Irlande - France : la compo des Bleues pour lancer le Tournoi

Are you able to tell me how - when we get to July - you will judge Pep’s achievements.

Like, what metric will you accept that can be used to judge whether he is better now than he was at Barca?

If City win the FA cup final 10-nil that will be impressive. If they win it 3-1 that will be less impressive than when Pep won the Copa del Rey final 4-1 in 2008-09, so if that happens will you argue that Pep has got worse? Personally I don’t think a one off match tells us very much either way, but I’m just trying to work out how you want to judge his achievements.

History. More History. It only needs to be possible.

Like, what metric will you accept that can be used to judge whether he is better now than he was at Barca?

We’re embargoed until July?! I thought that was agreed?

The law is written in black and white.

I can’t speak on behalf of a nation, Edward (hasn’t held you back, mind). I’d venture Rassie would swap something to erase the IRE V SA win ratios during his reign…It ain’t pretty reading.

2 RWC’s and a SR title = a single win against Ireland.

PS - If you’re not a Bok supporter, perhaps it’s engerland? But they’ve bombed 3 RWC finals and 2 home tournaments so you couldn’t be talking that big on a record like that. It’s obviously not Wales as their fans have quit the internet. It’s not Scotland because to a man they are great craic.

I think your just a soccer fan? Am I right?

“I was part of the law group that determined the IRFU’s position on how things work currently.”

So this was part of an advice package to the IRFU only. It’s pretty clear that definitions of players outside the three necessary front rowers were never discussed at any level. Carte Blanche.

“Designing massive players – through planned, specific conditioning – who can only manage to play effectively for just about half a match is ludicrous, totally against the spirit of the game. It also delivers a game dominated by brutal physical power.”

No we’re talking about the spirit of the game - the amateur spirit.

As for the game ‘dominated by brutal physical power’, I’ve just pointed out that the 6/2 and 7/1 often go hand in hand with smaller outside backs. I’ve also indictaed that England use the 6/2 differently with an emphasis on multiple number 7’s. who are not ‘massive players’.

I see a clear lack of nuance in Owen Doyle’s statements.

I won’t link the article because in the past that has led to comments getting flagged as spam, but the article published on 22 April 2025 titled “Paul Roos rule schools rugby world” makes no mention of a world schools competition, and says that Paul Roos merely came top of a subjective ranking of schools.

In fact, Paul Roos did compete at the Abu Dhabi world schools rugby festival in december 2024, and were beaten in the final by Kelston boys high school in new zealand. Strange that SA RUGBY MAGAZINE didn’t mention that fact, and stranger that they didn’t include Kelston in their ranking of the top 12 rugby schools.