Vern Cotter avec la Roumanie pendant la Coupe du Monde

“If the game is run properly as a professional game, you do not need 57 old farts running rugby”.

And that has been the case for far too long, both in lawmaking and administration of the game.

England had the opportunity to contract all their big players in 1995 but sat on their hands and did b-- all. They opened Pandora's Box by doing nothing.

The fat had to be trimmed somewhere, so I stopped at reg season domstic leagues as a fair indicator - which it is.

I feel the rest of your comment is coming from a 'club' angle in the debate. Ireland succeed by limiting the minutes played by their top players in domestic comps. France have been relatively unsuccessful for years because their top players overplayed in the league. England are getting closer to the Irish ideal because of the misfortune of losing clubs and league games with them...

But I agree that growing markets need more rather than less club footy. Take Georgia or Portugal. They are not going to get vastly increased national playing time, so their players need exposure at the level below.

I simply love how the number 5 team in the world’s fans are talking up their chances. Home ground advantage. That’s it.

If I’m wrong, upset defeats. So I’ll remain very conservative about England’s chances.

But I hope the ABs are going to pump England. Soften them up for SA as we finish them off.

The return of Cam Roigard and the settling in of the team since the beginning of the season, I think NZ are different animal to the one England faced in New Zealand.

Don't forget England. Though I can accept if you try to argue Gallagher started the trend first the other way!

Union doesn't have to do that but the question of which area leads the game forward remains. It may well end up being the club/provincial game simply because of the volume of fixtures - and primacy of contract.

What are your idea's that "leading" the game entails? A club body that takes over from World Rugby if say whatever you're talking about was to sway the 'club' way? I don't really know why you're trying to demean League, are you worried that's all Union would turn into? Just looking at them now I see it kicked started their own league and they now have a rep team of locals, much the same sort of impetus behind Moana Pasifika and Drua. It was always only a good thing to me and wonder if this means you're leading down the capitalist path not appreciating that?

If you're just talking about the current situation, why would anything change? Perhaps in a non Test Championship year it's the Lions and maybe others should focus on a single tour rather than globe trotting. I certainly think the International game is maxxed out now with 5 or 6 game regional games and the same intercontinentally.

Perhaps a very unique country like NZ may take their brand around the world but even they are surely going to see the most growth in the other half of the season. The domestic season?