The Silver Fern

@taniwharugby said in Bledisloe #1:

average ref if I am being nice about h

Better get used to French Refs: There will be 4 of them coming to Japan

I like the Frenchie refs

They give teams a fair crack at the breakdown as well as being strict at scrums

Is this Gregor Paul guy always this salty when ABs lose or is this clickbait trash

@LABCAT said in Is Japan a WC too far for Hansen?:

@canefan said in Is Japan a WC too far for Hansen?:

Considering it doesn't look like the coaches know who the #1 lineup is with one pre-cup test to go, we are looking bad at the moment

Is the game against Tonga only a friendly?

It's a "Pre RWC Warmup Match" It's only Tonga

A good set of Mitre 10 players could come together for a week, put on a ABs jersey and beat Tonga

@Hooroo said in Mitre 10 Cup - news, injuries etc:

@nzzp said in Mitre 10 Cup - news, injuries etc:

@Hooroo said in Mitre 10 Cup - news, injuries etc:

@Jaguares4real said in Mitre 10 Cup - news, injuries etc:

@Tim

I get similar vibes with NZ fans as I do with Welsh & Irish rugby fans

Very parochial in their mindset Similarities in being Islands - Ireland/NZ

Still Super Rugby pays the bill & and a much higher standard of rugby than Mitre 10

Moreover if you're a journeyman player not sniffing an ABs place making easy money playing mickey mouse rugby is alot

more appealing than playing winter games in shithole stadiums or travelling to the deep south for games

Where are you from
@Jaguares4real ?? As in which country?

I think @Jaguares4real has said he's UK based ... but got into the Argies when started watching International Rugby

I was UK based too. Just curious as to where he’s from

Based in London lived here for a while
Origins in East Africa with no interest or background in playing rugby

Great rugby coach starting doing lessons at my local school as a teenager
Got my interest really piqued by 2007 RWC

I'm not a typical rugby fan from a rugby background or from a rugby playing nation

You won't find a single rugby fan from my country of Origin

CC: @Hooroo

@booboo said in Bledisloe #1:

@Stargazer said in Bledisloe #1:

Ah, another TSF meltdown. Everyone completely overreacting as usual.

Sorry dude. We just lost by 21 points. Overreaction? Seriously?

It's only the most points New Zealand have ever conceded in a Test Match
As well as worst defeat overall in terms of pts conceded + margin of defeat

It's only 6th time ABs have conceded 40+ points
1999 to 2000 was a particularly bad year for AB defences

Shit just got serious for ABs

@Billy-Tell said in Pre-RWC test matches:

Comprehensive SA victory there. They are my favourites for the RWC.

Steady on Billy

Boks were good but Pumas were utterly abject again

Relatively easy to win games when scrum can be used to win penalties and easy territory
Pumas were never in the game after 1st quarter

Boks will struggle in attack once opponents gain parity at scrum time

@booboo said in Is Japan a WC too far for Hansen?:

@Wairau said in Is Japan a WC too far for Hansen?:

Hansen is too stubborn and it doesn't look like he'll make enough changes next week.

We still have the players and talent to stay 1-3 in the world, no matter what happens this year.
Razor has the Crusaders playing great rugby. I think he'd be able to do a lot for the ABs. But it's better he coaches the Crusaders for 2 more years then gets international experience.
I would prefer Gatland or Schmidt, or best would be Wayne Smith coming back for 2 years till Schmidt + Gatland are ready to do the job together.....

What about Cotter or Joseph? Both very talented and proven...

Who are you changing?

That was ptetty much the number one team.

For starters I'm dropping the entire front row
Coles & Moody on the Bench Laulau starts at #3

Hemepo starts
Bender goes to #15 with Mo'unga to #22
Laumape replaces Goodhue with ALB moving out to #13
Drop Rieko out of squad with Ennor at #11
Sevu Reece starts at #14

@akan004 said in Bledisloe #1:

his defence as well but still rate him above Perry

In case anyone has doubts about the validity of S Barrett's Red Card:

@Wairau

Cotter is tied up with Montpelier Moved upstairs to Director of Rugby role Though I'm sure he has an exit clause if he was offered AB role

Joseph is a mystery I would have him as AB coach ahead of Foster and even Razor

Razor has no experience coaching adult Int'l rugby sides

Hansen and Henry had alot experience overall and managing Int'l sides before coaching ABs

Massive difference coaching Canterbury team and having daily interactions to then go 6 months without having any serious dealing with players on the field

@Yeetyaah said in MotM vs Australia, Bledisloe 1 2019:

Surely Scott Barrett

I think he was MotM for Australia

@Victor-Meldrew

I'm aware of the score

French had shocked ABs in their previous RWC meeting in [redacted] refereed by [redacted]

ABs were under immense pressure and they won They were best team in 2011 RWC

French played well but ABs deserved to win the final

2019 ABs form is a concern

2020 is shaping up to be even more of a potential disaster:

NO Franks Whitelock BBR Read Crotty Bender

There are serious questions on who'll replace these players beyond ALB + DMAC

This could be the start of a decline in ABs Hegemony as #1 side in Int'l Rugby in Professional Era

NZ coaches have greatly influenced European Rugby
The gap has closed European teams can match ABs with physicality, fitness and intensity

All ABs have is individual brilliance from Backs + a handful of loose forwards