All Blacks v Pumas
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@Kirwan said in All Blacks v Pumas:
McKenzie is the new Ben Blair. A very good Super Rugby player, can do some exciting things - but is not a Test player.
Just remember that awful game Blair had in the Super final(?), one of those is coming for the All Blacks if we persist with him.
And I think we are seeing just how good McCaw, Carter, Nonu, Smith, etc were. The All Blacks have been on the decline since the lost to Ireland, we have been lucky other sides are also not very good (like Oz). The results have been flattering us massively.
We are going to need some hard selection choices to move forward. I would be seriously considering changing captains too, to one of Brodie or Whitelock. Read is not playing as well as he used to be, and we need to be able to sub him.
If BB is not playing well at ten, and Sopoaga is then we should reward form. Not doing that cost us Charlie overseas - he'd be bloody useful at the moment wouldn't he?
The coaches can be too bloody minded at times, which is fine when we are winning. But it feels like we are just about to fall off a cliff.
And while I'm singling out players, time to drop Savea and when fit, get Matt Todd in. pick the best players not on potential.
I'm not sure if its selections so much as the tactics and execution. I think the forwards have been pretty damn good this year, but the backs have been pretty shitty as a unit. The balance seems completely out of whack. Which I guess completely contradicts my point about selections...
The half backs seem fine, TJP brainfarts notwithstanding. He was excellent last week.
BBs kicking is a major concern, but in terms of general play there is nobody near him. Lima made a nice cameo, but it was his assured boot that really stood out.
The centre combo doesn't work. Neither are in particularly good form and they don't complement each other like other combos. Obviously we were spoilt rotten with a guy like None who was not only a beast with ball in hand but also one of the best passers in the game. I'd like to see Laumape and Crotty. I think that could work.
Wingers are fine. NMS was very good and Ioane is amazing.
FB. This is a difficult one because Bender is resting, Giraffe is injured and Dagg appears to be exclusively a wing. NMS can play there, but it's been a while. DMac is a risk, but I'll be happy to accept that risk if he can kick the goals. If he can cut the error rate and kick 80 plus percent then we'll be sweet.
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@Kirwan said in All Blacks v Pumas:
McKenzie is the new Ben Blair. A very good Super Rugby player, can do some exciting things - but is not a Test player.
Just remember that awful game Blair had in the Super final(?), one of those is coming for the All Blacks if we persist with him.
And I think we are seeing just how good McCaw, Carter, Nonu, Smith, etc were. The All Blacks have been on the decline since the lost to Ireland, we have been lucky other sides are also not very good (like Oz). The results have been flattering us massively.
We are going to need some hard selection choices to move forward. I would be seriously considering changing captains too, to one of Brodie or Whitelock. Read is not playing as well as he used to be, and we need to be able to sub him.
If BB is not playing well at ten, and Sopoaga is then we should reward form. Not doing that cost us Charlie overseas - he'd be bloody useful at the moment wouldn't he?
The coaches can be too bloody minded at times, which is fine when we are winning. But it feels like we are just about to fall off a cliff.
And while I'm singling out players, time to drop Savea and when fit, get Matt Todd in. pick the best players not on potential.
I agree with all of that. It seems our "rebuild" after the RWC was a little bit delayed probably aided a bit by the Wallabies and Boks being rubbish last year.
There have definitely been steps in the right direction with guys like Fekitoa and Savea being left out for Ioane/Laumape but it seems they may need to do a bit more refreshing of some positions still.
The Injuries to Coles, B smith and Crotty have somewhat forced this to happen and now the Franks and Moody injuries will do the same. By the end of the season we should have a much clearer picture of which guys are up to it and where we still have to find replacements.Agree on the captaincy. Not that Read is a bad captain but Im not sure he is the best captain. Whitelock had an awesome season leading the Crusaders.
Also agree on the BB thing. Starting to think his style of play isn't that suited to "running" the backline.
Don't get me wrong he needs to be on the field somewhere but maybe coming into the line from fullback with Lima starting would be the best use of resources. Especially while Smith and Jordie are out. Would sort the goal kicking issue too. I suspect Dmac will have the rest of the TRC to show what he has but hopefully they will cut their losses if he doesn't start showing he has what it takes at test level. -
were questions over McCaws leadership early on in his stint as Captain.
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@taniwharugby said in All Blacks v Pumas:
were questions over McCaws leadership early on in his stint as Captain.
Very few over his actual form though, and that's the key.
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@taniwharugby but Richie was the widely acknowledged as best in his position
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I think Read had been in good form, yes it has been indifferent in recent weeks and I guess you could say this has trickled on to everyone else, or is the indifferent form of others affecting him...
If you took the Captaincy off Read, is his position in the team really in danger?
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I wonder whether a lot of our guys have just had too much hard rugby this year.
Endless Super derbies, Lions tour, multiple trips to SA and elsewhere, Super play-offs and now TRC.
Under Toddy, I reckon it was pretty apparent than many of the Crusaders' ABs paced themselves. This year Razor has got them to go hard out through most of the season and couple of them are probably showing it. People like Retallick and Cane have played lots of minutes for the Chiefs and Beauden and several others for the Canes.
Can't be at peak form all year - plus we're missing a few of the top team, especially last weekend.
Nonetheless, agree with some of the comments and criticisms - we haven't really been in vintage form.
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Seems to me "control a game" means kicking goals. Never seems to be an issue when those kicks are going over.
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@taniwharugby said in All Blacks v Pumas:
If you took the Captaincy off Read, is his position in the team really in danger?
Starting position? No
But he isn't the player he was 3-4 years ago and he should be getting subbed more often.
Whitelock you want on the field for 80mins as much as possible
I can't imagine Hansen making such a big change though
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@Duluth sub him for who? Often Ardie is the loosie bench.
Think we are struggling a bit form-wise, depth isn't as great in some positions, more width I think.
Not trying to defend him, just not sure on options.
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@Rancid-Schnitzel said in All Blacks v Pumas:
Seems to me "control a game" means kicking goals. Never seems to be an issue when those kicks are going over.
It doesn't mean that at all.
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@taniwharugby said in All Blacks v Pumas:
sub him for who? Often Ardie is the loosie bench.
Well I wouldn't have Ardie in the squad..
Finishing a match with some of these combos when Read is having one of his flat games would be useful
Cane/Squire/Kaino
Cane/Squire/Fafita
Cane/Ioane/Squire etc etcNo serious options for replacing him as a starter but there are options for subbing beyond just Ardie
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@Kirwan said in All Blacks v Pumas:
@taniwharugby said in All Blacks v Pumas:
were questions over McCaws leadership early on in his stint as Captain.
Very few over his actual form though, and that's the key.
I watch what Whitelock does for the Crusaders compared to what Read does for the All Blacks and I would have Whitelock over Read in a heartbeat.
I still think Read is a great player but a bit of a hopeless captain.
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@SammyC said in All Blacks v Pumas:
@Rancid-Schnitzel said in All Blacks v Pumas:
Seems to me "control a game" means kicking goals. Never seems to be an issue when those kicks are going over.
It doesn't mean that at all.
Well feel free to elaborate...
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@Hooroo It's a tough one....I think the last couple of games Read has stepped up and lead brilliantly in the closing/crucial minutes, but has gone into his shell for decent parts of the games and is making McCaw like handling errors all too much when he handles it a lot more than McCaw did...
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@Bones said in All Blacks v Pumas:
@Hooroo It's a tough one....I think the last couple of games Read has stepped up and lead brilliantly in the closing/crucial minutes, but has gone into his shell for decent parts of the games and is making McCaw like handling skills all too much when he handles it a lot more than McCaw did...
That's a very fair point. I too have enjoyed how he has taken Captaincy Control for the tight closing stages. That what we want from our leaders.
So I guess I am pretty much anti my previous post now.
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@Rancid-Schnitzel said in All Blacks v Pumas:
@SammyC said in All Blacks v Pumas:
@Rancid-Schnitzel said in All Blacks v Pumas:
Seems to me "control a game" means kicking goals. Never seems to be an issue when those kicks are going over.
It doesn't mean that at all.
Well feel free to elaborate...
The 10 is the principle playmaker in the team.. he "controls" or manages the game through his options taken when he gets the ball.
