Late surge sees Stormers beat Munster to climb off URC bottom spot

As an aside, would these locations have free parking around them would they then?

Oh, Jon, yes, no you made the right conclusion of the survey, I was just poking fun at the meaninglessness of the study itself. It was an interesting enough article/information to file away for the calculation of the travel costs alone (which I suspect including the finance company calculating insurance costs for having your opposition coloured car's tyres slashed, wind screens broken, and even included the odd tow job that might be needed for some destinations)!

Though I would have preferred food and beverage angle to the study myself!

Despite that Foster was criticised in the seasons b4 the RWC23 of endless ‘learnings’ and continuity as an excuse not to develop next generation AB (worst new AB starts in the professional era) ...

...But AB supporters should have been counting their blessings ‘Wonder coach’ (?) Razor took that Foster team & so far has 60% success, including just 15min of B.cup1 (therefore lost the other 65min) then finally a 1st of the season full 80min in B.cup2, ie AGAINST 10th RANKED, Wallabies.

Then pre the hardest AB Nth tour in history WHAT BACK UP[??] has Razor developed?

1 {Williams} / Tu’ungafasi &?- nil back up has been run

2 {Taylor}/ Aumua &?- nil

3 {Lomax}/ &?- Tosi with micro time

4,5 Locks {Vaa’I, S.Barrett}, P.Tuipulotu &?- but micro time for Barry

But worst of any Razor planning failures the most critical positions of all the 3 Loose forwards.

What development??

Yes Sititi, ie by luck awakens.

6,7,8 Loose forwards { Sititi, A.Savea } &?- retiring Cane?

What part of Blackadder's latest injury was a surprise to the Razor gang??

Perpetually injured Blackadder endlessly played when available but now no other experienced loosies available.

12 & 13 ALB R. Ioane &? Zero SR performer Havili!! OMG! But near zero time for SR star Proctor.

14 Reece &? But zero time for SR star & Narawa

15 {W.Jordan} &?

Its too late but V Japan MUST be STARTING game time & development for,

(2)Aumua, (3)Tosi, (4)Barry, (5)Tuipulotu (post injury) (8)Sititi, (6)Lakai, (9)Ratima/ Roigard (10)Plummer, (13)Proctor, (14) Narawa, (15) Love.

BUT again it’s all too late. As always I cheer & wish the best of Abs & the coaching gang, but the last decade's development & dominance of the North over the ABs tells me ‘Wonder coach’ (?) Razor has reasonably leap frogged any honeymoon straight into NZR performance warnings with only some if not all 2025 to correct HIS performance.

That will be tough given he's developed near zero new ABs for 2025.

But really rugby needs an Orange card (15 mins) for accidental head clashes and a full red for flagrant, dangerous fouls (headbutts, biting, stomping etc..).

Ending a game because someone was off by inch in a highspeed dynamic collision is beyond stupid. Only the ignorant could support it.

But trying to graft a champion pear tree onto an apple tree and expecting a massive harvest may not necessarily bear fruit .

My suggestion- instead, refertilise and invigorate the roots of the apple tree, turning green shoots and young branches into a stronger apple tree.

How?

Create a number of rugby scholarships, say 50 of $10,000 each for promising young rugby players.

This would be used to cover the expenses of playing overseas in the French, English, Scottish, Irish, Welsh, NZ or South African premierships after next year's Lion's tour, or for time off work for high performance placements or special skills training.

The British and Irish Lions tour will see RA with available cash, and rather than invest in just a few players like Nathan Cleary, I suggest we develop our current Super Rugby, Australian U 20s, U 19s players where we have seen very promising results.

I would also suggest targeting established combinations, such as Teddy Wilson and Jack Bowen, who played together at U 20s, Easts Shute Shield and are in the Waratahs squad, to be playing at the same club and look to build future Gregan/ Markham combos.

The Wallabies need also to increase their front row depth and quality as Taniella Tupou body has it's own issues.

As we've seen on Dave Rennie's last Spring Tour, and in the recent Rugby Championship game against South Africa, without a highly functioning scrum, a team is pushing it uphill.

And where better for props and forwards to refine their craft than the Northern Hemisphere or South Africa.

Will Skelton, the Arnold brothers, Scott Sio, Angus Scott Young, and Lukhan are someexamples of forwards who have stepped up and thrived O/S.

Cricketers do it(Mike Hussey), actors do it(Guy Pearce, Mel Gibson, the Hemsworths, Margo Robbie etc), why not rugby players.

Travel broadens the mind, you leave your past identity behind, and start life with a blank slate. And get exposure to new players, coaches and systems that advance maturity.

And if the BIL beat us convincingly, a stint O/S would be a great thing to wipe the mental slate clean.

Having said that, Joseph Sualli has got rugby back into the headlines, so we'll take that, but some good on field wins and signs of further growth such as Joe Scmidt has producedwill certainly aid our rugby game.

As long as you're concerns aren't safety related bring it on! It's great that theres more than one way to win a scrum.

Luck can easily be enough dear boy.