Jamie George returns earlier than planned to boost England's Six Nations hopes

It does not been that Mo'unga is not coming back sooner. A deal could still be struck at any time.

He is clearly just being lined up like NZR do, it's all a part of the master plan they use. Hope he has a growth spurt though LOL both of them!

The one way to address it though is the slight correction that it's not Japanese academies in a traditional sporting sense, it's Japanese schools.

NZ rugby already is the NRLs best resource for finding talent to put into their teams academies (https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/rugby-league/nrl/nrls-aggressive-recruitment-from-new-zealand-schools-sparks-debate/) and it would turn into the same for Japanese rugby if that country didn't have a lot of strong values. One of those values is personal growth and although rugby league is happy to take a kid out of school and then spit him out after not making it with no where to go in life, Japan would both ensure their safety, and work in partnership for whats best for everyone.

So while they still might target rugby players/kids, it will be for both a much older university level and provide even more incentive for local families to resist the big bucks the NRL offers. You could even generate a Uni rugby scene amongst the pacific and have a draft of all combined, or as many swaps with Japanese kids coming here in exchange as well. Japan can be ruthless in a business sense but be a much better partner in many respects imo.

There have been a tone of articles on this subject in recent times. It seems the consensus is to allow longer sabbaticals but remove the typical clause that they retain their status (same job in a normal work place sabbatical).

First on your scrum issue. When the "coordinated push" (bajada for the heathens) was introduced, many teams tried to compete with SIC (the primary club using it), by going "mano-a-mano" in fronting as low as possible. It was a disaster. SIC continued to dominate scrummaging by coordination, not brute strength, and their scrummaging prowess affected the way they played. The scrum became a weapon. It wasn't for a few years that teams figured out that forcing SIC to form higher and not engage in lower, was a better tactic. The rugby union also passed laws where the hooker could not use the head to "hook" the ball (yes, that is how low they formed), and forcing the front row to go higher defused some of the strength. But the coordinated push is basically the same thing that all teams do now, with some slight nuances. The hooker doesn't hook, etc. Maybe other teams should force to go higher and not compete lower...

On Wales, I was lucky to see JPR in 1968 when he first toured, to Argentina. Interestingly, those games are still (still?) available on YouTube to watch. The intro is done very close to where I sat as a 10 year old, but I couldn't find myself. I then saw Wales again in '78, in Twickenham, under a torrential downpour, behind the posts, surrounded by drunk and wet delightful Welsh fans who wanted me to drink with them.

The famous Lions/AB game shows quite a few examples of what you are mentioning here, Nick.

Anyway, I forgot what else I was going to say. I'm so tired. I'll get back.

England HAVE to beat Italy and Wales as a bare minimum. Beating one of the others will help but the fact is that they are not favourites to beat any of the other three countries. Personally, I want Borthwick to have enough time to implement the changes he's trying to put in motion. I think the short time he gets with the players is basically rfu inflicted sabotage.

Scotland need to put away England, Wales and Italy. If they want to show improvement then beating Ireland or France will have the fans smiling. No one is going to take the Scottish team lightly

Ireland have a bit to prove after a quiet November. They may get away with losing to France, but a loss to anyone else will have people discussing whether Ireland are on the wane. Harsh? Given people's propensity to kick a loser when they are down on social media my cynical side expects it sadly.

France came out of the autumn tests on top but can they win on the road? They are obvious favourites, so the pressure is on them to deliver.