Ryan Crotty returns for Crusaders with season on the line

This is game one. New season for England. Playing a NZ team galvanized in South Africa and taking lessons along the way.

The only thing England has learnt since July is how to use Microsoft Teams better with Felix working from home and dialing in to coaching sessions.

Oh, and senior players getting better at managing their money after getting cash bonuses after another successful 50% season.

Oh. And learning a new defensive structure and conditioning regiment.

Oh and a new 9/10 combination.

But they’ll be fine. No need to worry. Allianz Stadium is a fortress.

😁

And more important than that, we won’t hear the end of it from the North 😆.

I much prefer articles from the likes of Andy Goode, sir Clive and that other wannabe European clown Williams bitching and moaning. Makes my soul happy.

Oh and Gatland. Love listening to him complain. Gooseflesh.

Selfishly, I’d probably want England to win today so that they get that blinder out the way and roll into the game against SA depleted (yet over confident) with their best game of the year out the way. The other way around and they might have to dig deep and respond to their critics against SA.

England tends to play better when no one expects them to win. And worse when everyone expects them to win. Like today…

But I want NZ to win because I want them to go in confident against Ireland and maybe get some revenge for the South.

I haven’t been able to sleep for days. So conflicted. Tormented.

It's probably a more solid defensive combo though if you compare them to the next in line: DMAC, ALB & Proctor. But I'd bet the second this second group are better equipped to find the space amongst the chaos Smith is talking about.

Pretty trashy stuff. You'd never guess that the site is owned by World Rugby. How exactly does deliberately sowing discord tally with their much trumpeted values?

England will show NZ due respect as they always do. But they need to play. When I hear George talking about emotional energy that was significant against Ireland, I'd take note.

If they reproduce that combination of emotional energy and accuracy then they will probably win.

His argument was actually that the ability to respond to the Haka should not be limited so the Press Photographers can take photos in front of the Haka.

That's fair and I agree.

I think NZ Rugby could do more to promote understanding of it.

Newcastle may not be compeititive right now, but they are the only club representing the north-east of England and are important as a hub for development in that area. Just like Sale in Manchester.

Everyone else is based in the Mildands, West Country or London.

I cannot see any way a Draft would work. There is no coherent College system as there is in the U.S churning out talent, so where/when would you draft from? Straight from school when players are often signed to academy deals??