All Blacks v Pumas
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I was impressed with Fifita's first start. Equally underwhelmed yet again with Savea at openside and McKenzie at fullback.
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Finished. The final scoreline was a fair enough reflection on the game. Despite leading and having an extra player, Argentina had nothing left at that stage.
Few points.
-The backline has some serious issues. BB and SBW don't seem to work, but the entire backline doesn't seem to function very well. I don't know if it's tactics or alignment, but it seems so disjointed. I'd like to see Laumape at 12 with Crotty. Positives were TJP and NMS. Thought NMS had an excellent game and TJP was pretty well faultless.
- Fifita was terrific. I don't wish to brag, but as one of the very few who defended his selection this season, the naysayers can line up to suckle on my sack.
- I actually didn't think Dmac was that bad, but I agree those high balls are a major concern. Some of them he had no business calling.
-BB needs to get his kicking sorted. Some games he kicks like a dream, others your heart is in your mouth every time. Thought he played OK otherwise. Don't see any reason to shift him to fb. Lima had a fine cameo and I rate him big time, but the Argies were pretty friar tucked when he came on.
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Fifita could well be the impact forward we have been looking for ,
If Kaino is nearly finished , Squire starting , Fifita coming on later could be something they look at .
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@kiwiinmelb said in All Blacks v Pumas:
Fifita could well be the impact forward we have been looking for ,
If Kaino is nearly finished , Squire starting , Fifita coming on later could be something they look at .
I'm not so sure that will get the big moments out of him. Although he had some absolutely fantastic moments he also had quite a bit of time wandering around lost. That will change with experience but he looks to me like the type of player that needs a lot of minutes playing to produce the flashes of brilliance.
You can't deny the athleticism but to expect that to happen in a 20 minute spell is expecting a lot.I'll go into bat for DMac as well. Those were perfectly weighted and placed kicks. The type we have seen BFA shell often as well. I don't mind the running sideways so much as he will stop that at this level now he has seen it doesn't work as well as it does in Super Rugby. FFS he has to try and play to his strengths and things that have worked in the past for him to see if they work. He was mindful to make sure he linked properly when no gap appeared and it never cost us ground or possession.
Thought he played much better than BB in that game and no one is having a crack at him apart from goal kicking.
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@ACT-Crusader Are you saying that in contrast to SBW and ALB because I thought they were great tonight. Especially when SBW was crashing the ball up.
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@MajorRage hmmm...never been around for a game with Dagg at fullback?
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@MajorRage said in All Blacks v Pumas:
@Bones not sure of point?
It's early he might not have had a coffee yet
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@MajorRage tsf isn't harsh on DMac. He's just a bit cake and I've seen Dagg cop all sorts of grief for not being Ben Smith.
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@Bones said in All Blacks v Pumas:
@MajorRage tsf isn't harsh on DMac. He's just a bit cake and I've seen Dagg cop all sorts of grief for not being Ben Smith.
I think you calling him cake kind of makes MRs point. He's had mixed games but the focus around here is only on the errors. Certain players get their errors focused on and certain players get them excused ... that's always the way around here, and that's not going to change, DMac gets his focused on.
Damn, MR beat me and made my point more succinctly.
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@Nepia I said a bit cake and that's definitely not harsh. His good points last night are what you would expect of a test player, other than that he made one very nice break, although that should probably have been shifted earlier.
What makes him a bit cake is the errors, the running around like a headless chook. That's not harsh.
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@Bones @Tim With the preface again that I don't think DMac had a great game. Yeah, of course those errors are notable, but as I said earlier two of those drops he probably shouldn't have been the guy having to go in to take them.
But, for some context, f we're talking that game then (goalkicking aside as that's a separate issue) BB's errors could also have been costly, two unforced fluffed kick offs and a yellow card - yet there's hardly been a peep about those around here.
