South Africa's head coach has led the way in recent innovative thinking. His Springboks team now takes on the All Blacks in four Test matches and the rugby world will be keen to see what he comes up with next.
Glass half full or half empty? Wrong question. The glass is fine. It's the quality of the wine we should be worried about.
Ireland's season has exposed cracks in depth, cohesion and succession planning, but Andy Farrell's side arrives at Eden Park with one final chance to prove those problems are fixable rather than fundamental.
The trophies are already secured. The lasting verdict on Cullen's reign may depend on whether Leinster can emerge from his shadow without suffering the effects of authority decay.
From territory and phase count to scrum dominance and red-zone efficiency, the season's numbers reveal the strengths, weaknesses and winning formula for both URC finalists.
Southampton FC got caught spying on the opposition and were thrown out of the Premier League play-off final. Rugby has been doing a version of the same thing for decades. It’s just been better at hiding the lens.
There are those who want a guillotine to fall on the head coach – that's not going to happen, but some level of internal change is needed and both the attack and defence are in clear need of a reboot.
It is not that Leinster lost a fifth Champions Cup final. It is the manner of it. Bordeaux were outstanding; Leinster were outthought and well short of the standard a European champion sets
Nienaber against McNamara is the most fascinating coaching subplot of the weekend. The contest that decides the game might well be the one between the South African defensive engineer and the Clare man with the maths degree.
Leinster’s win over Toulon was decisive for long stretches, yet Leo Cullen’s post-match rhetoric and a messy finish ensured the performance sparked more questions than it answered.
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