Quote: SmokeyTA "England play Italy every year in RU, they have played 22 times, lost 22 times, scoring 275pts and conceding 882pts.
Many sports play mid-season internationals, The autumn internationals where Southern Hemisphere RU nations play northern hemisphere RU ones is are played in the northern hemisphere season, Lions tours, all mid season.
In fact we will play a southern hemisphere side this year mid-season.
Outside the top three nations, we can easily see Tonga, Samoa, Fiji, France, PNG, and as we saw last year, Scotland put out competitive sides. There are literally 10 cricketing nations, 1 of them is an absolute basket case about to lose its full member status, another is one of the poorest nations on earth who have won a grand total of 8 tests out of 98, another of their full member nations isnt even a real country and another is a war-zone that can't host home games.
as for an expanded WCC, it isnt an either or situation.'"
England don't only play Italy RU every year it is one game that is part of a competition involving 4 other countries - that isn't the same as hammering France/Wales every year as the only international mid season is it?
Lions tours are not mid season for the UK side neither are the autumn internationals for the southern hemisphere sides. You never see mid season internationals involving northern and southern hemisphere teams when both sides are participating in their domestic competition - again something you very well know.
We may be playing a mid season game in Australia - let's hope it goes better than the last time we tried this!!
It simply isn't practical - there is a reason why the soccer world cup group series is sectioned off as it is - also why fixtures are cancelled in the PL when you get an international week of games.
Scotland put out a side of English and NRL players - that is hardly an international side.