Who's going to start for Stade Racing Francais Metro? And other talking points from the weekend's rugby

England’s super 18 is included, but this week’s two-pint question from the northern hemisphere is: who should play for Paris’s new super-team?

Win number 18
In beating Scotland at Twickenham to lift the Calcutta Cup at the weekend, Eddie Jones’ men equalled the All Blacks‘ record of 18 consecutive Test match victories. The irony is that the side standing in the way of England overtaking New Zealand is the same side that ended New Zealand’s run in the first place. The debate ahead of the St Pat’s weekend match in Dublin has been whose 18 consecutive wins is the superior run – though it really should not be. The All Blacks scored more points, conceded fewer, played away from home more often, and faced – other than Namibia, who were a World Cup training exercise blip in the All Blacks’ streak – more high-quality teams. There never has been any real argument about which team is better. No, the debate should focus on whether, and how, Ireland could stop England moving on to stand alone with a 19-win record, and winning a Grand Slam in the process. Or, is a back-to-back Grand Slam inevitable. Under official bar-room rugby conversation regulations*, anyone who mentions Cyprus’s 24-match streak should be instantly fined an extra round of beers.

Return flight of the Goose?
Johan Goosen could return to Racing 92 to resurrect a rugby career that was ended by a case of premature retirement in December, according to media reports in France. He was probably left with little choice, given his legal situation, after he suddenly walked out a sizeable portion of a €40,000-a-month deal, prompting the club to threaten legal proceedings, and Toulon president Mourad Boudjellal to brand any other team that may try to hire him as ‘bastards’. It’s probably fair to say neither Goosen nor Racing have come out of this sorry saga well – but the question is whether, after all that has happened over the past few months, the two sides can rebuild burned bridges. And what about his new employers?

To merge or not to merge
Part of the answer to the Goosen question could be the announcement this week that the Top 14’s two Paris-based sides, and two of French rugby’s originals – Racing 92 and Stade Francais – have unveiled plans to merge. Assuming that the plan gets rubber-stamped by the Ligue National de Rugby, there will be just one Paris team in the Top 14 next season. So, this week’s two-pint question (barring rogue mentions of Cyprus during any New Zealand / England debate) is: which players would you keep from the two clubs? Remember, French rugby has a salary cap, and it is enforced.

[rugbypass-ad-banner id=”1473723660″]

In at the side
Forwards (and a fair few backs) all over the world giggled at England winger Jonny May’s scrummaging efforts during the November internationals, but few Irish eyes were smiling when centre Robbie Henshaw decided to add his weight and muscle to an apparently unstoppable rolling maul a few metres from the Welsh line during the two sides’ Six Nations match at the Principality Stadium. His problem? He joined at the side, leaving the referee little option but to award the Welsh a penalty. At the time there was barely anything between the two sides in what was an epic blood-and-thunder match, and he has since admitted that he did not understand the maul laws. Apparently, for the second time in this Six Nations, elite players seem not entirely au fait with the laws of the game that they play – is it time, then, maybe for them to sit a rugby theory test?

Bordeaux blues
It had to happen. Raphael Ibanez has announced he will leave Bordeaux at the end of the season. For the longest time, Rafa had a love-love relationship with the fans, with many expecting, even hoping, that he would be the one to take over from Philippe Saint-Andre. But all is far from rosy in the Bordeaux garden these days. Ironically, their vital bonus-point win over Grenoble at the weekend – their first in the Top 14 since November, which ended their downward spiral and saw them move to eighth in the standings – was probably the final nail in the coffin. The thing is, Ibanez was not there when the Begles ended their winning streak. Instead, he was in Rome, being the perfect pundit for broadcaster France 2’s coverage of the Six Nations match between Italy and France. Conor O’Shea’s predecessor as Italy boss Jacques Brunel, who has been on the staff at the club since leaving his Azzurri post, was the man on the ground, alongside Émile NTamack, and looks favourite to take over.

*No official bar-room rugby conversation
regulations exist. Though they probably should.
And, no doubt, they soon will. Watch this space.