Is it just me or does anyone else think the SRU might be setting the bar just a wee bit too high for their four year strategic plan ?
For those that haven't heard or read about it, they plan to win at least one Grand Slam and the World Cup in the next four years.
Granted the team have just returned from a fantastic Southern hemisphere tour, and quite honestly a Grand Slam is achievable but winning the World Cup is light years away and that goes for all the home nations at the moment in my opinion.
Wales and England are definitely heading in the right direction, but for any of them to do it they have to repeat Englands' achievements in their pre 2003 build up and go and beat them in their own back yard as well as at home. That England team built an aura around them, they were expected to win no matter where, the big three Southern hemisphere teams knew they were up against it when they stepped on the field with that England team !
Now I'm a passionate Scotland fan who has been living in England for years and quite honestly I'm already dreading the ribbing I'm in for over the next four years.
Does anyone else think someone at the SRU was having a laugh, maybe it was tongue in cheek, who knows ?
Now I know you have to set targets in all walks of life but maybe just a wee bit more realistic though, after winning the Wooden Spoon a mere Grand Slam would be a hell of feat !
Dreading the next four years !! C'mon the Scots!
Scotland's four year strategic plan !
posted on 5/7/12
Given the right set of circumstances anything is possible. The right circumstances mainly being having good players good leadership and good management.
=====================
As you suggest in other parts of your posts, I cantbelieve that Scotland will ever have the playing resources fo win a world cup.
Although it sounds like a back handed insult (which it isnt intended to be), I think scotland were probably the best ever wooden spoon side last season, and but for 2 yellow cards would have given the wlesh grand slammers a very close run game.
With all the will in the world though, a world cup ? no chance.
posted on 5/7/12
JPB
I don't think its an insult at all, just reality. But i say fair play to them for setting their goals high. THo normally these kind of grand plans are kept within the dressing room while the spin doctors feed us more diplomatic lines in public. Its either Brave or stupid to say it publicly.. im not one to judge tho
posted on 6/7/12
I think the SRU are right to set an ambitious objective, do they truly believe they will achieve it? Maybe, maybe not but the important thing is the message they send to the players which is "we believe in your ability and we want to do what we can to make this team the best in the World".
I think any sportsman can appreciate that.
posted on 6/7/12
There have been many good teams that have failed to get a grand slam, you need the fixtures to go your way and to avoid an off day against anyone.
Wales, France (ish), Ireland and England are all on the up or have been playing good rugby for a while, to state they will win a GS is ambitious, to say they will win the World Cup in 4 years is frankly unbelievable, but hey its sport and things happen.
There is no reason not to have ambition in the camp and maybe withing the team they truely believe this, but it may have been wiser to keep it under wraps for a while until they played some consistently good rugby.
They always flatter to deceive, a bit like Wales in the 90's
posted on 7/7/12
Well on review of Scotland i admire their balls for stating this.
Better than our strategic plan which seems to go like this
Remove head from sand.... peek around.... Keep telling ourselves everything is ok... reinsert head in sand.
Remove only to enjoy the extraordinary success of Our provinces in Europe.... Then before anyone can ask whats going on with the National team... quickly reinsert head..
N.B. Sand is a metaphor for A.R.s.e hole
posted on 10/7/12
Whilst I admire having lofty ambitious I think it is unrealisitic to even hope that Scotland can go from their current World ranking to being World champions in 3 years. As such, the statement seems at best foolish and at worst stupid, if this is the plan than it surely would have been better to keep quite as this will be stuffed down the throats of Scotland and their fans at every opportunity
posted on 21/7/12
SARS
We won't win it in 3 years. It's a 4 year plan. It' s just a pity that we'll have peaked too early for 2019.
Don't you guys recognise a wind up when you see it? OK, it'll come crashing back to reality in the autumn, but we're just milking this summer for all it's worth.
For some it was played 3, won 3. For others it was played 3, won 0.
Scotland
England
Wales
Ireland
posted on 21/7/12
For others it was played 3, won 0.
===================
not england.
posted on 21/7/12
posted on 24/7/12
JPB
Good man. Redeemed yourself by spotting you had made a plank of yourself.