Saracens sign Samoan international prop

Let’s see if you provide a direct answer on this point, or run for cover yet again…

I’m stating, with complete factual accuracy, that the Boks were not compliant with the amended WADA code during the last RWC. That’s fact.

Doubtless you’d try to argue with that…

Here’s a hint for ya. Take a lead from the great Richie McCaw - choose which rucks to hit!

Ok that all makes sense - so would you look at wins (matches, trophies, individual awards) per year? Or perhaps on 1 three (five?) year rolling average?

And I am confused by the idea of “collective records”.

To make an analogy with rugby - the record for tries at world cups is 15. Hypothetically someone could score 7 tries at a world cup when they are 23, 7 tries at a world cup when they are 27, and 2 tries at a world cup when they are 31. Technically they would have broken the record aged 31, but in fact they would have broken it by virtue of their performances aged 23 and 27, and it would be clear that their try-scoring prowess at RWCs would have peaked in their 20s. So would you at the mean average of the years in which they scored?

Edit: just for the record, which members of the SA 2019 and 2023 World Cup winning squads are you accusing of doping?

Now they need to start winning RWC’s while staying compliant.

Going to Stamford Bridge on Saturday, hero?

But I was laughing at the notion of rwc titles for anything Ireland have won, in any sport ever!

I apologise for overlooking the ‘by what metric’ part last time. Wasn’t intentional.

I would measure the success by winning; matches, trophies, collective records, individual awards. And then relate it all to his age. It can only prove one of two things.

The Lions tour fist though. Get that run off first. Deal?

Busted, Eddie boy. The secrets out. The whole world knows!

Are you able to tell me how - when we get to July - you will judge Pep’s achievements.

Like, what metric will you accept that can be used to judge whether he is better now than he was at Barca?

If City win the FA cup final 10-nil that will be impressive. If they win it 3-1 that will be less impressive than when Pep won the Copa del Rey final 4-1 in 2008-09, so if that happens will you argue that Pep has got worse? Personally I don’t think a one off match tells us very much either way, but I’m just trying to work out how you want to judge his achievements.

History. More History. It only needs to be possible.