Judging by the just announced squad of course Razor will welcome back Richie and Shannon next year ..

@Machpants said in WXV1:

@stodders said in WXV1:

I’ll say it now. If England fail to win the next World Cup at home, it will be the most monumental choke I have seen in sport. They aren’t winning by the odd point. They are winning by double digits in nearly all cases.

They will be happy red cards are only 20 mins now, as a red card under the old laws is the only way I can see them losing. An England win in women’s rugby is as close to a guaranteed win as I have seen.

Considering they came into that final on a record winning streak, having smashed the BF recently, the last final was the biggest RWC choke ever. It would be hard to top that

I think the mitigation is the red card. England win that without it IMO.

Now that red cards are only 20 mins, there will be no mitigation.

@Nogusta said in Auckland v BOP:

@brodean Lam is a top shelf wing and played awesome for the Blues at the back end of SR at 12.
Telea had probably his best season as a pro at 13 in SR.
Why TF did we never see a Lam 12, Telea 13 combo?

Coaches would have to be under pressure after that season?

@darylmitchell said in Ta$man v Taranaki (RS):

It will be a fucking farce if Razor selects Ennor and Havili ahead of Daniel Rona. at all.

How did EDG look?

Finau dink kick something certain AB midfielders couldn’t manage.

@SouthernMann said in Northland v Otago:

@frugby said in Northland v Otago:

@SouthernMann said in Northland v Otago:

This experiment of Whaanga on the wing needs to stop.

I don't rate it at all... having said that, need to go out and get some actual wingers for next season, because every 'actual' winger we tried was atrocious.

At least Whaanga can guarantee decent carrying, decent aerial ability, and (generally) good defence. No doubt his long-term home is in the midfield though.

I'm firm we do not recruit. Too expensive. Kyan Rangitutia is a decent up and coming winger. Is only 19. Jeremiah Asi was out for the whole year. Nareki, of course missed most of the year. The NPC is not a competition you recruit seasoned players for. Whaanga's future is as about a 105 - 110 kg centre. Player who can stand in the tackle and off-load. He should be a similar build to SBW. Not a winger.

Guess it depends what you want to do, but I actually think as you eluded to in the other thread next year we should actually have the squad to have a crack at things. That window is only going to be a one year opportunity I think (though a good new coach might get way more out of the players of course)... I would personally bury my head in the sand and would recruit a winger. Bring the Junkyard Dawg to the glasshouse!

@Machpants That's an uncomfortable conversation the next day.

Rugby's gone soft.

An outside back gets done for roughing up a prop.

@SidBarret oh I thought Faure Stadium has been named after your Oupa? I can be wrong , blame the age.

@cgrant said in Southland v Waikato:

Michael Manson can run !

This is the first time I saw his speed up close. There are a few other familiar names in the NZ Barbarians Schools team. Manson was then brought into the NZ Schools team to play Aust Schools a few days later.

@pakman said in Counties Manukau vs Wellington:

@Mr-Fish said in Counties Manukau vs Wellington:

@pakman who is Lalauki?

Spell checker’s version of Peter Lakai!

Haha I haven't been watching all of the NPC and wasn't sure if it was someone slipping under the radar.

Well that was enjoyable. Canterbury lucky to come second in that one.

Was a close run game. Naki look like they need a rest after storm week, but will take the W!

PSdT deservedly MOTM performance. That try looked like a knock, so was freakish. He had a perfect game. Glad Eben got this. Libbok after a week of critics played well.

I think our coaches have been understudying with Robertson, out last ten mins of games has been poor all season.

Just watching this game now. I felt like last week BOP didn't use their backline enough against Wellington, lots of predictable pick and go's without a lot of deception. Totally different against Northland, playing with a lot more width and variety.

Cashmore is really good at organizing a backline. He plays with zero hesitation, either directly attacking the line or otherwise quickly transferring the ball to his outsides to give them plenty of space to work with. Smart and silky player.

Watching the highlights it seems Otago yo-yo’d between decent footie and some seriously dumb and awful defence