How the rugby review has become a vital part of progress

So much time in sport is spent planning ahead. Everyone wants to know where they are going. A well-thought-out review can be a prized commodity on that journey. Learning from the past has as much value as preparing for the future.

Ireland captain Brian O'Driscoll with coach Eddie O'Sullivan. O’Sullivan once had to deny claims he was a ‘despot’. Pic: Billy Stickland/Inpho 

Before the last World Cup, a New Zealand review panel urged the entire body to try to understand what they are. None of their scathing assessments were personal. It was strictly business.

They formed to facilitate sport. The time had come to change the way they think.