Gerry Thornley

You're right.

It's been... And this is a post-Lions year as well, remember, Simon.

They...

it's a double edged sword providing 14 players for the Lions being the bulk suppliers it never suits no international team has done well since the early noughties on the back of a Lions tour when they've been bulk suppliers and it's a high cost you pay when you're a club stroke provincial side and you're the bulk suppliers their season didn't start before the November window effectively at all they cranked it up in that period around January December when they won an awful lot of one score games

and show that they can certainly stay calm in a crisis.

which they showed until the end of the game against Toulon.

And they found a way.

And their season only finally took off in this block of games now.

And they were quite good, I thought, in the round of 16 and the quarterfinal, especially against Sale.

You could say they've had a favourable draw this year.

There's no doubt about it.

I mean, they've got Edinburgh, Sale and Toulon, who are eighth in the top contours, to get to a final.

But, yeah, I think what was... They're...

Ultimately, they are there and they deserve to be there.

And maybe, just maybe, Simon, now that Porter... Sorry, Porter being... I think Porter coming back has been huge.

I think Clarkson being there.

They're still 10.

They're still 10 in the second row.

No Ryan Baird, no RG Snyman.

So Joe McCarthy has to go 80, although just as well he did.