Risk-taking is increasingly rare in the modern game and urgent action is required to keep fans interested
Given the time of year, rugby union needs to go shopping for charismas. Amazon Prime dipped into the petty clash to find the £20m to secure the television rights for the Autumn Nations Cup, but it is difficult to argue it has had value for money.
The game in Europe is in one of its sclerotic periods on the field and mired in administrative inertia off it. Amazon has the final it would have hoped for on Sunday with England and France offering the most potential new subscribers, but Les Bleus are having to field a reserve team. That’s because the Top 14 clubs and the French Rugby Federation agreed that no player would appear in more than three matches this autumn, which started with a warm-up to the Six Nations finale. Does that merit a rebate?
Related: Eddie Jones believes fewer breaks in play would unleash attacking rugby
Related: Rugby union's charms buried under defensive landslide in Autumn Nations Cup | Robert Kitson
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