What a delight to be in a position to preview a winter sport. And not rugby as a summer sport, which is the thrust of the southern hemisphere lobby to its northern cousins.

Premier Rugby chief executive Mark McCafferty struck a blow for logic, convention and common sense when stating that his organisation would not countenance backing any proposal to play club rugby in June, July and August as a means of sorting the jigsaw that is the so-called global season. ‘So-called’ because, by my reckoning, putative plans to start in February and continue all the way through to November makes it not a global season but a southern hemisphere season, a minor point that appears to have been overlooked by those making noises south of the equator.