Waratahs look set to lose young star Taqele Naiyaravoro

Yes that's true...that's the point of imports, to learn of them as well as win matches. Lift the standard, but at the same time build depth through their presence. Use them in the wider sense of the franchise to bring players through. It's when Bath then go on to employ Dussatoir and Vermulens to complete the back row and shut these guys out of the park that it becomes self defeating. Toulon don't look as though they are employing players to improve their side, just win trophies.

Still, it's dull boring rugby on cold flat tracks most of the time-regardless of whether their fans love it or not-they must be used to mediocrity.

If I'd written a post suggesting that 'my mates tell me that Sydney is OK for a bit, but once you've got drunk at the beach a few times the novelty kind of wears off but nuuuuuuuuuuuuthing against Australia' I presume these boards would have gone into meltdown with long posts pointing out my ignorance and all the brilliant things Australia has to offer. As a general rule I reckon people who are thin-skinned about their own countries probably should be careful about commenting on others. Still, it's possible to have a bit of back and forth banter about this with Aussies; but Kiwis...........................?

I think there are clear signs that France have gone too far with their pick and mix from around the world (English, Welsh, Irish, Scottish, Italians and East Europeans, not just the SH), and Wales seem to have realised that having their top players playing in France (and to a much lesser extent England) has caused them problems. In my view, though, England have got the balance about right so far, but they need to hold their nerve. England probably have the youngest test squad of any of the top 10 international squads with lots of additional youngsters coming through. There are few problems with the development of young players in England at the moment; indeed it's the healthiest it's ever been. They gripped their academy and development structures a few years back when it was a complete shambles. If you look at the players in their U-16, 18, 20 teams, they are all attached to Aviva Premiership clubs in one way or another. The salary cap and financial incentives to produce England players mean the clubs have a vested interest in not going down the French route (they don't have the money anyway). In addition the RFU ban on being selected for England (except in 'exceptional' circumstances) has kept the top players in the Aviva. There are dangers, though. There's media pressure to pick Steffon Armitage from Toulon and Nick Abendanon from Clermont for the RWC. This would be a disaster. There's a number of England players that turned down big money moves to France to commit to England, and if two players who took the money, but still made the RWC got selected all bets are off. I like the way it is at the moment. If you're an up and coming openside at Bath, for example, you've got Francois Louw to learn off as you're developing. If the coaches think you're short of game time most Aviva clubs have deals with second tier English clubs to play their young players. I can't think of any examples in England where an identified player with lots of international potential is not getting sufficient game time to enhance his development.

Aussiekiwi, Birdy forgets that he's not avin' a lahf down at the boozer with his like minded Brits.

And neither is Barrett going there jimmyb. It was an example using known names to make a point. So that's you're entire argument? that my example is not technically correct?

Scotland already is.

Thanks Adrian. Tahs have dramatically changed its nature quite a bit. Last year the killers were JackPot Hoops Palu Foley Beale AAC Folau. Now its all about Big T. Tahs need to realign its compass.

You should really stop talking about things that you clearly know nothing about. Sexton doesn't play for Toulon, but Toulon appears to be the only club that you know so just lump him in there ay?!

Alofa is Aussie too

Anyway, my concerns are likely very premature as it would probably take a long time to fill the major clubs in Europe. For now, let them pay our boys the over valued prices they are willing to. They're not complaining. Hopefully they get a load out of it while the price is good.

Yep Nic, agree there, it's a concerning trend that is going to blowout somehow. We will continue to play our rugby simply because it's in our hearts and blood, regardless of the dollar value we place on it, regardless of the economy. It is part and parcel of our being as a rugby nation. The NH club scene is driven by $$ in a way that is unhealthy. It neither supports player development nor strategic direction of the game as a whole. I don't believe chucking millions into the game here is what it needs just to meet the same salaries of the NH. We don't have the numbers to watch it, so it will become too expensive to watch. So we will continue to backfill our teams as they get bought overseas until one day there is a surplus of SH players in the north. Then they will start backing up here as they won't be leaving, and players will return. But there's inherently something fundamentally wrong when a population can't serve its own sport with its own people.

No...you don't get it. You are saying they're indiscriminate about where they are hiring from. I'm saying they're not. They are increasingly hiring from the sxv, in record numbers. Is Toulons squad numbers increasing or reducing in %s from the sxv? I believe it's increasing. That means the resource of choice for European clubs is becoming predominantly the sxv. Why? Because players from the sxv win tournaments more than from anywhere else. Test matches, world cups, eoyt's, Rugby championships, the French top 14, the Heineken cup. Only the 6N is immune from significant sxv numbers. The Heinekin cup and top 14 may not be predominantly sxv players but I think you will find the squad numbers of those winning those tournaments are increasing in % every year. Fact is...get a sxv player, and you are more likely to win the tournament...wherever it is. And where do we predominantly fill our sxv sides from...our own new stocks. Not the NH, though we do get some returns.

I disagree scrumpoacher. Euro domestic comps have always had credibility in the eyes of their fans which is what matters. Even before the influx of southerners winning the 'bouclier de brennus' I.e the french title, was the biggest prize of the season for many players, even ahead of a five nations title. The Carter, Botha, steyn etc have made the deals bigger, the sponsors more generous but it hasnt chnaged what the fans thought about the comp (if anything the purists like it less calling southerners greedy mercenaires etc)

Completely agree with this point taylor, euro clubs especially french clubs are shootitng themselves in the foot, or in the foot of their National team. In fact they dont even think about the NT future when they hire southerners and bench or send young french guys in pro d2 or federale 1, 2 or 3. Thats why I dont particularly like to see southerners moving there. I want a strong club scene in the SH too. If youre a 18yo young french guy you know it will harder than ever to get a jersey in top 14 for 2 main reasons, southerners are often as good if not better and they are cheaper. Plus many french coaches have forever been in love, imo they even embellish everyone and everything that comes from the SH. So a young french guy has near no chance to convince a club to invest 200k in him instead of hiring a young fijian for 150k who is likely to bring more roi more quickly. I just dont see any solution short term as on one hand I don't want to prevent young southerners from a getting a well paid job in the north if they want but at the same time I want to protect SH and french rugby. But how to get more money and more rugby jobs in the south? Only private investment similar to what happens in the north can save us but for whatever reason our millionnaires dont see super rugby as a great investment.

I get it mate. You hate something you dont know anything about.

How about finding out about something so you can have an informed opinion? Thats what I want everyone to do instead of what you do and Im not going to let somebody who doesnt know about something crusade against it the way you do.

can't help you if you don't get it NB. This year they're in the sxv. Teams from SA, NZ, and OZ. Next year they will not be. They are not hiring from Fiji. They are hiring from the sxv. How is that difficult to grasp?

Having lived in Edinburgh for four years i think it highly likely a young Fijian would have difficulty adjusting to climate and culture. But keep up the good work of skewering the uppity colonials with your rapier sharp wit, Birdy.

Its a line on a map!!!!! Its not a hemisphere comp ffs. Its clubs hiring the best players in THE WORLD from THE WORLD. Jesus you guys are obsessed with hemisphere tribalism as if SA is with us despite it being nowhere near us. That Fiji is our tribe because they are below that line on the map. Its NOT about hemispheres ffs.