|
Post by berkley on Sept 7, 2024 23:16:02 GMT -5
Spoilers {Spoiler: Click to show} Ugly game. I thought the All Blacks played okay in the first half, but they struggled in the second forty. The most frustrating aspect of it was that South Africa didn't play that well in either test. Yet here we are, the first four test losing streak to the Boks since 1949 and the Boks win the Freedom Cup for the first time in 15 years. Plenty of things for the All Blacks to work on. They weren't humiliated on tour, but there are definite flaws. Just finished watching the game. yeah, I don't see a huge gap between the two sides At this point, I think they're mostly being out-coached, which may sound like a condemnation of Robertson but I'm willing to write it off for now as an inevitable adjustment period to a brand new coaching staff. But there are some things I just don't get - like leaving the front-rowers on the field until so late in the game, asking them to play against fresh legs when the team needs every edge they can get. In general I don't see the point of waiting until the last 10 minutes to sub someone.
But I thought there were a lot of encouraging signs for the All Blacks. Ratima didn't look out of place - nothing spectacular but no major screw-ups either, which is something for such a young player in that position. And Sititi, though he took a while to get going, was looking better and better as a the game progressed. I think he provided a significantly bigger attacking threat at no. 6 compared to Blackadder (I see I was wrong to assume they'd put him at 8 and move Savea).
On the negative side, no tries scored, which feels like a regression to the problems they were having on attack a few years ago, until they seemed to have straightened them out in the WC. Part of that may be adjusting to the new coaches so I think they deserve some leeway before passing judgement. I would like to see them give some of the new guys a look, though. Someone like Ruben Love might bring a little creativity to their attack, which they seem to be lacking at the moment. To me, now's the time to experiment with all the new guys, not the year before the WC when you'd hope they'd have all the bugs ironed out.
|
|
|
Post by berkley on Sept 12, 2024 21:13:59 GMT -5
Saw the England vs France Women's rugby game. Much the same distance between the two sides as the last time I saw them play each other a few months ago in the 2024 Women's Six Nations: France showing lots of promise and individual talent but as a team not quite at the level needed to really give England a scare. They're not far off but definitely not there yet and I don't think they'll have time to get there before the next WC, which is only a year away. So I think the 2025 Women's WC will be a 2-team contest again between England and NZ, notwithstanding Canada's recent victory over the Black Ferns.
|
|
|
Post by berkley on Sept 16, 2024 5:05:01 GMT -5
I watched Tonga vs Canada in the Pacific Nations (Men's) rugby tournament earlier this evening. I was pleasantly surprised that Canada were fairly competitive for most of the match, though Tonga stretched out their margin of victory by the end. But until the last 15 minutes or so they were within one or two scores, so it wasn't the blow-out I had been half expecting.
|
|
|
Post by commond on Sept 18, 2024 16:37:22 GMT -5
The All Blacks' side to face Australia in Sydney:
All Blacks match-day 23 (Test caps in brackets)
1. Ethan de Groot (26) 2. Codie Taylor (91) 3. Tyrel Lomax (38) 4. Scott Barrett (74) (Captain) 5. Tupou Vaa’i (32) 6. Wallace Sititi (3) 7. Sam Cane (98) 8. Ardie Savea (88) (Vice Captain) 9. Cortez Ratima (6) 10. Damian McKenzie (54) 11. Caleb Clarke (23) 12. Jordie Barrett (64) (Vice Captain) 13. Rieko Ioane (75) 14. Will Jordan (35) 15. Beauden Barrett (130)
16. Asafo Aumua (12) 17. Tamaiti Williams (12) 18. Pasilio Tosi (1) 19. Sam Darry (4) 20. Luke Jacobson (22) 21. TJ Perenara (85) 22. Anton Lienert-Brown (77) 23. Sevu Reece (28)
Unavailable due to injury: Fletcher Newell (calf), Ruben Love (quadricep).
Robertson, understandably, is under a lot of pressure to win this test given the All Blacks have dropped three of their last four and Australia is coming off a record loss. Not sure what is going on with the backline. After the clamoring for Jordan to start at fullback, he hasn't looked very good in that role in the past few tests, and he's back to the wing where he's shined at the international level. Barrett is back at fullback and McKenzie remains at 10. Ratima gets the nod at 9, which I'm okay with as TJ has been annoying for the most part. Mark Tele'a has been dropped despite being one of the star players at last year's World Cup. Honestly, I'm not sure what Reece offers at this point. Blackadder and Tuipulotu weren't selected despite being match fit. Sititi starts at 6. There was a lot of criticism of Robertson taking him off too early in Capetown. It's not his natural position, and apparently he hasn't even played at 6 for the Chiefs, but the All Blacks are in desperate need of a Kaino-style number 6, and have been basically ever since Kaino retired. The bench still looks like crap.
|
|
|
Post by berkley on Sept 19, 2024 0:51:08 GMT -5
The All Blacks' side to face Australia in Sydney: All Blacks match-day 23 (Test caps in brackets)
1. Ethan de Groot (26) 2. Codie Taylor (91) 3. Tyrel Lomax (38) 4. Scott Barrett (74) (Captain) 5. Tupou Vaa’i (32) 6. Wallace Sititi (3) 7. Sam Cane (98) 8. Ardie Savea (88) (Vice Captain) 9. Cortez Ratima (6) 10. Damian McKenzie (54) 11. Caleb Clarke (23) 12. Jordie Barrett (64) (Vice Captain) 13. Rieko Ioane (75) 14. Will Jordan (35) 15. Beauden Barrett (130) 16. Asafo Aumua (12) 17. Tamaiti Williams (12) 18. Pasilio Tosi (1) 19. Sam Darry (4) 20. Luke Jacobson (22) 21. TJ Perenara (85) 22. Anton Lienert-Brown (77) 23. Sevu Reece (28) Unavailable due to injury: Fletcher Newell (calf), Ruben Love (quadricep). Robertson, understandably, is under a lot of pressure to win this test given the All Blacks have dropped three of their last four and Australia is coming off a record loss. Not sure what is going on with the backline. After the clamoring for Jordan to start at fullback, he hasn't looked very good in that role in the past few tests, and he's back to the wing where he's shined at the international level. Barrett is back at fullback and McKenzie remains at 10. Ratima gets the nod at 9, which I'm okay with as TJ has been annoying for the most part. Mark Tele'a has been dropped despite being one of the star players at last year's World Cup. Honestly, I'm not sure what Reece offers at this point. Blackadder and Tuipulotu weren't selected despite being match fit. Sititi starts at 6. There was a lot of criticism of Robertson taking him off too early in Capetown. It's not his natural position, and apparently he hasn't even played at 6 for the Chiefs, but the All Blacks are in desperate need of a Kaino-style number 6, and have been basically ever since Kaino retired. The bench still looks like crap.
I still wonder if it wouldn't be a good idea to let Sititi play at 8, where I think he's spent most of his time, and move Ardie to 6, where he has lots of experience and is highly effective. I thought the Breakdown show guys had an interesting idea in a bit I saw on youtube: if the ABs decided to do a Boks-style Bomb Squad wouldn't Ardie Savea be a tremendous impact player to bring on early in the 2nd half? I think it makes sense in a lot of ways - for one thing, I always wonder, in any physical sport, how long players with such a high-energy style of play can keep it going. If they're hoping Savea can still be a top-class performer in the next WC, I'm not sure starting him every game and asking him to play 70 minutes is the best way to go about it.
Still, good to see Sititi getting rewarded with another start. And Ratima too. I've always liked TJ Perenara's play but have to agree that he hasn't made the best use of his big opportunity as the starting 9 for the ABs. I don't think he's been all bad, but mentally he doesn't seem to have it together right now.
Reece made one bad play last game that led to a yellow card and wasn't all that great apart from that either. But he has a strong track record so I can see why they might give him a few more chances before deciding he's no longer All Black material.But yeah, you wonder why Tele'a wouldn't be picked ahead of him at this point in time. After his WC suspension, it's natural to wonder if there's any behind the scenes stuff going on. NZ has a ton of talent at wing, I'd like to see someone else get a chance if Reece doesn't make a turn-around.
I would like to have seen Tuipulotu on the bench at least. I can see leaving Blackadder out for a bit as I thought he wasn't effective as a ball-carrier against the Boks though he never stopped working. But I thought Tuipulotu was playing well until he got injured, so you'd think he'd have come right back in.
I'm sorry to see Fletcher Newell injured but very glad to see Tosi on the bench. I hope he gets more than 5 or 10 minutes. They've gotta start giving these inexperienced guys more playing time or theyll never be able to adjust to the international level of play.
That said, Australia seems to be in a very bad place right now, having suffered a record defeat against the Pumas. If the All Blacks don't win these two games and handily, I think it will look really bad for Robertson.
|
|