The Friday night phonecall between Adam Hastings and exiled star Finn Russell

Like, what metric will you accept that can be used to judge whether he is better now than he was at Barca?

We’re embargoed until July?! I thought that was agreed?

The law is written in black and white.

I can’t speak on behalf of a nation, Edward (hasn’t held you back, mind). I’d venture Rassie would swap something to erase the IRE V SA win ratios during his reign…It ain’t pretty reading.

2 RWC’s and a SR title = a single win against Ireland.

PS - If you’re not a Bok supporter, perhaps it’s engerland? But they’ve bombed 3 RWC finals and 2 home tournaments so you couldn’t be talking that big on a record like that. It’s obviously not Wales as their fans have quit the internet. It’s not Scotland because to a man they are great craic.

I think your just a soccer fan? Am I right?

“I was part of the law group that determined the IRFU’s position on how things work currently.”

So this was part of an advice package to the IRFU only. It’s pretty clear that definitions of players outside the three necessary front rowers were never discussed at any level. Carte Blanche.

“Designing massive players – through planned, specific conditioning – who can only manage to play effectively for just about half a match is ludicrous, totally against the spirit of the game. It also delivers a game dominated by brutal physical power.”

No we’re talking about the spirit of the game - the amateur spirit.

As for the game ‘dominated by brutal physical power’, I’ve just pointed out that the 6/2 and 7/1 often go hand in hand with smaller outside backs. I’ve also indictaed that England use the 6/2 differently with an emphasis on multiple number 7’s. who are not ‘massive players’.

I see a clear lack of nuance in Owen Doyle’s statements.

I won’t link the article because in the past that has led to comments getting flagged as spam, but the article published on 22 April 2025 titled “Paul Roos rule schools rugby world” makes no mention of a world schools competition, and says that Paul Roos merely came top of a subjective ranking of schools.

In fact, Paul Roos did compete at the Abu Dhabi world schools rugby festival in december 2024, and were beaten in the final by Kelston boys high school in new zealand. Strange that SA RUGBY MAGAZINE didn’t mention that fact, and stranger that they didn’t include Kelston in their ranking of the top 12 rugby schools.

Roll back to the state of the Boks back in 2018, and most would be hard put to believe the transformation since.

That makes me feel all warm and fuzzy, bud!

Your passion for the game shines through.👍

“Bit disingenuous to say that none of the new players are likely to become regular starters.”

I didn’t say none are likely to become regular test starters. SFM will probably displace Pollard as the 1st choice flyhalf pretty soon, Jan-Hendrik Wessels is a bit of a way off, but looks like a really high quality prospect, and Cameron Hanekom could be great too. But that’s just three players. Most other nations have unearthed better talent than that. E.g. England have Fin Smith, CCS, Pollock, Opoku-Fordjour, & Feyi-Waboso. France have Jegou, Attisogbe, Auradou, & Tuilagi. New Zealand have Lakai, Bell, & Sititi.

“Too late to introduce new talent? In 2024? 3 and a half seasons out from the next WC? Laughable, mate. Im starting to think you might be BS’s alt account.”

Sorry I think I just didn’t explain this point very clearly. In 2023 SA were really reliant on experience. They started the competition with 14 players on 50 caps or more, and one on 113. New Zealand, who came second, had 13 players on at least 50, and 4 players on at least 100. England were perhaps the team that overperformed the most at the WC, and began the comp with 16 players on at least 50 caps, and 4 on at least 100. 3 years is plenty of time to introduce new players to a squad, but it isn’t enough time to build a squad with world-class levels of experience. Even if a player plays every match between now and the start of the WC, that’s only like 30-35 caps?