Where would you rather be?
Some teams are already busy, Wales in Canada, playing them at the weekend; Ireland In Japan, where they should surely demolish the Sakura, however cautious Greg McWilliams claims to be.
The French are perched high in the Pyrenees at Font Romeu, enjoying fantastic views to compensate for intense training session. They are building to 3 September when they take on Italy in the first of two tests.
England have one more week at Pennyhill Park in Surrey, very pretty but not quite the Pyrenees.
The Black Ferns flew out yesterday from Auckland to Adelaide for the second test. Home fans disagree about the causes of the Wallaroos’ weaknesses. Most accept that Rugby Australia does’t have the pennies to support them properly; others pooh pooh this attitude. They could and should have done more to support the women. More one-way traffic expected.
South Africa have been active; they have won five out of six tests this year, most recently beating Spain at Potchefstroom in a second test. Their activity is most welcome after years of hibernation, but they know they have a distance to travel still. The two results: 44-5 and 37-14 – pretty decisive.
Spain are suffering from the double blow of non-qualification for the RWC plus wrangling and changes at the top of the FER. Whether that helps Patricia Garcia in her bid to become its President, time will tell.
