The Silver Fern

That needs to be Codie Taylor’s last test. Fuck he was useless. Two throws down near the Pumas line, one over throw..one not straight.

@Stag said in Thoughts on Cane now?:

@Kirwan sorry, but you couldn’t be more wrong on that one.

Blackadder is terrific 6 at Super level but I haven't seen that translate into Test rugby yet.

Finally, almost a complete performance. Complete dominance of the Wallabies.

Wallabies will be very unhappy, nothing went right, discipline, poor skills, just wilted under the AB pressure.

Jordie was excellent at 12, great impersonation of Ngani Laumape running over players while kicking and distributing really well. Mo’unga in his post-match interview said he was giving him some great guidance on plays etc. Foster will probably put him on the wing now.

Puzzling that RTS only got 10mins?

Codie Taylor again struggled with his line out
throwing. He was average in an outstanding team. Leave him at home for the EOYT and take Aumua. Foster will probably make him Capt.

• Jordie is our best 12. He’s the missing piece at 12. Helps Richie with a running options and holds the defence creating more space for Rieko. Run, kick pass threat who can hit hard on defence. That said Fozzie will prob play him on wing now.

• We now have enormous depth in the front row to the point Ta’avao can’t even get a look in.

• Papali’i makes Cane redundant especially when Whitelock, Savea and Smith are available as captains.

• Akira Ioane needs to be persevered at 6. He showed he can play tight and defend well when the physicality stakes were high. Basically can do what Frizell, Barrett can do with much more upside.

• BB is the best option at FB giving us a triple pivot capability. That means Jordan is at 14. He’d make a great test FB but in the current setup he’s a 14.

I was at the game last night at Suncorp and got to hang with some of the Blues post-match via a mutual friend. Great bunch and really focused on making this game the momentum builder into finals.

It wasn’t a vintage performance but I’ll take the win. The Blues looked the much stronger team ie, contact area, scrum but we couldn’t breakdown the Reds in 1st half.

Heem looked better than Rieko has all year TBH. Not saying he should replace him but damn I wish we could find a spot for him in the backline. Lam was good until he went off, beat the highly touted Vunivalu all ends up on one occasion. Vunivalu looked awful, like it was his first game of union.

Akira has bounced back well from injury and was busy around the park, really impressive in close and defended well. Choat like Heem needs to be in the lineup somewhere.

Nock hasn’t seen much action but he was good, clearing and defending well.

Nepo..I’m not sure what he offers atm. Renata is scrummaging well and is light years ahead around the park. Maybe it’s a form thing but he is not playing well and I’ wouldn’t be surprised if Tamaiti Williams has leapfrogged him.

All in all a 7/10 for Blues. Did enough to win but bonus point or lack thereof is a prob.

Outstanding game. Both teams playing to their strengths with the AB’s able to assert their game plan for longer periods of time. Momentum swung back to the Boks when the bomb squad came on but in the end AB’s were too good.

Frizell continues to impress all round at 6, lineout, tight work, defence, running game. He really has been outstanding and proving doubters like myself wrong. I’m happy to be wrong as long as he’s playing this well.

Welcome back Mr Jordan and they just have to find a spot for him whether 14 or 15. Great prob they have with so much talent in back 3.

The pack in general were excellent. Played tight, always connected, excellent body position in contact and ruck/maul. Couple of wobbly scrums but that’s to be expected against a superb scrummaging team like the Boks.

@broughie said in All Blacks v Pumas 1:

@Duluth if Ryan said that that was dumb. They all train together right? What happens if one prop is injured after 10? Sub the whole front row? Maybe he was trying to deflect some blame away from Foster. ST should have stayed on and hopefully next game that same decision will not be made.

Straight up copy of the Boks Bomb squad. Here’s a tip..they’re not the Bomb squad.

@Duluth said in Springboks v All Blacks I:

@Frye said in Springboks v All Blacks I:

they've gone for the hail mary move which is to select Clarke

I think Clarke is who they always intended to pick. This is the first Test this year he's been fit to play

One wing being a power winger, one wing being a second fullback is a good balance. Clarke is much much faster than the other power option (LF) and he has some special aerial skills. I expect to see him used during kickoffs

Clarke is a better all round power winger than Fainga’anuku who is still improving and rounding out his game. If Clarke is fit he’s first choice in 11 jersey.

I know a lot of peeps are calling for Jordan for 15 and I agree he’s the form 15 in NZ. It’s just against the Boks, Jordie is a better fit to blunt their kicking game.

@ACT-Crusader said in Springboks v All Blacks 2 (Fozzie's Swansong??):

Smith, Mo’unga, Clarke, Goodhue, Ioane, Reece, Jordan

Christie, Perofeta, QT/Fainga’anuku

QT for Goodhue (who’s not touring) with Leicester on the bench. Knowing Foster he’ll prob play Ennor..

Havili doesn’t have enough of a running game at test level, defence can drift off him and nullify Reiko and co. Time to give QT a decent run at 12.

Given Cane, Coles have gone home and Patty, Ennor, RTS, McKenzie have gone back to AB XV here's what I think the team will be;

1. DeGroot
2. Taukie'aho
3. Lomax
4. Retallick *
5. Whitelock (c)
6. A. Ioane
7. Papali'i
8. Savea
9. Smith
10. Mo'unga
11. Clarke
12. J.Barrett
13. R.Ioane
14. Reece
15. B.Barrett

Res: Taylor, Tu'ungufasi, Newell, S.Barrett, Sotutu, Christie, Havili, ALB

If Retallick is unavailable with suspension, Barrett to start and Va'ai on the bench.

@Crucial said in Foster:

@taniwharugby said in Foster:

@Dan54 although many of the issues we are seeing now started in the final couple of years under hansens watch.

If Fozzie was an astute coach he'd have picked up the issues and looked at ways to rectify them to make his job as head coach easier, instead, he was hamstrung by a poor recruitment process, and allowed these issues that seemed clear to most rugby fans in NZ to fester and grow to the point we are at now.

I think that the strongest 'theme' from Hansen's latter years and Fosters ones are that they both think that the ABs only require tweaks to solve the rush D and combating the bigger collision forwards.

For the life of me I can't see why they complicate it. Just play more direct as they did at Ellis Park.
It's like the stupid fancy lineout moves where there is so much movement it invariably ends up missing the jumper.

@kiwiwomble said in All Blacks vs Pumas II:

@l_n_p said in All Blacks vs Pumas II:

@nzzp said in All Blacks vs Pumas II:

@billy-tell said in All Blacks vs Pumas II:

I don’t like Centres who don’t pass. They look like wingers playing centre. Rieko at 11 for me.

I'd probably reframe it as centres who 'can't' pass. He can pass, and often does - in that try buildup he chose not to (you see him look, and hold the ball). That said, he's 24 and learning the position - with 30 test tries under his belt. Remarkable given how long he's been in the environment. I think his passing is a work in progress, but it's getting that knack of finding people in dynamic situations.

I agree, 24 is so young for an international 13. As I remember (Nonu, Tana) every winger who moves infield takes sh*t for a few years because it takes a few years to learn the position?

The fact he's asked to play 13 already tells us that we wants to learn so his attitude is fine.

Definitely prefer ALB as #1 but can see Rieko as a starter at 13 sometime after the next RWC by which time he's 27-28 maybe.

my only real problem with RI now is he's still out best 11, so while he's trying to learn a new position we're calling him back out to the wing every few games to sort shit out

Bar the botched try on the weekend where TJ should've scored RI has looked more and more at home at Centre at the top level. I remember watching him at Auckland Grammar at Centre and you could see that he would probably spend some time on the wing such was his pace and propensity to take on the line himself.

I was at the game on the weekend at Suncorp, he does alot of off the ball work as well which is good to see. Constantly talking to his outsides and communicating with Tupaea.

Really sad to see. He and Pat Lam ran a number of sessions with Auck U21’s back in early 90’s. Always learnt a lot about backrow play from Willie and he was always willing to help.

That was heart attack stuff. Have to rewatch the game because I was so damn nervous I didn’t take it in.

For an AB team that is very ordinary we did enough to retain the Bledisloe. That’s all that mattered out of that game. So much better coming back to Eden Park knowing the Bled stays for another year.

Kudos to the Wallabies, they were tough and resilient.

Overall again like the AB squad a fairly predictable squad which is a good thing. Lots of test caps which bodes well for the younger guys.

• PGS has been a shadow of himself since he was dropped and has paid the price. What a shame. I really hope he bounces back in 2023

• Why they didn’t pick Stevenson is a mystery. Dude has been the form fullback of the NOC and tore it up for the Māori this year

• Naitoa Ah Khoui has been playing well with his versatility. Unlucky.

• Christian Lio-Willie? What exactly has he done? Suafoa given his versatility would’ve been a better pick or even Braydon Iose

• Would’ve likes to have seen Fabian Holland tour given the likely departures of Whitelock and potentially Retallick after RWC

@Duluth said in All Blacks vs Wales:

Why is our best frickin hooker on the frickin bench? Mr Codie “I can’t throw straight under pressure” Taylor starts instead? FFS I can’t wait to see the back of Foster and his stooopid selections.

Frizell I can accept given Akira provides impact off bench. How much more impact would’ve have been to start with Akira and have Sotutu providing impact?

All in all a v.good performance, something that is expected of the AB’s. Now they need to back it up next week. So much good stuff;

• JB looks to be a fixture in the 12 jersey with another v.good performance. It allows Beaudy to play 15 and have 3 playmakers plus a huge boot to take the pressure off Richie.
• Ardie is incredible, just a beast. What else can you say? Aaron Smith only a fraction behind
• Forwards were dominant, great to see
• Papali’i was v.good. Balanced backrow with Savea and Frizell

I really hope Proctor gets into the RWC squad ahead of Ennor.

@kirwan said in All Blacks 2021:

@stargazer said in All Blacks 2021:

@kirwan You have an excellent ability to misread posts and/or twist words. I've got to give that to you. Well done!

I think you are stuck in a hypocrisy loop again.

People are allowed to disagree with people's opinions - even yours!

I disagree that Sotutu had a quiet season, he certainly did enough to make the All Blacks for example. Now in case you get confused again, that's my opinion.

Sotutu hasn't had a quiet season. Was outstanding in Super Rugby, got leap-frogged by Jacobson/Blackadder but it's a highly competitive loose combo. His appearances since have been v.good.

@hooroo said in All Blacks vs Springboks I:

@barbarian said in All Blacks vs Springboks I:

Haven't scrolled through all 91 pages, but I will offer my perspective as a neutral.

1 vs 2. Heavyweight bout. Champ vs contender. Historic rivals in game 100. And...

The game was pus. Absolute shite. Reminiscent of watching the Force vs the Rebels in 2017, though that probably does those teams a dis-service as at least they had a fkn crack.

The fault obviously rests with South Africa. They can get in the sea. It's rugby at it's worst. Kick kick kick. Maul maul maul. Tackle tackle tackle. Whinge whinge whinge.

The sad thing is it worked. Almost worked. But they shouldn't be happy with that result, as the All Blacks played the worst they have all year and they still couldn't win. I wouldn't be happy with that if it was the Wallabies. They made a thousand errors, not through ferocious Bok defence either. Soft, unforced errors that they won't make next game.

And as many have mentioned here it's made worse by the fact that they are a really talented side. I love Nkosi and Mapimpi but they haven't been able to do squat this RC because of the tactics employed. And it wasn't like this tactic won them the World Cup, they were far more ambitious in Japan. They are fighting with one hand behind their back, though it's not helped by the fact that Handre Pollard is by far the worst player of any team in International rugby this year.

So I say this to Foster and the ABs. Please beat them by 90 this week. Please. I need this. We all do. Even South Africa needs it, so they can change course from whatever they are doing right now.

All of this.

Hatiest game of Rugby I have ever watched. I've enjoyed watching us get absolutely hosed more than I enjoyed that. At least when you get pumped one side is playing pretty rugby.

That game was a disgrace and embarrassment to international rugby and the fault lies directly with South Africa.

Wholeheartedly agree on the quality of the game. I don't understand why people are raving about it. I'm headed down to Gold Coast to watch the game live this weekend and I really hope it will be a little more open with lower error rate from the AB's. IMO it will come down to how the AB's control possession. If they had controlled possession well on the weekend they would've scored another 3-4 tries. Some of the turnovers were infuriating, child's play.