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We all, surely, remember the Crusaders post the Christchurch earthquake? Had to play in far flung places, including London, because their home ground was destroyed along with so much of the city and the many lives. It did not stop them from winning matches.

A thought on speeding up the game. If that's one of the prime goals of GRR they need to instruct the referees to only pull up dropped balls when they obviously go forward. One or two knock ons called last night were arguably straight down to ground but the game was halted for a scrum. Similarly...

JP Smith?

Who really benefits from a postulated competition involving each of the four Super Rugby sides, the Force and the Fiji Drua? Isn't it just the NRC by another name with only one Qld side instead of two and one NSW team instead of ?many. Reds always took the NRC seriously with their two teams, but NSW...

That's a weakish Crusader front row, and missing Barrett, Read and Mounga will be disruptive as well. Still, Tahs will have to be very good to be competitive. I am a little mystified that two of the Tahs' best backs are on the bench - Gordon and Hunt. Along with Izzy and Rona, they have been...

My take is that Naisarani is quite mobile and LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) certainly challenges the defensive line whenever he runs the ball. Neither are a mobile as Hooper (who is?) but I'd really like to see the Pooper put to bed for all time.. I really don't think it has been a successful combination over the past...

Some good thinking there BH. I would also have Rodda as the 80 minute player, injury aside. The alternative we might see is Lukhan Salakai-Loto as one of the four backrowers, given that is where he has been most recently selected at Wallaby level. In that case, I believe, though I doubt it will...

Rodda is arguably the best lineout operator in the country, followed closely by Arnold and then Simmons imo. Arnold gets the nod as second best for his unequalled impact in both defensive and attacking mauls. Coleman is a very good jumper, just not a caller as far as I can see. Philip and...

No Lee-Warner? Is he still in the West?

BH, you know as well as I do that Kepu made most of his appearances as LHP after being displaced at TH by AAT and Tupou. And I give him credit for that. It doesn't alter my contention that he was displaced by players who showed better form from early in the season. There are so many better...

Oh? Last year from memory, Kepu was once again mentioned as an incumbent being overtaken, and by the test season both AAT and Tupou had the THP spot between them. Simmons is another who many posters pointed out was not playing up to scratch. I think he had effectively dropped down the Wallaby...

FP I gladly concede you know more about prop forward play than I do, but I have to record that Kepu's errors come from the very start of a game, not when he gets tired. I think against the Brumbies he lost the ball on his very first carry, and the errors continued throughout.

Slim. I would be interested in knowing exactly who the 4 or 5 props are in each category to push the Smiths to 5 or 6. I would have them in the top 4 as Reg has, but JP in front of Faulkner who seems to have a lot of issues holding the scrum at Super level, and Ruan in front of Keps. Kepu has...

By all accounts, on the Shute Shield thread, the Gay Gordons are likely to be a lot stronger this year and they have Coleman os their new coach.

D, I think Ruan Smith has already overtaken Kepu in the THP stakes. It will only take an injury or two to the current incumbents/reserves for either or both to come right into calculations.

My side at this time would be: Sio, Fainga'a, Ala'alatoa, Arnold, Rodda, Salakai-Loto, Pocock, Naisarani, Genia, Cooper, Maddocks, Kerevi, Kuridrani, Folau, DHP. A combination of form and experience in correct positions. Bench: Paenga-Amosa, Slipper, Tupou, Coleman, Samu, Gordon, Foley...

On form so far, I'd have Gordon as the backup to Genia. His sniping around the ruck area was about the only part of the Tahs' game on the weekend that looked to have the Brumbies' defense under pressure.

In the coming shakeup of the Wallabies team/squad I'd have Pocock and Hooper as co-captains. Pocock would be the preferred starter at No 7, but Hooper would miss the bench. In case of injury/rest to Poey, Hooper comes into 7 and takes on the captaincy.

Well, I certainly saw him. Many dropped balls and a YC for a dangerous clean out. Working his way out of the Wallabies right now.;)

RN, my response was mainly instigated by your reference to the strength of the Rebels' squad. I weas comparing that squad with the Tahs, but could have been against the Brumbies to make a point. Maybe they aren't as strong a squad as you might consider. In terms of being an 80 minute team...