Top 14 : le Néo-Zélandais Plummer signe à Clermont

He squandered his first year when he could have been bringing in loads of new players at the expense of results. Instead he chased the win from week to week, ironically using the same players that have been underperforming and NOT winning for years to put in mediocre performances.

The new generation of players is here right now but Razor is clearly not ready for them. Lakai, Love, Proctor, Plummer etc... could all have 5 or so games under their belt. Instead they get 2 minutes at the end of the game to win a "cap" like this is still the 80s.

He had a license to be bold this year - an obligation after 4 years of conservatism under Fozzie. But in reality it wasn't until inuries forced his hand that any progress was made this season.

Worryingly, much like Fozzie, he seems unable to diagnose and fix what is not working on attack. He desperately needs some better assistants around him.

The comparison to SA is not really a fair one. Rassie is probably under the least pressure of anyone in all of World Rugby this year coming off back to back World Cups win. It's like the ABs in 2016 - everyone thought they would have a post world cup slump but it was the exact opposite. With no pressure and no fear they payed some of the most incredible rugby that has ever been played by the All Blacks, every new player was an instant super star and it seemed like nothing could go wrong. Much the same way 2017 hit the ABs like a ton of bricks I'm sure SA will endure something similar in 2025.

Or you tell me why that one didn't sell and the other did? Well my main point is really that the don't care if it's a France B team, never did in the past because they always sold out right. I'll be the first to put my hand up if I'm wrong but I'm gaurenteeing you know those games re going to sell out quick!

But I completely agree. PSDT is 6'7" and absolutely obliterates people without even being at risk of head contact. If he can do it there is no reason why someone like Sam Cane who is a good few inches shorter should not be able to as well. The ABs approach to these types of rule changes seems to be that they will go on as normal until they start getting penalised then try to work it out, whereas SA seem very proactive.

Again, you appear to be missing the context. Where only talking about the context of your article and bringing players through, Rassie specifically didn't need to do that because it had already been done by the previous coach. He wasn't beholden to any group and actually did his own campaign, with him as the prize, for opening up eligibility. He had all the color on his canvas but it was essentially blank for him.

There's no way Razor was, or should, be going to drop what color he did have with the core group to start with a completely blank canvas, he'd take forever to layer it up again. Painting heavy analogy but hope you can see what it is lol

Well I am trying to say that Razor couldn't deal with that pressure as well (t.hings would have been different without that loss), and while I firming believe Rassie could, he doesn't need to. He's certainly earned that respect and right to be unrestrained in his coaching style, but I will tell you that he will come under pressure to knock those sorts of losses out the more success, and chance of being great(est) etc, he has. That will add some real spice to the scene!

8/11 is still passable.