The only certainty ahead of the knockout stages of the Challenge Cup... and 10 other stats

Whenever you reduce the time available to do something, it becomes hard to do. Like clearing a kick.

Making an impact on the scrum is only going to become harder. which means the best at it will gain an advantage (being the most skilled they can still execute perfectly within that tighter framework).

Why would I care whats happening in the North?

Anyway, you're getting carried away mate, he was replying to comments about those nations and giving an example to some of the next stars he knew coming through. Sorry but Asenathi is anything but that.

You're just going to have to accept that.

It started out as a NZ site/product, previously owned by NZR, so going to have people still follow it. Are you getting confused with the Japanese player? Tevita is a French International lol You'd expect to know him!

A lot more articles are regularly published out of Rugbypass HQ in Dublin highlighting the frailties, shortcomings and problems associated with the springboks than any other team.

Again, it was the ridiculous Rassie reference that made me comment, not your reaction (I always comment anyway). I knew where you were coming from.

Oh, and I genuinely wanted to know if there were players in their 20s on the up, as you hadn't appeared to make this observation/correction to the article. I would have thought there would be, more than Asenathi, but I can accept other commentors who suggest the hard edge of experience is favoured at the clubs too, not just in the Springbok. Because you don't need a crop of players like this, who hit their peak very early, to last 10 or 12 years in the team. You can get by just fine with a bunch of 28 to 32yos who are peaking for their club to supplement each four year cycle.

We got carried away when we found an author who gave us good oil on rugby in other parts we didn't know as well. I try not to get carried away now.

Still, you'd think after a a couple of occurrences you'd get a big angry at that point!

I could understand if you were suggesting that SA got carried away with playing like the NZ and Aussie sides in Super, so the scrummaging strength of South Africa might not have been obvious to everyone (hence taking someone with the vision of Rassie, who used this strength in Super with the Stormers), that might make sense, personally I'd think it would have much more to do with transformation.

I also don't think SA fans do a very good job of follow international rugby as it relates to other teams but that might be just a result of the type of people i've interacted with on here. Maybe not all Saffers are as stupid as Bull Shark!

That's so cool though, I've never heard that scrum formations were varied, or even optional before.

I wonder if instead of putting the ball into the scrum if you're the team with the advantage (removed/changed now that theirs no hooking required), it would be more fun to have the scrum pack over the ball, but a back rower is used as a second hooker (or loose head prop/whatever), to form a 4 v 3 man front row advantage!

Even still 8v8 the scrum with 4 at the front would have an advantage? That way we can get back to the scrum being a point of difference for a side like SA, where teams are required to push and hook the ball to win possession. It could be too strong for a team like SA!

SA have never been great at the U20 world cup, but they used to be better and have gotten a lot worse recently. Maybe that's because the overall standard of youth rugby has decreased in SA; or maybe its because the varsity cup has grown in relative importance. Given that the varsity cup is a lower standard of competition than the u20 world championship, if it has increased in relative importance then that might explain why so few of SA's young players are up to international standard.

"It's the whole argument following the Foster/Razor period for the ABs"

what is the argument in reference to Foster/Razor? That they aren't capping many people because the talent isn't there?

I agree with your other argeemnts today though, the talent is likely their and will come through when needed.