Solid black panels down the sides doesn't do it for me, hoops all the way around, it's better than last years and 2016 but not as good as 2015, will do well though.
Training kit this year methinks.

It does seem to be transfer free and fully sublimated which is an improvement. I'll wait till the first home game and check it out when I come over, though erring towards the Australia tour stuff (whatever that may be) and training gear.

Other than the ISC sticker on watts' shirt you mean? I'd be surprised if it is sticker free as we haven't had one of those for years

Initial thoughts are quite like it but as has been pointed out I'd have liked to have seen the hoops go all the way around instead of the black panel so a little undecided.

The black panel simply makes it easier to manufacture, so it's not hoops, it's stripes.

do we think that there will be a special shirt for australia or will they use this one?

That's not necessarily the case think its more to do with the fit rather than easier to make. However regardless of the reasons I feel if it had had hoops instead of the black panel it would have made the shirt something extra special as it is I'm undecided.

Still disappointing its another ISC generic design though and no doubt we will some other teams with similar shirts but different colours.

Decent and better than last seasons but feel a tad disappointed.

A black panel (or any other colour) removes the necessity to align the hoops. (You may be right that it helps with fit too)

looks better with black shorts

How does having a black panel help the fit? They're just 2 pieces of the material sewn together whether there are hoops or stripes with a black panel. It's just a design feature

It's OK, better than last 2 years but people are going a bit overboard about it. We've had several better in recent years IMO with the best being 2008 for me