Laumape, De Allende, Aki all miss out as fans pick finalists in vote for world's best No. 12

As is that halves, with a class showing by Fakatava against the Lions, really isn’t a position they don’t have four international 9’s in.

Frankly, Hotham seems like he has far more upside than Ratima, who is looking more and more like the next TJ Perenara. Good defence and running lines, but doesn’t offer much else that’s top-shelf.

Yes the game has improved as a spectacle since it went professional, but it’s becoming more and more like football. Gone are the rounded people from varied backgrounds who played for fun, now it’s about rugby automatons and people representing a nation because it’s convenient and financially lucrative.

The salary cap going up will hasten the demise of the professional game in this country. I won’t mourn it one little bit.

Throwing all of them in there at once like the France have wouldn’t be a very smart thing to do, would it Bull?

Those players will a) need to back it up if they want to be part of the best team in the world, and b) need to do it for another year at least yet. So some of these positions might only hve the 4th determined in the year of a WC.

So yes, as I have done the right thing in excluding them now, so has Razor👍

Razor did indeed get the selection yips last year. And even this year, when the heat comes on, he tends to revert to ‘experience’. Our obsession with winning the battle rather than thinking of the war is what will probably trip us up again come 2027.

Their soccer team always had glorious squads that never quite achieved their potential. Then they won a home world cup and kicked on. They are a powerhouse now.

They just need that maiden win and really they are among the only five teams capable of winning a RWC. They should have at least one by now.

It's a great set up though. It's always full houses and well attended in impressive stadiums. It always stands out watching it that you see plenty of young families at the games which is brilliant to see.

I was over at La Rochelle in 2017 for the Ulster game in the CC. They weren't quite the force they became but we got taught an absolute lesson that day!!!

There was about 100 school kids a few rows down from us with war paint and beating drums. It was an early Sunday afternoon and the atmosphere was jaw dropping.

I always thought rugby was just 4 provinces in Ireland.

This site has blown my mind wide open!

Thirsty Ed.

That young 9 they went with looked great in the tackle. If your halve backs look good doing it then it's obviously a well coached set up.