Fiji tweak starting XV for semi-final against USA

Only Aussie likely to possibly upset NZ as these 2 teams are way ahead of the others.

Don’t think you need to worry about this AB 7s side climbing up off the canvas to win this tournament. They have not performed well at any stage and are mediocre at best.

I feel Joe is wedded to the 5/3 which is why he may struggle to pick big Will for the Lions Ardy. Maybe 20-30 mins off the pine??

Both the Corderos were/are good Fran! Santi great at Exe.

Aha. I claim my ten dollars!

🤣

Isn’t that exactly what Mat Wiliiams was attacking him for JW?

Top comment thanks A.

It would create great interest, and isn’t that what rugby needs to grow the game further?

You can have as many potential subs as you like [there’s even a case for allowing all of a 6N squad to sit on the bench] but you can limit the number of interchanges between on-field to bench to between 6-8.

Oh you mean this https://www.rugbypass.com/news/the-raw-data-that-proves-super-rugby-pacific-is-currently-a-cut-above/ . We know you like it because it finds a way to claim that SRP is the highest standard of club/provinicial comp in the world! So there is an agenda.

“Data analysts ask us to produce reports from tables with millions of records, with live dashboards that constantly get updated. So unless there's a really good reason to use a median instead of a mean, we'll go with the mean.”

That’s from the mouth of a guy who uses data analysis every day. Median is a useful tool, but much less wieldy than Mean for big datasets.

Your suppositions about French forwards are completely wrong. The lightest member of any pack is typically the #7. Top 14 clubs all play without dedicated open-sides, they play hybrids instead. Thus Francois Cros in the national side is 110 kilos, Boudenhent at #6 is 112 kilos, and Alldritt is 115 k’s at #8. They are all similar in build.

The topic of all sizes and shapes is not for the 75’s and the 140’s to get representation, it is that 90 to 110 range where everyone should probably be for the best rugby.

This is where we disagree and where you are clouded by your preference for the SR model. I like the fact that rugby can include 140k and 75k guys in the same team, and that’s what France and SA are doing.

It’s inclusive and democratic, not authoritarian and bureaucratic like your notion of narrowing the weight range between 90-110k’s.

Class player. Stronger than he looks with great balance. I’ve gradually come to think he’d be one for the first picked in the England side. Will be interesting to see if Farrell think enough of him to make him a Lion's-starter.

No doubt about it, they expected to win that home RWC JD, esp after success in the Olympic Sevens. And Top 14 bent a little to allow it. I’d be surprised if they show the same level of willing for a tounrmanet in Aussie in 2027.

Yeah, they tried that approach in 2024 & lost 4 tests - 2 against ENG, & one each v CAN & IRE. It was like watching headless chooks running into each other. Embarrassing.

Peak is way behind. Never managed much playing under actual pressure at WC. Give young fellas a go who might be able to handle it

Admittedly Ireland was looked on as the easiest team to take losing too!

He the All Blacks beat them in 2019, in the World Cup even, and got shafted buy the ref panel in 2023!

I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone critisize Rassie for being obsessed with size, he uses Kwagga Smith and Bongi for heavens sake.

Fat’s not really a problem, it’s when it’s the same weight of muscle we force gets high.