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They play at Stadio Olimpico basically because it's still Italy's showpiece stadium. Nowt to do with the geography of rugby support. Rugby in Italy is pretty much wholly based in the north. There is very very little professional rugby played south of, say, Bologna. I'm in Tuscany, 90 minutes...

The FIR wants two teams. The issue has always been that Zebre, unlike Benetton, has been under FIR's control. It was the only way, at the time, that they could get the second team up and running. There has been long-standing resentment that Zebre is an FIR project and a drain on FIR resources...

Squidge is a star. Sometimes pops up on the Blood and Mud rugby podcast, he's a mate of theirs, and is always spot on with analysis. Well worth a listen to the podcast, too, even if they tend to drift into self-indulgent waffle. Albeit entertaining. When they stick to rugby they know their stuff...

Personality clash with the coach as much as anything.

Sky Italia show all the internationals, a wee surprise given rugby hardly exists here outside the north. Italian commentators are biased but in the least offensive way. There's a joyful innocence. Back in the dark days, when Italy beat Scotland in Rome, they were in tears.

Most importantly, they will need to sell TV rights for an amount to off-set costs. To whom?

It was down to the director and/or vision mixer. Director calls the (camera) coverage he wants, vision mixer punches in that coverage. From the look of it, the vision mixer was having a shocker, punching in the wrong coverage.

French defence stepped up in the second half. Smothering. Love to know what was said in the French rooms at HT.

Apparently his days are done under Galthié. Doesn't trust him, defence not good enough. Coach's 10 preferences: (1) Ntamack; (2) Ramos; (3) Dupont.

I fancy Alldritt to step up but back row has to be suspect. Ollivon benched because, apparently, his work rate has dropped off. Ramos at 10. Pffft. A lot resting on Dupont and Fichou. There's an element of perversity about the selection.

Dupont has been crook but will play. Cros a big miss.

That's on Borthwick. As was subbing him last week. Borthwick manages by rote. Can't read a game.

Smith doesn't deserve Borthwick's rubbish management.

Sua'ali'i named MOTM. Not sure about that. Cracking debut but Ikitau had to be in with a shout.

And bagging Borthwick. Pointing out, quite rightly, that England, when they actually play rugby, via Smith, can be pretty good. Until they revert to Borthwick type with poor, wasteful, defensive box kicking. As per last week.

BBC radio commentators love Sua'ali'i.

Quesada's first job was to banish Crowley's run-it-from-anywhere-regardless approach. It was naive, costing them so many unnecessary points. Quesada's policy is structure, to build platforms. Whether they're up to the ABs is another matter but I'm interested to see how things have developed...

G. Bray managed also to be a gold mine of trivia. We were all better off for knowing the hooker's Mum's middle name.

He'd done a runner rather than face the court so sentenced in absentia. Prosecution wanted two years, he got five, an additional three, for not fronting. Basically contempt of court on top of the conviction. I vaguely remember from years ago that he had bankruptcy issues over, I think, failed...

Yes, Toulouse were poor against BB and not just for the want of Antoine.