Three debutants in Tonga pack for Samoa clash

Pretty likely it will be successful given who we’re playing this year. Which is another issue with win ratios. Scotland’s win ratio boosted by games against teams like US and Canada. SA against Portugal and Wales and teams like France who haven’t travelled to SA or NZ in sometime.

World rankings make much more sense because it factors who you beat relative to your own ranking.

In that regard SA has been the most dominant - 186 weeks at no. 1 to next best Ireland at 67 weeks.

Lowe isn't doing anything different that what he did for the Chiefs.

Even better JW! You overestimation of SR, and underestimation of NH comps in a nutshell.

James Lowe would happily tell you himself how he learned to defend in a system in Ireland, basically work from scratch done at Leinster and with the national side. He had no idea when he first came over.

They also improved as players while in Ireland, so it was a win/win situation for all concerned.

And yes, a 57% win rate against the 6N sides in the atumn contributed to that.

But yes, for the past couple of seasons SA have done extremely well. We'll see if they can have their first properly successful autumn tour of the Erasmus era.

Nah theres no one else. Scotland hoovered up the next in line. Plummer was a 10 at the begging his career but had some really good seasons in the Blues recently as 12. Blues fullback got injured though so Perofeta (who started as fb against England recently) went to 15, (was maybe injured himself too) and Plummer moved back in to run a 10 man game for the Blues. Was very solid, very accurate and probably were the reason the Blues won in fact, but huge difference trying to run an AB backline aye.

The other SR team ran a fairly gimped 10 former AB similar to Plummer, but who really did show any class. It's definitely the biggest weakness the last 4/5 years. Lots of young guys looking really good right now though.

No ones even thinking of dropping McKenzie beacuse he's the only one with the kahunas to rock up and beat the big boys (as you saw in these last two games with his gifted vision and passing).

Also, don't be surprised if the next article to come from this lot is about the wanting the SA clubs to jump ship over to the EP.

SA does have another 4 franchises that could easily join the EP or another competition such as a URC second division if it ever got off the ground.