England star withdrawn late by Northampton Saints

Proof of the pudding - the vast majority of top All Blacks have stayed out.

Rassie made it clear that the decision was due to financial necessity, not because he wanted his players to get European experience or anything like that.

“I have no doubt we wouldn’t have been able to keep the players in South Africa as we just don’t have the money to. It is reality, and the moment you accept reality and we work with this and we find creative ways around that.”

That’s a direct quote from this very website. He’s a board level director with a full understanding of the finances of the union and the overall strategic state of the game. He knew that the board was financially unable to keep a critical mass of players at home and enough of his fellow directors agreed with him to make the policy change happen despite the compromises on the playing side that he said they had to work around.

The New Zealand situation is very different. A critical mass of top All Blacks has not left and no board member has called for a new policy on financial grounds. It simply isn’t sound logic to say that New Zealand should follow South Africa’s lead because so far it’s been a success for them.

Ending subjective statements with “fact.” is a bit dramatic. Pepper is excellent though.

We have that 20 minute shyte here too. They've got it wrong.

Rather than removing professional fouls I think it will just encourage it.

A final, everything on the line. You start a total donkey and get him to empty the other teams star player early doors.

Not too proud to say I'd consider it if I was a coach.

But they won't let me coach😱

Yeah seemed to be at least a dozen phases and knocked them back about 15 metres. Serious stuff.

Looked a very decent crowd on the hill in the end. Seen worse crowds there for Leinster GAA finals.

High quality from Leinster. They got it alright again on both sides of the ball.

Ireland have their next rockstar #6 in Baird. Force of nature.

I doubt he's been in a position in his young career were he had to make a call on something like that.

Senseless from Vorster.

Worked his bollocks off all game.