Bath's world-class back row is finally starting together for the first time in two years

I don't think your claims about a lack of buy-in from England players is right though. What evidence do you have for that? As you can see, I could only find positive comments.

The EP is also the highest ball-in-play league in the world right now, so I don't buy the lazy and unfit line on England players. The problem is the system not the players.

We'll continue to produce tallent only to have many of our second tier (and first sometimes) of professional players picked off because of the All Black centric model.

This obviously dilutes the quality and competition at SR level. The only way to increase the wage pool for such players at this point is to allow some of our marquee players to play abroad to reduce the wage bill pressure. This already happens under the cover of "sabaticals", but it could be formalised. Do we really need Beauden Barrett playing in NZ, for example. I remember quite clearly he wanted to negotiate a contract that allowed him to be NZ's first official Japanese based player. Part of him doesn't want to be turning out for the Blues every week in any case.

Some of his huge salary could have been used to keep Plummer, or invest in other valuable tallent essential for the health of Super Rugby.

He should be under-committing and over-delivering, to give the team a shot at rising to the top over the longer term. Having said that, it did not work for Eddie Jones. The RFU administrators don't like that kind of thing.

My main takeaway has been the number of tries that have been left on the field. Thinking back to Fozzie's first couple of years they really struggled to create anything, but took their chances pretty well when they came and still had the individual talent to conjure the odd piece of magic against the run of play.

This year's team has been given a lot more license to attack and have created so many opportunities, only for so many to go begging. I thought the efforts against SA, Ireland and France were all worthy of 4 tries minimum, but simple mistakes at the wrong time, pushing passes instead of retaining the ball, and taking completely the wrong option has kept us to 2 tries when 3 would have won it.

It certainly has the makings of something good, but next year will be the real litmus test to see if this is an attacking structure that can evolve and improve, or will always be hit and miss because of it's very nature and lack of structure.

I am surprised we have not heard more about the Felix Jones exit. Best guess is that there was a major disagreement, kind of a "my defensive system can't work if you insist on doing/not-doing XYZ" discussion.

For your further education, I found the following breakdown of one prominent club's finances in the Top 14 [Clermont].

For Clermont (budget of €29.5 million for 2021-2022) :

- 20% from ticket sales

- 17% from the LNR (includes TV Rights, compensation from producing french internationals and other minor stuff)

- 5% from public collectivities (so you're looking at funds from the city of Clermont, the department of Puy-De-Dôme and the region Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes)

- 4% from merchandising and events

- 3% from miscellaneous

- 51 % from sponsorships and partnerships. They've got 550 different partners. The main ones are CGI, Groupama, Limagrain/Jacquet, Omerin, Paprec, Renault and of course Michelin (not surprising since they're actually the founders of the club).

As you can see nothing comes from the FFR at all. The LNR is a separate entitiy to FFR and their aims frequently do not accord.

WHAT IS THE POINT OF PLAYING CANE & PERENARA?

one last time? That you for your service?