Rugby Matches

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  • Taranaki v Canterbury

    2 Votes
    42 Posts
    641 Views

    @Bovidae said in Taranaki v Canterbury:

    Pukekura Park looked in really bad condition after this match. Probably not the best ground to play on after heaps of wet weather.

    Yep Bov, while good park for viewing etc, it's really a cricket pitch and not really going to hold together with as much rain as we have had.

  • 1 Votes
    1k Posts
    44k Views

    @pakman said in Argentina One: Parramatta, 14 November:

    @PecoTrain said in Argentina One: Parramatta, 14 November:

    @Victor-Meldrew said in Argentina One: Parramatta, 14 November:

    The thing which frustrates me is this is the same-old, same-old.

    The problems we saw from 2017 onward are still there and it shows against a team which can out-muscle and out-discipline us. The strategy doesn't seem to have changed much either - go down the blind, spin it into the midfield where the likes of BB can exploit the gaps and fast counter attacks. That and occasional shit kicks and poor discipline.

    Bullshit - the problem is that we don't try to build pressure on the opposition before running the ball. Seeing a gap early and exploiting it is a fantastic skill but running into it only to get smashed by the opposition and turnover the ball multiple times SHOULDN'T be part of the game plan.

    I don't blame Foster for all of this as he's inherited a lot of the problems and you have to give him credit for some good stuff like making the lineout drive a potent weapon and actually trying to bring some continuity to team selection. But he really needs to have a good, hard look at his tactics, his team plan/style of play development and, above all, get the players heads right, both individually and collectively.

    And I can't fault Cane either for his on-field attitude. Sure, he's still learning and some of his decisions aren't good, but he's giving 120% and is at least focussing on controlling the team and the game. Do Senior players like Sam Whitelock, Nugget and Beauden Barrett need to step up and get more involved both on and off the field?

    I blame Foster and his coaching team - we have brilliant individuals that don't play well as a team and seem to have lost a lot of confidence in the space of a few weeks. Playing people out of position just compounds that. Our handling errors and lack of awareness during the game (Whitelock offloading to Lomax where Lomax just watches the ball go past him as an example) makes me question what the players are doing during training because they don't seem that familiar with how each other plays in the pitch.

    I'm unsure Cane and Ardie can play well as a unit - I assume Foster subbed Frizell because of discipline warnings rather than Ardie as Frizell/Sotutu played well together versus Australia while I wouldn't have even noticed Ardie on the pitch if it wasn't for a late turnover.

    And Ardie leads on to the real issue in the team - our mix of experience. Our senior players put in their shifts and generally play very well (Whitelock/Nugget/Moody/Coles/Beauden/Cane) but its the guys that are the next step down and have 20+ tests experience that are really struggling.

    Jordie had a poor game, ALB was pretty anonymous, Goodhue did enough to be an average 12 today, Mo'unga was ordinary today, Ardie was ordinary, Tuipulotu was anonymous. And the majority of their subs don't look much better - they generally turn in average at best performances. Reiko's performances starting or off the bench are error ridden. Taylor is likely as good as Coles. Add in TJs performance last week and it looks awful.

    As our senior guys start hanging up their boots, what will the next generation look like? At the moment it looks like we need a major shift to younger players because unless things improve, we will end up with a glut of journeymen.

    Enough ranting....

    This post is well worth rereading.

    In my defence, I was much more optimistic in those days and thought Fozzie and his coaching team could do enough to get results if a few of the players stood up.

    In hindsight I still think my point around Cane and Ardie stands - they are both trying to play a roaming loose forward role, Cane predominantly on defence and Ardie predominantly on turnovers/attack but they don't work well with any of the 6's as a loose unit. And of the two, I'd drop Cane - his workrate is phenomenal but he "just" tackles players versus either attacking the ball or providing a good platform for another player to attack the ball in the tackle. And Fozzie (and probably our options at 8 and 6) have no idea how to get Cane/Ardie/another working well other than playing SB as an extra lock and shoring up the tight 5 because they will be doing a lot of work on defence without the pressure at tackle time. But Fosters one defining decision when he started was making Cane captain so he can't change that now, particularly given the options (Whitelock...)

    Basically, Fozzie still doesn't know how he wants the team to play other than to play some free flowing rugby and win or what he's looking for in the players (well he might, but they've all retired and the chances of finding the next McCaw, Carter, Kaino, Nonu, Conrad Smith, and younger versions of Aaron Smith, Sam Whitlock and BBBR in next years Super Rugby are pretty low) he has and the result is under performance.

    Or maybe this post should just be buried again until post-RWC.

  • Black Ferns v Australia I

    Moved
    0 Votes
    54 Posts
    480 Views

    @booboo said in Black Ferns v Australia I:

    As per usual wm watching behind ...

    ... but ...

    4 from half time good guys all over Aus.

    Couple of silly penalties.

    Like our No.11

    Leti-I'inga I think

  • Counties v Waikato

    2 Votes
    119 Posts
    942 Views

    Counties have already exceeded my expectations. Beating a solid Otago team and running Waikato and Shield Snorters close. I hope they can make the Quarter Finals. Awesome that they are promoting local players and coaches. Plenty of talent comes out of the region and the odd one moves to the region. Got to work on the lineouts!!!

  • Otago v Hawke's Bay

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    66 Posts
    643 Views

    Amazing how they managed to make a highlights video of 12 minutes from such a low-scoring and pretty average game.

  • Pumas v Wallabies 2

    2 Votes
    77 Posts
    1k Views

    Watched the remainder just now.

    I maintain there was fuck all between the teams and to be honest the Ockers were probably more creative and looked more likely to score.

    Obviously the better team (the one who scored more points being the the one who conceded less points) won.

    But not sure you can point the blame at Rennie because his team looked more likely to score more and concede less.

    Happy if the Aussies toss him pre RWC though.

  • Southland v Auckland

    1 Votes
    104 Posts
    641 Views

    Match stats are interesting. Pretty similar in most areas. A 1 point difference seems fair.

    5576f8a1-d9a7-4d9e-92f9-ce1234876076-image.png

    e08203e7-3d26-460c-853d-fd2babfbbe25-image.png

  • Canterbury v Wellington

    2 Votes
    134 Posts
    1k Views

    @African-Monkey I think we need to do that same and get rid of some of the dead wood in this team.

  • Northland v Waikato

    0 Votes
    86 Posts
    955 Views

    @OleOleOle said in Northland v Waikato:

    @taniwharugby I agree, can't believe he let them get away with that tap. Not sure the try that was ruled out by the TMO came from a pass that went forward out of the hand so swings and roundabouts, maybe...

    We were right in line with that at the game. More obvious live than on replay because of camera angles. Definitely forward out of hand.

    That said on balance Waikato should have put Northland away a lot earlier given set piece dominance so in the end result a fair reflection of game.

  • North Harbour v Manawatu

    1 Votes
    38 Posts
    432 Views

    @Dice he was like a different player at the chiefs this year though and for the Maori. Hopefully turned a corner mentally, skill and pace to burn just needed to not be too cool to apply himself.

  • BOP v Taranaki

    0 Votes
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    316 Views

    @KiwiPie the commentators were saying Jesse and Kurt were catching up on old times frequently, a running battle apparently

  • 2 Votes
    135 Posts
    575 Views

    @ACT-Crusader I thought he was gonna be an ATG when he burst into the scene at Penrith lol, then somehow ended up at Shield Snorters, and looked absolutely awful haha. So random thinking about it.

  • Otago v Tasman

    1 Votes
    55 Posts
    603 Views

    @Crucial Jokes can and will be killed! 🙂

  • Springboks v All Blacks I

    3 Votes
    2k Posts
    47k Views

    @pakman said in Springboks v All Blacks I:

    @Bones said in Springboks v All Blacks I:
    Some Welsh in the family?

    No I'm sure they keep their side of the bargain.

  • Manawatu v Auckland

    3 Votes
    84 Posts
    575 Views

    Other than that first scrum and a little bit of fringe defence, Auckland played very well.

    I do like Luke Campbell’s passing. Very swift from the base without any steps. Pretty accurate too.

  • Pumas v Wallabies I

    1 Votes
    40 Posts
    881 Views

    @booboo said in Pumas v Wallabies I:

    Watching "Mini" on Stan.

    Just on half time ref pings Aus for jumping across the line...

    Only did that because the throw wasn't straight dick head ...

    See my previous comment about Mike Adamson hating Rugby

  • Waikato v Hawke's Bay

    2 Votes
    106 Posts
    980 Views

    @Stargazer said in Waikato v Shield Snorters:

    @TheMojoman said in Waikato v Shield Snorters:

    On paper this is match of the round.

    You weren't wrong.

    What a game, outstanding.

  • Wellington v BOP

    0 Votes
    71 Posts
    813 Views

    @bayimports said in Wellington v BOP:

    fun game, lots of errors but points from both teams made it entertaining. The BoP team were slow to get into this one. The starting forward pack looks good though although TTT's service was so laboured it made TJP look quick. Trask looked ok at 10 and when he got decent ball was a threat, hopefully we don't see him in the fullback jersey again though.

    Think both teams can take a few positives out of that one, not polished by any means but enough to keep each set of supporters interested.

    Have to say just watching game now as I was at Naki game in Sunday. Bloody entertaining game and have to say I like the look of this young No8 for Wellington.
    Lions are going to struggle a bit with their front row, and BOP look to have a reasonably well balanced team.

  • Taranaki v Northland

    4 Votes
    126 Posts
    1k Views

    Here is a no punches held look at the game, one which will certainly bring nods of agreement from the likes of @Stargazer

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/129505310/rugbys-return-to-pukekura-park-a-damp-squib

    The bloke disguised as a referee has taken the whistle-friendly nature of his previous guise as a netball official into the rugby arena and the sport is far worse off because of it.

    It was no coincidence that the biggest cheers of the afternoon were reserved for the big budget half-time show when injured Taranaki players hoofed the ball high into the grey sky as young boys tried to catch it.

    It surely had more to do with the fact they did not have to see or hear Jono Bredin blowing into his whistle for a graceful 12 minutes than anything else.

  • Tasman v Southland

    0 Votes
    45 Posts
    396 Views