Pivac on his first Wales outing: 'It rammed home how big it is going to be'

The period of May-June is the crux of their entire season for those playing the play off in Top 14 and the Champions Cup. As you probably know, it’s very difficult to come down from there (or your “credentials” as a rugby analyst were certainly usurped). It’s also in contradiction with your main point of comparison between the English tour of 2014 and the French one of 2025 (and all those before since a couple of decade).

And this is the truly ridiculous part. Teams only get better by developing connections and understandings in their sub-units and that means familiarity. Playing in the company of the same bloke next to you.

Part of the job for an “analyst” is to analyse, right? Not to look at stuff like if there was only one way of proceeding and to discard anything else with a lot of arrogance. You probably weren’t very succesfull at this job, I guess.

Then you should have certainly already analysed that, from the start of his tenure, Galthié always used both “Test” windows to test as many players and as many things as he likes; there is no pressure put on him to win during those “friendlies”. The November serie is a test bed for the future 6 Nations team and the summer serie was always used for keeping fringe players involved with the main group (old and new ones). Lots of good things for the main team came from this way of operating. Maybe he’ll finally be rewarded one day at the WC, or his successor in the future. I don’t mind waiting.

He already gave us many good games to watch and there is a lot of talent comming thru the system.

You just rent a house next to the training grounds, a camera, a telescopic lens…

The danger is that they do nothing but kick and defend, and if NZ’s aerial game is on the money that is what may happen.

There's a similar dilemma with the Brumbies tour match as that clashes with the State of Origin decider that I dearly hope Queensland win.

Problems, problems😁

As “Elite” rugby went down from 56 to 40 to 24 to 16 before finally reaching 14 in 2005, the continuous infighting was absolutely ugly in order to reach such a low level and many “historical” clubs were axed from the top tier in the process. Those left behind knew they would have very little chance to ever come back, considering the financial gap it represent now between budget, staff and infrastructure.

Let’s say that two more clubs would be axed from the championship: it would have a very deep repercussion on the whole structure. Pro D2 would now have too many teams and would have to be reduced; then lower tiers too, etc. The promotion/relegation system would have to be changed (actually 2 clubs might get relegated each season: 1 sure and 50-50 for the other); this will also imply lower chance to get promoted to top tier.

I don’t think that French club rugby would be ready any time soon for another open warfare once something looking like peace was finally settled. In fact, it would take a very deep crisis menacing the championship for it to be reorganised… and playing the AB, or anyone else, with a development team on summer tour doesn’t count as a crisis because it’s usual business since 20 years.

Between changing a working championship or losing a few World Rugby ranking points, the FFR, LNR, players and public will all chose the championship over the rankings.

But I cannot see any way 3-0 can be the same, esp if he has to pick diff teams for every Test match.

How can you build something when you keep taking the bricks off the wall?

But, as Galthié usually do, the first test team will rotate and very few will actually play all three tests (maybe Le Garrec & Seconds?). From what we know already, neither Guillard (@ 8) nor Villière (@ 11) will be on the next game sheet

And this is the truly ridiculous part. Teams only get better by developing connections and understandings in their sub-units and that means familiarity. Playing in the company of the same bloke next to you.

If only two of the same players appear in the 2nd Test, the exercise is even more void of any meaning the before. A nod to player welfare but a curse on the tour.

Ps, the one tour match I haven’t watched so far because I watched the Brisbane Lions (current AFL premiers) instead, ended up being the most competitive thus far. There's a similar dilemma with the Brumbies tour match as that clashes with the State of Origin decider that I dearly hope Queensland win.