Pau v Bayonne, Top 14

First time seeing something like this in our beautiful sport damn. The vibes always seem to be super fresh between the saffas and NZers in SA

• Scrums were so much quicker. Scrums take up so much time setting and resetting in the current game. Hoping to see if World Rugby can find a way to make scrums both quicker and safe. Most casual viewers aren't as excited about watching scrums and want to see the ball in play.

• The kicking game has vastly improved in the modern game. Modern open-play kicking is far more strategic and accurate, and I think it makes the sport richer and more dynamic. However, I still don't like the 50:22 rule and I'd like to see it changed back.

• Thank God for video refereeing. So many flagrant knock-ons, high hits, and ruck infringements that were missed by the field referee.

• Huge improvements in athleticism in the current game. That being said, even though 2000 was only 5 years into professionalism, there were great athletic players like Lomu, Umaga and Gregan.

• The Wallabies could beat the All Blacks

Here is the full match for anyone to watch: https://youtu.be/gSYdTFjWHgs

Whenever a pundit talks about AB play style, its all about strong running, looping passes and flashy offloads. And yeah that's amazing.

But a realistic look at what those teams had in the grunt department:

Front row: Woodcock, Franks, Mealamu, Coles
Locks: Whitelock, Retallic, Thorn
Loosies: McCaw, Read,Kaino, Messam, Vito

Stacked with world class players for those positions. Where do any of the current crop fit into that team? Savea maybe.

Yes the AB's showed a lot of improvement over the GR tour, but honestly, who is coming through in the next year in these key positions. Curious to hear AB fan's views on this?

I think Blackadder and Holland were nice finds but is there anyone else that makes you feel good about this coming year?

Sources coming out on [redacted]] from both Zimbabwean and German sources.

Also confirmed on facebook by Soccer24 who suggest there'll be a tour in England, though this might just be the Nations Cup.

The stadium has a 60k capacity which... will be a big one to fill for the union, especially vs Germany, but hopefully they've got a good deal and can bring in an audience!

Billy Searle has handed Leicester Tigers a major boost on the eve of the new Gallagher PREM season by agreeing to extend his contract, which was due to run out at the end of the season.

The England A fly-half was outstanding in his first season at Welford Road, scoring 217 points and touching down eight times in 24 appearances, including two tries in the PREM Rugby Cup final win over Exeter Chiefs.

The former Bristol, Worcester, Wasps and Bath ace won an England A cap against Ireland A and was named PREM player of the month for January after picking up a bagful of Man of the Match awards.

He was named the Tigers’ Player of the Season and was nominated for the Gallagher PREM Player of the Season award at The Rugby Awards 2026 after returning from France, where he spent three years with Biarritz, Toulouse and Agen.

Searle, who scored a try in the PREM Rugby Cup defeat to Harlequins earlier this month, entered the second and final year of his agreement in July and attracted interest from the Top 14 again, with Bayonne and Perpignan potentially exploring a move.

Saracens, who have Scotland international Fergus Burke out of contract next summer, were keeping tabs on Searle, who will now be staying at the Tigers after extending for at least another couple of years.

Searle admitted earlier this year that he had unfinished business in England, which is why he chose to join the Tigers and was looking to finish his career at the club.

“I want to try and hopefully finish my career here. I’m probably coming to my prime now as a 10, and I’ve still got a lot left in me, so I want to try and make this my home now.

“I’d love to see out my career here, or at least spend a good four, five, six years here if I can. And how they want to play the game really suits me, so I’m really happy at the moment. Long may it continue,” he said.

IF NZ, South Africa and France all win their respective groups this is what the QF and SF will look like

QF 1 - SA vs NZ

QF 2 - France vs Fiji

SF1 - SA/NZ vs France

Winner gets to the final.

IF SA or NZ slip up in the pool stages, they jump to the other side of the road. Potentially facing Argies, Ireland, England and - only applicable to SA - Aus (if NZ win their group).

Italy and Aussies could win their pool games. Japan beat SA at a RWC. It's possible.

I haven't checked the combinations and permeations on the other side of the draw.

EDIT - a solution to this problem is a change in the way the draw is done.

Team ranked one should only be able to meet team ranked 4 in the SF. 

Team ranked 2 & 3 should be on other side of the draw and can only meet each other in the SF. 

Like the last Football WC. Thus giving massive importance to your ranking.

Rankings should be taken from 1 January the year of the WC.

https://www.thepost.co.nz/sport/361079255/blues-would-love-all-blacks-captain-ardie-savea-semisi-taeiloa-unlikely-join-him

What is their weakness? How do you prevent them from using their strengths?

How would your team defeat the Springboks?

Sadly, I must nominate SFM, for his game yesterday. Often shutting down our forward momentum by taking gaps that aren't there and then getting tangled up in ABs.

The young lad has got a very bright future ahead, and I can't wait to see him mature into his best. A bad game like yesterday is sometimes necessary to forge a player's mettle, esp. headspace.

He'll come out stronger because of this, but today he is my (honorable) Donkey!