Whilst contemplating their failings, my attention lingered on two almost permanently unavailable players - Darren Anderton and Jamie Redknapp.
The roll call of unavailable players, including Petr Cech, Ricardo Carvalho and Didier Drogba, sounded like the shortlist for a prestigious award, but they were never missed.
Take New Zealand's fixtures against England and Ireland and Wales's latest attempt to defeat Australia out of next month, given South Africa's list of unavailable players at Twickenham, and what is left?
All of Valencia's 10 unavailable players were on the bench during the warm-up in a show of dressing-room solidarity and Gary Neville's decision not to go into the dressing room before and after the game was appreciated as a show of respect to Salvador Gonzalez Voroo" who was caretaker coach on the night.
Meanwhile Down begin their Christy Ring campaign against Kerry at Austin Stack Park at the weekend without a raft of unavailable players.
There's a lot going on in the Puma camp at the moment, with a new coach in Daniel Hourcade, an injured captain in Fernandez Lobbe and other unavailable players.
World Rugby's own code expressly forbids clubs "whether by contract, conduct or otherwise inhibiting, preventing, discouraging, disincentivising or rendering unavailable" players from international selection, stressing that high-quality international rugby is the lifeblood of the game.
"We had our chances but we just couldn't pull the big hit when we needed it". An already-thin CVFH roster — with Callie Ellingford playing through a sprained ankle and two unavailable players — was dealt a big blow in the second inning when leadoff hitter and second baseman Fabian was injured on a double-play attempt at second base.
"In terms of the squad, we've still got eight or nine players unavailable - players that would be there or thereabouts.
If a proper board is unavailable, the players can keep score with pencil and paper.
The first time the game is played, these three heroine routes are unavailable to the player until after the Refrain scenario is completed, though the player is given the option make them immediately available.
