Springboks v All Blacks 2
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@PN It put everyone to sleep, mate!!
That series was terrible to watch. Rassieâs video was the most entertaining bit about it all.
The result and the quality of the game are 2 different things.
@game_film said in Springboks v All Blacks 2:
@PN It put everyone to sleep, mate!!
That series was terrible to watch. Rassieâs video was the most entertaining but about it all.
The result and the quality of the game are 2 different things.
I agree!
Watching BB slice through defenders from his goalline over the weekend was quite exciting! AB's completed double passes when compared to the Boks, it was very exciting, based on that, they should have won!
It's like the post I read in the first match thread where someone asked I whether a scrum can continue to gain ground/penalties if the ball is available at the back
The difference in (rugby) culture should be respected, not mocked.
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@stodders said in Springboks v All Blacks 2:
@MiketheSnow said in Springboks v All Blacks 2:
@OomPB said in Springboks v All Blacks 2:
@MiketheSnow Will the All Blacks lost one in the WC and win the tournament like the Bokke did in 2019? Sure they can.
Anything is possible
Thereâs a lot of rugby to be played between now and the WC
Who knows who will be present and who will be absent come cup time
If Foster is still the coach, do you see NZ winning the RWC?
If the answer is no, nothing will change for NZ's prospects until Foster goes. Delaying the inevitable just takes time away from the next coach. And every game is gold dust now.
No
France and Ireland are ahead of NZ at the moment and should progress on that side of the draw.
But can NZ beat both of those in a knockout competition, even with Foster?
Yes
@MiketheSnow said in Springboks v All Blacks 2:
@stodders said in Springboks v All Blacks 2:
@MiketheSnow said in Springboks v All Blacks 2:
@OomPB said in Springboks v All Blacks 2:
@MiketheSnow Will the All Blacks lost one in the WC and win the tournament like the Bokke did in 2019? Sure they can.
Anything is possible
Thereâs a lot of rugby to be played between now and the WC
Who knows who will be present and who will be absent come cup time
If Foster is still the coach, do you see NZ winning the RWC?
If the answer is no, nothing will change for NZ's prospects until Foster goes. Delaying the inevitable just takes time away from the next coach. And every game is gold dust now.
No
France and Ireland are ahead of NZ at the moment and should progress on that side of the draw.
But can NZ beat both of those in a knockout competition,
even within spite of Foster?Yes
Fixed
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@antipodean said in Springboks v All Blacks 2 (Fozzie's Swansong??):
@booboo said in Springboks v All Blacks 2 (Fozzie's Swansong??):
This team, to my mind, is full of decent players who are less than the sum of it's parts.
I'm starting to believe the opposite. That we've a squad of players either not in form or exposed to Test rugby too early. Simply too many gaps in skills; other nations are finding and developing players while our famous depth is nowhere to be seen.
Predictability in attack shape just compounds the problem so now we don't know who is what.
How can they not be in form? Most of the squad played in a SR Final. They played good rugby. They step into the ABs and they turn to shit. Is that because they're out of form or because the coaching strategy is not working? 23 players can't be bad.
Who are the experienced players you propose to pick outside of the ones that are there?I don't think it's depth. There's something fundamentally wrong in the coaching set up.
For all the hype, Gus gifted the Boks a couple of scrum penalties. Our lineouts functioned. We have players but they get into the AB environment and they suck.
@Joans-Town-Jones said in Springboks v All Blacks 2:
How can they not be in form? Most of the squad played in a SR Final. They played good rugby.
There's a bit of a difference between SR & Test rugby - which is why George Bridge isn't a Test winger.
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@SidBarret Havili for example has been placeholder 12 the past two seasons , time to move on, Roger has been training with the team for two months so start him Saturday, ( Thomas Umaga Jensen is a long term answer in my eyes) need to see Fletcher Newell in the 23 this week, Sotutu at 8 , Ardie 7, Ranga 9. It's a shame Todd Blackadder's son is injured he looked like a promising 6
@FakatavaAllBlack said in Springboks v All Blacks 2:
Roger has been training with the team for two months so start him Saturday,
Until he has a bad game and then gets dropped - a la QT after Ireland II
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Players are fine. Not world beaters but fine. It's the total lack of direction or purpose and an unwillingness to change and adapt from the Head Coach that are the key problems.
@sparky said in Springboks v All Blacks 2:
Players are fine. Not world beaters but fine. It's the total lack of direction or purpose and an unwillingness to change and adapt from the Head Coach that are the key problems.
No, the player pool is very thin compared to the past and the current players aren't fine - they are making too many basic fuck-ups at critical moments which is killing us and they shoulder a fair bit of the blame.
Coles knocking-on with the try-line beckoning had nothing to do with direction, purpose, game plan or unwillingness to adapt by Foster. It was a bad mistake by an experienced player and we've seen it time and time again, whether it's BB's kicking or Taylor's lineout throwing.
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@sparky said in Springboks v All Blacks 2:
Players are fine. Not world beaters but fine. It's the total lack of direction or purpose and an unwillingness to change and adapt from the Head Coach that are the key problems.
No, the player pool is very thin compared to the past and the current players aren't fine - they are making too many basic fuck-ups at critical moments which is killing us and they shoulder a fair bit of the blame.
Coles knocking-on with the try-line beckoning had nothing to do with direction, purpose, game plan or unwillingness to adapt by Foster. It was a bad mistake by an experienced player and we've seen it time and time again, whether it's BB's kicking or Taylor's lineout throwing.
@Victor-Meldrew said in Springboks v All Blacks 2:
@sparky said in Springboks v All Blacks 2:
Players are fine. Not world beaters but fine. It's the total lack of direction or purpose and an unwillingness to change and adapt from the Head Coach that are the key problems.
No, the player pool is very thin compared to the past and the current players aren't fine - they are making too many basic fuck-ups at critical moments which is killing us and they shoulder a fair bit of the blame.
Coles knocking-on with the try-line beckoning had nothing to do with direction, purpose, game plan or unwillingness to adapt by Foster. It was a bad mistake by an experienced player and we've seen it time and time again, whether it's BB's kicking or Taylor's lineout throwing.
Would you drop him? I would start ST and bring CT back on the bench for next test. One of Coles or Taylor to stay on in squad, but not both. Time to move on.
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@Victor-Meldrew said in Springboks v All Blacks 2:
@sparky said in Springboks v All Blacks 2:
Players are fine. Not world beaters but fine. It's the total lack of direction or purpose and an unwillingness to change and adapt from the Head Coach that are the key problems.
No, the player pool is very thin compared to the past and the current players aren't fine - they are making too many basic fuck-ups at critical moments which is killing us and they shoulder a fair bit of the blame.
Coles knocking-on with the try-line beckoning had nothing to do with direction, purpose, game plan or unwillingness to adapt by Foster. It was a bad mistake by an experienced player and we've seen it time and time again, whether it's BB's kicking or Taylor's lineout throwing.
Would you drop him? I would start ST and bring CT back on the bench for next test. One of Coles or Taylor to stay on in squad, but not both. Time to move on.
@stodders said in Springboks v All Blacks 2:
@Victor-Meldrew said in Springboks v All Blacks 2:
@sparky said in Springboks v All Blacks 2:
Players are fine. Not world beaters but fine. It's the total lack of direction or purpose and an unwillingness to change and adapt from the Head Coach that are the key problems.
No, the player pool is very thin compared to the past and the current players aren't fine - they are making too many basic fuck-ups at critical moments which is killing us and they shoulder a fair bit of the blame.
Coles knocking-on with the try-line beckoning had nothing to do with direction, purpose, game plan or unwillingness to adapt by Foster. It was a bad mistake by an experienced player and we've seen it time and time again, whether it's BB's kicking or Taylor's lineout throwing.
Would you drop him? I would start ST and bring CT back on the bench for next test. One of Coles or Taylor to stay on in squad, but not both. Time to move on.
Doesn't matter who is picked on the day if the players make pretty basic mistakes time and time again and still get picked as they are the best in the player pool.
But yeah, I'd go for Sami starting as he's both the future and pretty much the form hooker. He and Bower seem to be the only rays of light at the moment.
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@stodders said in Springboks v All Blacks 2:
@Victor-Meldrew said in Springboks v All Blacks 2:
@sparky said in Springboks v All Blacks 2:
Players are fine. Not world beaters but fine. It's the total lack of direction or purpose and an unwillingness to change and adapt from the Head Coach that are the key problems.
No, the player pool is very thin compared to the past and the current players aren't fine - they are making too many basic fuck-ups at critical moments which is killing us and they shoulder a fair bit of the blame.
Coles knocking-on with the try-line beckoning had nothing to do with direction, purpose, game plan or unwillingness to adapt by Foster. It was a bad mistake by an experienced player and we've seen it time and time again, whether it's BB's kicking or Taylor's lineout throwing.
Would you drop him? I would start ST and bring CT back on the bench for next test. One of Coles or Taylor to stay on in squad, but not both. Time to move on.
Doesn't matter who is picked on the day if the players make pretty basic mistakes time and time again and still get picked as they are the best in the player pool.
But yeah, I'd go for Sami starting as he's both the future and pretty much the form hooker. He and Bower seem to be the only rays of light at the moment.
@Victor-Meldrew said in Springboks v All Blacks 2:
@stodders said in Springboks v All Blacks 2:
@Victor-Meldrew said in Springboks v All Blacks 2:
@sparky said in Springboks v All Blacks 2:
Players are fine. Not world beaters but fine. It's the total lack of direction or purpose and an unwillingness to change and adapt from the Head Coach that are the key problems.
No, the player pool is very thin compared to the past and the current players aren't fine - they are making too many basic fuck-ups at critical moments which is killing us and they shoulder a fair bit of the blame.
Coles knocking-on with the try-line beckoning had nothing to do with direction, purpose, game plan or unwillingness to adapt by Foster. It was a bad mistake by an experienced player and we've seen it time and time again, whether it's BB's kicking or Taylor's lineout throwing.
Would you drop him? I would start ST and bring CT back on the bench for next test. One of Coles or Taylor to stay on in squad, but not both. Time to move on.
Doesn't matter who is picked on the day if the players make pretty basic mistakes time and time again and still get picked as they are the best in the player pool.
But yeah, I'd go for Sami starting as he's both the future and pretty much the form hooker. He and Bower seem to be the only rays of light at the moment.
ST, Bower, Scott Barrett, Savea. That's half a forward pack that aren't playing badly. Whitelock is playing ok and still operates the lineout well.
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Jordie Barrett left the field in the second half with an ankle injury that Foster confirmed was "bad" and is therefore likely to rule him out of the second test.
@Tim said in Springboks v All Blacks 2:
Jordie Barrett left the field in the second half with an ankle injury that Foster confirmed was "bad" and is therefore likely to rule him out of the second test.
So will Jordan get the 15 jersey, or will BB be moved back there?
Move Jordan to 15, play Reece at 14 and play CC at 11. Pretty good back 3, and all can catch at least!
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@antipodean said in Springboks v All Blacks 2 (Fozzie's Swansong??):
@booboo said in Springboks v All Blacks 2 (Fozzie's Swansong??):
This team, to my mind, is full of decent players who are less than the sum of it's parts.
I'm starting to believe the opposite. That we've a squad of players either not in form or exposed to Test rugby too early. Simply too many gaps in skills; other nations are finding and developing players while our famous depth is nowhere to be seen.
Predictability in attack shape just compounds the problem so now we don't know who is what.
How can they not be in form? Most of the squad played in a SR Final. They played good rugby. They step into the ABs and they turn to shit. Is that because they're out of form or because the coaching strategy is not working? 23 players can't be bad.
Who are the experienced players you propose to pick outside of the ones that are there?I don't think it's depth. There's something fundamentally wrong in the coaching set up.
For all the hype, Gus gifted the Boks a couple of scrum penalties. Our lineouts functioned. We have players but they get into the AB environment and they suck.
@Joans-Town-Jones said in Springboks v All Blacks 2:
@antipodean said in Springboks v All Blacks 2 (Fozzie's Swansong??):
@booboo said in Springboks v All Blacks 2 (Fozzie's Swansong??):
This team, to my mind, is full of decent players who are less than the sum of it's parts.
I'm starting to believe the opposite. That we've a squad of players either not in form or exposed to Test rugby too early. Simply too many gaps in skills; other nations are finding and developing players while our famous depth is nowhere to be seen.
Predictability in attack shape just compounds the problem so now we don't know who is what.
How can they not be in form? Most of the squad played in a SR Final. They played good rugby. They step into the ABs and they turn to shit. Is that because they're out of form or because the coaching strategy is not working? 23 players can't be bad.
It doesn't require all 23 be bad, just sufficient aren't good enough. And as to whether they played well in SR, one has to keep in mind that was simply us playing ourselves and the Aussies. Flattered to deceive.
Who are the experienced players you propose to pick outside of the ones that are there?
That's broadly my point isn't it? We don't have the depth of 2007 and the experience of 2015. Both of those teams would towel the 2022 version the fuck up.
I'm coming around to the concept the malaise goes deeper than just the head coach.
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@Joans-Town-Jones said in Springboks v All Blacks 2:
@antipodean said in Springboks v All Blacks 2 (Fozzie's Swansong??):
@booboo said in Springboks v All Blacks 2 (Fozzie's Swansong??):
This team, to my mind, is full of decent players who are less than the sum of it's parts.
I'm starting to believe the opposite. That we've a squad of players either not in form or exposed to Test rugby too early. Simply too many gaps in skills; other nations are finding and developing players while our famous depth is nowhere to be seen.
Predictability in attack shape just compounds the problem so now we don't know who is what.
How can they not be in form? Most of the squad played in a SR Final. They played good rugby. They step into the ABs and they turn to shit. Is that because they're out of form or because the coaching strategy is not working? 23 players can't be bad.
It doesn't require all 23 be bad, just sufficient aren't good enough. And as to whether they played well in SR, one has to keep in mind that was simply us playing ourselves and the Aussies. Flattered to deceive.
Who are the experienced players you propose to pick outside of the ones that are there?
That's broadly my point isn't it? We don't have the depth of 2007 and the experience of 2015. Both of those teams would towel the 2022 version the fuck up.
I'm coming around to the concept the malaise goes deeper than just the head coach.
@antipodean said in Springboks v All Blacks 2:
@Joans-Town-Jones said in Springboks v All Blacks 2:
@antipodean said in Springboks v All Blacks 2 (Fozzie's Swansong??):
@booboo said in Springboks v All Blacks 2 (Fozzie's Swansong??):
This team, to my mind, is full of decent players who are less than the sum of it's parts.
I'm starting to believe the opposite. That we've a squad of players either not in form or exposed to Test rugby too early. Simply too many gaps in skills; other nations are finding and developing players while our famous depth is nowhere to be seen.
Predictability in attack shape just compounds the problem so now we don't know who is what.
How can they not be in form? Most of the squad played in a SR Final. They played good rugby. They step into the ABs and they turn to shit. Is that because they're out of form or because the coaching strategy is not working? 23 players can't be bad.
It doesn't require all 23 be bad, just sufficient aren't good enough. And as to whether they played well in SR, one has to keep in mind that was simply us playing ourselves and the Aussies. Flattered to deceive.
Who are the experienced players you propose to pick outside of the ones that are there?
That's broadly my point isn't it? We don't have the depth of 2007 and the experience of 2015. Both of those teams would towel the 2022 version the fuck up.
I'm coming around to the concept the malaise goes deeper than just the head coach.
So Foster is ok to remain?
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@antipodean said in Springboks v All Blacks 2:
@Joans-Town-Jones said in Springboks v All Blacks 2:
@antipodean said in Springboks v All Blacks 2 (Fozzie's Swansong??):
@booboo said in Springboks v All Blacks 2 (Fozzie's Swansong??):
This team, to my mind, is full of decent players who are less than the sum of it's parts.
I'm starting to believe the opposite. That we've a squad of players either not in form or exposed to Test rugby too early. Simply too many gaps in skills; other nations are finding and developing players while our famous depth is nowhere to be seen.
Predictability in attack shape just compounds the problem so now we don't know who is what.
How can they not be in form? Most of the squad played in a SR Final. They played good rugby. They step into the ABs and they turn to shit. Is that because they're out of form or because the coaching strategy is not working? 23 players can't be bad.
It doesn't require all 23 be bad, just sufficient aren't good enough. And as to whether they played well in SR, one has to keep in mind that was simply us playing ourselves and the Aussies. Flattered to deceive.
Who are the experienced players you propose to pick outside of the ones that are there?
That's broadly my point isn't it? We don't have the depth of 2007 and the experience of 2015. Both of those teams would towel the 2022 version the fuck up.
I'm coming around to the concept the malaise goes deeper than just the head coach.
So Foster is ok to remain?
@stodders said in Springboks v All Blacks 2:
@antipodean said in Springboks v All Blacks 2:
@Joans-Town-Jones said in Springboks v All Blacks 2:
@antipodean said in Springboks v All Blacks 2 (Fozzie's Swansong??):
@booboo said in Springboks v All Blacks 2 (Fozzie's Swansong??):
This team, to my mind, is full of decent players who are less than the sum of it's parts.
I'm starting to believe the opposite. That we've a squad of players either not in form or exposed to Test rugby too early. Simply too many gaps in skills; other nations are finding and developing players while our famous depth is nowhere to be seen.
Predictability in attack shape just compounds the problem so now we don't know who is what.
How can they not be in form? Most of the squad played in a SR Final. They played good rugby. They step into the ABs and they turn to shit. Is that because they're out of form or because the coaching strategy is not working? 23 players can't be bad.
It doesn't require all 23 be bad, just sufficient aren't good enough. And as to whether they played well in SR, one has to keep in mind that was simply us playing ourselves and the Aussies. Flattered to deceive.
Who are the experienced players you propose to pick outside of the ones that are there?
That's broadly my point isn't it? We don't have the depth of 2007 and the experience of 2015. Both of those teams would towel the 2022 version the fuck up.
I'm coming around to the concept the malaise goes deeper than just the head coach.
So Foster is ok to remain?
No. He absolutely has to go. His record is unacceptable and I'm sick of him blithely accepting his destruction of a legacy over a century in the making.
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The other problem with Foster is that he picks sides to save his skin rather than develop the team.
He doesn't have a long term vision so he picks teams entirely on the upcoming week - which ends up being so conservative that it's crippling.
He refuses to try Jordie at 12, Jordan at 15, Ardie at 7, Hoskins at 8 etc.
He refuses to cut loose the likes of Frizell, Ennor and Laulala.
He needed 12 months of evidence to drop Taylor for Samisoni.
With his job on the line this week he's not going to do anything bold.
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The other problem with Foster is that he picks sides to save his skin rather than develop the team.
He doesn't have a long term vision so he picks teams entirely on the upcoming week - which ends up being so conservative that it's crippling.
He refuses to try Jordie at 12, Jordan at 15, Ardie at 7, Hoskins at 8 etc.
He refuses to cut loose the likes of Frizell, Ennor and Laulala.
He needed 12 months of evidence to drop Taylor for Samisoni.
With his job on the line this week he's not going to do anything bold.
@KiwiMurph said in Springboks v All Blacks 2:
The other problem with Foster is that he picks sides to save his skin rather than develop the team.
He doesn't have a long term vision so he picks teams entirely on the upcoming week - which ends up being so conservative that it's crippling.
He refuses to try Jordie at 12, Jordan at 15, Ardie at 7, Hoskins at 8 etc.
He refuses to cut loose the likes of Frizell, Ennor and Laulala.
He needed 12 months of evidence to drop Taylor for Samisoni.
With his job on the line this week he's not going to do anything bold.
I think Foster has favourites. It clouds his judgement. I seem to recall ppl saying similar things when he was Chiefs coach.
You can say he is loyal, but loyalty only goes so far. His job is to coach a winning team. That requires ruthlessness when required.
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@Joans-Town-Jones said in Springboks v All Blacks 2:
How can they not be in form? Most of the squad played in a SR Final. They played good rugby.
There's a bit of a difference between SR & Test rugby - which is why George Bridge isn't a Test winger.
@Victor-Meldrew said in Springboks v All Blacks 2:
@Joans-Town-Jones said in Springboks v All Blacks 2:
How can they not be in form? Most of the squad played in a SR Final. They played good rugby.
There's a bit of a difference between SR & Test rugby - which is why George Bridge isn't a Test winger.
OK so then who do you pick? If no one will make the step up...
The super final is the closest to test rugby we have.
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The other problem with Foster is that he picks sides to save his skin rather than develop the team.
He doesn't have a long term vision so he picks teams entirely on the upcoming week - which ends up being so conservative that it's crippling.
He refuses to try Jordie at 12, Jordan at 15, Ardie at 7, Hoskins at 8 etc.
He refuses to cut loose the likes of Frizell, Ennor and Laulala.
He needed 12 months of evidence to drop Taylor for Samisoni.
With his job on the line this week he's not going to do anything bold.
@KiwiMurph He is not bold and hence he will go with what has brought him to the dance. Changing things would be an admission he got it all wrong anyway. And to be fair the ABâs wonât win because they are beaten dogs and they donât have the leadership anywhere to bring them out of the muck.
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@Victor-Meldrew said in Springboks v All Blacks 2:
@Joans-Town-Jones said in Springboks v All Blacks 2:
How can they not be in form? Most of the squad played in a SR Final. They played good rugby.
There's a bit of a difference between SR & Test rugby - which is why George Bridge isn't a Test winger.
OK so then who do you pick? If no one will make the step up...
The super final is the closest to test rugby we have.
@Joans-Town-Jones said in Springboks v All Blacks 2:
@Victor-Meldrew said in Springboks v All Blacks 2:
@Joans-Town-Jones said in Springboks v All Blacks 2:
How can they not be in form? Most of the squad played in a SR Final. They played good rugby.
There's a bit of a difference between SR & Test rugby - which is why George Bridge isn't a Test winger.
OK so then who do you pick? If no one will make the step up...
The super final is the closest to test rugby we have.
Players that make few mistakes for a start. Less x-factor, more focus on basics and the ability to repeat them consistently.
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@Joans-Town-Jones said in Springboks v All Blacks 2:
@antipodean said in Springboks v All Blacks 2 (Fozzie's Swansong??):
@booboo said in Springboks v All Blacks 2 (Fozzie's Swansong??):
This team, to my mind, is full of decent players who are less than the sum of it's parts.
I'm starting to believe the opposite. That we've a squad of players either not in form or exposed to Test rugby too early. Simply too many gaps in skills; other nations are finding and developing players while our famous depth is nowhere to be seen.
Predictability in attack shape just compounds the problem so now we don't know who is what.
How can they not be in form? Most of the squad played in a SR Final. They played good rugby. They step into the ABs and they turn to shit. Is that because they're out of form or because the coaching strategy is not working? 23 players can't be bad.
It doesn't require all 23 be bad, just sufficient aren't good enough. And as to whether they played well in SR, one has to keep in mind that was simply us playing ourselves and the Aussies. Flattered to deceive.
Who are the experienced players you propose to pick outside of the ones that are there?
That's broadly my point isn't it? We don't have the depth of 2007 and the experience of 2015. Both of those teams would towel the 2022 version the fuck up.
I'm coming around to the concept the malaise goes deeper than just the head coach.
@antipodean said in Springboks v All Blacks 2:
@Joans-Town-Jones said in Springboks v All Blacks 2:
@antipodean said in Springboks v All Blacks 2 (Fozzie's Swansong??):
@booboo said in Springboks v All Blacks 2 (Fozzie's Swansong??):
This team, to my mind, is full of decent players who are less than the sum of it's parts.
I'm starting to believe the opposite. That we've a squad of players either not in form or exposed to Test rugby too early. Simply too many gaps in skills; other nations are finding and developing players while our famous depth is nowhere to be seen.
Predictability in attack shape just compounds the problem so now we don't know who is what.
How can they not be in form? Most of the squad played in a SR Final. They played good rugby. They step into the ABs and they turn to shit. Is that because they're out of form or because the coaching strategy is not working? 23 players can't be bad.
It doesn't require all 23 be bad, just sufficient aren't good enough. And as to whether they played well in SR, one has to keep in mind that was simply us playing ourselves and the Aussies. Flattered to deceive.
Who are the experienced players you propose to pick outside of the ones that are there?
That's broadly my point isn't it? We don't have the depth of 2007 and the experience of 2015. Both of those teams would towel the 2022 version the fuck up.
I'm coming around to the concept the malaise goes deeper than just the head coach.
NZ Super teams have won how many of the Super titles with SA involved. They were largely shit save for the Bulls for a couple of years. With shit Super sides they still managed to win two RWC. The rot started with Hansen at the end of 2016 and we've been regressing ever since. It can't be that in that all rugby players in NZ have gone to complete crap in that time.
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@antipodean said in Springboks v All Blacks 2:
@Joans-Town-Jones said in Springboks v All Blacks 2:
@antipodean said in Springboks v All Blacks 2 (Fozzie's Swansong??):
@booboo said in Springboks v All Blacks 2 (Fozzie's Swansong??):
This team, to my mind, is full of decent players who are less than the sum of it's parts.
I'm starting to believe the opposite. That we've a squad of players either not in form or exposed to Test rugby too early. Simply too many gaps in skills; other nations are finding and developing players while our famous depth is nowhere to be seen.
Predictability in attack shape just compounds the problem so now we don't know who is what.
How can they not be in form? Most of the squad played in a SR Final. They played good rugby. They step into the ABs and they turn to shit. Is that because they're out of form or because the coaching strategy is not working? 23 players can't be bad.
It doesn't require all 23 be bad, just sufficient aren't good enough. And as to whether they played well in SR, one has to keep in mind that was simply us playing ourselves and the Aussies. Flattered to deceive.
Who are the experienced players you propose to pick outside of the ones that are there?
That's broadly my point isn't it? We don't have the depth of 2007 and the experience of 2015. Both of those teams would towel the 2022 version the fuck up.
I'm coming around to the concept the malaise goes deeper than just the head coach.
NZ Super teams have won how many of the Super titles with SA involved. They were largely shit save for the Bulls for a couple of years. With shit Super sides they still managed to win two RWC. The rot started with Hansen at the end of 2016 and we've been regressing ever since. It can't be that in that all rugby players in NZ have gone to complete crap in that time.
@Joans-Town-Jones said in [Springboks v All Blacks 2]
NZ Super teams have won how many of the Super titles with SA involved. They were largely shit save for the Bulls for a couple of years.
agree - but they ask questions others don't force us to win against people playing a different style, and get to practice travelling and playing.
I really miss them and what they bring. They may not have won much, but they sure as shit asked questions of our teams.
