Build the walls before you hang the art

ABs lack prettiness, but the foundations are in place, PLUS: Goodbye Southee, hello Smith; the Tyson travesty; and a grim few weeks ahead for high-performance sport.

Cortex Ratima (bench) and Cam Roigard (start) are both poised to be pivotal figures against France’s Antoine Dupont. Getty Images

The commentariat seems to be in accord: a win in Paris and Les All Blacks season will have been a roaring success¹.

This is not a bad spot to be in and I might be going against the grain here, but after turning over Ireland and …