Edinburgh miss out on URC play-offs after a heavy loss at Benetton

The issue in France will be tricky though, with little appetite to dispense with their play offs or restructure the league, and increasing squad sizes will not be as simple as it might seem once the Jiff rules are considered. Presuming ofc that the T14 ownership club could be persuaded to dip yet further into their pockets to pay for it. One very unintended consequence of that might see the French clubs hoover up increasingly more young overseas prospects into their academies than is currently the case!

I think SA are doing it because they don’t know who their best 23 are.

If you put Alex Mitchell and Fin Smith in Les Bleus the whole orientation of the team would need to change to accommodate them. Most of the attack would then come off 2nd or 3rd receiver whereas now it is arranged off 9.

WR invest and give money as well though. I’m familiar with their involvement in this part of the world, they helped get the Drua and Moana into SR for instance. I’m certainly not their white knight though lol

You sound more into 7s than me. I haven’t watched it in ages, as per above. For me, WR ruined it decades ago. I still think it has a function though, and actually suggested in another discussion to Ed that that function might be over? I actually see the changes as fun. Like what you have seen in Paris, and I’ve tried to say many times about Top 14, sometimes less is more.

What did you mean?

Perhaps they’re already accustomed to it due to footballlers being gable to play twice a week, and then skipping a lot of games, often the leagues weekend games? Long story short, I’d venture they’re (silver palmed owners) already doing near as well week by week as URC teams player management, they just run 8 weeks longer than they do.

I do really like the look of Hendy - I’d have picked him in the 6N squad - but I actually didn’t think he took the opportunities he was given this season as much as I expected him to.