The Silver Fern

@booboo you must have been watching another game where England didn't butcher countless chances then.

@Mr-Fish be nice if you are right. There's definitely some deadwood in there and I think it's a lot more than just those two. I've watched the AB's for over 50 years and I can't recall such a toothless, directionless team since 1998. We will improve I have no doubt, but I do not see the talent in this team we need to take on the best in the world so we need to hope there's some youngsters coming through. 10 is a massive problem for me.

@Billy-Tell Well, I think we are. We met an off colour Irish side and didn't have to do much to beat them, England we simply got lucky. Robertson has been let off the hook the first couple of tests. I see some massive problems with this squad and the coaching/calls. I hope I'm wrong, but it's not looking good.

We are miles off being a good team, personnel wise and strategy wise. We were bloody slow to the ruck in the second half. Our wingers are bollock slow. The only places we look dangerous are in in the starting front and back rows, the rest of it we are struggling. Feels like a bleak WC cycle to me. We had so much talent and where is it now.

I'd just like to add I find it actually incredulous that any coach can get a 4 year contract untested. What pressure does that put on the coach? Zero. Any professional in a high paid job has to be held accountable, there's no accountability and no pressure when you are just handed a deal like that. For me NZRFU is to blame here, it's obviously not a professional organisation when you are prepared to hand out a sweet deal like that. NZRFU should have offered a 1 year contract, with an 1 year option to extend based on clear performance goals, and those goals should not just be results based, but also have other qualitative assessments. It should be biased towards performance, but if there are other long term achievements, those should be included. I hope NZRFU have something built into their contract which makes the 4 years an easy get out and no cost otherwise this deal reeks of bias. If a coach doesn't want to exchange the risk of success for managing one of the world's most famous sports teams, then that person is the wrong person for the job. Anyway, rant over.

Clearly not good enough at the moment to worry the boks, the benches the big difference and some absolutely bone headed play at critical times. We couldn't catch or kick a ball either all day. Self combusted at important moments with silly mistakes. McKenzie isn't the answer at this level. The captain conspicuous by his absence. I'm not questioning the effort but the team just isn't gelling together and some of the selections appear baffling. Hopefully Razor can grow into the role but I don't think he should be given more than the year to get a team with some strong foundations under it, four year deal is a bit of a joke to me in professional sport, especially an untried one. Didn't even look like scoring a try all day. Props to the ref, thought he did a good job, not like the loon from the week before.

Wtaf did I just watch. Only got to see the last twenty and there must have been 5 reffing mistakes at least. Utter bollocks.

No, have you? However I do have eyes. The guy is constantly operating on the edge, if you can't see that, I can't help you. I like Coles but he is ten years outside his best and operating in the last decade when it comes to understanding the current set of referees.

I guess we'll see what Fozzy's preference is later in the week, they both bring different things. Coles is a massive penalty magnet as well and has a reputation for niggle. We've done well so far eliminating most of that.

@Machpants not what you want in the last ten minutes of a WCF mate. When he comes on we need someone to make the hard yards up the park.

@Machpants I'd prefer to have ST, he takes it straight up the middle when we need it and doesn't disappear off seagulling on the wing glory hunting. Coles is still good but if ST can keep up his throwing he has to stay on.

I'll add some of the scrum calls that went out way looked dodgy, yes we had the dominant scrum but looked like we went down at least twice yet got the penalties.

Ref missed about half a dozen off the ball tackles by the Argies and did nothing about it, so we adapted and did it too. Was ridiculous how many times we had players taken out early on. Ref performance wasn't biased, he seemed more interested in keeping the game going. How about Jordan being taken out, if we'd done that, we'd have a 100% yellow. What does it take for us to get a favourable call in those circumstance, a beheading?

That's how you play tourney rugby, big D all night

3 hrs and 16 minutes but who is sitting here counting... lol

Oh it's definitely NZR. If we can't pay more, and as a country we define ourselves through our top sportspeople, why doesn't the government embrace professional athletes by offering them tax breaks to stay in the country. The All Blacks are our most recognised International brand, by a country mile, and are responsible for a huge slug of revenue coming into the country. Of course it would never happen, but there's certainly governmental opportunities to support our stars, not just actions NZR could take. It's definitely not Razor's problem to deal with, it just speaks volumes of the outmoded thinking in NZR. A lot more could be done to help develop the grass roots game as is being doing throughout Europe at the moment. Just look at what TNZ have done, I'm sure they didn't want to take the Cup offshore, but with little incentive here and as a commercial entity they didn't have a lot of choice if they wanted to keep winning. I think we will continue to struggle if we don't embrace how the world has changed and keep pace with it.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby-world-cup-2023/300992057/player-exodus-creates-headaches-for-incoming-all-blacks-coach-scott-robertson

Interesting discussion this. SA have proved their team isn't impacted by players moving O/S, so is it time for us to do it too? The NH club sides have definitely come on leaps and bounds so it's hard to argue players won't get good experience slotting in up there. Sure, more players will leave, but it will also provide more opportunities for new up and comers to make their way into Super Rugby. I was always against playing players who left to go o/s but it seems a bit outdated today.

@DaGrubster the day of that 'greatest game of Rugby ever' in 2000 in Sydney, the entire team was in a lappy bar in town drinking and err cahorting. Didn't seem to impact them that night, maybe they should do it again lol

Sensible selection minus Roigard.

@sparky Agree, nothing beats 1996.