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#Post#: 145490--------------------------------------------------
Pitbull
DIR By: deadlyfrom5yardsout
Date: December 2, 2025, 4:46 am
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My three big takeaways from the autumn internationals
Steve Borthwick will be tempted to call upon ‘plastic players’,
replacement laws widen gap and Springboks’ domination is being
tainted
Brian Moore
The Quilter Nations Series has confirmed many things that we
knew and a few things that have been overlooked. But three
things stand out to me now after five weekends of action.
Borthwick faces ‘plastic player’ conundrum
From an England point of view, it fulfilled what was demanded
and it has left head coach Steve Borthwick with selection
options that strengthen his hand, provided he can make the right
choices and maintain the momentum his side has created for
itself.
Those selection conundrums might soon be made more interesting
with the possible availability of Hoskins Sotutu and Benhard
Janse van Rensburg under current World Rugby regulations and Joe
Marchant’s return to the Prem to play for Sale. A case can be
made for the inclusion of all these players on ability but with
this comes other considerations.
There are some fans who take the view that they want the best
players to be chosen irrespective of where they play their rugby
and however tenuous their qualification criteria. They
conveniently never address the question of what this might do to
the stability of the Prem and the effects it would have on the
value of the broadcast rights. But the situation regarding
Sotutu and Janse van Rensburg is different to say, Jack Willis,
because they are playing in England’s domestic league and their
presence adds value to that league.
England head coach Steve Borthwick
After a successful run of results, Steve Borthwick has many
selection options to ponder
Some England fans dislike the notion of picking what they call
“plastic players” but debates about where their parents came
from or where the players were born are pointless. They qualify
under the regulations and taking advantage of that would be
doing no more than their opponents have done on numerous
occasions. However, this is not the only factor Borthwick and
England have to ponder.
There is no doubt that Janse van Rensburg would be a prime
contender to fill England’s problematic position at No 12 and is
the sort of player around which you can construct an effective
threat. The difficulty is whether you can do it in the time
available as he does not qualify until late 2026 and will not
have many opportunities to start in Test matches before the 2027
World Cup.
Benhard Janse van Rensburg will be a worthy option at No 12 for
Borthwick
England’s 2015 World Cup campaign was markedly affected by the
late introduction of Sam Burgess, so they should be aware of the
risk-versus-benefit issue which might also affect the likes of
Fraser Dingwall, Max Ojomoh and even Marchant, who have come
through the England pathway. I suspect in the case of Janse van
Rensburg the temptation will prove irresistible for Borthwick.
Current replacement laws will only grow gulf between best and
the rest
The lasting impression of the autumn series, for all the
competing nations, was the reinforcement of the fact that under
current World Rugby substitution laws you cannot win Tests
against top-tier opponents without a suitably qualified squad of
around 28 players when you take into account injuries and the
odd unavailability because of suspension.
For some fans, and particularly for international coaches of the
top-five ranked unions, the freedom to mix and match their
starting XVs and benches is a welcome, if sometimes difficult,
tactical exercise. Do you play your first-choice units from the
start and hope to gain a decisive advantage before you introduce
your second-rated units from the bench? Do you leave your
strongest players on the bench to see out the last 30 or so
minutes or overwhelm any deficit against your opponent’s
second-choice reserves? Alternatively, do you mix and match the
units and keep your challenge even throughout the whole 80
minutes?
All this is fascinating for rugby aficionados and a challenge
that was successfully negotiated by Borthwick in England’s
unbeaten series of games. His choices allowed his side to
overcome the threats of Australia, New Zealand and Argentina for
which he and they deserve a lot of credit. However, although
this is not the fault of Borthwick, England and those sides that
sit atop the world rankings, and have sufficiently large playing
bases, are the beneficiaries of laws that have the unintended
consequence of perpetuating their positions at the expense of
lower-ranked teams, emerging nations and any union that has a
smaller playing base.
International rugby at the highest level demands that you have
the above number of players who are sufficiently talented, fit,
on form and experienced to mount a World Cup or series
challenge. This is something that is impossible for emerging
unions. And even teams with the rugby history of Wales, Scotland
and the Pacific island nations struggle to do it with any
consistency.
To make matters worse, the way in which this plays out during
games is that sides who have poorer quality benches commit more
penalties and get more yellow cards for repeated infringements,
thereby making it even harder to pose a genuine threat when it
comes to the final result.
I do not expect anybody who supports the top-ranked teams to
volunteer a law change to reverse their inbuilt privilege but
World Rugby should know that their mission to grow the game and
allow lower-tier teams to genuinely challenge higher-placed
opponents will be constantly undermined by the current
substitution laws.
What will it take for Springboks to say they are wrong?
One indisputable fact was confirmed this autumn and that is that
South Africa are by some margin the top team in world rugby.
Whilst never hitting the heights of what they are capable, they
comfortably saw off all challenges with their super-charged
benches showing that the difference between their first and
second-choice players is so small as to be barely perceptible.
If only this was the final observation to make on their autumn
series.
South Africa’s superiority was so great that they were able to
accommodate the appalling indiscipline of getting three red
cards over their series of games. It is shameful that some South
African fans and commentators sought to claim unfairness and
bias over those red cards or seek to minimise the role played by
their players. Whilst there was an arguable case over the Franco
Mostert red, there was much less so for Lood de Jager and none
for Eben Etzebeth. It is baffling that the team who are the
double world champions and world No 1-ranked side can seek to
portray themselves as victims in all this.
Nobody expects Rassie Erasmus, the South Africa head coach, to
throw his players to the wolves after their indiscipline but
given that his side attracted three red cards, his response to
the Etzebeth card was, at best, inadequate. It was not a case of
it “not looking good” and for him to introduce the unevidenced
possibility that his player was provoked must have been designed
to muddy the waters around an inexcusable act. Erasmus has, in
the past, resorted to using social and other media platforms to
call for transparency and honesty for other parties in rugby. In
the light of this, perhaps he should do likewise.
For some of his Springbok colleagues to excuse Etzebeth’s
excesses by saying it was not deliberate was equally poor as
were similar comments by broadcasters who covered the Wales
game. Every player knows that gouging is not an accidental act.
In a game of violent collisions, where things often get heated,
one of the few unwritten rules is that gouging is not done – no
excuses, no victimhood. And what for Etzebeth? Even though he is
likely to receive a long ban for gouging and will miss Sharks
games, he will return to international rugby refreshed from an
extended period of rest and reconditioning.
#Post#: 145492--------------------------------------------------
Re: Pitbull
DIR By: The Absolute Quintet
Date: December 2, 2025, 7:53 am
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Bang on!
Another excellent written example of BM's succinct insights
which educate (me anyway).
As an aside, by contrast his TV punditry, for the most part, is
just a series of bland statements of the bleedin' obvious.
#Post#: 145526--------------------------------------------------
Re: Pitbull
DIR By: Harleys Evil Step Mum
Date: December 3, 2025, 5:27 am
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One of the best gigs I did at the O2 this year, absolutely
superb! ;)
#Post#: 145530--------------------------------------------------
Re: Pitbull
DIR By: Fearless Fred
Date: December 3, 2025, 6:11 am
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--- Quote from: Harleys Evil Step Mum link ---
>
> One of the best gigs I did at the O2 this year, absolutely
superb! ;)
>
--- End Quote ---
I'm heading there tonight for a gig!
#Post#: 145531--------------------------------------------------
Re: Pitbull
DIR By: Yareet
Date: December 3, 2025, 6:47 am
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--- Quote from: Harleys Evil Step Mum link ---
>
> One of the best gigs I did at the O2 this year, absolutely
superb! ;)
>
--- End Quote ---
Full Mr Worldwide get up? Bald cap and sunglasses?
#Post#: 145532--------------------------------------------------
Re: Pitbull
DIR By: deadlyfrom5yardsout
Date: December 3, 2025, 6:57 am
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--- Quote from: The Absolute Quintet link ---
>
> Bang on!
>
> Another excellent written example of BM's succinct insights
which educate (me anyway).
>
> As an aside, by contrast his TV punditry, for the most part,
is just a series of bland statements of the bleedin' obvious.
>
--- End Quote ---
Well, I guess you can rewrite/edit an article but you can't
unutter what has been said.
#Post#: 145534--------------------------------------------------
Re: Pitbull
DIR By: Harleys Evil Step Mum
Date: December 3, 2025, 8:50 am
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--- Quote from: Fearless Fred link ---
>
> I'm heading there tonight for a gig!
>
--- End Quote ---
....I'm working the floor.....If you see me say hi.....think a
handsome younger Michael Caine! ;)
#Post#: 145537--------------------------------------------------
Re: Pitbull
DIR By: Fearless Fred
Date: December 3, 2025, 10:47 am
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: Harleys Evil Step Mum link ---
>
> ....I'm working the floor.....If you see me say hi.....think a
handsome younger Michael Caine! ;)
>
--- End Quote ---
I'm up in the seats in the back. Been looking forward to this
one for a while!
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