I guess I can see a future where the World Cup looks a bit more like UEFA's Nations League or even the way the Euros are going. Part of the punishment for qualifying well/early will be having to host something! (And then one country bids to host the knockouts.)

They'll all be multi country events from now on, I think. Even at the current size. (And even with 64, Ireland will struggle to qualify 😭)

I think the Germans call it Kurzfristigsitzungsausfallbefreiungsgefühl.

There but for the grace of God...

I saw a table earlier that had them on ten. Incredible stuff!

Thanks - must do the island chart too!

Happy to bump this 😄

That's fair. FWIW I think he dipped in form a bit but has since picked up again - maybe a little under the radar given the two more spotlight-friendly locks at Leinster this year!

I'm sure you're tired of replies like this but he's probably one of the most underrated top tier players. Leinster almost never lose when he plays (and that includes knockout matches!) - him going off early against La Rochelle in the Dublin final probably the best example.

Great opportunity to resurface this after nearly two years

You might enjoy this lead news story from Ireland's newspaper of record earlier this week:

'Conditions are set to become “very warm or even hot” in the coming days with temperatures possibly breaching 28 degrees this weekend, said Met Éireann.'

Why do women engage in sex work, especially given the health risks associated with the market?

This paper shows that during a historical recession, the number of sex work establishments rose, suggesting that economic hardship may drive women into the market.