Saracens dealt a huge winter blow as Alex Goode is out until 2020

Nar that's actually a good idea, I thought they already had some representation but in the Champions Cup would be better. This is such a flexible and easy way to make change that it doesn't need to be permeant. I'd imagine other teams would be happier with a shorter/smaller pool phase (without the French drawcards?) though, I just know that teams like the Cheetahs would be hanging out for a few extra competitive games.

Massive test match potential from that England U20 squad. Be a damn shame if we don't get to see it in the white shirt at test level because they can make a better living playing rugby somewhere else, or worse still, playing for someone else!

But, I do feel like the Wallabies are in a much better position to handle/contain/compete with the Scots now than was the case at the end of the TRC, so I don't know about anyone else, but I'm really excited about this game this weekend..

EDG > Ofa

Taylor > Aumua

Newell > Tosi

Paddy c

Lord > Holland

Cane

Lio-Willie

Lakai > Kirifi

Roigard > TJP

Dmac

Clarke

ALB > Havili

AJ Lam

Reiko

Perofeta > Love

The Top 14 doesn't just have a bigger playing population (actually less than England I thought) they have to distribute it over two divisions of teams. Stars often come out of Div2 unlike in England (to my knowledge). Agreed, Englands teams are getting very drilled and a lot of them have turned the corner on how they play rugby. Should only keep England close to the top (ofc that's not good enough for them lol).

I think the catch itself is a hard as but he should have been in that space. That said I think it was ALBs role to be in that space and Rieko wanted to be behind him (by their playbook).

It's that lack of instinct at center, and of a few of it's core skills that I also agreed in general. While I really rate his contribution the way the All Blacks have played it would have been far more beneficial to have a center with different skillsets/strenghts. Do we have one though? Idk. Certainly can't see Lester being it in a few years, hes more of the same.

That other tip he missed from RD in midfield should have been a pass though. A little firmer and it's right on Rieko's chest.

I don't think BB had a page for anyone else to even be on. When you say the try was on, I think in half a dozen different ways and that's what caused his indecision.

I can blame ALB for that one though. Because BB held the ball on his first line (what he had been doing since he came on the field, running straight and hard) he then starts to slide with BB. ALB should have just kept running straight, as I think you're probably right, that's what BB was looking for by holding onto the ball and taking a few more steps there, and the would have gone right to him and who knows what unfolds. Certainly something better than what did happen.

Of course we know BB can't read a pass for sh!t and lobs it right in the middle of two players who have no clue what he's trying to do. I felt live he should have passed straight away to Reiko or run much closer to those two forward defenders (inc the guy sprinting across) and hope someones hitting a gap and pass at the line (line Dmac would). I think he took away the options of that initial intent his two targets had (whatever they were, I can't imagine they were anything more than ALB hit it up, Reiko run it wide around the back) and it became the 'second half' lottery after that. If thats within the first 20 minutes they're on the same page/more structured and it's a score.

15. Furbank

14. Murley

13. Northmore

12. Lawrence

11. Sleighthome

10. Smith (M)

9. Randall

1. Baxter

2. George

3. Stuart

4. Coles

5. Martin

6. Hill

7. Underhill

8. Earl

16. Opoku-Fordjour

17. Dan

18. Davidson

19. Itoji

20. Cunningham-South

21. Van-Poortfleet

22. Smith (F)

23. Roebuck