WXV 3: Second round team news as Hong Kong China make two changes

The fact that he is currently picking players who are in a squad of players who are now in their 30s (which obviously is a different age profile and overall average age to 2016/17) is quite normal for most teams as older successful players leave and young players come in.

Rassie inherited a team at number seven in the world and had to essentially start from scratch in terms of developing both depth and experience for the 2027 World Cup.

The fact that you don’t get the pragmatic realities around this makes debating this with you over and over such a waste of time.

Compare what’s happening in New Zealand, for example, who has done less than just about anyone else to pick young players in this first year out with Razor - the problem is obvious. But if I recall correctly you had New Zealand ahead of SA in the rankings by 2027?

You’ll be proved wrong again.

Any comment on that James???

What goes around, comes around…

I was always raised to think that during the match you should try to get a mental edge over your opponents, but after the match you need to be respectful, win or lose. The RWC suggested that that attitude isn't shared by some of the southern hemisphere sides. I'd be interested to know if there's a genuine disagreement about the proper code of conduct, or if its a case of a few bad apples not practising what they preach.

But I do feel that here in Australia there are still enough good players coming through to keep us well up with the worlds top nations....talking top 10 - 15 say. What we are clearly lacking currently is a range of really top coaches at the level of Super/URC/P'ship/Top 14 , and above. That should be a target for RA to change.

It is such a shame Nucifora was not kept. It is not only the player stocks in Ireland that thrived in his time. Look at the coaches Ireland has now produced. They are not necessarily high profile, like ROG, but they are there, well represented in world rugby.

Ditto Kerevi.

I feel Sclavi made his own bed at that scrum - started much too early at an angle and opened his rib-cage to attack... Then he had to lie on it!

Kerevi I would be interested to see again at top level. Not really sure what his form is right now.

Fergus Burke's injury and then shock departure to Saracens after being groomed to replace Mo'unga over 3 seasons is the reason O'Connor's signing is necessary.

Simply throwing a young player into Super Rugby who is not ready can do more harm to his development than good. Taha Kemara was done no favours being thrown to the wolves in 2024.