Zebre comeback in vain as Lions roar to opening win in Parma

Roigards passing was telegraphic with his running game and sniping non existent, Ratima also appears to be getting metronomic, devoid of flair and his ten went invisible as well.

If you can't step up at finals then you need to be punished, yes the blues were poor at times this season but they were right on either the last two games when it really matters.

CWL is a bit larger but both him and Lakai are down on size for an eight and aren't freaks like Savea. Sotutu has to be in the mix and Dalton, but only if they front this Friday night.

However six is an ongoing issue, Josh Beehre could be an answer to the lack of height in the loose forwards at Allblacks level, his driving try to ice the contest through a decent Chiefs pack was raw determination even with support.

As for the previous try being ruled out on the flimsiest of technicalities that highlighted everything wrong with the TMO, it wasn't ‘rabbiting’, his knees dropped one after the other and he then brought his shoulders forward to extend and score, big guys can do that, that's why Sotutu has to be in the mix.

Sititi looked short of a gallop and the Chiefs might be acting a bit too cute with their bench, the coach is saying all the right things but he's in the departure lounge and the signs are there that the Chiefs expected to be the best team in finals simply because they had the best bench.

They're now under the pump and the winner of this year's super final will almost certainly be whoever wins this Friday in Christchurch.

They have of course since organized promotion so not being able to get back in the prem is no longer a reason to look elsewhere. So that raises the question, what about something with consent of the RFU now? URC need an intermediate team until the can find a viable option, could say all three join together (best players) and use some of the Welsh and other free agents to make a filler team?

SARU are just getting on their feet and some stability again, give them some time to start scouting the waters. Show initiative and get a South African team in the new european comp playing out of dubai or Lagos or somewhere feasible that will invovle North Africa.

A brilliant and often overlooked 9. Incredibly good around the rucks.

Increasingly looking like Joe knows exactly what he’s doing here!

They seem to have come around though.