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This post by Anthony on the Not Set Pieces thread deserves a quote here. It is one of the best posts ever made in our forums:

Wellington Sevens Day 2 - After the France v Wales Bowl game 32 y.o. Julien Candelon, who had just scored a hat-trick of tries to help win the match, was interviewed. [He played for USAP in the Top14 up until last season and had represented France in test matches back in the day.] When...

I have to put my hand up and say that Dennis has surprised me as a player - or more to the point: I under-estimated him badly to start with. I first remember seeing him come on for the Tahs off the bench one night to play in the 2nd row, years ago, and I thought, "Why is this short-arsed...

Hmmm - I see that they are using the dial of "Double D" (Dave Dennis) on the advertising for the Crusaders trial game. http://premier.ticketek.com.au/shows/show.aspx?sh=WARACRUS13#.UQvHDfLGN3M That should shorten his price of being the Tahs captain. Here's another clue. .

And ditto for a 1st XV game between Joeys and Riverview which was started early so the old boys would still be sober.

Good player Valetini. He's an ethnic Islander big bopper 13 who played for Vic Schools last year. I thought he might have got into the Oz A Schools team but he missed out on that and also the touring side to Fiji and NZ. However he was flown over to NZ when Kallel of Qld was injured...

[As to why I said the teams weren't apples for apples.] Ha - I was just a bit bemused why all our invited players who were fit were named for the trial and the Rebels named only Super Rugby and EPS guys in their 28. Since then the penny has dropped. The Tahs have more players from the Wobs EOYT in...

No idea about his club team. I'll ask him next week. When you saw him was he training with the others? I ask that because this (calendar) year he has been hobbling around just getting a leg back in shape. I was up in Nelson Bay on Tue and Wed; so missed training this week and have no idea...

If you're talking about the Tahs invited players, I doubt if he will use too many of them in 2013 but if there are a couple of injuries in a position he will more likely cherry-pick players from the Shute Shield once it gets going. That's supposing there are any decent players left. As I said...

He's looking terrific, but training and playing in a match are two different things. Put it this way: there is no indication that his good form in the ITM Cup, albeit in a lower level comp, has diminished. I made a comment in the Rebels thread that most of the players they nominated for...

OK - now the name twigs. He's a big bopper ethnic Islander centre who played for Vic Schools in 2012. He was called over to NZ last year to replace an Oz Schools touring player who was injured. There's another Valetini - Bill - who I assume is a relative who plays on the wing. Both looked...

He's looked fairly decent with a rugby ball kicking from hand.

More important than the names of the individuals in the backline is the way they will play the game. Cheika has made all the right noises, but so did McKenzie, Hickey and Foley and their teams played dreary rugby year after year. One season they even scored the most number of tries in the comp...

Though I understand the reasons I was surprised by Jake's comments given how well Christian was playing the position before he was injured last year. On the other hand Jake has coached a team that won a Rugby World Cup. He may have a tendency to know what he is doing. .

He went more than alright; he was terrific. The coach knows what he can do in the 2nd row but this is a trial and the coach has done well to chose him in the spot - be be tried out there. Agree on Reid. Apart from the proven Super starters including Wobs, are all the Rebels non-regular...

Python or Mr. Whippy?

JSRF10 - welcome aboard mate. On other recent postings: - earlier in the thread I said that we should not criticise the Timanis if they go offshore. It's not as though they were born and bred here; so you can't blame them if they go where the money is. Sita will fit right into Top14 rugby...

Correct - threw to the lineout better than Ulugia at one practice I saw - and whilst we are at it Lopeti looked better than big brother did taking the ball - he's good. One practice session is a small sample though. .

In a way it is a pity for Luke that Delve decided to stay and the Rebs picked up Higginbotham as well. I always thought he would have trouble as a senior player in the sense that it would be hard to establish his position identity. When I first saw him as a lock in the Oz Schools tournament...

I see that Angus Roberts from the Sydney University club will be given time at flyhalf and fullback in the first trial on Saturday, against the Waratahs. Not too much should be read into this - nor in whom the Waratahs use there (probably Ben Volvola and Sam Lane) - but he's a good player in...