Ulster statement: The trialling of Ireland Olympian Zac Ward

You're brain damaged. Stick to the cricket, champ.

I am not going to indulge you in your nasty attempted hit on Ireland coinciding with Aki's citizenship. You self righteous pr1ck.

Nzers main problem with Ireland is that we tend to beat you these days. The NZ series where we extinguished the NZ 'Aura' (LOL) for always and forever with every rugby team, particularly hurts.

Its only a game. If you want to talk about immigrants then be honest, every white person in arotoreai is an immigrant many descendent from muderous and rapist colonisers.

NZ have had manufactured easy draws in RWCs throughout its history and still have an appalling record of only 3 RWC wins while being no 1 80% of that time.

Now that rugby standards are improving and you are permanently off your arrogant perch you attack other nations. Looking forward to Dublin. Enjoy the European tour! England, Ireland, France, Italy? Even Italy looking doubtful.

Even if you bring 10 players born outside NZ, you'll still have a shocker.

He's a terrible fit for the wallopbies, too.

I think Rassie and the senior players will be pretty open and honest with each other about their prospects for another World Cup campaign. And, ironically, I don’t think Rassie is thinking as far ahead as 2027 in terms of who is going to go.

There are likely going to be injuries too where players one would assume will be at 2027 won’t feature. Think Marx and Am and 2023.

I think the priority is really having as many players as possible in contention for a spot on the 33 by the time squad selection comes around.

I made this point a while ago, but having double World Cup winners in the setup over the next 3 years is going to be golden for the boks. It’s like having a coach in each position.

Razor was criticized for having too many coaches in his team. Rassie has more than 15 player coaches at his disposal.

I think Siya is being teed up to play the same role Duane did at the 2023 RWC. Invitation to the coaching box this coming weekend included.

I think many of the old guard are playing a role in the team that certainly does not guarantee them a 2027 place but doesn’t hurt their chances at being selected - but they will have to be the no.1 or no. 2 best in that position to be selected at that time. There won’t be any dead weight - whether old or young.

In my mind the strategy would be quite simple. Take everyone who will be over 32 by 2027 and pencil their names in right now in slot number three for their relative position. We know what they can do and they know what they need to do to be in contention for 2027.

Then ask yourself who do we have to take position no.1 and no. 2. Tried and tested or not. Find them and trial them over the next 3 years. Their job is to keep the old guys out. And the old guys job is to help them do just that.

That’s what Rassie has to do and has started well trying 48 players and 11 debutants in year one as the article mentioned (and winning).

I reckon there’ll be another 5-10 new players tried by the end of this year, particularly in November.

2024 ✅

Repeating the URC win will be incredibly tough but they will be thereabouts in the knock outs. I have a suspicion though, that he will have a particularly close eye on making an impact in the champions cup this year. Now that would be an entirely different class of miracle…!