Stade Toulousain : Barassi, cadre confirmé jusqu’en 2028

Those ‘wishful’ should at least be in the ABxv (ie AB ‘b’).

The most ‘wishful’, & for anyone in NZR/ Razor gang awake, is for NZ’s weak spot since 2016 ie 13, Peter Umaga-Jensen. Eg as 13’s main job(!)… in SR25 he was (again!) equal of Proctor & Tupaea who are all twice the ‘post contact metres PER 80min actually played’ (ie ~34m ) of everyone else in NZ …. including charity case Ioane ( at 17m PER 80min actually played).

Only AJ Lam & eternally injured ALB (again[!] a 1/3 to 1/4 the SR season minutes of other contenders ie another Blackadder!) come close at av 27m…again PER 80min actually played.

Razor gang & NZR need to wake up again & stop PUJ going to Japan.

Interesting innovations by Rassie, though the kick-off one was incorrectly refereed. Have some doubts about the lifting-to-maul - the act of lifting essentially obstructs the defending team from making a tackle. This is why it was done - the lifting was not required in order to set the maul. Note in a lineout there is a fair contest for the ball in the lifting phase - both teams are positioned and able to compete. Not here though.

So I can easily see WR banning lifting in open play. Not because it is the Boks wot done it, but because it is obstruction.

But as a rugby fan I love Rassies innovations - nothing wrong with trying new stuff, see what you get away with, and see what sticks. It’s how the sport develops. But in this case I can’t see it being retained, as there is no fair contest for the ball in the lifting phase.

Just wait till we do the double over the Brilliant & innovative All Blacks.

You seem to like me so much, why don’t we get a room?