The Silver Fern

@crucial

Squire will start on Saturday.

Watch a replay and see how much work he got through at Eden Park.

Log in to your account, should be able to see how you got on in the latest ballot.

I got all the ABs playoff games, assuming they win their group.

And Japan v Russia, the opening game, and Japan v Scotland.

Sorted!

Commentary Highlight of the night

Marshy - "What a great start from Richie Mo'unga, he's nailed that a good 45 metres, with no real angle, All Black number 1167"

Nisbo - "do you remember your number?"

Marshy "I do"

Nisbo "Go on"

Marshy - "Yes I do, number nine hundred and forty (pause) TWO.

http://stats.allblacks.com/asp/Profile.asp?ABID=535

He is in fact number 948

Maybe Ross can stay a bit longer.

No doubt about Laumape going forward, fantastic.

It might be a tad churlish of me to mention that some of his defence was a bit turnstile like.

Bit of a coincidence that Froome, Wiggins, Mo Farah and the gal who beat Valerie Adams in Rio are all asthmatics.

Some random thoughts, was at Murrayfield for the first time.

We were in corporate hosting, Doddie Weir was our MC, he was absolutely hilarious. Very moving when he went onto the field before kickoff. Justin Marshall also present, dull by comparison.

Battling win, probably deserved, with about 7 minutes to go the ABs were up by 12. I think Hansen emptied the bench too early. He was basically saying with 10 minutes to go it was all over.

Thought the ref was very good, he seemed to rule absolutely everything, probably better than the other way and allowing a free for all. Did think he got the Naholo situation wrong, yellow card all day for me, massive benefit of doubt there.

Taylor was very good and a credible replacement for Coles as starter which is a good thing. Should have dummied Russell when try butchered!

Romano from the replay poor, needs to get lower on the carry, but was on his own once at least surrounded by four Scots, need your teammates there to help you out sometimes.

Read must be running on empty, thought he had a very, very quiet game, apart from lineout.

Fifita got through a lot of work, mostly good.

Big fan of Liam Squire, massive potential. Should have passed when he made the big break but I guess he thought Sopoaga would get tackled. He did pick the ball off that scrum in preference to Kieran Reid.

Echo what others have said about Edinburgh, great city to go for a test match.

Pakman seems you went to the Hilton buffet so you could rub shoulders with Kane Hames and Crockett, love your work.

Went ok here, very juicy collect on Caulfield Cup/ Melbourne Cup double, giddyup

@no-quarter said in AB's v Wales:

I'd really like to see Akira get some game-time in this one. Fifita and Squire are both flat track bullies, and are not the answer long term. Neither of them could put in a performance like Akira did for the Maori vs the Lions while the rest of the pack got their asses handed to them. I see him as our long term 6 following Kaino's retirement.

I think this is nonsense.

I am not a long term Akira watcher, but went to the NZ Maori v French Barbarians game in Bordeaux, and was staggered by how much of the time Akira was walking around behind the play as a passenger. Was also in Rotorua so have some idea of the Akira upside.

Squire is streets ahead of Akira currently, and has the potential to be a great AB 6 IMHO.

Wouldn't want to quote the AB selectors in my defence, as we seem to disagree on other selections, but they seem to be with me on this one.

@tim

Scott McLeod isn't responsible for the players missing tackles.....

Three great goals here, the last the best for Ozil's amazing skill. Second goal not too shabby either.

A bit off topic the trip down memory lane here.

Ian "Nectar" Stevens was a pretty handy halfback from memory, a stalwart for Petone and the Wellington rep teams. And an AB. Principally a halfback for Wellington at least from memory.

Was in some good Wellington teams early 70s, Andy Leslie, Mark Sayers, Robbie Gray from MSP.

A couple of good articles here.

http://www.clubrugby.co.nz/wellington/story.php?id=1412

Halfback Ian Stevens (Petone) made his Wellington Lions debut straight out of School in 1967 and went on to play 112 games and remains Wellington’s second most capped back after Bernie Fraser.

Taking over from Brian Coulter who helped Wellington beat the Springboks and British Lions in 1965 and 1966, Stevens played in Wellington’s famous drawn 12-12 Ranfurly Shield challenge against Hawke’s Bay in 1967, received an All Black trial that same year and made the New Zealand U23 side in 1968. Stevens also played a lot at first five-eighth, initially moved there as injury cover for John Dougan and then played so well there he made the 1972 All Blacks at pivot, eventually playing 13 of his 30 All Blacks games at first five-eighth, and also one game as captain (at halfback).

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/5471781/Savage-clashes-marked-1970-Springboks-series

In a photo here but not sure which team this is. Good yarn with Fergie.

Infidel has identified the "Problem with Israel".....Folau that is.

I noticed today, he can't run with the ball in hand and pass while he runs. Which makes Folau at centre a bad idea.

There was one play about 10 minutes before half time I think, Folau had the ball on the right wing in space, Aussies really coulda shoulda woulda scored such was the space, Folau made the least of the opportunity which was thwarted by the Welsh. Same situation ABs would have scored 7 or 8 out of 10 times.

When Folau gets the ball in the line, he seems to tuck the ball under one wing and then run into contact, but don't think he can run and draw and pass, his instinct is always to run. Has a great offload when he is held or tackled, but the lack of passing game I think is why he is not as effective as he should be.

Beaudy's intercept passes are a technical weakness.

Instead of looking straight ahead with his peripheral vision covering an arc of 120 to 150 degrees straight in front of himself, he is looking backwards towards his backline with a big blind spot on his open side, throwing big loopy passes and getting picked off.

Should be solvable but I'm thinking this is pointing towards Mo'unga @ 10 and BB at 15 in Japan being the way forward, Mo'unga more direct, like Cruden. BFA on one wing.

Tiger is one shot off the lead going into the final round of the PGA tournament this week.

https://www.pgatour.com/leaderboard.html

Would be nice to see him win it.

He is favourite to win on Betfair.

Tiger finished tied for second , one shot off the lead.

Didn't really get going today, -1 for the round.

Best finish in a very long time so hope it continues.

Doco was fantastic.

Compulsory viewing.

Trainer of the 90/1 shot has a string of drug charges against him as long as your arm

https://www.punters.com.au/news/currie-facing-fresh-investigation_175492/

Went for Cane, Smith, Beaudy.

Worst on ground, Sonny Bill. The "awesome athlete" gets cut a hell of a lot of slack for all his brain farts.

Is not a starting 12 and they need to realise that and admit the error of their ways.

Bench is OK but nothing more.

Hard to see him with anything more than a bench role at best in Japan RWC 2019.