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Yeah, the pot plant is the traditional view of TH but I think these days, Super-level rugby is a full 15 man game and if you don't have that, you're going to pay for it on the field. Not only the Kiwis but the Saffa tightheads tend to make a LOT of tackles compared to Aussie props and get more...

Talakai is a great scrummaging TH but at the Reds he didn't offer much else. I had him in my fantasy team last season (so I was watching him closely and analysing his stats each game) and was surprised how little he actually did around the field compared to other props. He doesn't really make...

I do rate Fainga'a but I reckon Hardwick is the better option at 7 there, to give some solid breakdown presence. It's the only thing that Rebels team is missing, and Fainga'a is decent at the breakdown but Hardwick is a true openside. Personally I would shift Fainga'a to the bench because he can...

That would probably be mine too. Not that there are many other viable combinations, and there is bugger all injury depth, especially in the backs. Assuming Quade isn't recalled, the first injury of the season we're down to Maranta, and then into the club players. It seems almost criminal to me...

Reds should win a few - if nothing else they've got two games against the Sunwolves! They'd have to start favourites in both of them, particularly the home game. There is also a home game against the Bulls that I reckon they'll be eyeing. Could sneak past the Tahs at home too, they're not...

If the Reds lose Hunt and free up salary, with Hendrik Tui gone they are eligible for a marquee player, right? Perhaps someone coming off the European season? There must be a few good fullbacks in Europe coming off contract.

In the backs, definitely - he's probably got more Super caps than the rest of them put together. Smith has more experience in the forwards, and Higgers would run Cooper a close third. But it's one thing to be the most experienced player in your position - to also be the most experienced player...

For me, it's just that none of them are any more than lukewarm prospects for 15, and Perese is at least an excellent attacking weapon and could do a lot of damage as a roving fullback. If I had to choose between Perese and Maranta it would definitely be Perese. Since the Reds have typically had...

Thanks, good to hear. Maranta's game at fullback against the Brumbies was I think the worst 80 minute performance I've ever seen on a Super Rugby field. It was only one game (in a badly outclassed team) but it does worry me that he's looking like one of the options.

Yeah it's a pretty depressing situation. Bloody Hunt, we had enough problems before this latest disaster. My personal preference would be Tuttle, Stewart, Nabuli, Paia'aua, Kerevi, Daugunu and then whichever of the rest (including club players) is best suited to fullback. I'd probably go...

Even though the above was about Strachan, Cooper is not actually a bad option to provide 10/15 cover. He mostly played 15 with Toulon from memory, and his boot is pretty well suited to it. A lot of the time in defence the last couple of years he was basically playing 15 anyway. But I think the...

Commentators also making the point that playing such a fast-paced game with 14 men is the last thing you want to do - you want to slow the ball down and get re-set, not play open unstructured rugby. Once again Cheika's Wallabies are exposed for having no Plan B - no flexibility to change the...

The only redeeming feature of the Cheika era is going to be that whoever comes after him is going to have a handy margin against "biggest loss" records against nearly every Tier 1 nation.

I don't think that was a yellow. It was a fumble, not a slap.

He didn't just set it, he smashed it.

It looks like we would probably would have lost this even without the red. The Scots are playing very well.

Speight in the scrum... at least he knows where to bind!

Yeah his knees were on the ground, surely that's a tackle.

This rush defence just really isn't working for us. They're rushing up but not together and when they get up they're not sure what to do, so they just stand around the Scots run right through them.

Once Foley gets that chopping motion in his kicks he's done for the night.