Siya Kolisi to sign for Sharks after shock Racing 92 exit

Or are they just content to be a 6th NZ team, filling their squad with Kiwis and Aussies (and an Englishman), spreading the talent even thinner than it already is, and make excuses every season why it’s not possible to play in the islands, let alone be based there? No, because most of their squad would rather stay home than do that.

If the Drua can manage all these things, why can’t this ‘island’ side?

When players get dropped in NZ, it’s next to never that it’s an established AB, it’s the others who get the chop.

It don’t see any reason to halt or rest. Are you just trying to appease NZRs stance?

I would also be interested in a average clock length (don’t need to go into the whole BIP hole) showing how long the last phases are taking (because one team is trying to still alter the match points outcome in some way) to complete before the game finally ends. I don’t know if its more common this year but in general I wonder if its a stat that can show how good games are/were?

I have started looking at clock length (and amount of ‘dead time’). It needs more work, but there are interesting differences.

The length of the last play is interesting. So far, I had only looked at the length of the first play.

You really had the same reversed 10 points lead % as you had lead changes after the 75th?

Yes I did. Not necessarily the same games, of course, but the same number of games.

After round 8, it is now 20.5% for 10-point reversed leads (see Tahs against Moana) and 15.4% for lead changes after the 75th (as it did not happen in any of the 5 games).

I don’t think it’s fair for SRP to claim anything over the other leagues yet.

I completely agree. As I wrote in another comment somewhere, the title is not from me. 😅

Though I genuilly prefer the isolated (3rd/decider) test to be before, rather than after the two RC games.

And they paid the price for it three times over. Heavy.