Scotland v All Blacks
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@Chris-B said in Scotland v All Blacks:
@MN5 said in Scotland v All Blacks:
@Chris-B said in Scotland v All Blacks:
That’s bad news for Wales. They would have loved a backline of Havili/ALB and Reece
Dave's not on this tour and it looks to me that ALB has been given the role Dave had last year - 10 minutes here and there and skating on thin ice.
2026 will be a new year, but ALB will need a big season and maybe a bit of luck with injuries if he's not to go the way Davey did this year.
I bought a Terry McLean book last week.
It was called "ALB lacks magic."
At least I thought it was - turns out I'd misread the title it was about something completely different.
A miserable joke at ALBs expense!
ALL BLACK MAGIC. The Triumphant Tour of the 1967 All Blacks by Terry MCLEAN on Sainsburys Books
A.H. & A.W. Reed, 1968. 8vo, 183pp. Black & white illustrations. A very good hardback copy in like dust jacket. Item #116620
I assumed he'd get called up with Jordie Barrett injured ?
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@Chris-B said in Scotland v All Blacks:
@MN5 No real need, I think.
They've still got:
Tupaea, ALB
Leicester, Proctor, Rieko.Two of those won't play vs England.
Yeah true, loads of midfield depth. Could easily go ALB and either Proctor/Ioane for Wales.
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Trouble is none of our 13s have nailed it. LF is the best attacking threat but still has major defensive weaknesses and with QT it's basically still the Hungus Brothers. Looks good against weaker and more inexperienced midfields but I think we may need one of them starting and one off the bench, we def. probably need one of them starting as the others lack impact. But we also need someone defensively sound with vision.
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@nostrildamus Tuapea has gone well at 13 - needs more chances there
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@KiwiMurph problem is, that 12-13 axis is huge defensively and both LF and QT still need alot of work there, which is ironic given Ioanes strength is his defence and he seems well in the outer.
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Overall we are tracking well. We have strength through the entire forward pack. When's the last time we could say that.
Last year DMac played well at 10. Why not use him. It's a mystery.
We are so much stronger now compared to the previous World Cup cycle and we lost that by a whisker. Glass half full.
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@ACT-Crusader said in Scotland v All Blacks:
The story I heard was that last year Love and Papali’i were rooming together and after Dalton head butt Razor, Love was seen in the corner of the room taking video footage. Fast forward to the French series this year and after Love questioned a training move, he remembered the words of his 2024 roomie, “just hit them between the eyes”, Love lined up Hansen with a head butt.
well I heard that Love wound up kidnapping Hansen in a case of mistaken identity, and they hushed it up and blamed it on Dalton. And that's why Dalts isn't in the squad any more.
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I was having a spirited exchange with a mate of mine about BB. His counterargument to my assessment that BB isn't up to it anymore was "we won and he didn't make any mistakes.". This guy knows rugby, and yet that's his view (and BB did make errors anyway). Is that how low we are happy to set the bar these days? I can't reconcile how anyone who knows anything about rugby can go into bat for BB anymore.
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@nzzp said in Scotland v All Blacks:
@ACT-Crusader said in Scotland v All Blacks:
The story I heard was that last year Love and Papali’i were rooming together and after Dalton head butt Razor, Love was seen in the corner of the room taking video footage. Fast forward to the French series this year and after Love questioned a training move, he remembered the words of his 2024 roomie, “just hit them between the eyes”, Love lined up Hansen with a head butt.
well I heard that Love wound up kidnapping Hansen in a case of mistaken identity, and they hushed it up and blamed it on Dalton. And that's why Dalts isn't in the squad any more.
You’re making stuff up.
But wait till I tell you about the leaked phone call between Ryan and Sotutu….
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@ACT-Crusader said in Scotland v All Blacks:
the leaked phone call between Ryan and Sotutu….
nah, you got that wrong sorry. Check your sauce. It was a Teams call that the transcript accidentally got forwarded to Robinson. Ya think it's a coincidence he stood down?
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@canefan said in Scotland v All Blacks:
I was having a spirited exchange with a mate of mine about BB. His counterargument to my assessment that BB isn't up to it anymore was "we won and he didn't make any mistakes.". This guy knows rugby, and yet that's his view (and BB did make errors anyway). I can't reconcile how anyone who knows anything about rugby can go into bat for BB anymore
Guess that would suggest that you don't think any of the coaches etc know anything about rugby?
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@Dan54 said in Scotland v All Blacks:
@canefan said in Scotland v All Blacks:
I was having a spirited exchange with a mate of mine about BB. His counterargument to my assessment that BB isn't up to it anymore was "we won and he didn't make any mistakes.". This guy knows rugby, and yet that's his view (and BB did make errors anyway). I can't reconcile how anyone who knows anything about rugby can go into bat for BB anymore
Guess that would suggest that you don't think any of the coaches etc know anything about rugby?
Do you ever read my posts Dan?
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@nostrildamus Don’t think he’s been watching much the past 5 years
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I thought at half time that finally we were going to get a statement performance under Robertson.
Then the Scots came back at us, aided and abetted by our terrible discipline and a woeful performance under the high ball.
But we still had the skill, athleticism, fitness and determination to seal the win. It was a performance for the ages from Damian McKenzie off the bench.
It feels to be that despite the injuries the forwards are tracking well (only really the overhyped Ardie Savea is underperforming), but the backline is a bit of a mess and probably will be until we sort out the backline coaching issue.
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@taniwharugby said in Scotland v All Blacks:
@KiwiMurph problem is, that 12-13 axis is huge defensively and both LF and QT still need alot of work there, which is ironic given Ioanes strength is his defence and he seems well in the outer.
Unfortunately, he's been a bit bland offensively. But, I'd still be inclined to play him vs England. They've kind on moved Rieko aside for Proctor, aside for Tupaea, aside for Leicester at 13 - but, I'm doubtful we're at the best option right now in this musical chairs.
Just had a quick look to see Jack Goodhue turned 30 in June. Should've been entering his prime.
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@game_film said in Scotland v All Blacks:
@nostrildamus Don’t think he’s been watching much the past 5 years
sorry I missed the context here...he is?
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@nzzp said in Scotland v All Blacks:
@Chris-B said in Scotland v All Blacks:
Jack Goodhue turned 30 in June. Should've been entering his prime.
that wellington game against the Boks he looke elite. Defensively monstrous. But ... injuries and he has not kicked on.
Yeah - he coulda, woulda, shoulda been the next Conrad. Lacked a yard of pace, but otherwise a complete centre. Then injuries lost him another couple of yards and he was done.
