The moment Nigel Owens knew Jonathan Davies would be 'special'

Then don't make stuff up JW. Learn something about Top 14 before you comment so blithely! The 2023-24 season finished with the 11th ranked team posting 12 wins and 14 losses, and ten clubs winning between 11 and 15 games.

Engage brain and do your legwork!

That being the case, there would be a good argument to leave him at home to rest and blood some new talent at 8 on tour. The French aren't scared to monitor their stars and hold them back when they need a breather. But that's not how we roll in NZ.

Unfortunately to achieve anything great in life, you've got to be prepared to take a few risks and be comfortable with the possibility you might fail. Gone are the days the ABs can turn up with any old 15 and expect to win 80% of their matches. Playing it safe is not going to win us any WC's given the quality of the other top 4 or 5 nations we are up against.

As the saying goes, you generally get what you focus on in life. If you focus on not losing, unfortunately that's what you tend to attract.

The problem for Razor is that relying on the old guard could be a risk in itself. Both Cane and particularly Perenara have been heavily involved in the current win / loss ratio. Should the trip north not produce the desired results, it become more difficult to explain his approach.

It would be easier to claim progress and paint a bright picture for the future if losses came about with new talent being exposed to the cauldron of northern test rugby.

Besides, as fine a servant as Cane has been; it's difficult to escape the fact he is heavily tied to the worst period of modern AB rugby.

When we voted with our keyboards for change, that's exactly what we wanted. Too many of the current leadership group have become a bit to used to losing.

I genuinely don't know if holding on to the same leadership group for as long as possible to impart their knowledge onto the next generation is the radical change of direction fans were demanding.

I'd prefer they would invite McCaw to tour north and share some knowledge. There's a bloke who knows something about turning a losing culture into a winning one.

Fresh players bring less baggage. We've seen that clearly with the likes of Sititi, Roigard & others, who haven't yet learnt how to gaze into the void when things are going wrong.

Perhaps it's our fault as fans. Razor will be only too aware how quickly the public can turn if things go badly having watched Foster's show. Perhaps it's NZR HQ, who sell the ABs brand to any bidder with some cash to spare - promising wins, wins and more wins.

Certainly the NZR financial model which is almost entirely based on flogging the ABs eternal winning brand probably can't afford a period of rebuilding.

Whatever the cause of Razor's fear, the real fear is that the short sighted thinking will come bake to haunt us.

SA are busy building two squads of test ready players, while Razor prefers to shun young talent in favour of soon to retire servants who are past their best.