'One hell of a journey': Ex-Wasps back row Thompson calls it quits

I will actually give a bit of Kudos to Razor if the players he's chosen all give it their 100%. I just don't see them as having the energy left to do it myself.

Haha I agree, never seen a coach cry out for some divine contract signings and inspiration as much as Razor is.

Leaving now is the last think you can criticise these players for.

Hopefully that's the case for Havili as well. Really need the like's of McCleod to step up at the Crusaders. Lakai has the same position. Hopefully he can just get 30min to empty his tank so he doesn't run dry like he did last week. Perofeta is next in line but theres so much competition now, esp with Tele'a returning.

At least week got ALB in there and they made the call to let Ratima concentrate on building for another go next year already. Upgrades in both positions for me though I'd like it the otherway round, to not be.

Happy for Patrick to earn his start this week, along with EDG.

Mo'unga, please come back home ASAP, we need saving as I'm not sure Razor knows that his captain, Ardie, and Reiko have literally played every test this year, and we can all see he's given you the big desperate PLEASE with these selections.

DMac will have to make sure he can find and rip out the battery of that poor test vehicle they have at 10 so he can stop it changing lanes in front of him an slowing traffic down!

Fiji could actually be the ones for upset of the week. Typically clunky with players always in and out of their team this would be about the time they put another England beating performance in against Ireland.

SA to be as strong again this week carrying away from their opposition. Probably an underpar performance though.

New Zealand will be determined to actually put the triple figure score on the Azzurri this time. In actual fact a tired and physically beaten AB side has been chosen for this one so expect to see some space and free flowing rugby from both teams but still nothing more than a 30 point gap between them.

Aussie will be thwarted by a draw in their Slam attempt, otherwise another 1 point game either way.

Lets hope Japan is selecting more of its stop starters like France's Tavita Tatafu's cousin, Tavita Tatafu, otherwise it could be the biggest scoreline game of the weekend.

I understand you'd like to believe that the SA D system has found been somehow 'found out' and its weaknesses exposed.

It suits your agenda that it is only a matter of time before the ABs reclaim their rightful spot at the head of the world game [in all aspects].

It warps your judgment but I say, that's okay.😁

You are kinda right though, the first Irish try that just let England shoot up and went straight in behind rather than being forced back in to find a hole by the blitz.

Look through the games v Ireland, France and the two NZ tour losses, and there is not one try scored in the same way as I'm describing here! Not one.

The system being run by El Abd is not the one that implemented by Jones. They are like chalk and cheese.

It's not the same at all but I recognize you cannot see it - and that's okay.

He's not much different to someone like Paddy, no. Could have had a lot more tests for Aus if he played from home but I think it's simply a case of those dynamics you refer to, he is simply more valuable to a different style game (club in this case) up north so he was proportionately more valued by them than other good Wallabies players that get targeted (ie he got offered too much money not to leave).

Doesn't undermind that he would have been over the 50 mark by now otherwise (which cna be said for a lot of good Aussie players of course).