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Pretty hard on Piutau, he had a blinder against SA and Dagg didn't.

16. TPN 17. Smith 18. Kepu 19. Skelton on at 50 or earlier. 20. Higgers/Mumm 21. White. Needs to get 20 minutes 22. Beale. 23. Hooper if he gets off, otherwise Mitchell If Kuridrani gets injured then Beale on to 15 and Folau to 13. Its a surprise move I'd like love to try out. If anyone else...

Great stats!!! First thing I noticed was McCaw's 33 rucks. Not bad for a washed up old guy. And you are right. The Australian front row would have to play two games to rack up the sort of involvement stats for the two best teams in world rugby. Ben Franks: 13! ruck involvements in less...

Yeah, but I'd have a quid on it that my "A team" is not the same as your "A team" in any number of positions. So I don't agree that its starting to select itself. Cheika is still between a rock and a hard place. He needs to win at least once in the two Bledisloe games or have two very narrow...

3. Simmons 2. Pocock 1. Beale

For the first 60 SA was clearly the better side but just couldn't get the points gap their play deserved. Then the scrum debacle gave NZ an edge because they got more feeds in the last 20. NZ finished a bit stronger but will know they were lucky to snag a win.

One. But they gave the Boks an almighty fright last year and beat us. They are very tough to beat at home.

Last six months? Where have you been? They were doing it the morning after he had an absolute cracker in the final against the Crusaders last year and haven't let up since. Just imagine if one of the League rapist/wife-beater/druggie/bestiality/alcoholic corridor shitters was playing Union...

Not sure I understand what Meyer is trying to do: Koch is on the bench in place of Malherbe. Is this because of Malherbe's apparent deficiencies last week or is he trying to rotate to have a look at Koch? Koch looked very powerful for the Stormers but was also a bit of a penalty magnet. Why is...

This selective analysis to prove Skelton isn't up to it after seeing just 50 minutes is just selective reinforcement of prejudice against particular players. Given that the loose head side of the scrum was in more trouble than the tight head side last week, does the selection of Slipper and...

I don't rate the Tah lineout so Horwill doesn't get many points for that. He gets some for pushing in the scrum, along with his mates. But that's not enough, everywhere else the Tahs clobbered the Reds and for me Horwill did not stand up. Everyone's got a different opinion and that's fine...

That's pretty appalling. When your family income is $100K+ that would be a bit of a tough ask. When your family income is $50K or less you are no chance of going. When these tournaments are only open to rich kids you wonder why all the poor kids play league? My grandson is in the league system...

I understand your opinion on Mumm but I don't agree. Just because Elsom didn't work out doesn't mean it will never work. George Smith wasn't bad till he got concussed. Horwill, on his form this year, is out there in a category called "brain explosion", a category usually inhabited only by...

I understood it was for two years. If not, my bad.

Nobody but the insane would bet against the All Blacks, but that squad has a lot of people riding on their reputation and a few very undeserving omissions: Thirteen Crusaders after their dog of a season? Lots of them made it on reputation. To my mind, only Coles in the front row is a clear...

Mumm is back in Australia to play for at least the next two years. To say he is not eligible for the RWC is in my view unfair. He meets the laid-down criteria, so why the big whinge. Had Cheika chosen Simmons, Mumm and Jones as the three jumping locks would you be as upset? Maybe not. In my...

I don't think Read is much more than 196 and he is the best lineout technician in the best team in the world. Judging someone's form and abilities now based on your opinion of him three years ago seems likely to have a high likelihood of error. I try (usually unsuccessfully) not to be too...

Saved as in scored or saved as in "prevented a try"? I can't access Fox.

If I was to be honest I would have categorised Horwill as "supposed to be the bruiser lock". He and Faulkner are, to my mind, the most undeserving selections in the squad.

Cheika is a coach who likes to select a team and then trial things from the bench. Who am I to disagree, but I will. The RC should not be competed for as first priority this year, it should be used to select our RWC final squad: A number of players need a rest to freshen them up. Hooper, Foley...