Video - Augustine Pulu red carded after a sublime piece of skill from opposition player

Since July 2021, Marcus Smith has been the starting fly-half in 27 tests. In the same time period Ford has 13 tests at fly-half, Farrell has 8, and Fin Smith has 4.

“he’s never had an extended run at 10, at least not one without Farrell outside him.”

Even when you move the goalposts, you’re still wrong! Marcus Smith & Farrell have only played together 9 times, so Smith has 18 tests as the only specialist fly-half in the starting lineup.

He got his first cap for England almost exactly 4 years ago, because it was during the summer series and his second cap was marked by a call up to the Lions.

Then Eddie played him (mostly with Farrell outside him) in an attacking system that most of the times it looked like only Smith and Jones understood, and Eddie got sacked for it. Borthwick reverted to Ford at 10 up until the RWC, during which Marcus played full back more than 10.

Post-RWC, Marcus played 10 (and was generally one of England’s best performers in a faltering team) until Furbank got injured and he was asked to cover 15 again.

It feels like he’s been around a long time - but in reality he’s never had an extended run at 10, at least not one without Farrell outside him.

I wonder what would’ve happened if France’s tactics were more open to play.

It would have been more 55-34 I guess, but I don’t think they would have been at -3 points at the 75th minute.

All in all, thanks a lot for those discussions around this tour JW! Interesting, respectful and positive 🙏

But if you think England have struggled for centres recently that can’t really be Farrell’s fault. Marcus Smith has been the main starting 10 for the past 4 and a bit years.

Halagahu could be a good alternative, but he’s quite far in the rankings. He has more chances to perform in the 4 jersey in France (with Flament, Auradou, Brennan and Woki) than in 5 (Meafou, Guillard, Tuilagi, Taofifenua, Cazeaux).

And as for the loosies, it’s still the same problem, although it’s still the last maturing position:

-Will Colombe (27) transform in Toulouse after a catastrophic last season at La Rochelle?

-Will Tatafu (22) be free of injuries and start more games for France?

-Will Atonio (35) be able to keep up until 2027?

-Will Montagne (24) continue with a good season after interesting games against the ABs?

-Will Bamba (27) finally get closer to the level everyone was seeing him?

-Will Aldegheri (32) continue to be a good back-up because of his solid game and proximity with Baille and Marchand?

I just don’t see Slimani (36) come back, it was a good ending for his France career to be part of that tour.

In this instance it seems you support changing the rules, in order to allow more scrums. This would be bad, not just because it would mean changing the rules purely in order to permit one coach’s tactical “innovation”, but also because it literally just amounts to delaying the start of the game. When SA played Italy, literally nothing happened for the first 60 seconds of the match - no one should want that to become the norm.

“Deliberate infringement of the rules is something that happens multiple times per game, especially when Richie McCaw was playing, why no statements from WR then?”

Deliberate infringements are incredibly difficult to prove, in this case it was extremely easy.

As a 10 you're playing with a bloke outside you who's going to immediately kick the ball as soon as you give him possession, doesn't crash it up, can't run an incisive line and tries to run the game from 12 regularly stepping in at first receiver.

As a centre outside Farrell you're never getting passed the ball and when you do it'll be shipped on to you in a sorry state because he plays so deep and doesn't fix defenders because he has no running game.

Ford would have had a far better England career if he didn't have the spectre of Owen Farrell looming over him and he’d been allowed to run the show his own way, he's a far better player. Farrell coming back to England is going to do no favours for Fin Smith either. He'll end up with Faz at 10 pulling the strings and forcing him to play a game which doesn't suit him.

Hard mode: try respond with an argument that isn’t just an emotional screed

Overall though, NZ have been ranked first for 743 weeks, and were once ranked first for 509 consecutive weeks. Its extremely unlikely they’ll ever be overtaken for either of those records.