Chessum the biggest casualty as England cut squad to 30 for Ireland

You have the inside scoop Jamie, is Ben DG’s hero?

None of the others form were better than the incumbents or justified dropping of incumbents.

Good try though, googling a random list of names.

They are sueing for money promised before COVID hit I believe. I don't think the Rebels offers much of an example, but yes, they probably could have continued if RA wanted them to.

What you're suggesting or basing ideas off is unnatural. In one example, you have an entity causing the game harm, and in the other, you have an entity promoting the game.

I'm sure you can work out which is which.

Look I agree either way, there are better options out there, and it's time to move on anyway (and they will/have basically), but I'm hopeful that DP's performances were just below his standards because Cane has simply been better for me, and we need DP to be even better than that again.

Should they have done what you suggest sooner? Probably. I don't think he's handled his bench at all well and he's picked favourites that shouldn't be in there. He also put immense pressure on the teams development for not getting them up for Arg 1, Cane could so easily have missed Bled1 and just come in for the Bled2 farewell.

Do you think the same about SA's aging players?

It seems you only know two players in SA.

Freeman is an interesting choice. He’s earned 11 caps in 3 years. Compared to SFM who has earned 8 in one year. Freeman doesn’t strike me as integral to anything yet.

But I do understand the excitement. Anyone is more exciting than your old crop of players.

And compared to Moodie who’s earned 11 caps in two and has a World Cup medal. He’s been unlucky due to injury and other players being in better form than him. But I’m sure you’ll just say that Moodie is overrated.

Your other choices are still very much untested at test level. Compared to the two South Africans you have mentioned who have more caps and have played against a number of tier one teams already.

Anyway. Good talk Finn. We’ll see how your bleeding of 15 new/upcoming players goes in England.

Losing badly over the coming months and finishing less than 3rd in the coming 6 Nations next year means that you’ll also be trying out a new coaching team, because I don’t think England has a problem of talent - I think you have a management problem. A problem SA definitely doesn’t have.

And I’ll be surprised if Borthwick is still around this time next year. I’d give 2/1 odds he’ll be out.

And then you guys can work on getting Andy Farrell in or someone decent.

That's the reason with Hotham, who they would seem to suggest they rate higher than TJ (as you would expect them to, he's got his whole future ahead of them).

That there is such a league to attract all types of talent from over the world is wonderful, I wish rugby locally here had the capability to do the same. That they get a professional environment, to focus fully on their own development, while experiencing the joy's of a good rugby community only help to strengthen the game.

What is France going to do when these players can obtain that experience in their own country, when a Madrid team has the ability to compete with Stade Francais, pulling in their own big names and using the Spanish national side as the basis for majority the of their squad? I think some of these nations are already getting near the ability, and all it would take is some backing for a new league and owners (to branch off with say South Africa into their own tournament) before this talent pool of yours (and your french 'contribution' to rugby dry's up).

Will France fight it? Will they help promote this new European league? Will they look at a transition that trys to catapult off rugby's success in France and increase participation to other areas of the population and demographics? How much of France to you actually think the game of rugby penetrates now? How much could it contribute to that if France went on tour defeating the All Blacks, Springboks, and Wallabies in successive years for the first grand slam of the south?

But yes, the (other) Pacific Islands would be the best place for some of these French squads to tour, even their own!