Broncodroid, I think the way I'm looking at this that's different from yours is that where you see careers cut short, I see the game getting harder and faster, as is likely to happen in any sport. Sure, our heroes like Webcke and Fitzgibbon may not get to play into their mid-thirties at the top level, but that's the way the game is, now. Barring slow the game down (how?) players are going to need to be at their peak in order to play and those legends who continue to make the grade like Tallis, into their 30's, are legends. As well as this, if an elite player cannot handle the burdeh, they always have the option of quitting rep football. For all my respect and admiration for Shaun Timmins, he looks as though he will acknowledge this, as have Tallis Ryan Girdler, etc, in the past.
As for City Country, I will continue to back that Test to the hilt but you have made clear you don't want to argue it just yet. There's always next year