The Mole: arch-conservative or reactionary? Both, probably – even though it’s a long-accepted fact that all reactionaries are paper tigers. The case in point? Fullback. The Mole’s take is that it’s a specific position which requires different talents and a wholly different skillset than a winger. Not a fan of the interchangeable back three. Not at all. I’ve seen Ugo Monye play in the No15 jersey. Continue reading
Hell of a lot of wingers out there. Hell of a lot. Good ‘uns, too. Continue reading
Of all positions the Mole has looked at to date for his Select XV, it’s probably on the wing where there are more worthy contenders than any other. Continue reading
Quite a lot of centres didn’t make their various countries’ cuts, so the Mole split them up. Yesterday’s selection were nominally inside centres/second five-eighths, while today’s are [outside] centres. I think it’s fair to say that most of the best ones are at the World Cup, but there’s a few interesting ones who have been left behind … Continue reading
Plenty of quality centres are missing from the World Cup. Some are the victims of well-stacked strength in their position, some have suffered due to their age profile, and others have been left behind because their coach is bonkers. Continue reading
In this installment of The Team That Never Travelled, we look at the scrum-halves and out-halves who could have made all the difference. Continue reading
In the words of New York Jets coach Rex Ryan: “Oh. OH.” This morning’s underperformance by Zoolander Spies and Ben McCalman make Part 3 of The Team That Never Travelled particularly relevant. Continue reading
Jerome Thion [France]: Thion is in the prime of his life as a second row: 33 years old, 115kgs, 45 starts for France and two World Cups. The Biarritz man has locked the French scrum with Lionel Nallet in a lot of big games but has been surplus to requirements since the defeat to Italy. Continue reading
The Best Players Not Selected For The World Cup: Part One, The Front Row
What’s the point of doing one of these things now? Aren’t they normally a space-filler in the lead up to the world cup, tacked together once the squads are announced but before a tackle is missed in anger? Continue reading
Digging Like a Demented Mole 