Northern Edition
Select Edition
Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France
Today
07:00
Today
09:30
Today
09:30
Tomorrow
05:00
Tomorrow
06:30
Tomorrow
07:00
Tomorrow
07:00
Tomorrow
07:00
Tomorrow
07:05
Tomorrow
09:00
Tomorrow
09:30
Tomorrow
09:30
Tomorrow
11:45
Tomorrow
12:00
Sunday
07:00
Sunday
07:00
Sunday
09:00
Sunday
12:05

Leaguel Counsel Ep.10

This week the guys discuss the fallout from the ANZAC test, the rest of the international round, recreational activities, the free agency market, Billy vs Darius and rugby league doppplegangers

ADVERTISEMENT

 

 

ADVERTISEMENT
Play Video
LIVE

{{item.title}}

Trending on RugbyPass

1

Five bold possible debutants for the All Blacks in 2026

4
2

All Blacks legend Brad Thorn on the family bond that led to Test coaching debut

1
3

Fissler Confidential: Northampton face Anthony Belleau battle; Sharks eye Irish 9

4

Rejuvenated Freddie Steward rising to the challenge after contract snub

5

Top 10 Test points scorers of 2025: Sacha just fell short at the death

4
6

Boks need more depth: 5 things on South Africa's Christmas wishlist

21
7

Top 5 players of 2025: England's Red Roses

8

Debuts from heaven and hell: All the newcomers to Test rugby in 2025

3

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Long Reads

LONG READ

The coaching conundrum part one: Is there a crisis Down Under?

Time was, the rugby world cast envious glances at Antipodean coaching. Now, Australia and New Zealand are fishing desperately for new ideas.

243
LONG READ

'To lose one Welsh captain is unfortunate; to lose two might be considered a bit careless'

The departures of Jac Morgan and Dewi Lake has only fuelled the sense of anger and uncertainty over the future of Ospreys.

7
LONG READ

How Glasgow found the bleu-print for beating Toulouse

Extreme precision at the ruck allowed Glasgow to remove the jackaling juggernauts from the Toulouse arsenal.

19

Comments on RugbyPass

P
PMcD 23 minutes ago
The coaching conundrum part one: Is there a crisis Down Under?

ENG changed 3 coaches and about 3 or 4 players across their 23 and went from a team that were competitive for 60 mins to a team that could compete for the full 80.

I think NZ will be in need of the same ball park but whilst ENG have had to wait for the players to emerge (Pollock, Pepper, Calouri), I actually think AB’s have them available and is about putting them together and finding the right balance and confidence but I think the first conversations need to be about bench strategy and moving to 6|2 will be a good start.



...

243 Go to comments
P
PMcD 30 minutes ago
The coaching conundrum part one: Is there a crisis Down Under?

That’s a fair question JW and I think the alarm bells were raised in 2017 but what you really saw was a change in the defensive structures, with SA & ENG leading the way in 2019 (with very big forward packs) and with the dominance of SA from 2019, everyone followed suit by supersizing the props (where De Groot & Lomax emerged) and then we saw the return of the large 6.

Since that point, defence has really tightened up and you either beat it with speed and movement (as JS tried) or you match it with power (like FRA 2023).



...

243 Go to comments
J
JW 33 minutes ago
The coaching conundrum part one: Is there a crisis Down Under?

Did you do an article on fast cycle one out ball from some team.. actually it might have been squidge on England or SA lol

243 Go to comments
J
JW 34 minutes ago
The coaching conundrum part one: Is there a crisis Down Under?



Man the Boks certainly found theirs in Wellington!

And man haven’t they taken it to the next level since!



...

243 Go to comments
P
PMcD 42 minutes ago
The coaching conundrum part one: Is there a crisis Down Under?

I think the balance has been off during 2025 CW but there has been a bot more psychological damage since Wellington.

I do think there are some players that bring great energy off the bench and I think Williams/Taukei'aho/Newell were a very good replacement bench unit, which have been missed. I also think Tuipulotu off the bench adds something (who has been a big loss) and then if you went 6|2 it would give more options for Sititi/Vaa’i or Sittiti/Kirifi for the final 4Q.



...

243 Go to comments
P
PMcD 55 minutes ago
The coaching conundrum part one: Is there a crisis Down Under?

I think that’s the heart of the issue -a fit De Groot & Lomax are the best starters and Williams & Newell are better finishers.

I also think a 6|2 bench strategy will help maintain the energy levels and help with the H2 drop off the AB’s have suffered from this season.



...

243 Go to comments
P
PMcD 57 minutes ago
The coaching conundrum part one: Is there a crisis Down Under?

The Summer & Autumn 24 AB’s pack had ENG’s number in all 3 games.

I think people have forgotten how destructive Newell was as a replacement THP last year and how destructive those final 20 mins of scrums were but he has not been as impactful as a starter (hence the Lomax comments).



...

243 Go to comments
T
Timmyboy 58 minutes ago
Hoskins Sotutu signs three-year deal with Newcastle Bulls

They’re called Newcastle Red Bulls! Sloppy !

2 Go to comments
J
JW 1 hour ago
The coaching conundrum part one: Is there a crisis Down Under?

Personally I think the ABs still had your number this year too.

243 Go to comments
J
JW 1 hour ago
Bomb Squad or Pom Squad? Rugby's best benches revealed

Use google.

28 Go to comments
J
JW 1 hour ago
The coaching conundrum part one: Is there a crisis Down Under?

Lol again thanks for agreeing and putting more words in than what I say!

243 Go to comments
P
PMcD 1 hour ago
The coaching conundrum part one: Is there a crisis Down Under?

It’s interesting how many WB’s have played in the English Premiership and then gone back as better players.

The players have certainly benefitted from the experience, as did Les Kiss, so they have more outside exposure than others.



...

243 Go to comments
J
JW 1 hour ago
The coaching conundrum part one: Is there a crisis Down Under?

You’re on the right track. If there defence is good in the first half, what on earth could be wrong with it that causes it to fail in the second?

That just doesn’t sound logical, it will more likely be due to other factors (you could call/label that as “defence” but I don’t).



...

243 Go to comments
P
PMcD 1 hour ago
The coaching conundrum part one: Is there a crisis Down Under?

It’s interesting that the game where AB’s started playing pre-contact tip pass was the best game of the season (Eden Park) and how they haven’t been as convincing without it.

I think modern defence have improved that you either need to play with high tempo and constant motion (like the RWC 2023 AB’s), or you need power to break the gain line and give you front foot ball.



...

243 Go to comments
J
JW 1 hour ago
Tyrone Thompson: 'I’m just seeing how the Chiefs season plays out'

Yes it’s only New Zealand of course (smallest playerbase by far) but they are nicely stretched out by having 5/6 pro teams, I think it’s the perfect balance (well personally I would go one more but as you say probably not the money for that, and no doubt that was Wellingtons predicament) for the promotion of youth when it has a higher priority at the level above (unlike in France or other pro sports). You need the conveyer belt to keep turning, to do right by the players as well.

Personally they just didn’t give him enough start weeks (none), because he was leaving they went to the default kiwi thing of putting him on the back burner rather than doing what was right for winning a championship (where that boundary between club dignity and the All Blacks gets blurry). Of course the guy the promoted above him has left more permanently one year later.



...

7 Go to comments
P
PMcD 1 hour ago
The coaching conundrum part one: Is there a crisis Down Under?

I think he knew RWC 2023 was tight and they needed to add more to their game but having won 2 x RWC’s, to change the coaching team, style of play and change the best part of 30% of a winning team takes guts . . . . . but that was certainly rewarded during 2025.

243 Go to comments
S
SB 1 hour ago
Five bold possible debutants for the All Blacks in 2026

Interesting, let’s see if Poliko can get some game time at the Hurricanes next year. Iose is solid but seems to get ignored, from memory I don’t think he was in the XV side for this year or last.

Sotutu was alright in the NPC but got injured as Counties got on their winning run, playing most of his matches when they were losing. Yes timing is crucial for sure.



...

4 Go to comments
P
PMcD 1 hour ago
The coaching conundrum part one: Is there a crisis Down Under?

I’ve watched all 3 young ENG props come through and seen how they all changed over the last 12 months.

Fasogbon started 2025 at around 125 KG and started this season at 138 KG, so you have seen how much size he added, which has improved his scrummaging. I actually thought he would make the 6N’s squad last year (3rd choice) and then went over on his ankle that took him out for the rest of the season, so the timing was awful for him.



...

243 Go to comments
J
JW 1 hour ago
Five bold possible debutants for the All Blacks in 2026

Given the examples probably not in the ‘bold’ camp. His partner Iose though, or the young Poliko, who outclassed Iose in some stats and ran with the ball as well as Flanders while playing on the blindside, and passed the eye test, he would be a bolter.

Looking at Devons stats though I hadn’t seen how great they were in the NPC, must have been the best 8 by even, well ahead of Sotutu who had a good season. Same age profile too. Funny to think one is going to be an All Black and the other never again.



...

4 Go to comments
J
JW 1 hour ago
Five bold possible debutants for the All Blacks in 2026

Great list Henry! I might be going a bit more towards the bolter category here but my five would be;

Kyren Taumoefolau - Had a standout season already obviously, and been to a WC before, but he would be overtaking All Blacks in Narawa, Nannai-Seturo, and Carter to get there, and with much more expectation on him this year.



...

4 Go to comments
Close
ADVERTISEMENT