Brad Thorn has been a shoulder for the grieving Jordan Petaia to lean on this week

Then down in Super Rugby it's the Blues, Hurricanes, Brumbies and usually Crusaders though not last season, and then the rest. In England we have no idea who is going to win it, who will make the playoffs. My Quins are in 7th out of 10 and I'm not even close to panicked, the league is that tight. Forget just ever match, every single try matters. It's great.

If Quins don't make it in Europe, I'll shrug, and I'll watch Toulon on European weeks as I like the city, but I won't be devastated Quins aren't in it, I'd rather they give me those two extra matches in June.

Hansen’s narrative is basically trying to aggrandise Foster’s record as a coach (again). The fact is, however, that the All Blacks didn’t just lose the WC. They also lost their first ever World Cup pool match (against France), suffered their heaviest ever loss (to South Africa), lost their first ever home series to Ireland, lost to Argentina for the first time and dropped to their lowest ever World Rugby Ranking (4th) since this was a thing. All of these put context to Foster’s full record - but we can still celebrate their successes too.

I felt that they worked hard to build a strategy to beat Ireland and saw significant development as a team after new coaches were brought in in 2022. They raised their game and gave the world a sense that they could still beat anybody on their day. However, winning the World Cup final was just one step too high. The result is the fact of the matter and the final reflection of how good they were under Foster during this period of time.

While you're at it, go read the disciplinary review hearing, the get back to me.

Did I call kiwis “losers and whiners”?

If the cap fits…

It’s a little tiring hearing how good you used to be at beating us. We all know how good the All Blacks used to be. You don’t need to keep reminding us (yourself). We can read the history books.

You got it backwards mate

You can’t make a guy play his best rugby for you.

European rugby is in endless bankruptcies,  its national sides in endless RWC failings & some of its clubs are only season to season financial propositions BUT, according to the author’s conspiracies, its New Zealand Super Pacific Rugby that, quote, ‘simply isn’t a competition people should take seriously’ (??!!).

That idea while New Zealand Super Pacific Rugby participant clubs continue to profit after 130+ years (& similar traditional Oz club longevity).

Yet it's NZ/Oz rugby that has the viability problem!???

Reality is difficult for you author. See a doctor. Urgently!

But the author's mad rant continues, with the insistence that the way to fix his conspiracy of a sick  Super Pacific Rugby is for it to let all its top players run away OS (surprise, surprise, to Europe to fix its club rugby) by removing OS restrictions  of its best players.

Hurry call an ambulance for the author.

It's simple, a mass exodus of high skill therefore high entertainment players (will that even happen?? ie again given the increasing European restrictions & financial stress in European clubs) will kill the core business of INTEREST in NZ comps & therefore lose the life blood $ of those same TV rights, sponsorships, gate entry, memberships, merchandise, etc. Mass loss in  audience INTEREST & its resulting $$ loss.

RE the French B team for NZ 2025 tests,

If you wanna see where test rugby could end up as (ie 2nd rate) if it continues to allow the  French mismanagement, look at what ‘Indian club cricket money’ control  is doing to test cricket, ie because of A international test team players contracts with  Indian clubs & their $, those players not available for international tests eg South Africa send a ‘B’ test cricket team to NZ last year, likewise West  Indies send a ‘B’ test cricket team to OZ last year.

Relevance to test  rugby & ABs? 

France's reason for not sending their A team for the AB tests in 2025? Quote, 'resting them (!) for the Top 14 club rugby commitments'.

World Rugby is failing to manage & protect the game again.

France CHOSE to make its extra long Top 14  season & not respect the World rugby international window.

France should be removed from test rugby til they do respect it.

Or test rugby will be like failing test cricket very soon by letting national club $ rule over the international game.

If World Rugby allows the degrading of international game it will degrade audience (therefore ratings ), will degrade the $, hence will degrade the $ to players & rugby generally.

World Rugby, Prioritise the international window OVER national club window.

Especially over (despite all it endless irrational hype) failing European club rugby.

He's getting there, he just had better outsides , a true center outside him, who knew how to hit the ball and not drop it. Did the same show and go against Ireland when people drifted off him. Was really just a great setup by Cullen, and then the extra working from JGP providing the run around option out the back on his try.

Also fitted in nicely with the D. Him and Rieko had pressing hard this year and he seemed pretty comfortable their too. Nothing like Henshaw or Ringrose of course.

The head of Freshwater Strategy is a foreigner living in Sydney ha ha. I knew it. Of course he's going to report that a kiwi who favours Tah players is supported.