Another week, another shuffle of the loose forwards for the Highlanders

I appreciate this but you can see from the comments here the love in between NZ-SA where real respect lies. NZ detest Ireland since the series loss inventing narratives of arrogance and conspiracy theories about TMOs. Rugby Union is a Global Mickey Mouse game compared to soccer for example. Nations need to have a more friendly generous outlook towards each other.

RedWarrior 5 minutes ago

Losing to Ireland obviously triggers a years long whinge-fest.

Autumn Nations Series 2024: Everything you need to know about round four

RedWarrior 15 minutes ago

France will turn up. If the bounce goes their way it will be a big win: like NZ and SA inflicted earlier.

Autumn Nations Series 2024: Everything you need to know about round four

RedWarrior 15 minutes ago

Australia to be brought a little down to earth in this one. This is a hardened Scottish team.

Autumn Nations Series 2024: Everything you need to know about round four

RedWarrior 17 minutes ago

The big match this week is Scotland against Australia. Australia's plan pre tournament was to beat Scotland and to target a win against one of England and Ireland. It is clear that England was that target. Australia in 8th ranking position will achieve clear 6th and knock Scotland down. 6th is key because the Top 6 fall into the no1 Seeding band for the 2027 draw and Australia must be there to have a chance of getting deep into that RWC. Expect things to get a bit more real tomorrow: Scotland won't be surprised. After going to the well tomorrow I don't see Australia having the depth to beat Ireland with mounting fatigue. It's all on tomorrow.

I expect France to inflict a significant defeat against Argentina tomorrow. France might ease off and allow Argentina some respect but the victory is going to France.

I hope our Welsh friends can pull out some magic tomorrow. The series needs it.

Boergundy 19 minutes ago

If you give me a hundred articles written without telling me the writers' names, I can tell you 100% which ones were written by Ben Smith. The problem with the internet, unlike printed media, is that anyone can be a "journalist ". At least in the printed media world articles are vetted by the editor before being published

Autumn Nations Series 2024: Everything you need to know about round four

RedWarrior 27 minutes ago

Can't have a Kiwi comment without blaming someone else for their defeats. A 14 point try to France apparently the culprit last week!!

PB 37 minutes ago

Guess you aren’t a SA’can!

Maybe a disgruntled expat!

Jake White: Ireland, Australia and Wales all have the same problem

RedWarrior 40 minutes ago

"They start with Ireland away, and then they go over to Paris to play France."

England are playing France in Twickenham in the 2025 6N.

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RedWarrior 47 minutes ago

Andy Farrell faces up to concerning Irish 'trends' ahead of Fiji

There is nothing particularly significant about Ireland in this regard compared to other Tier 1 nations. To look at 'strategy' for illegal play its best to see what teams push boundaries with new laws. SA have milked two tries at ruck block downs. The strategy is to charge the first few before the ball is out at about 4 seconds but pull out and put up hands in reigned apology. The referees usually allow the scum half to clear without awarding a penalty in this scenario. The problem with that being that the scrumhalf is now taking over 5 seconds through no fault of his own. Having achieved a few slow balls > 5s , the SA forward can now pick a scrum to charge dead on 5s. Now if the scrum half waits, he will concede a penalty, as we saw against Scotland. With the new rule in place, any early charge should result in an immediate penalty.

SA also got an offside block against England which was pivotal again after a couple of 'apologetic' offside aborted charges forcing England to clear slowly.

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RedWarrior 1 hour ago

Ex-All Black accuses Ireland's Jack Crowley of 'disgusting' act in Argentina win

Yep, you're not the sharpest tool in the shed are you?

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Mark 1 hour ago

Fin Baxter wades into debate over the England losing streak

Totally agree, and with the Greenwood comment you have hit the nail on the head, England have never managed to replace Greenwood.

And although it's a simple analogy if you look at today's England side, how many of them would make a combined world xv?.

As you allude to, they are I'm afraid mediocre.

3 Go to comments

Lisa Decker 1 hour ago

Ex-All Black accuses Ireland's Jack Crowley of 'disgusting' act in Argentina win

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45 Go to comments

Werner 1 hour ago

I dare say it's an "everyone against the ABs" scrapbook. Only time I've seen him give half a compliment is when he talks about other teams beating the Springboks. Even in this article he puts the Argentina win in NZ down to the ABs being bad rather than the Argentines playing well, which they have been doing all year round.

Fin Baxter wades into debate over the England losing streak

AA 1 hour ago

Agreed. Borthwick will have to write a new excuse book soon .

I have looked at the two world cup final teams from 2003 and 2020.

2003 team scored 187 tries between them in 389 caps

2020 team scored 113 tries between them in 473 caps. As you can see a huge disparity in scoring rate. Only Johnny May with 36 tries in 78 caps scored a higher amount of tries. Elliot Daly comes close but the rest are frankly very poor.

Farrell and Ford scored a pathetic 20 tries between them in a combined 210 caps.

There again , the 2003 team did have Wilko and Greenwood etc whereas 2020 team had Ford and Farrell .

So much people saying that Fords strength is of bringing others into the game .

Really. The figures totally disprove that notion .

It has been mentioned elsewhere that we have accepted mediocrity far too often and the figures would indicate that players are or have been picked far too often without performing .

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Alex 1 hour ago

Not disputing that NZ are ahead of Eng. Also not saying Eng are unlucky (though clearly the tone of the article is not that the ABs were unlucky but that they 'should have' won). Your team are looking great and are on the up. I just felt that Pundits have argued Eng 'should have' won the first test against the ABs, when it's more nuanced than that, and very fine margins determine results that Eng didn't get right. Same applies, therefore, to NZ and other nations. Ben Smith though doesn't seem to see it that way. To be clear: I'm not saying I agree with the 'should haves', but more that I take issue with the phrasing.

Good to see your respect for other nations is so strong! Proper rugby fan you are!!!