'I haven't looked back' - Piutau reflects on decision to leave New Zealand

Really commendable that theyre doing it with the non French players now too. Kinghorn in particular is going to want to be firing come a month after the T14 final.

LOL I cant really working what “reaction by orthodoxy to Moneyball principles” means but if just a fancy way of saying a movie about the good ole days of true art that no fancy numbers can beat, didn’t Clint the tip the hat to it by defecting to his um disciples club and use moneyball to find a no name curve ball pitcher to beat his club with?

Ohh so its really all off one batting principle, and I suppose they questioned others once they first were able to run the numbers. Bit of a wait at the library but I booked it in, will see if it can hold me. Cricket > Baseball after all so it better not sound too american.

Williams is fighting it out with Ben White for 3rd slot behind JGP and Mitchell.

Morgan is up against JVDF, Earl, Curry, Curry, Willis for 4 flanker slots. Morgan is a fantastic player but a huge call to leave any of those boys at home given how much Wales struggled at the breakdown against England. He's by no means solely responsible for that but it will be fresh in the minds of the selectors. Given the amount of hybrid players emerging and the inclination for a 6-2 split, they may be able to find room for a 5th flanker in the squad. In which case may be Ben Curry who misses out or Willis might be excluded given we have such depth in the players who have chosen to play for clubs this side of the channel.

Lake and Faletau are good enough but I'd be surprised if Faletau gets picked over Conan and Lake would be up against Cowan-Dickie which I can't see happening. Blair Murray is probably 4th in the 15 pecking order behind Kinghorn, Heenan, Marcus Smith. He may be a better 15 than Smith but Smith brings versatility so would be ahead of him. Since Smith may go on tour as a 10/15 hybrid, they would already have 3 fullbacks in the squad so Murray won't make it, good player though.

Nicky Smith and Dafydd Jenkins clutching at straws.

If I had to put money on either side, it wouldn’t be for the RFU record making a decision like that. Tough one though.

I’m not sure that angle would come out much in Aus anyway (not much hits the news).

It’s very simple and you obviously know this, they do what’s best for the athlete. Galthie is just doing his part in making sure they don’t break, you know, like a team effort.

Just as LNRs teams are.

Bottom lines? The players don’t get a lot of rest as their season is so long, yes, but Galthie can select any player he wants in an International window. You just have to ask yourself does Galthie want to select that player or ensure they are rested? You just need to stop being obtuse, and some French white knight guy, what you say is simply untrue.

Why not just word it properly?

The ANZAC myth has been used by sports teams for years. Some to a greater degree e.g. the old Rugby League ANZAC test, some other sports will make passing reference in the advertising or commentary etc.

I don’t think the ANZACs (looking down from heaven) see themselves as sacred cows. I think they would rather see a game of rugby in their honour. What better time to hold a Bledisloe cup match?

ANZAC day is about both remembering the ANZAC’s sacrifice, and their descendants celebrating the freedom we have because of that sacrifice. If a Bledisloe ANZAC test was done in a tasteful way. I see no issue with it.

I don’t think rugby league deserved to host an ANZAC test as rugby league organisations encouraged their players not to go to WWI (Australia didn’t conscript for WWI).

btw, a side effect of a short competition getting treated differently? Obviously those involved no other way for the most part, but not just compared against aussie sides, I don’t think you get it anywhere near this bad anywhere else in the world.