Top 14 : dernier round avant la parenthèse européenne

There was nothing to discuss, it was simply impossible to have a tournament the following year. It was SA (who with no other option I assume) who decided without discussing that they were going to join the Pro rugby.

If turned out great, why the hell are you bringing it up? You can do that once you've explained how Bismark got away without sanction for collected Dan Carter with his head!

What, Sopoaga filled in admirably for Cruden, got the game in 2015 for us in SA. He could easily have been chosen to run the team if available when Beauden was dropped after 2018. It wasn't all down to pressure from Mo'unga to be given the jersey.

Whenever, he came in when Carter kept going down, that could have been Anscombe. Look what really matters is the possibility of it having gone down that way! The story first came out about Mo'unga going to Japan in May 2022, he was locked in to leave even before he became a prime AB, same with Frizell basically (around the visit to SA time), so is more of an example of my cases about coming into contention while being signed overseas than you being hung up on whether it showed they can keep hold of most of their players.

Or did that happen before he had to fill in for Waikato in the finals and so he's changed his mind about being able to contribute? He was nearly as wooden legged as Beaver was when he came back for the Chiefs from overseas mind you.

That's not really on the 'system', but it is working currently (just?). So to make my point, I think South Africa could easily re-introduce a domestical only selection policy and reap the rewards by having those players now happy to return (or more accurately, those players would simply retire overseas and the young local players would be happy to remain in SA).

It also represents a much more relevant picture of the sporting landscape. SA are so different in nearly every way.

Look at SA's results, obviously the U20s doesn't really mean much. The youngsters have been the All Blacks shinning lights this year though, which is a change.

Personally I think I enjoy watching rugby of a lesser standard, and actually reducing the standard of NZs teams to Australia's would make a more interesting, level, competition. It would also raise Japan to possibly being able to cope with their club sides in Super.

The domestic game in rugby is heavily disrupted by domestic football. The URC was started without Springbok players during the Rugby Championship, all play (other than perhaps France, but obviously minus over 100 players on international duty) currently halted for these internationals, and the Springboks, and possibly others, will have their holiday once the URC resumes again, then the competitions are going to be halted in another couple of months for 6N.

Football has smaller 2 week windows(?), where they get at max access to players 3 days before a game, and is much like other domestic cups etc where they just spam the games in somewhere. Rugby in the SH is not too affected because they have a more felxibile dual competition setup domestically (not one big one), but would be far more affected by having their players overseas than football would. The Copa America, the Rugby Championship equivalent, is only played every four years. The same problem with rugby exists however, despite FIFAs much firmer control on the game, say a Premier League players offseason is exactly when the Copa is played, just like the Rugby Championship. However with FIFA, they stipulate that those players are unavailable for their club for like a month afterward etc, where as say you are not going to get that to fly with the French clubs, every single year. That is why the predicament is greater for Rugby, along with it being a contact sport that requires far more player conditioning and rest.

Jordies case will be a very interesting test example. He is someone who I think has huge potential, so if he doesn't come back moderately improved I think europe as an option will be proved a failure as well.

Which ultimately anyone who does decide to take a huge pay increase but also want to return, will need to return on that absolutely low ball Super Rugby level contract, which could be a loss of around 300k remuneration?

In the perfect world you would;

a) Only be able to take a sabbatical when their is a need to build up depth behind you. That is when there is a new player behind you that needs International game to get up to speed, and you have already mentored them for some time as the preeminent All Black of your position.

b) Be immediately included in the All Blacks upon return and have a chance to earn your position back. If you are not upto your previous standards you remain in the camp as an outside-the-squad member sharing your new learnings.

c) return to play and regain fitness and intensity in the domestic NPC, and earn chance of reinclusion to the November window. While not performing at All Black level you take a reduced pay cut.

Currently part of the sabbatical stipulation is that you've earnt the right to regain these standards while being selected for the AB's, that is hurting the teams performance.

Ultimately though I think there is grave difficulty in implementing b and c, and even if players aren't at the required standard you get the feeling that coachs are going to bank on you returning to it sooner rather than later and will try to endure a few poor performances.

Unfortunately I don't see any way to get around that with todays metrics understanding of stats etc, and what will eventually need to happen is that regulation c) is enforced upon return and there's a chance a good performing playing has to sacrifice missing out on a couple of squad selections to prove their standard in the NPC. This is kinda a win win regardless, but the reduced compensation to the player kinda negates some of the benefit of allowing them to earn more money the season prior overseas.