Fabio Ongaro to stay at Benetton

This is also some of the best general attack, phase upon phase of attacks, that I have seen the ABs produce in years. I give ALL the credit in setting that temp to Dmac. Just last week alone he made a couple of outrageous plays to put his backline away, to put that final piece in the puzzle that had been missing for years. Not that I didn't think Richie wasn't a great strike weapon, he plays like a match winning league five eight and still did enough to win that WC for NZ.

They need the sort of loss that ends a few careers. Big time.

Australia say they need something like a win again the ABs to get things back on track but my neutral thought was you can't have both teams putting things back on track! But maybe Razor really does need a loss of this magnitude before he completely goes with his instincts.

It was so close to be proved the case with Sam Cane, you can't continue to select a guy who can't consistently play. Cane was captain, so understandable he keep coming back, but I think it's still a valid motive that lack of consistency of 7 (and therefor 6, and the whole loose forward balance along with 8) heavily hindered NZ form through 2017>2022 (of which Cane only played half the available games.

I don't think Blackadder has the same upside as the one true defensive lynchpin in NZ's game, along with leader, Cane had, so I don't want to see a 50/50 available player being considered a starter again.

Sure, they might be right and his game isn't suitable to test, but you will never know until you try him there!! Messing him around like this is just destroying any chance that he is succesful there.

England and then Ireland will utterly roll this 15 come November. Terrible state of affairs.

This is tough going though. Poor lad. 22 is young to be going under the knife.

I don't want to see TJ until the very very end (nothing against TJ). I don't want to see both wings replaced. Sure it would scratch an itch to see Rieko at 11 again but I want one of the midfield replaced for ALB this time. No idea what point to bring Reece on for at all.

That's not conservative. That's brain damaged. Or perhaps Ricky Razors is being told who to pick by his paymasters?

Would be massively unfair on Italy especially now that they've genuinely turned a corner.

He's being conservative!

How long Jordan should be given is the question. If Razors team can improve the playbook for the wings, I'm more than happy to use Clarke and Tele'a (14) as the primary wings, no need to place Jordan there. I'm going to put my foot down actually. If they don't work hard on Tele'a now, giving him his preferred position and playing to his strengths, I see him as the winger who will slowly fade away instead. It would be such a shame to lose him to the game because they decided to prioritize Jordan at 14 (or took a gamble on Love being the 15).

What is it with him and fullbacks? A natural 15 is awkwardly rolled out as a 10 every game. He fooked about and had the games best winger at 15 last day out. Barrett is now back at fullback but will probably do most of the place kicking? Mad.