Top 14 : les chiffres de la 19e journée

Les wasn't the only Australian involved with the Boks in the 1st few years of the millennium - Frank Ponissi and Tim Lane were in the Boks set-up as well for a wee while with Ponissi present for infamous pre World Cup camp in 2003.

A strong year for the Wallabies will tempt Joe to consider staying on for the remainder of the World Cup cycle.

As you said in another comment Joe was filthy about the All Blacks not winning the World Cup in 2023. His ire was probably at Messrs Foley and Barnes.

Nuff said!

The difference was Saints believed, really believed and Leinster were cocksure, half baked and under prepared. They left themselves with a mountain to climb and then bottled it when the crunch came with no clarity or leadership on the pitch.

Schmidt, Hansen, Ted, Foster were never AB’s. Only Tamati Ellison and Razor in the current set-up have ‘experienced’ AB’s. Playing ‘greatness’ and good coaching/insights aren’t mutually inclusive.

Donald is one of the few ex players commentating that can ‘articulate’ his thoughts/perspectives with reason and objectivity. Long may he remain on the box.

As I've stated repeatedly in subsequent comments, SA pro teams are in a much better position financially and in popularity terms in the URC than they were in SR. Why? Because they are playing full season, not just over half of one, and because they are in a weaker comp, and therefore doing better, which keeps the fans happy. Then they hit Europe and get steam rolled. The latter at least suggests that they haven't improved since SR, for all their claims to have developed "massive depth", a Trump grade exaggeration. They prioritize what they can win, URC, and their 2nd tier players get turned into custard in Europe.

The very fact that the rest of the URC is made up of teams from Italy and Wales, who are international whipping boys, Scotland, which never win anything, and Ireland, effectively a one club country, tells you everything you need to know about the URC. Other than Leinster, no Celtic League/URC team has qualified for the Euro Champ final since Ulster in 2012. The message is unmistakeable. The URC is a one team comp. Leinster. After that, a bunch of 2nd Tier teams who don't get anywhere against Toulouse etc. You don't want to recognise that inferiority, see what everyone else can see, that's fine. On the basis of your "we can't know" argument you might as well claim Japan's League One is in the same category as the Top 14.

But the way SA have structured their comps is, politically, extremely vulnerable to a decline in the Springboks. As soon as the Boks start losing again everything will be questioned. The 12 month season. Participation in the demonstrably inferior URC. Participation in Europe, where SA teams are getting smashed. Using players from Japan's League One, a third rate comp. The Springboks won the last world cup despite these problems, not because of them. SA Rugby understand the importance of being in a top competition. That's why they have expanded contacts with the All Blacks. NZ rugby's problems are entirely self created, but that means they can be fixed if there is the willingness to do what is necessary. SA is not so simple.

Personally, I don't know why SA don't run their own 6 team competition, then look for international club comp outside that. It would be far more popular in SA than URC/EURO, it would generate at least the same revenue, and it would solve the 12 month season problem. The last is the killer. NZ and Aussie wont shift TRC to suit SA, and the 6N wont let them in. Its completely unsustainable. Somethings gotta give.

I disagree about the RWC. As it turned out Ireland could have fielded a few subs v Scotland and still won. They still had the game to beat NZ in the QF.