The Silver Fern

Cripes! Loving Nic White tonight after hating the little fluffybunny for so long.

@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks 2025:

@canefan said in All Blacks 2025:

@Old-Samurai-Jack said in All Blacks 2025:

@george33 said in All Blacks 2025:

Two weeks in and Wayne Smith involved in coaching group he was in the coaching box Saturday night for all to see.
What is his roll actually thought he had stepped away.

The fact the ABs box-kicked long, for touch, and got out of the danger area without putting up 50/50s box-kicks in their own half indicates the profs influence on tactics.

He's on record as saying he hates box kicks

I think he hates them because the vast majority of them are poor and just create more pressure on the team that do them.

My eyes certainly light up when the opposition do them.

The Black Ferns World Cup Final was the last time I saw a NZ rep side boxkick long to similar effect. Thought it had Mr. Smith's hands all over it.

@george33 said in All Blacks 2025:

Two weeks in and Wayne Smith involved in coaching group he was in the coaching box Saturday night for all to see.
What is his roll actually thought he had stepped away.

The fact the ABs box-kicked long, for touch, and got out of the danger area without putting up 50/50s box-kicks in their own half indicates the profs influence on tactics.

Haven't read anything from the thread, but AUNZ No.5 and Frizell were very good. Otherwise, the Lions' juggernaut keeps rolling.

Pat T (with egg on my face), Holland, Roigard

Wheeler is part of my tribe. The south of Rakaia River tribe. He may be a doofus.but he is our doofus. Jeff Wilson is a chief of our tribe, he can say what he wants. You outsiders won't understand.

@SecFid said in All Blacks v France 2:

Clarke went to hospital with a suspected broken ankle

Shittings! It is one of those years for him, isn't it? Poor bugger.

Rugby in July in that part of Japan. Cripes, it is going to be hot!

Hopefully, the 2024 Clarke version makes an appearance this weekend.

@antipodean said in All Blacks v France I:

@brodean said in All Blacks v France I:

@antipodean said in All Blacks v France I:

@brodean said in All Blacks v France I:

@antipodean

Well Tavatavanawai did win more turnovers than Kirifi this SRP season but then again the Highlanders were probably defending more than the Canes

I get the point you're making, but I'd rather select the person whose job it is to play openside than a winger/ centre trying to do that role.

Breakdown turnovers won out wide are actually more likely to result in a try if the team is good at counter-attacking because the defence is usually has more misalignment.

Let's accept that statement as true for argument's sake, and the underlying premise that "out wide" means backs, you've just taken out a back to attack with.

It also means that it has to be a clear turnover, not a penalised offence.

But if all of that is true, then it obviously means you should select a backline of turnover specialists...

Elephant in the room. Defensive box kicks provide the opposition with turnover ball (50/50 on a good day), many times out wide, in your own half, and with defensive lines in disarray. They are consistently done by the ABs, puts them under pressure, and often leads to an opposition score. They seem not to be concerned about that kind of turnover ball and want to make the game exciting.

Arrrggghhh....Fiji No.8 has been good today, too.

Fiji exits much better than ABs.

Passive defence by Aussie. They are actually waiting for the players to get to them.

@Mauss said in All Blacks v France I:

Also, I know we're gradually sliding into fullblown conspiracy mode but Barlot pretty clearly knocked the ball on in the lead-up to the French try just after halftime.

Not sure why the TMO didn't intervene there. Or perhaps there were too many phases between the knock-on and the try? (my eye involuntarily twitched when writing that)

Works for the Boks.

Tonight the officials seem corrupt!

There will be nashing of teeth and blaming of players (on here), but unless the ABs get into a test match mindset, they will struggle tactically. Focus on basics, protect the ball, kick long for territory, put it in front of your forward pack, and play percentages. The strikes will come from that.
There must be a mathematical formula for building pressure that equates to winning percentages. At the moment, we seem to be wayward artists, but I think we need engineers (Do you know what I mean?)

Tactic problem. Our kicking game is too short. They stayed in the game because they kicked long.

Really pleased to see such a side. At last, we can see some action to counter the problems of the last few years. That is a big pack and will get bigger (and more mobile) with Williams and Lomax coming back in.
Vaai has the game to be an awesome 6. Finau does well off the bench and can develop from there.
Proctor at 13 should see better distribution, and Rieko is still one of the best finishers in the game.
Would definitely prefer to see DMac starting, although, he has the kicking game to finish a test match much more pragmatically than BB I think.

Exciting times, aren't they?. Wanted change, well, .......it looks like it might be here. Hopefully, the "stagnant years" are gone, and the ABs start innovating again.
If BB starts and we go headless-chook, inside 22, chip-kicky again....... Well, I will have a bottle or two of red handy just in case.

@KiwiMurph said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

@Old-Samurai-Jack said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

Geez, it is just a circle-jerk of butt-hurt provincial bias against Blackadder, isn't it?

Interesting response to statistics

Here is a stat for you.

Funnily enough, I am not bitching about why he is left out of the ABs. I completely understand the logic and personally think a Finau/ Vaai/ Parker(maybe) is a better fit at 6.
You keyboard warriors saying he isn't a good footy player is going beyond the pale though. All I see is vindictive shenanigans, the same kind of skulduggery that dogged Akira (another good player). It is all along provincial lines, repetitive, and boring. Go suck a plop.