All Blacks v Ireland II

mariner4life

I'm just fucking astounded the world's premier halfback has one bad game and everyone wants him dropped.

Siam

@mariner4life said in Ireland II:

I'm just fucking astounded the world's premier halfback has one bad game and everyone wants him dropped.

Hear ya but the tackling and muscle around the ruck are a good argument and an area the paddies exploited last time

The plan will be to smash those emerald isle fuckers this time won't it?

Toilet boy ain't got his swagger back yet either IMO

nostrildamus

@Siam I thought A Smith played well against Italy?
I am still stunned how good ALB is, at either 12 or 13.
I thought Naholo actually had a good match and is defensively more reliable than Savea but they'll pick the latter and put some pressure on him to perform.
Cruden, Barrett, Sopoaga-a good problem to have!

Am also tempted to think Patrick is better off the bench..

Siam

@nostrildamus
Yeah, he did. He was quick with the pass, made good breaks. He added a lot vs Italy

I'd go for Perenara for the physicality v Ireland. May it be so again that when facing a recent conquering team the ABs fucken pile in physically and willingly. Smash the feckers. I think TJP is better suited ti start to compliment this style. Nugget for the last 25-30 mins to run 'em around would be ideal I reckon

Derm McCrum

Hmmmm.

profitius

The Ireland side will probably remain unchanged. Peter O'Mahony will be the only change in the squad and whether or not he starts is the question.

I don't think we (Ireland) will win this one. There are a few good reasons. Obviously the ABs will be firm favourites but from an Ireland point of view, everything went to plan in Chicago and thats unlikely to happen twice in a row. Hansen will be analysing the match and will strengthen areas the ABs got caught out, like the maul, not giving penalties away, garryowens etc. And in Chicago the ABs still scored 4 tries.

Ireland can still make it a tough game and they'll do the same again... mainly not give the ball away too easily. The Ireland defence is good and even the forwards are athletic and fairly fit. More mobile than the Australians and South Africans while probably being more physical than the Argentinians. Andy Farrell has made a massive difference since taking over in the summer and that might have caught the ABs off guard in the first test. It was interesting to see the ABs kick-pass the ball so much against the Italians. It was almost like they were practising it. I'd say we might see a bit of that next week.

So I would say business for the ABs but sport can throw up surprises. The weather will be a bit different than it was in Chicago.

Billy Tell

@profitius said in Ireland II:

The Ireland side will probably remain unchanged. Peter O'Mahony will be the only change in the squad and whether or not he starts is the question.

I don't think we (Ireland) will win this one. There are a few good reasons. Obviously the ABs will be firm favourites but from an Ireland point of view, everything went to plan in Chicago and thats unlikely to happen twice in a row. Hansen will be analysing the match and will strengthen areas the ABs got caught out, like the maul, not giving penalties away, garryowens etc. And in Chicago the ABs still scored 4 tries.

Ireland can still make it a tough game and they'll do the same again... mainly not give the ball away too easily. The Ireland defence is good and even the forwards are athletic and fairly fit. More mobile than the Australians and South Africans while probably being more physical than the Argentinians. Andy Farrell has made a massive difference since taking over in the summer and that might have caught the ABs off guard in the first test. It was interesting to see the ABs kick-pass the ball so much against the Italians. It was almost like they were practising it. I'd say we might see a bit of that next week.

So I would say business for the ABs but sport can throw up surprises. The weather will be a bit different than it was in Chicago.

It's a cliché, but Ireland don't do "not the underdog" very well. So on the one hand, expectation will be ramped up, on the other hand surely NZ won't play as badly as they did in Chicago?

If I were Hansen, I would play some territory (Ireland don't remotely have the same ability to strike long-distance tries as NZ) put pressure on the Irish halves (hopefully resulting in Sexton spitting the dummy), don't give away silly penalties that allow Ireland to kick to the corner and maul, compete better on the high ball etc.

I think the match could be very close though, especially if Ireland start well.

rotated

@mariner4life said in Ireland II:

I'm just fucking astounded the world's premier halfback has one bad game and everyone wants him dropped.

He got hooked against the Boks earlier in the year for being average and in the mean time TJP has taken massive strides. His returns post the Wales series and Bledisloe I have been middling.

That said there are some players who are core to the team and you have to give them every chance to fight their way out of it. Smith deserves the big stage and another crack at it.

reprobate

@mariner4life said in Ireland II:

I'm just fucking astounded the world's premier halfback has one bad game and everyone wants him dropped.

total knee-jerk. smith is the best halfback in the world, in all contexts except our forwards getting smashed. are we really willing to concede that that is going to happen?

reprobate

crockett was very good against italy. regardless of moody's shit in the first one, i have thought crockett should be getting the lion's share of those minutes on ability for some time. why not moody for 20 then crockett for 60?

Crucial

@reprobate said in Ireland II:

crockett was very good against italy. regardless of moody's shit in the first one, i have thought crockett should be getting the lion's share of those minutes on ability for some time. why not moody for 20 then crockett for 60?

Crockett was awesome from the pieces I saw and I understand the scrum was good against a strong Italian pack

reprobate

@Crucial yeah he was really good. moody scrums solidly, but he has nothing on crockett anywhere else, and it is not often crockett lets the scrum down, for a few years now. just makes sense to me to have the better player on the field for longer.

Donsteppa

I'm fucking astounded that people have forgotten Aaron Smith vs Argentina, though that wouldn't tally with; bleating about just "one poor game", or most importantly ignoring TJP's 2016 form, (or blaming everything on two cretins making a recording.)

Either way, it looks like the days of Smith playing 75 minutes for the AB's are less likely... so it's essentially people getting fucking astounded at which side of a 50/30 minute split you argue for.

No Quarter

@reprobate said in Ireland II:

crockett was very good against italy. regardless of moody's shit in the first one, i have thought crockett should be getting the lion's share of those minutes on ability for some time. why not moody for 20 then crockett for 60?

Agree, I think Crockett is in his prime now. Scrummaging more then solid and he's a fucking wrecking ball around the paddock. He's a great impact player but I'd rather he start.

taniwharugby

isn't this what everyone has been wanting around AB selections? People were tired of the team picking itself, so much stability, so much winning...

Donsteppa

@taniwharugby said in Ireland II:

isn't this what everyone has been wanting around AB selections? People were tired of the team picking itself, so much stability, so much winning...

Arguing selections is always half the fun. Especially when my team doesn't have to actually take to the park.

Tordah

Crockett needs to be in every matchday 23:

Wins..Draws....Losses....%
54.......1................1...... 97.32

And he was great against Italy, scrum was superb and his running and support play is incredible for a prop

ACT Crusader

@taniwharugby said in Ireland II:

isn't this what everyone has been wanting around AB selections? People were tired of the team picking itself, so much stability, so much winning...

Is it too early to state what the actual team will be? Naahhhh

W. Crockett
C. Taylor
O. Franks
L. Romano
S. Whitelock
S. Barrett
M. Todd
K. Read
T. Lander
T. Cane
T. Blue
R. Crotty
A. Lienart-Brown
I. Dagg
D. McKenzie

Siam

@Donsteppa

Don't forget It all changes after an ab loss Don
It's a tradition...
But your reasoning has put me squarely on the fence. Either will be fine

mariner4life

I refuse to pick my halfback on reasons based around my forward pack playing like fairies

TJP has got better, but he still has an inaccurate pass, Smith still the superior player, Smith to start

The Silver Fern

All Blacks v Ireland II