Rugby Real or Not: Australia can't support five Super Rugby franchises

It's another busy week across the rugby world, with Super Rugby Pacific heading into Round 4 and the Six Nations recommencing with huge games in London and Cardiff.

We tackle some of the big talking points in the latest edition of Rugby Real or Not.

Five Super Rugby franchises are too many for Australian rugby if it wants them all to be as competitive as possible

Real. But The devil is in the detail of that statement, particularly when you look back through Super Rugby history when all five franchises were playing concurrently. While Australia supplied two Super Rugby winners in the last decade, in most of those years the other franchises were usually filling the bottom rungs on the ladder. But here comes the flipside of the situation, that without having those five sides Australia would see more its middle tier players head overseas, as is the case with Mack Hansen and Ireland, and end up playing for other nations around the world. Australian rugby fans are then left asking: Why the hell didn't we pick him up?

Without either the Force or Rebels over the last few years it's entirely possible that the likes of Rob Leota, Andrew Kellaway and Feleti Kaitu'u would not have worked their way through to a Wallabies debut; Leota and Kellaway eventually turned out to be two of the finds of the season. Furthermore, Leota is homegrown Rebels product while two more local West Australians debuted for the Force at the weekend. There is also the not so small matter that Australian rugby was engulfed in a civil war the last time it decided to kill off a franchise, and those wounds are still being repaired. So while the likes of Jeff Wilson and John Kirwan make accurate assertions around the strength of the Australian sides, it is slightly more nuanced than their segment on Sky Sport's The Breakdown.

- Sam Bruce

Izaia Perese's contract and Rugby Australia top-up make him the likely Wallabies' No. 13.

Not Real. Perese's decision to re-sign with the Waratahs, and secure a Rugby Australia top-up in the process, is a huge shot in the arm for what Darren Coleman is doing in Sydney, and further reinforcement that the Wallabies environment Dave Rennie has built is one players want to be a part of. But Perese is probably still the fourth-choice centre at the moment, particularly when you consider that Samu Kerevi is a lock at No. 12 when available, and Len Ikitau and Hunter Paisami have each already put stellar Test performances on the board. Perese, meanwhile, has just two games off the bench. That's not to say he can't force his way into the starting side to face England; having an additional physical defender and aggressive ball-carrier could be pivotal if Manu Tuilagi is fit and firing for Eddie Jones come July.

Perese's other point-of-difference comes in that he can also play on the wing, which gives him great versatility when it comes to World Cup selection. Rennie will probably only take 13 backs to France, so places will be limited when it comes time to board the Qantas jet for Paris. The key for Perese will be to develop his game -- his passing and short-kicking skills as he mentioned on Tuesday in particular -- and really become that complete midfield option. If he is able to do that, his claims to a starting spot in the Wallabies midfield will improve dramatically.

- Sam Bruce

France will go on and claim the Grand Slam with wins over Wales and England

Real. The way they've been playing France have practically already got the Grand Slam and the Six Nations in the trophy cabinet. Antoine Dupont may be grabbing the headlines, but he's just one of the many stars in a France side that has been at its flamboyant best across the series. So far they've scored 13 tries across three games, six of which came against Scotland, while their back-row seemed to wipe Scotland off the park with their relentless breakdown pressure.

Previously known for capitulating under pressure, France appear to have ditched that issue with new found resilience and one of their most skillful packs in years. Don't expect Wales to fire much of a shot in Saturday morning's clash, but the true test will come in the final round when France host England. While the home game advantage should see them over the line - the atmosphere at Stade de France is unbelievable - England have the talent and ability to match them, whether they can bring it all together and pull it off in Paris though remains to be seen.

- Brittany Mitchell