He's not there to play he's just there for Sexton to beast in training

A lot of retirements in 2015

2016 and 2017 was a bumper crop of international players!

Ed Slater & Freddie Burns promoting the 745 game

x.com/edslater/sta...

Munster with a lot of heft to bring off the bench. Expect this to be a very physical game.

All (or most) guns blazing for Munster as the rest of the uninjured Lions return. Notable votes of confidence for Paddy McCarthy and Soroka who both start after impressing in the first few games of the season. That's a punchy reserve front row.

Dan Lydiate has spent years of his life preparing cattle for slaughter, which is excellent preparation for taking over Wales' defence coach duties this November

Paddy McCarthy vs Michael Milne 👀

"Yeah, I told Ox to increase his cake slice portion to about this size. The results speak for themselves really"

I may be thinking too much of Moana Ardie not All Blacks Ardie

PSDT seems to be one of the few boks (along with Kolbe/Kolisi/maybe Ox) getting regular starts & playing full games despite the rotation going on around him

I like that you're putting the Lions up there.

I worry that World Rugby will kick out your prop 😢

I suspect Ardie, PSDT, Bielle-Biarrey

He should play flag football at the Olympics

Does he still play in New York?

Just looked at the World Breakthrough Player of the Year previous award winners...

It's almost all wingers...

I will ride the Ox or a prop should be on this list train forever

I wonder if they will do a 3 player shortlist like they have for the Women's

Sheehan is a fantatstic player. I feel sorry for him coming to the fore just as Ireland go into decline.

Strong consideration to:

Ellis Genge 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿
Tupou Va’ai 🇳🇿
Maro Itoje 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿
Eben Etzebeth 🇿🇦
Mickael Guillard 🇫🇷
Tadhg Beirne ☘️
Francois Cros 🇫🇷
PSDT 🇿🇦
Ardie Savea 🇳🇿
Jamison Gibson-Park ☘️
Finn Russell 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
Juan Cruz Mallia 🇦🇷
Jiuta Wainiqolo 🇫🇯
Tommy Freeman 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿
Max Jorgensen 🇦🇺
Cheslin Kolbe 🇿🇦
Thomas Ramos 🇫🇷

Assuming the World Rugby Men’s Player of the Year won’t consider (much of) the November internationals, what would your ballot be considering rugby from November 2024 until now?

My final ballot:

Louis Bielle Biarrey 🇫🇷
Dan Sheehan ☘️
Ox Nche 🇿🇦
Len Ikitau 🇦🇺

Id like to think he’s not mixing it up because of the seeding for the WC. He’s rarely been wrong in selections before but I hope he’s not falling into the same trap as Joe.

Idk but I'm sure the Times reporters that keep asking about it have some angle

I wonder if Damian Penaud knew that Investec would sponsor the Champions Cup & he'd end up riding a zebra when he wore that t-shirt

Thala lobbing grenades during Leinster Week.
You have to tip your hat.

Sigh.

It's good that we'll get a full edition in 2027 but I don't think it's a good sign that one of the sport's major international tournaments won't happen every four years because two of the teams involved would rather just play each other.

Suspicions Murdoch's involved again as the Times were always asking questions about it at the World Cup

Rugby's Monday Night Wars