Filling the All Blacks' openside void

Great article. Rassie is an incredible coach - and he has a great backroom staff behind him - but it isn’t possible to squeeze water from a stone.

He won back to back world cups with a pretty much unchanged group of players. He won’t be able to do that again. Much of the evidence is that the next generation of players aren’t very good, but even if they are, they haven’t been introduced to the test arena in time to rack up the necessary experience for 2027.

fl 14 minutes ago

I wonder how much that has to do with South Africa being the most unequal country on earth?

the success of one singular school has very little to do with the success of a nation!

Why ex-All Black believes James O’Connor deserves Wallabies recall

Cantab 22 minutes ago

May be a bit long in the tooth but certainly worth a place in the Aussie team if only as an impact player, a role he has been invaluable in for the Crusaders. The youthful pivots at the Crusaders also are benefiting from his mentoring and experience. An inspired inclusion for the Crusaders this year and one that has paid dividends in spades.

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fl 23 minutes ago

He hasn’t blooded very many players. The relatively large number capped last year was necessitated by the fact that he handed almost no new caps in the previous 4 seasons. Given how few of the new caps look likely to become regular starters, and given how many of SA’s core group of players are getting to the end of their careers, Rassie will need to pick just as many new players this year and next in order to retain squad depth.

'Haves and have nots': The Six Nations numbers reveal hidden truths

NB 27 minutes ago

Yes it’s nice to be able to do a ‘deep-dive’ occasionally and come up with some interesting stats that aren’t usually avilable!

As you say Ireland havebeen great at both scoring from, and defending the 5m lineout, but it’s mostly the product of excellent tech and coaching rather than brute strength and size. With the coming of the 7-1 that may change.

The kicking game is also far more varied and unpredictable in its outcomes with no escorts allowed for high kicks and the 50/22 turnover potential.

Thanks for the post!

Ulster boss Richie Murphy levels accusation at Leinster after heavy loss

Ed the Duck 38 minutes ago

Such a measured, cerebral and erudite reply, great to see this has clearly got under your skin to such a degree old bean!

As to the point at hand, it was widely known at the time that Ireland were keen for a solution that enabled TB to be available for Ireland but that he was not prepared to return to Leinster, making an offer is not the same as informal discussions. Players have agents for exactly that purpose and being released at a young age and left with genuine uncertainty over your career is likely to leave a lasting scar I imagine. There was NO OPTION for him to be a reserve Leinster player. He did NOT leave under his own volition, as you previously asserted, in order to be a first team player elsewhere and he is most definitely not an example of the Leinster academy feeding the other provinces!

Enjoy your day…

Edit: it’s also rather sad to upvote your own post but not too surprising I guess

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CF 41 minutes ago

Ben Smith clutching at straws and having a desperate bout of wishful thinking that the Boks success won’t last….in reality the EU experience is giving all the SA teams massive exposure to different styles and players…Rassie pulls that all into a cohesive unit and his timing will be on point as always. The mere fact he blooded so many new players in the past year in preparation for the next 2 years leading to the RWC shows how healthy SA rugby is.

KB 49 minutes ago

Remind them paul Gymn won The world schools competition too🇿🇦🇰🇪

Japan's proposed anti-diverse 'blood' eligibility law after foreign player influx

fl 49 minutes ago

Very confused comment.

“it’s like saying WR racially segregates by stopping islanders playing for Japan, or any other country they become a part of. They’re essentially saying “no, you’re not japanese until you’ve spent 5 years there””

it isn’t like that at all. Japan aren’t saying you become japanese after 5 years of living there, they are saying that you only became japanese by having japanese “blood”.

“in case you haven’t noted, Moana and Fiji are for players developed locally”

Think JH was confused between Moana Pasifika and the racially segregated “Pasifika and First Nations XV” that is going to play the Lions this summer. Not sure why you’re bringing up Fiji, a team no one has mentioned because they clearly bear no relation to the topic at hand.

“saying you can’t have a Maori team is the same as saying you can’t call yourself Maori”

no it isn’t. A person can call themselves white, but you can’t have a whites only team.

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SK 1 hour ago

'Haves and have nots': The Six Nations numbers reveal hidden truths

Really interesting stats, especially around the scrums and the props spending so little time in them. The game is changing and is becoming faster but its also heavily territory and momentum dependent now. The amount of tries scored by forwards in the top 3 teams shows the importance of forward firepower at the lineout and is also of great importance when you are 5m out trying to get over the line from general play. Ireland don’t have behemoths but do well in this area due to superior technique and quality, France have the biggest most powerful pack and replace them with an arguably bigger pack with the 7-1 and England have plenty of power in this area. Teams are choosing to retain territory and use pens as a launchpad for dominating territory. Exits have also never been as important as they are today with teams giving away turnovers in their own half being heavily punished. The 50-22 is also important in this respect and we have seen how kickers go for it when on or inside their own 10. This especially happens directly after an aerial duel contest is won or in the event of a turnover in midfield. With the winger out of place and defence scrambling at the line a kicker is well within his rights to go for the 50-22. Giving away back to back penalties is also a no no as this leads to a 60-80m retreat. The Six Nations proves that in the modern age territorial supremacy and forward based power is what is winning games and championships.

Conor Murray: French giants weigh up shock move for Ireland star

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5 Go to comments

Jackbowman 1 hour ago

Former England star leads Benetton to huge URC result over Lions

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5 Go to comments

NB 1 hour ago

'Haves and have nots': The Six Nations numbers reveal hidden truths

My bad, should read 1999!

'Haves and have nots': The Six Nations numbers reveal hidden truths

NB 1 hour ago

Yes <three phases would prob mean set-piece straikes or turnovers G.

Linout is atill by far the biggest single platform for try-scoring, with 55% having lineout as the starter.

The bench is having a big say in how the game is played as ppl discover how many forwards they can squeeze on to it.

'Haves and have nots': The Six Nations numbers reveal hidden truths

NB 1 hour ago

No it isn’t, which is why I felt it was worthwhile translating a lot of the fascinating stuff within it JD.

The RWC cycle is ofc the acid test for club-country coop as the national side tends to wnat more time with the players then.

Not sure if Top 14 will be as compliant as it was for the home WC in 2023 though. That home WC had far more allure!

SK 1 hour ago

I think everyone knows that the SA teams are prioritising the URC which is why they have been so bad in Europe. The champions cup group stage fixtures couldnt come at a worse time for SA franchises. They come hot on the heels of the Autumn internationals and in December and Jan when its coldest in Europe and as hot as it gets in SA. During this period SA franchises have to leap from Africa to Europe one week after the next. SA franchises sometimes have to hop from Europe back to Africa and then back to Europe in 3 to 4 weeks. Mandatory Springbok rest periods are opted into by franchises to keep the players fit as the Springbok players cannot play year-round and injuries take their toll. Fatigue also sets in for players who have played non-stop since March as there is no global calendar. They don’t get a chance to regroup again until the six nations. SA teams prioritise what’s in front of them. The Springboks are top heavy and SA franchises are in Transition between the new and older generation. There are lots of youngsters coming through but they need more time at the top level. Coaching is also in transition in SA Rugby with many coaches at a young age. The age group levels SA has underperformed but the talent is there. Its coming through at franchise level and these players are getting great experience playing in a variety of comps. I would hardly call it a house of cards though. Succession planning has already become a reality. At Prop the Springboks are already replacing the seniors, at Scrum Half the Springboks are building depth and at 10 they have loads of options now and at 4 and 5 the Boks have used a host of players in recent years. Rassie has a plan for 2027 and the best coaching staff at international level. He has some difficult questions in front of him when it comes to the squad but is finding answers at the moment. Yes its possible Springbok performances could dip this year and perhaps in 2026 however I would not bet against them continuing to dominate while in transition. There were similar doubts cast about them last year and they proved the doubters wrong.