The Molecast

As usual, the game is gone or going somewhere weird. Crisis in Wales, crisis in world rugby, crisis at World Rugby. There's not enough people close enough to each other on the planet to make the game viable in the way it wants to be while maintaining some semblance of the game's traditions: discuss. OK, we will. Welsh sociology, roads, the Belle Epoque, FIRA, it's all in here.

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Did injury force Ireland's hand in terms of selection, or did Joe just not channel his inner Gatty after a disappointing performance in Rome. Is clarity of purpose what Ireland are lacking? Also: oh shit here come unbeatable Wales.

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Questions raised and questions answered at Murrayfield; kick and clap at Twickenham as England launch bombs and land them all. What more do we know about Carbery and what more can we find out, and are England showing their World Cup plans already?

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Meeting the pitch of the ball, changing the pitch of the game, 1500 metre full backs, the paradox of Zebo's absence, being the best team in the world for six weeks, some Japanese big picture, and some face-smashing: these are just some of the things that we grasp onto in the aftermath of getting pumped at home by pumped-up English.

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We try to get inside the mind of Schmidt and Jones to pick their teams for them. Given they are now announced, it retrospectively seems like Joe is channelling his inner Gatland. And while the team largely picks itself, the bench very much does not. Also ou est les françaises? First the snowdrops, then St Bridget's Day, then the Six Nations!

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We focus on the little province that could, that keeps surprising us all and has ended up with a surprising contingent in the Irish squad: Ulster (badum tish.)Also we indulge in some Valdanology, investigating claims of Shit-on-a-Stick at Thomond Park, sexy sub outhalf talk for Leinster and the boring grind of Premierships DoFs.

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The festive interpros heralded the end of rugby as we know it with tedious blowhards and tinfoil-hat-wearing Twitter cranks calling for the abolition of the uncompetitive Pro 14, a situation which might finally allow the Welsh teams to thrive.... where exactly? THE GAME'S GONE.Good thing then that there's some rugby to look forward to.

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After a weekend which saw 5 of the 7 Premiership teams lose in Europe, we go in depth on the status of the league as it faces into a future that is likely to include ring-fencing and the a partial buy-out by a private equity firm. We also evaluate Munster's curious win against Castres, as well as looking back to see who France is blaming for their defeat to Fiji.

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We've attained rugby perfection and there's nothing left to do but meditate on it (OMMMMM) but we still luxuriate in it a little bit, or even a lot. Just how good was it? Very, very good. Then there's the question of the ABs trajectory, and lastly there's the squad for US Eagles game – and beyond.

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We are going long on the more-interesting-than-expected clash between Pumas who have reasons to be optimistic and the Irish who have plenty mull over. And of course with the All Blacks on the horizon, we look into their squeaky victory over the English and look forward to the title bout next Saturday night at Lansdowne Road.

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