Bledisloe Three: Sydney, 31 October

[nostrildamus]

@Snowy yes I think Ben Darwin does mean that
"Ask a rugby player – in either code – to wear a different number on his back and fulfil a slightly less familiar role in a big game and, on average, his team score seven points fewer per game."
So if we play, what, 5 people out of position, then put them back..35 extra points!

[nostrildamus]

@mariner4life said in Bledisloe Three: Sydney, 31 October:

if you are a professional rugby player from NZ, why are you timing babies for mid to late October? in a normal year all 3 of those guys would be expecting to jet off to Europe about now.

Everyone wants a Libran baby?!

[nostrildamus]

Ben Darwin:
"We say the All Blacks are amazing but there is nothing about them that is magical. If they were amazing they would still win even when they introduce new players in key positions. In fact, when they do, they perform exactly the same as everyone else. It’s what we put upon them that is magical. Nor is there statistical evidence that any coach is better than the norm.”
So when you remove key players, the replacements aren't as good.
-"Nor is there statistical evidence that any coach is better than the norm.” WTF?!

[taniwharugby]

@mariner4life on watching that pass again im thinking someone wasnt where they were supposed to be, it was so far short of Clarke, yet BBarret was inside Clarke right where the pass woulda hit if he was up in the line.

Edit @voodoo got to it first

[mofitzy_]

@nostrildamus said in Bledisloe Three: Sydney, 31 October:

Ben Darwin:
"We say the All Blacks are amazing but there is nothing about them that is magical. If they were amazing they would still win even when they introduce new players in key positions. In fact, when they do, they perform exactly the same as everyone else. It’s what we put upon them that is magical. Nor is there statistical evidence that any coach is better than the norm.”
So when you remove key players, the replacements aren't as good.
-"Nor is there statistical evidence that any coach is better than the norm.” WTF?!

Mentioning magic, aura etc. is starting on the back foot even if you are attempting to debunk it. Almost as bad as refusing to say All Blacks as if it is some incantation that strengthens them.

[Kirwan]

@DMX said in Bledisloe Three: Sydney, 31 October:

@Victor-Meldrew said in Bledisloe Three: Sydney, 31 October:

Be interesting to see if Fozzie makes changes other than injury related. Hope he doesn't

Can't see 6-8 changing as that looks to be his preferred option and 9-13 will probbly stay the same. Just don't get the Jordie Barrett selection. He deserves to be in the team, but at 14?

My opinion is that we are still in must win territory so hard to see many changes outside of injured or unavailable players being out or fit players returning. Jordie at 14 is definitely not the future but I am guessing Fozzie will be reluctant to put Reiko under the pressure of switching positions and we know he will not give Jordan a starting debut, if anything he would come off the bench so I think Jordie definitely starts again at 14.

I'm hoping that Fozzie reassesses his conservative selections and look at how well Clarke went in his first start. Put your best players out there, if a kid has been in better form select him.

[reprobate]

@NTA said in Bledisloe Three: Sydney, 31 October:

@Victor-Meldrew said in Bledisloe Three: Sydney, 31 October:

Be interesting to see if Fozzie makes changes other than injury related. Hope he doesn't

I'm interested to see what happens there with Moody's situation, as well as any other niggles that get a look.

You'd think, having won by 20, there won't be much to change, and the question is how Rennie responds.

I didn't think there was much wrong with our side besides a couple of brainfarts, but Toomua's absence creates issues in terms of selecting a ball playing 12 with a boot who can bring maturity to that backline.

When he went off, Paisami moved in, and I thought things got a little flaky through the middle there.

The Wallabies weren't 20 points worse than us. Let down by handling errors at the wrong time, and the missed tackles. Still looked able to create holes in our defence, but struggled to finish with points. Didn't have the same line speed in defence either.
Rugby when it is close has a lot to do with fire in the belly. The Aussies all had it in the first game, and Caleb Clarke pretty much personified it in game 2. So too ALB, and his defence made a big difference. To all those touting Ioane at centre - and I'm not anti him, he may well end up being a great one - have a good look at that, because it was a huge improvement.

[NTA]

@reprobate said in Bledisloe Three: Sydney, 31 October:

Rugby when it is close has a lot to do with fire in the belly.

Are you suggesting the Wallabies weren't motivated enough to win a Bledisloe Test on Kiwi soil and become the first foreign team to win there in about 30 years?

[NTA]

@pakman said in Bledisloe Three: Sydney, 31 October:

@NTA said in Bledisloe Three: Sydney, 31 October:

@chimoaus said in Bledisloe Three: Sydney, 31 October:

@NTA I prefer this jersey, should wear this one as standard I reckon.

Will be even better once we scrub "QANTAS" off the front.

How about WANTASS?

Funny story: a club here in Sydney that we play against for a Charity Event were offered sponsorship by a strip club.

They knocked it back

[reprobate]

@NTA said in Bledisloe Three: Sydney, 31 October:

@reprobate said in Bledisloe Three: Sydney, 31 October:

Rugby when it is close has a lot to do with fire in the belly.

Are you suggesting the Wallabies weren't motivated enough to win a Bledisloe Test on Kiwi soil and become the first foreign team to win there in about 30 years?

Plenty of motivation but it is fine margins and subconsciously coming off a win is different to coming off a loss.
We were a little complacent in game 1, and massively fired up in game 2. Your guys had a big point to prove in game 1, and then think they belong in game 2. All it takes is a tiny % of slackening in the defensive line speed.

[canefan]

@reprobate said in Bledisloe Three: Sydney, 31 October:

@NTA said in Bledisloe Three: Sydney, 31 October:

@reprobate said in Bledisloe Three: Sydney, 31 October:

Rugby when it is close has a lot to do with fire in the belly.

Are you suggesting the Wallabies weren't motivated enough to win a Bledisloe Test on Kiwi soil and become the first foreign team to win there in about 30 years?

Plenty of motivation but it is fine margins and subconsciously coming off a win is different to coming off a loss.
We were a little complacent in game 1, and massively fired up in game 2. Your guys had a big point to prove in game 1, and then think they belong in game 2. All it takes is a tiny % of slackening in the defensive line speed.

I thought the aussies started off very well, similar to the last game. But we were able to raise our level

[reprobate]

@canefan said in Bledisloe Three: Sydney, 31 October:

@reprobate said in Bledisloe Three: Sydney, 31 October:

@NTA said in Bledisloe Three: Sydney, 31 October:

@reprobate said in Bledisloe Three: Sydney, 31 October:

Rugby when it is close has a lot to do with fire in the belly.

Are you suggesting the Wallabies weren't motivated enough to win a Bledisloe Test on Kiwi soil and become the first foreign team to win there in about 30 years?

Plenty of motivation but it is fine margins and subconsciously coming off a win is different to coming off a loss.
We were a little complacent in game 1, and massively fired up in game 2. Your guys had a big point to prove in game 1, and then think they belong in game 2. All it takes is a tiny % of slackening in the defensive line speed.

I thought the aussies started off very well, similar to the last game. But we were able to raise our level

Yep. The fire is hard to maintain week after week - if anyone thinks Clarke is going to play like that every week against all opposition for the rest of his career they're pretty optimistic.

[NTA]

@reprobate said in Bledisloe Three: Sydney, 31 October:

subconsciously coming off a win is different to coming off a loss.

But neither of those things happened, remember? Both sides were unhappy with their performance, and wanted to respond appropriately.

I think you're flailing a little TBH with this hokey talk of "fire in the belly" or motivation being the difference - might work at park footy, but not here. Pretty much every professional sports coach or sports psych will tell you that athletes don't get to the top level without having motivation in truckloads.

[Machpants]

@NTA You say both sides were unhappy, that maybe true once they’d got their media heads on, but Hooper looked pretty chuffed in his straight after game interview. The ‘feeling’ from the wallabies, I reckon, was that a draw in NZ was as good as a win for them. Just the body language etc, they looked proud, ABs looked pissed off

[Crucial]

@NTA said in Bledisloe Three: Sydney, 31 October:

@reprobate said in Bledisloe Three: Sydney, 31 October:

subconsciously coming off a win is different to coming off a loss.

But neither of those things happened, remember? Both sides were unhappy with their performance, and wanted to respond appropriately.

I think you're flailing a little TBH with this hokey talk of "fire in the belly" or motivation being the difference - might work at park footy, but not here. Pretty much every professional sports coach or sports psych will tell you that athletes don't get to the top level without having motivation in truckloads.

Hansen used to say that they would often know the result (or good performance) by Wednesday based on the mental condition. They could see when the team had that little extra focus and intent.

I think your lot were subconciously happy after Welly. They performed above expectations and had a bit of smoke blown up their arses despite the best attempts to stay on course.

[nzzp]

@Crucial said in Bledisloe Three: Sydney, 31 October:

I think your lot were subconciously happy after Welly. They performed above expectations and had a bit of smoke blown up their arses despite the best attempts to stay on course.

See also ABs v England after Ireland in 2019.

Edit: or SA + France 2015

[canefan]

@nzzp said in Bledisloe Three: Sydney, 31 October:

@Crucial said in Bledisloe Three: Sydney, 31 October:

I think your lot were subconciously happy after Welly. They performed above expectations and had a bit of smoke blown up their arses despite the best attempts to stay on course.

See also ABs v England after Ireland in 2019.

Edit: or SA + France 2015

GH always used to say it was not possible to play at the maximum level for 3 games in a row. I know this is 2 games but you know what I'm saying.... There are lots of examples as you say, ABs v France RWC11 final and ABs vs SA in RWC1995 and RWC15 off the top of my head

[nzzp]

@canefan spot on, and England in the final - they shot their load the week before.

[Victor Meldrew]

@canefan said in Bledisloe Three: Sydney, 31 October:

I thought the aussies started off very well, similar to the last game. But we were able to raise our level

Thinking about the game, that was the most satisfying thing for me.

Putting aside the standouts like Caleb Clarke, ALB and Sam Cane, it was hard to to spot anyone who wasn't playing really well. Pat T was a good example - took responsibility for a pretty raw 4/5 combination and really stepped up, esp. in the 2nd half.

Maybe I'm imagining it, but there seems far fewer stupid decisions and errors from the AB's in these last 2 games (RI excepted) than in the recent past. Dunno whether that's Cane's captaincy - he seems calmer and less wild-eyed than Read - or Fozzie's coaching, but just hope it continues.

[Victor Meldrew]

@nzzp said in Bledisloe Three: Sydney, 31 October:

spot on, and England in the final - they shot their load the week before.

And in RWC2015 England suffered from premature ejection...