The Silver Fern

Rugby has issues as a sport that entertains. It’s losing that battle and has real risk issues being a collision sport. Critical to this is the administration being dominated by NH. The NH mindset is based on a static (important) forwards power game whereas SH teams use the ball more. As the game has become more defensively oriented we see endless box kicks and lineout malls dominate. It’s not that they are not part of the game, it’s just about balance. If we want entertainment then the balance should be moved to reward teams that carry, pass, and most importantly speed up the game. You would think that France and Ireland would now want to see a change in administration to that end?

On the collision side, the final demonstrated the problem. Any head contact is an issue. If the tackler is aiming at chest then the head is always in play because of changes in height and lateral movements. The issue then becomes that at speed any card decision is subjective. Not sure how you could every coach for that. As someone said before until they lower the height of all tackles the law and its application is a joke.

Which brings us back to the entertainment factor. Playing with 14 men ruins the spectacle. How the NH power mongers don’t see that I don’t know? The solutions on table are 20m red card or referral system. I favour a combination - referral unless malicious, which should be a high threshold that sees 20 min red.

As for suggestions that Cane’s shoulder tackle was more impactful than head to head, just pure nonsense. Anyone that’s played rugby knows that straight head to head contact is just as bad if not a lot worse.

Scott Barrett had a great game.

This is a good Fijian side. Big men playing European rugby. The ABs kryptonite is not winning physical battle. Good test.

@hydro11 I think that mindset is endemic in our rugby. The high risk option or the players ( coaching tactics ) that take them are often rewarded at lower levels where you get more space. However test matches can sometimes be a grind, and we don’t seem to want to do the hard work ( play the % ) for long enough. Whether it be 2 or 3 more phases or playing it tight into the 60th or 70th minute. They have to learn how to do that especially if they are behind on the scoreboard after 20.

@Bones said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:

Barnes was great. Raynal would have killed us and Jack O'Peyper would have ignored the breakdown

Plus he called the Irish prop for boring in 3 times.

A clear miss was Irish prop picking ball up while under Scott Barrett’s foot at the back of the ruck

How did they leave Sam Cane on the bench last week. Dumbest selection of all time.

BBs cross kick in 2nd half was worst play of game

Forgot how much I love watching Northland play. Can’t wait for the rest of the season.

Those that talk negatively about NZ provincial rugby ( and individual teams ) don’t understand how great this competition continues to be for NZ rugby - the jewel in the crown. The talent on display is amazing.

But a bit tired of reading articles from hack journalists and listening to ex rugby players acting as commentators who don’t know the players from the opposition team and have no passion for the game they are watching. The comments about Northland before, and after the game on the radio and in print lack any insight into our team.

I guess that’s why this forum is great .

Something that hasn’t been mentioned was Luke Jacobsens steal off Will Jordon at 21 mins. Pretty clear that Will got his knees to the ground before steal completed. Shortly after at 22 mins the Chiefs get their 1st try.

That’s the way rugby is. Small margins.

@Chris said in SF Crusaders v Blues:

Rivez Reihana signs through to 2026

Dynamic first five Rivez Reihana has committed to the Crusaders for another two seasons. The 24-year-old joined the Crusaders for the 2024 Super Rugby Pacific season, debuting in Round 1 against the Chiefs – a team he played three seasons for before shifting his skills south to Christchurch.

They would have to sign him for longer now - kicked all 3 conversions, 2 from wide out. But 2 moments stood out -1st half when he accelerated at the line drawing the defenders to him then popped a pass to Fihaki who ran into the gap he created but was cut down just before the line. The 2nd was when after the Crusaders had been on D for first 15 min in 2nd half he put in the wipers kick that turned Telea around and gained about 40 metres and Crusaders went on attack for next 20 and won the game in that period.

You can see the Crusaders coaching staff have done an excellent job on him. He now carry’s the ball to the line with intent which means defenders have to watch him and it creates space outside. Cruden was the best at that - his combination with SBW. But good to see a young Northlander with talent improving so much. The Crusaders really do have great systems,

@taniwharugby said in NPC 2023:

@Chris been on the agenda for over a decade really, NPC is the red-headed step child of NZR.

Mark Robinson gives me the creeps. He is one of those MBA guys who wants to free market everything. Everything he has touched so far has turned to mud. I should wait to see what they propose but he gives me as much confidence as a Reserve Bank economist.

The NPC has been the layer that made NZ rugby what it is. Just because all the players and coaches get a free ride (no transfer fees) and Corporations / Millionaires want to throw money at individuals, the NPC is no longer fit for purpose. Corporate speak. We will never compete on money alone.

If the NZRFU wanted to make it its NRL competition it would fly. Not in money terms but in rules to make it a competition and in reinforcing its role to NZ rugby but they don’t. Sky sports broadcast the games but neither the NZRFU or the broadcaster do any real promotion. The commentators often don’t know the players and make meaningless comments. The lack of care and attention shows. The Breakdown gives it no attention - yet Grassroots rugby does its job well for club rugby.

This has been coming for some time. We keep being told that we can play rugby without the ball. Kicking it away. The Wallabies showed that keeping the ball in hand is what matters. Some of our tight forwards struggle with their hands. Tonight they lost the contact as well.

Read has been quality. Captains knock.

@Entertainer15 disagree. We lost it in the forwards an with poor tactical kicking. Their forwards created go forward, won their lineouts and they were tactically miles ahead.

Next World Cup will be more challenging.

Our Junior rugby teams have been beaten up recent years by sides with big forward packs. Development of our tight 5 depth and loose forwards that can win contact will be our challenge. We always have great footballers but size matters as the game gets tighter and defence dominates.

@bayimports said in All Blacks vs Wallabies Bledisloe 1 Eden Park 7th Aug:

If I am looking for positives, Havili continues to look good at 12. Nothing much else to add in the good column though

Havili had been a real mixed bag for me.

Good to see that all the BS about Scott Barrett’s 2nd yellow card has turned to nothing. The media in true form kept repeating he had made contact to head whereas the video evidence showed it was to shoulder. The media have become used car salesmen. No integrity.

But the important thing is that ABs will have hopefully had reinforced that the bunker and cards will lose you the game.

Got to say though that the first yellow card should not have as he was tackled into the halfback by a Bok that was probably offside. Be nice to see teams given a review option like NRL. Rugby is so slow to innovate.

The result was shit but performance was ok - not a disaster. The disaster is the continued focus on the short kicking game as a default option. When we held the ball and moved the French around we looked great.

Thougth the forwards went ok apart from de Groot giving 2 penalties away and a loose carry in that first 20 minutes or so. Not sure that first French penalty was clear - looked like he was on the body. Scott Barrett player of the day again.

Tactics with short contestable kicks means we are playing in our territory way too much. They need to address the balance - not sure BB can do that, so would like to see Jordan go to full back. That said when they popped the ball over the top they really created chances.

Early in the 2nd half we had 3 chances to clear via RM, BB, AS and no one executed. That was the game. Jordan was pushing the line with contestable kicks, discipline is about getting that right.

In the 2nd half I thought Telea had some space but didn’t seem to have or back his pace to clear out so cut back inside. Trouble with that option is that all your support players overrun you. So for all his obvious strengths I would like to see him take the outside break more often.

Assuming we can win all our remaining pool games, this is not a disaster but will the Coaches amend short kicking tactics ( drop BB ) or double down and hope the execution is better? The strike rate seems too low at the moment.

That last scrum on the first hit the SA prop had his hand on the ground. Touchie should have called it.

I have got half way through the report and all the alarm bells are ringing. It reads like a takeover of rugby by its executives. To me paid executives provide professional expertise and the board are the owners or their nominated representatives. In this case from player to club to provincial unions, the PUs are the games nominated representatives. Instead they want “independent” board members. Democracy can be messy but the PUs are NZ rugby not privately run SR boards and big secondary schools. The report reads like a hit job on PUs. I hope it gets tossed.