Top 14 – Toulon s'impose contre Montpellier

As New Zealand showed versus England last year, Bath v Leinster this week, and Leinsters own attack of years gone past, it's all pretty well balanced in this department.

For sure the fitness and speed of the forwards (and even cover backs, strength in the tackle of 9's etc) have improved greatly in recent times to cope with running long distances and in time to cover the attack. The question I want to see play out is if a team like the All Blacks can click and create multiple phases of overlaps like they did against South Africa in the Rugby Championship leading up to the World Cup, can these best defenses cope?

SA blamed a lack of conditioning that day, having half the team playing their first international for the year. A team like La Rochelle isn't really a good marker, they are not a strong team and you can see the deperation to capitalize on the overlap playing out in these videos. Perhaps a misplay, or he's holding onto his cards, by O'Gara not rginding them down instead with that 7-1 bench.

Otherwise though not going past the 15 is not very well enforced, and I wonder how easily some extra requirements on back three positioning would be. With say a 3 men behind the 10m, 22m, half way lines rule.

The problem with trying to work your way through the middle is the condensed D which is designed to only cover two thirds of teh pitch. That means you're nearly always running into double tackles and big jackals.

But the points about Ireland's set plays are valid although I'm not sure how repeatable they are!

The bad thing for England is that Leinster have been practising it for the better part of two seasons and will still be supplying 11 or 12 player to the starting lineup.

Joe's pattern didn't work v the Boks in the first two rounds of the RC 2024 but Aussie were still feeling their forwards at that stage.

The Boks [and Leisnter] succeed because they habitually split 6-2 or even 7-1 [though Leinster were 5-3 for this game] and can bring a succession of fit, mobile tight forward, so there is no weakness in the middle of the field as the front five tire.

So what's the plan ? . It's quite simple really you cut off super rugby and stop the bleeding . put all the money back into the remaining competitions . Get the 1st 15 back on tv and have content creators at every level of the game making highlight reels for all the up and coming stars . the faster people know who players are , the interest will grow . streamers are the new stars of this generation . So NZRU should follow suite . watch these kids from 1st 15 and follow them all the way to the top . Some will succeed but most will fail . But that's the real point of interest . To see who will make it . And who wont .

Of coarse the quality of rugby will drop for a little , but once rivalries spark again . it wont take long for performances to lift and with that quality will only improve . All of a sudden the player exodus is a hoax just like covid and only our very best players leave to off shore pastures because they conquered every level in New Zealand and theres nothing left here to do .

I also have no ideas for equilibrium . I only have simple and easy solutions for the current problems in NZ rugby . You said we 20 of our best are currently off sure . Being the best means you are good enough to wear the All Black jersey . Currently only 3 players off shore would fit that criteria . Mounga , Frizell and Fainga nuku . so who are the rest ? . I also haven't read any stories about 100k offers to any up and coming talent . If there's a link you would like to share on that matter , I would definitely take the time to read it . Also don't be worried about who will play for the All Blacks and who wont . 10-15 years ago the "Tongan Thor Taniela Tupou" was a menace in 1st 15 he left to play for the wallabies . Yes he would have been a great asset for the All Blacks . But at the end of the day . Money only keeps the lights on , We only want players who want to play for the black jersey no matter where they play in the world .

We don't poses the world cup . But we are still the best in the world at rugby , of that I have no doubt . And if Razor gets his way results will follow quickly .

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QF1 Bordeaux v LaRoche

QF2 Toulon v Toulouse

SF 1 Bordeaux v Toulon/Toulouse)

QF3 Leinster v Glasgow

QF4 Northhampton v Castres

SF2 Leinster v Northhampton

FINAL: Bordeaux/Toulouse v Leinster CARDIFF

A great draw for Leinster's side of the draw. The Top 4 French clubs are on the far side.

Glasgow, Castres, Northhampton and Leinster are seeds on the other side.

Unsurprisingly Australia under Joe Schmidt showed the best glimpses of this - keep all breakdowns in the centre of the field, splitting the rush so it can't get as far up, and keep chipping away until you get on the front foot. Then when defences concede overlaps due to stress and running out of number to defend the breakdown, rather than on their own terms, attack out wide.

Your forwards have to be good enough to win the battle, which I think is the real strength of Leinster - an absolute world class international pack that can't be broken down in the centre of the field by any club team, forcing teams into the wide channels for space, with the subsequent breakdown when line their line speed bares it's fruit. But when the best of NZ, SA, France, and even Australia assemble there is enough talent to counter the Leinster pack.

really hope Ireland do try the Nienaber defence - would be good for rugby in the long run for more teams to lean into that tactical innovation, and in the short term it could be good for England to be up against a team in transition, still learning to play a system that England themselves got quite well acquainted with last year!