RWC Week 1: France v All Blacks
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The Long, Sad Retreat
At half-time in that game, NZ looked to be well-positioned. They had had plenty of opportunities and were showing more on attack than the French. But in the second, they opened the door to their opposition through poor exits and an appalling strategy of mid-field bombs. Credit must go to the French, but it didn’t take much.
Indeed, we could see it all unravelling in slow motion. Worse, this was a movie we had viewed countless times before these past four years, or more. That it never changes can leave one doubting one’s own sanity. But the culprits are easy enough to spot.
Ever since the glory days up to 2015, NZ rugby has been keeping players (and coaches) well past their use-by dates. When he was gifted the succession by virtue of it being his turn, it quickly became apparent that Foster was not up to it. His ‘strategies’ were worked out by the other top teams years ago, but like a dog returning to its vomit he kept at it.
The corralling of new assistants in Schmidt and Ryan last year papered over the cracks for a while, but it has remained clear since that this remains Foster’s team and his vision. Knowing his contract is over after this tournament, he has clearly decided to go out playing his greatest hits to an audience that moved on years ago.
Of course, the responsibility ultimately lies with a week NZR which has repeatedly accepted Fozzy’s assurances that all was on track - against the evidence to the contrary. That allowed Foster to keep selecting people like BB, who has been on the world’s longest farewell tour.
The players, understandably, have declared their allegiance to Foster and have been repaid in turn with his fidelity, but that seems to have resulted in a lack of candour or willingness to suggest the emperor has no clothes. One wonders at what Ryan and Schmidt think.
On the field, the players look to some of the tiring old officers like Whitelock, Smith and BB to rally around the flag. But it’s hard to fight for a general whom you don’t ultimately respect and who you know is due to be decommissioned after this latest and last and bloody campaign.
Like Napoleon’s march home from Moscow, it’s a long and sad retreat and one you would hopehope would not destroy too many younger souls along the way. But I fear the damage will be too great. Unfortunately, that hope, on this grim evidence, may be forlorn.
Nice military analogy, buy I think Dad's Army would be more apt.
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@Duluth said in RWC: France v All Blacks:
Carry metres by our forwards:
Ardie Savea 38
Dalton Papali'i 36
Scott Barrett 34daylight
Nepo 9
Can’t help wondering how Hoskins Sotutu, Akira Ioane or Samipeni Finau would have gone?
@sparky said in RWC: France v All Blacks:
@Duluth said in RWC: France v All Blacks:
Carry metres by our forwards:
Ardie Savea 38
Dalton Papali'i 36
Scott Barrett 34daylight
Nepo 9
Can’t help wondering how Hoskins Sotutu, Akira Ioane or Samipeni Finau would have gone?
Akira and Sotutu ( have watched both live in NPC recently) are not lighting the NPC on fire.... really starting to view them both as flat track Auckland schoolboy players.... was hoping Akira would be stung by begin dropped and have a fire lit inside him.... but not from what I have seen in NPC so far ( as someone said earlier there is a bloody good player in him .... just not seeing it yet)--
and Sotutu miles off the pace for international rugby IMO on current form -
I feel like NZ rugby thinks playing territory is a sin. Kick out and compete at lineout or kick long and defend in a line. My nightmare now is those midfield bombs, they are such a poor percentage play. We had the winning of this game at halftime but the 2nd half was a tactical disaster.
@Billy-Tell said in RWC: France v All Blacks:
I feel like NZ rugby thinks playing territory is a sin. Kick out and compete at lineout or kick long and defend in a line. My nightmare now is those midfield bombs, they are such a poor percentage play. We had the winning of this game at halftime but the 2nd half was a tactical disaster.
Scott McCleods halftime interview said they were going to let loose. They needed to steady the ship before trying to clear out. Sounds like the half time talk was wrong.
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@Billy-Tell said in RWC: France v All Blacks:
I feel like NZ rugby thinks playing territory is a sin. Kick out and compete at lineout or kick long and defend in a line. My nightmare now is those midfield bombs, they are such a poor percentage play. We had the winning of this game at halftime but the 2nd half was a tactical disaster.
Scott McCleods halftime interview said they were going to let loose. They needed to steady the ship before trying to clear out. Sounds like the half time talk was wrong.
@kev yep, they determined (correctly) the French were ripe for the taking, but we had to be much smarter about how we attacked that 2nd half...instead we made brainless keystone cop decision after decision, putting ourselves under more pressure at every turn.
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The stat that should be most concerning is the penalty count. Much like the game vs SA, you give the opposition multiple scoring opportunities to apply even more pressure, especially with players in the sin bin.
@Bovidae said in RWC: France v All Blacks:
The stat that should be most concerning is the penalty count. Much like the game vs SA, you give the opposition multiple scoring opportunities to apply even more pressure, especially with players in the sin bin.
Handling errors and breakdown turnovers killed us
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This is now just becoming embarrassing. I now live in Canada and I have neighbours who don't know shit about Rugby telling me that the All Blacks are not the same team anymore.
Foster may be a great bloke and all that but he should never have been given the job in the first place. We have just gone to shit under his tenure. We won't get out of the quarters if we are even lucky enough to get out of this pool.
Some of the players should have gone to Japan for good for the payday already. Where is the backup game plane if things are not working? This nonstop kicking the ball away is just a joke.
Richie and Dan must be in total disbelief in the stands. That is the second game in a row that was just sickening to watch. The French can play way better that that. Thank F### they didn't or we would have been in for another hiding.
I haven’t particularly been looking forward to this WC as I knew we weren’t going anywhere but the match at Twickenham and now this defeat has confirmed my worst fears.
All I can say is, I hope Razor can turn things around next year and make me want to watch this team play without a sense of how badly we could lose when I am watching. I am not a Crusaders fan but you have to give it to that man Scott Robinson. His record speaks for itself as does Fosters I am afraid to say.
I wish that I still drank as I could at least drown my sorrows. Yes this is negative but how else are you supposed to feel. My old man was Irish born so that’s who I now hope win if we can’t produce an absolute miracle. Enough said.
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I’ve seen this film before but the good guys were in red
And I felt, or I was told to feel, that the players in red were not smart enough or athletic enough to execute the coach’s vision
Turns out the players in red were smart enough and athletic enough but the coach was too pig headed and stubborn to admit that he was wrong
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@sparky said in RWC: France v All Blacks:
@Duluth said in RWC: France v All Blacks:
Carry metres by our forwards:
Ardie Savea 38
Dalton Papali'i 36
Scott Barrett 34daylight
Nepo 9
Can’t help wondering how Hoskins Sotutu, Akira Ioane or Samipeni Finau would have gone?
Akira and Sotutu ( have watched both live in NPC recently) are not lighting the NPC on fire.... really starting to view them both as flat track Auckland schoolboy players.... was hoping Akira would be stung by begin dropped and have a fire lit inside him.... but not from what I have seen in NPC so far ( as someone said earlier there is a bloody good player in him .... just not seeing it yet)--
and Sotutu miles off the pace for international rugby IMO on current form@Mattasaurus said in RWC: France v All Blacks:
Akira and Sotutu ( have watched both live in NPC recently) are not lighting the NPC on fire.... really starting to view them both as flat track Auckland schoolboy players.... was hoping Akira would be stung by begin dropped and have a fire lit inside him.... but not from what I have seen in NPC so far ( as someone said earlier there is a bloody good player in him .... just not seeing it yet)--
and Sotutu miles off the pace for international rugby IMO on current formSotutu not in great from.
Akira has been great. In the Auckland player of the match polls he's had two firsts and a second.. and is clearly in the cumulative lead. Topping the stats in almost every game he plays.
Fuck even TJ was praising him for his enormous workrate in the tight and pointed out that not enough people are giving him credit
A bizarre post. I don't know how anyone watching the NPC doesn't recognise how good he is playing
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The stat that should be most concerning is the penalty count. Much like the game vs SA, you give the opposition multiple scoring opportunities to apply even more pressure, especially with players in the sin bin.
@Bovidae and worse when you choose to play at the wrong end of the field, French played smart and we allowed them to keep the scoreboard ticking over when we were unable to capitalise on our chances
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@Chris said in RWC: France v All Blacks:
ALB was he even playing, inspired choice to play him at 2nd five impact was Zero.
He and Havili offer nothing in that regard. We aren't Coke classic, we are Coke Zero
@canefan said in RWC: France v All Blacks:
@Chris said in RWC: France v All Blacks:
ALB was he even playing, inspired choice to play him at 2nd five impact was Zero.
He and Havili offer nothing in that regard. We aren't Coke classic, we are Coke Zero
I can’t agree with this as Coke Zero is good for you.
Fuck, Jordie can’t get fit enough quick enough can he ?
I was fairly sure the ABs were fucked when “twin impact subs” Havili and Christie took the field at the same time.
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Nice military analogy, buy I think Dad's Army would be more apt.
@Victor-Meldrew Quite. Well, we know who Captain Mainwaring is!!
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@canefan said in RWC: France v All Blacks:
@Chris said in RWC: France v All Blacks:
ALB was he even playing, inspired choice to play him at 2nd five impact was Zero.
He and Havili offer nothing in that regard. We aren't Coke classic, we are Coke Zero
I can’t agree with this as Coke Zero is good for you.
Fuck, Jordie can’t get fit enough quick enough can he ?
I was fairly sure the ABs were fucked when “twin impact subs” Havili and Christie took the field at the same time.
@MN5 said in RWC: France v All Blacks:
@canefan said in RWC: France v All Blacks:
@Chris said in RWC: France v All Blacks:
ALB was he even playing, inspired choice to play him at 2nd five impact was Zero.
He and Havili offer nothing in that regard. We aren't Coke classic, we are Coke Zero
I can’t agree with this as Coke Zero is good for you.
Fuck, Jordie can’t get fit enough quick enough can he ?
I was fairly sure the ABs were fucked when “twin impact subs” Havili and Christie took the field at the same time.
As a dentist I can tell you Coke Zero appears to be good, but is actually bad or worse than Coke Classic. My analogy is sound
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If I was to take any positive out of that, it was that we did enough to win that game if we had an ounce of game smarts...we could have had that almost out reach after 40, but gee, when did we become so fucking stubborn with our tactics and inability to adjust?
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@Victor-Meldrew Quite. Well, we know who Captain Mainwaring is!!
@His-Bobness said in RWC: France v All Blacks:
@Victor-Meldrew Quite. Well, we know who Captain Mainwaring is!!
We could be Hogan's Heroes
