21-year-old first five handed maiden start with Highlanders

A bonus article before Xmas!!❣️

If they want to maximise their potential I think they need both an attack and defence coach, it's not the skills of a backs coach thats missing but the creativity of a Tony Brown, an attack coach. AB defence was better than attack but I still think a real pro is going to be needed to take it to the next level. I can see the current team adding little things to improve it by brain struggles to see a leap where the whole team is attacking rather than just DMac without a restructure.

I think the team clearly needs to build more strength in depth but there has been progress in this area this last year. We need at least one more world class lock in the mix and I hope they settle on their best loose forward combination earlier in 2025 also (preferably with Savea playing No.7). Both South Africa and France have built up about 45-50 players that could play competently at top level international level - the ABs have about 35-40 and it needs to get better.

Also, it needs to be said that both the Crusaders and Highlanders underperformed in the Super Pacific completion and both teams need to step up. There are too many players of potential international quality in those teams that were badly out of form because the team pattern wasn’t working or they spent most of it injured. They need to step up - if these teams provide more in form players, the ABs strength in depth will increase.

Not surprised Marcus didn't want to come, it would have been too much of a gamble for his career. Shame though but Tom Jordan is coming for half a million quid less which we can now invest in a couple of big forwards hopefully!

Couple of questions related to Bristol and Black Ferns.

They were properly hammered and struggled to score many points at all in the two European matches preceding the demolition of Leicester. Was it lack of ambition in those matches or a better opponent? This Tigers mob has been less than the sum of their parts since their ugly GP win under Borthwick.

I went to Twickenham with a large group of parents and young ladies from Barnes RFC to watch NZ v England last season. The dads among us were deeply frustrated by how inflexible the Black Ferns were with their strategy to run and not kick and they were duly put to the sword.

Pretty clearly, there is more depth and quality in the England squad and, whilst on any given day (and with the help of a red card), NZ might sneak one the strategy can go horribly wrong given the level of passing and catching skill in the women's game. Was Smith very lucky and it's the wrong way to play big games or was he showing us the way forward? I'm not at all sure.