 years is a bit uuuumm....

Lydneyian, In your caseing point, if you were born here in OZ whilst your Irish mum & dad were visiting or residing the choice is your's when the time comes for you to make an allegiance to whom you represent.......

In rugby league the problem then arises for the individual is he wants to play at the highest level he has to try to getting into an OZ jumper and play with and against the best in the world, where as to represent say Fiji or Tonga can be acheived without even having reached NRL standard (without wanting to sound to harsh)

So at the age of 15 if you are in the picture of getting selected in your first rep game, you have to declare your allegiance.

Lydneyian

Well i agree somewhat mate, and i could even stretch the residency rule to just 5 or 6 years, simply because the working/athletic life of a rugby player is so short, that 8 or 10 years is actually a long time, and indeed 10 is a career for some.

That said, when i think of Strauss who will qualify for us next season, i think well he's a good player and was the best hooker in ireland this season, won a HC winners medal with my beloved leinster, but right now, he has been in my country for 2.5 years and he has no other connection to us so why should he take the place of an irish hooker.

Its a massive quandary for me. on the one hand i want the best for my national team but on the other i want them to be properly qualified, and with a passion for the green jersey.

No disrespect to strauss but really, if he is not good enough to get a call up for his own country, (South Africa) why is he good enough for us? Considering we have beaten SA 3 out of the last 4 times, i feel strauss could be keeping a young irish player out of a jersey.

man i think i just bored my-self to death with that stuff but its just my thinking, and i hope im getting the point across clear enough.

I agree DingBatMan, There is no way a foreign player can give the passion that is sometimes required in the last 10 minutes of a game when a player is playing under duress and for the pride of his country & jersey.....

Will that be because they are thinking of "home"?
3 years is quite frankly ridiculous, and by citing North and Tuilagi as good cases there are plenty of others who've been in Britain for that shortest of times before pulling on the shirt. Devalues the whole concept of international rugby.

Its a good point southsydney - maybe upon registration at colts level on proffessional terms should be the cut off and you should then state your allegence - but with cause or reason - ie you couldnt be scottish and for no reason say - im gonna be an all black (as if ) - if you get picked earlier as you say - thats the point you state allegence. Residency rule be changed to 6 years.

Matin Johnson would of been lumbered with New Zealand - he wouldnt of been happy

MJ an All Black!!!
Nobody would have called them chokers though.

I think this article sums up most views from the world of common sense -

http://www.espnscrum.com/england/rugby/story/142208.html

Although I appreciate that it is currently - the best way to wind England fans up