Angleterre : Marcus Smith prolonge aux Harlequins

And then the midfield safety net was ALB? The guy who looks more journeyman by the year, and spent most of this season sitting in the naughty chair after doing something silly (again). So much for 'experience'.

In contrast, Ioane is a big-body athlete who likes taking the ball into contact, looking for potential offload opportunities - and already has a path laid out in front of him by Tana Umaga & Ma'a Nonu... If he wants to be a centre, I think he'd be a far better #12.

I'm glad this got resolved well for them, but whoever was responsible for the players should be reprimanded.

Oh.

I don't think he alone is the reason for a downhill fall. The global game has gotten closer and the ABs were carrying plenty of spent players the last few years. They haven't fixed the win ratio since he's been away this year.

Item 3 resourcing Steve Borthwick's squad. Great idea but reality and BBC messagboards tell me we'll instead blame Borthwick and sack him, probably 10 months out from another rugby world cup so the next poor So&so is also dumped in the deep end with concrete shoes.

Item 5 the Premiereship exists in splendid isolation. Looking exciting, lots of tries, and whichever tv channel has the rights to it will tell you its the best in the world. Bull. England clubs are in Europe for the money that's why they fight hard to get in the top five. It's a cash cow to host Leinster or Racing. Again, we need to stop buying expensive rugby jerseys and paying for Premier Sport and buying rugby tickets. I know when I'm getting fleeced PRL. Sarries had to cheat financially to compete in europe. Before that we're talking Leicester and Wasps in the 2000's. Force change, cut off the cash don't let them take your wallet for granted.

What I believe is mindless is for NZR to assume top end players wouldn't sacrifice the ABs jersey to go and make coin and squeeze the most out of short careers. No other team would leave the likes of M'ounga out in the cold.

*Ireland also picked Sexton for the 2 seasons he spent in France. They made exceptions for a marquee player.

Will Jordan is the best attacking fullback in world rugby, solid under the high ball, and statistics reveal a good tackler. Leave him at fullback to counter-attack.

Jordie Barrett is a playmaking 12 in the mold of Aaron Mauger and would be most effective playing with a big heavy power running 13 to take short crashballs (or be decoy runners). Leicester Fianga'anuka, Levi Aumua, and AJ Lam all fit this mold of 13.