The Silver Fern

Ilube out as RFU Chairman. Bill Beaumont back as Interim Chair.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/articles/cn9g5zdq514o

Bust trio of English Premiership clubs owed the taxman £30 million in unpaid COVID loans.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/articles/cdx9y1e487yo

@Dodge I am going to offer a controversial opinion to express on the Fern that I think Toulouse are currently better than any team in Super Rugby.

I am going to offer an even more controversial opinion to express on here that I think this article by Stephen Jones on how to fix the European Champions Cup is pretty much spot on.

Stephen Jones, Rugby Correspondent  /  Sport

My plan to revive the insufferable, diminished Champions Cup

First step to improving Investec Champions Cup is to remove the South African sides, but it also needs to drop to 16 teams, with a new final venue each season

@DurryMexted Jordie Barrett is going to be running on fumes at best after completing a Southern Hemisphere rugby season, then a Northern Hemisphere rugby season back to back. We are going to need a new 12 for part of 2025 and Quinn Tupaea could be that player.

@Jet Quinn Tupaea should have been ahead of ALB in the All Black pecking order this year.

@Catogrande Yeah, it sounds as though things have gone utterly tits up at Exeter. A real shame that this keeps happens to English clubs. London Wasps, then Worcester and now Exeterzz

A coach or a director who has run the club well moves on and the whole thing goes horribly wrong and it ends up deep in financial do-do.

Mark Cavendish wins BBC Sport Lifetime Achievement Award.

Fair enough. A genuine spirit cycling legend and a cool nickname. The Manx Missile.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/articles/c0475w65054o

@Nepia It's December and there is not much Rugby to talk about, but I find Leicester F and Jordie Barrett each giving man of the match performances in two high-profile European Cup games heartening.

@canefan See my comments above about the poor quality of e club rugby. The European competitions are much stronger and do better job of developing players for Test Rugby.

@antipodean Nope. I don't surf and I don't hate Hoskins Sotutu (or Akira Ioane).

I just want to see the All Blacks leave no stone unturned in reclaiming the Number 1 spot and winning back the Webb Ellis trophy.

All out. England need just the 658 runs to win which would smash the record for the biggest successful Test chase.

@Canes4life It would be good to have him as injury cover at 11 for Caleb Clarke. He might do a job ahead of ALB as a midfield impact off the bench, but Billy Proctor and Quinn Tupaea are likely to be in the mix too.

Lead nearly 600. Time for the declaration.

@Dan54 He has mostly been doing okay for Toulon in the Top 14, although yesterday was his first game for a couple of months. The part I am unsure about is when his playing responsibilities for Toulon end. Is it July 2025 or December 2025? I've seen his contact with them described as an 18-month deal.

@Nepia He's only not eligible because NZR say so. I'm saying he should at least be allowed to train with the squad next year and maybe be considered for some of the Tests next year (e.g. the EOYT). There are precedents for this happening with returning players.

When should the declaration be made?

@antipodean Nah, form in the top European club competitions counts for something as the quality of the rugby is vaguely similar to SR these days, but I'm more sceptical about the value of the Japanese domestic competition, as any sort of preparation for playing All Blacks rugby. It seems a lot less intense.

Toulouse were outstanding away to Exeter:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/articles/cwy838xexxwo

Kane Williamson is all class.