@Dan54 said in New All Black Coach:

@reprobate said in New All Black Coach:

@taniwharugby yup, though in NZ. I think my point is that you don't need a fancy coach to be a shitload better than where we are currently. Schoolkids do it better.

Shit reprobate, I think one of our problems is coaching at school kid level. I been gobsmacked at how structured out 1st XVs have become. I think because of top level schools are so focused on winning or whatever our kids are getting a lot of the flair coached out of them.
And unfortunately, I think from a couple of things I have seen watching some kids games it starts at a lot lower than that. I was watching a couple of kids training sessions at different times and places, and was pissed off seeing coaches yelling at kids about 10-12yo and getting them to bridge etc when ball was on ground, then spending a lot of times on lineouts etc just clinical. At that age I firmly believe kids should be learning how to pass ball , and just run towards gaps etc. I still think it not helping us in our skills with kids coming through.
Maybe I wrong, I always believed coaching kids is about how to and not why too. Show them how to pass, where to put ball on ground when tackled, how to pick and go. And the most important thing to teach them with breakdown is the safety factor, come in with head up and eys open, so they don't get hurt and go off the game. Just seems we have too many kids coaches who seem to think they coaching a senior team who's ONLY job is to win.

Lol ok my rant for day.

Agree that coaching basic skills to kids is more important Dan, though I do feel that a lot of our historic ability in pass/catch/run/look for space comes from the unstructured games of touch, league, bullrush etc rather than training. That's just what happens naturally.

Skills like the cross-kick and overhead catch come from AFL, kids who grow up with football are invariably superior kickers in all facets, basketball skills are great for accurate passing to moving targets, offloading and finding a way to get the ball to where it needs to be through traffic. These skills are all things that you don't get to a high standard from just playing rugby or practising lineouts and scrums - there are clear areas where specific training can quickly make a difference because the standard required at international rugby level is actually pretty low compared to the sports where these are core skills.

I do find it astonishing that professional sportspeople can't e.g. kick off a left foot - or in the case of many players, kick effectively at all. Such an easy skill to improve with basic repetition, and you can't go to the gym 24/7.

Yep, and I doubt that they will have any interest in developing women's and girls cricket either. They will just want "names" on a plate all round.

I know it's not about games etc , but am absolutely stoked to read the mighty Nua (HKRU) has posted a surplus for their financials for 17th year. Apparently player numbers etc up too, but all in all it's f***en great to read a good news story on our game from grassroots!👍

@canefan said in Cameron Suafoa:

@Darren said in Cameron Suafoa:

‘Ribs removed, spine shaved, steel rods to stabilise back’

Wow and congratulations if you can come back from that, and be healthy, let alone play rugby.

He's trying to win the game of life right now

🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

@reprobate said in What new players would you like to see in all blacks next year:

@KiwiMurph said in What new players would you like to see in all blacks next year:

I really dont understand why they didnt try Leicester at 12 and keep Tupaea at 13 on this end of year tour. Instead they swapped them around.

I really like what I've seen from Higgins so hopefully he can stay fit and put himself in the frame - would be a good way to manage Jordie's minutes at the Canes too by giving Riley time at 12.

One of those Canes needs to move. Like Jacomb at the Chiefs. Proctor, Higgins, Barrett all need to be starting for the good of NZ rugby.

Trust me, all 3 will get injured and we will end up with Riley Hohepa and Ngane Punivai in the midfield somehow. And all 4 10s will be injured and Orbyn Leger will be brought back to play 10.

@Bones said in Razor's Firsts:

@ShaquilleOatmeal so it's even worse than 98?

Oops. Fixed it now.

Highly recommend this. One of NZ’s greatest - yet under appreciated - sports stories…

@antipodean said in Red Cards & HIA:

Although now Ireland are finally getting players sent to the naughty chair with regularity, perhaps we should have two TMOs?

Maybe they will see that the system is in fact broken? That it wasn't a good way to keep those cheating antipodeans in check?

@frugby or better yet, a Probable vs Possibles....

Reckon we'd get better value out of this than some of the early season stuff we often play.

@MiketheSnow said in November Internationals: Scotland:

@MN5 said in November Internationals: Scotland:

@MiketheSnow said in November Internationals: Scotland:

Shit match

Flat track bullies

They can only play whats in front of them.

Two losses when they should have won at least one of them.

Two predictable minnow hammerings.

They will beat Wales in the Six Nations next year. Guarantee it.

They should, they’re Tier 1 and we’re a minnow

9th in the world now, the Scots are certainly doing their bit to change that.

@sparky said in World Rugby Awards 2025:

Malcolm Marx of South Africa has been named World Rugby Player of the Year for 2025.

He's from South Africa?!

Waisake Salabiau. I'm really surprised he hasn't been given an opportunity. He was a star from the NZ U18 team at the school sevens competition a few years back.

Not 2025 but 1974.

Found the line-ups for the 1974 unofficial test v a “Welsh XV.”
Thinkn it’d be an official test by now if Wales had won.

Brit rugby was on a high and NZ took these three teams on in the space of 8 days!
The red players are BI Lions.

Drew the game against the Baabaas; Joe had a bit of a shocker, 2 of 7 with the boot, and spilt a high ball that led to a late try to tie the game up.
Gareth box kicked the whole game as they played it like a test match.
The Barbarians pack was the same that had just dealt to the boks a couple of months earlier.

d18a6ddc-e58c-4f49-a67a-f969ca4374f0-image.png

d1092c6c-a1b9-4c7d-9eb3-0d470f358926-image.png

Form.

9e38a3be-8d82-4fc1-90be-c6716bcd117c-image.png

lol @ACT-Crusader and the rest of the St Kilda fans can absolutely get in the bin.

These are the fans that gleefully posted they didn't mind GC getting Ben King because he would be a Saint in two years. They, and the rest of the Victorian fans fucking loved it when all the players came from Victoria because they could some sniping in and pick up GCs best players for fuck all when their rookie deals ran out. Richmond and Melbourne especially bought key premiership pieces, but they aren't alone.

Now? GC are developing kids from Qld who have been in Suns colours since they were 13 (sounds a lot like Penrith) and the rules allow the club to keep them. And they fucking hate it. GC are getting better AND the Vic clubs have way less pull to poach them once GC have got 50 games in to them.

No one gave a shit about Qld when the Lions and GC fucking shit and Vic clubs were gleefully raiding our high draft picks every trade period.
Suffer in your jocks

@African-Monkey Hammer Hardware...

Could be worse, could be the $2 Shop!

@mariner4life said in Grand slam? Poll!:

@Paj said in Grand slam? Poll!:

Interested in thoughts on here if you regarded this as a proper Grand Slam?

All talk out of AB's is they targeted this tour as a goal of winning the Grand Slam, and media did the same. I listen to Scotty & Izzy every morning and most of listeners felt same way.

I don't, I believe to win a Grand Slam you play the nation at home. AB's beat Ireland at Soldiers Field which is no where as intimidating as Aviva Stadium/Lansdown Road would have been. It's why in all comps home ground advantage is better, why you play quarters, semis in NPC to get a home game.

Just interested in others on this, or is winning all four nations a genuine slam?

agree. I have always laughed at the 6N Grand Slam when you will play half the games at home.

Did the term not originate from that then?

@NTA said in Rugby World Cup 2027 - Qualifying:

Anyway he mentioned that for RWC2027 they will probably have one of the bigger teams using their facility.

Breakfast cafe photos with them or it never happened!

The tide definitely turned this week. Goldie does not like losing to England, I know that much. He was pissed.

Goldie, Mils and Beaver went in about as hard as I’ve ever seen them. Lots of good points. Didn’t quite get the pitchforks out like we do on here but just stopped short of it that didn’t leave much to the imagination.

@mohikamo said in What is decline?:

@nonpartizan

This is one advantage that NZ should have over everyone else.
So you'd like to think they were all on the same page.

I'd say coaching philosophy is a big part of the AB head coach selection process, and NZR Pro Rugby would ensure that that philosophy is in alignment with all other NZ & SR teams.

Having said that; an environment like that might stifle the introduction of fresh ideas.

Yeah, agreed on that, you don't want to stifle the imagination that is for sure. I guess finding that happy middle ground is the challenge.

The big one for me would be the AB staff relating down the chain of command where they see skill deficiencies and positionally where they see the biggest areas of need.