MotM vs Ireland, Chicago
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I picked Perenara, who IMO was by far the best All Black on the field. My second pick is Scott Barrett, who also played well and scored a try on debut. I had trouble picking a third, but went for Crotty because he was playing well before he got injured, one of the few All Blacks at that stage of the game.
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Pretty tough call, the first 40 nobody really stood out as we had F all ball and Ireland controlled things. Don't normally vote for bench players but given the first 40 I went with TJP and S Barrett. Coles was my third choice, he was pretty influential during the incredible comeback between the 50 and 70 minute mark. If we had pulled that off it would have been one of the all time great comebacks.
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I voted Taylor because he didn't play
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Perenara showed that eh is now the number 1 half back. His passing is VG now but his support play and defense is far better than A Smith. I was surprised that he was not started for this test. This was the first dumb selection. I also thought B Barrett had a good game as did Coles in the 2nd half. But overall the forwards were poor. Maybe the depth is not as good as I thought. Or maybe the selectors need to start looking at players in all 5 super rugby teams. Rather than having a strong Crusaders preference.. And stop making idiotic selections. How did they got this so wrong at lock?
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Not picking a NZ MOTM, there wasn't a single contender. Outplayed from 1 to 15 to a man by their Irish counterparts.
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@Winger said in MotM vs Ireland, Chicago:
Perenara showed that eh is now the number 1 half back. His passing is VG now but his support play and defense is far better than A Smith. I was surprised that he was not started for this test. This was the first dumb selection. I also thought B Barrett had a good game as did Coles in the 2nd half. But overall the forwards were poor. Maybe the depth is not as good as I thought. Or maybe the selectors need to start looking at players in all 5 super rugby teams. Rather than having a strong Crusaders preference.. And stop making idiotic selections. How did they got this so wrong at lock?
I had to read this post several times to see if I missed the analysis of Julian Savea's performance....
I've liked what he's done this season but he had an absolute mare.
Barrett kept shovelling ball on when he should've been a little more direct. If that was a good game I'd hate to see what poor is.
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@Winger said in MotM vs Ireland, Chicago:
. Or maybe the selectors need to start looking at players in all 5 super rugby teams. Rather than having a strong Crusaders preference.. And stop making idiotic selections. How did they got this so wrong at lock?My god you spout shit at times Winger.
Do you mean by selecting the Auckland lock who has been in their systems for some time now or the Auckland loosie they judged could fill in because they didn't want to heap pressure on the newly selected Canterbury player who turned out to be up to the task?
Or should they have simply gone with the last minute rookie selection (who is a better blindside than lock) just because he is from the Hurricanes to replace the injured Chiefs player? Or are you thinking that if there was a Hurricanes lock in the squad in place of Romano their relatives would be forbidden from dying in the lead up to a test?They had to make a call based on what they had to hand in a short timeframe. It didn't work out they way it was hoped. That's sport.
Sometimes these calls work out well (e.g. ALB) -
@Winger said in MotM vs Ireland, Chicago:
Or maybe the selectors need to start looking at players in all 5 super rugby teams. Rather than having a strong Crusaders preference.. And stop making idiotic selections. How did they got this so wrong at lock?
Look what happens when we don't pick a whole lot of Crusaders. Could have done with Whitelock, Crockett, Todd and Dagg.
If Andy Ellis had played that game, we would have won.
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@Chris-B. said in MotM vs Ireland, Chicago:
@Winger said in MotM vs Ireland, Chicago:
Or maybe the selectors need to start looking at players in all 5 super rugby teams. Rather than having a strong Crusaders preference.. And stop making idiotic selections. How did they got this so wrong at lock?
Look what happens when we don't pick a whole lot of Crusaders. Could have done with Whitelock, Crockett, Todd and Dagg.
If Andy Ellis had played that game, we would have won.
You had me right up until that last line...
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@MN5 said in MotM vs Ireland, Chicago:
@Kirwan said in MotM vs Ireland, Chicago:
Has to be Moody for the Irish doesn't it? He's entering Troy Flavell levels of stupid play now
I'd call it Lauaki personally, good old Troy saved his dumbest shit for Super 12 and NPC.
Remember when north harbour had a backrow of Cribb, Flavell and Parkinson? It was kind of fun to guess which one would get carded first .
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@Winger said in MotM vs Ireland, Chicago:
Perenara showed that eh is now the number 1 half back. His passing is VG now but his support play and defense is far better than A Smith. I was surprised that he was not started for this test. This was the first dumb selection. I also thought B Barrett had a good game as did Coles in the 2nd half. But overall the forwards were poor. Maybe the depth is not as good as I thought. Or maybe the selectors need to start looking at players in all 5 super rugby teams. Rather than having a strong Crusaders preference.. And stop making idiotic selections. How did they got this so wrong at lock?
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the only hope for the ABs was to break through in the backs. as the forwards were playing so poorly esp in the first half. So Barret did the right thing. NZ coudl still have won but they almost started panicking with 15 minutes left. Trying to make a pass when they should have held onto it. But it was really dumb selections that lost it.
J Savea didn't have a good game but Naholo likewise. B Smith was good enough but the midfield was a big drop down compared to the last 2 tests. The only backs who came out of this was Perenara, B Smith and Barrett. Crotty went early so his reputation is intact.
Its a game that had to happen eventually. i think after the recent test series the coaches thought the team was unbeatable and paid the price
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@mariner4life
Codie Taylor did play !!!!!!!!!!! He was playing as a blindside flanker when Moala left the field. -
@cgrant said in MotM vs Ireland, Chicago:
@mariner4life
Codie Taylor did play !!!!!!!!!!! He was playing as a blindside flanker when Moala left the field.Played less than everyone else, which was why I voted for him too.
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I went for Cane, Perenara and Scott Barrett but this was a difficult selection.
Moody : cost the AB dearly (2 tries, 1 conversion, 1 PG).
Coles : had a shocker in the first half but was OK in the second.
Franks : not good, not bad.
Kaino : playing him out of position cost the AB dearly. Was twice held up in his drives which meant two automatic turnovers.
Tuipolutu : big workrate in the loose but could not disrupt the Irish LO and mauls. Is he just an impact player ?
Squire : not bad but could not break the Irish defence. Same question : is he just an impact player ?
Cane : consistantly good in the tackle, one turnover won.
Read : a very quiet game at the office by his usual (very high) standards.
Smith : he had a shocker (one stupid penalty, one stupid kick, one very bad pass, two defensive errors which cost two tries). He has to tidy things up in his head right now.
Barrett : one beautiful pass for BS try and kicking from tee OK but did not try to run with the ball when it mattered most.
Savea : clearly out of form.
Crotty : went OK till his injury.
Moala : not seen much of him.
Naholo : showed his legs when a good ball was delivered to him. Otherwise too quiet.
Smith : very quiet by his usual (very high) standards. He certainly needs to be rested.
Ofa T : scrum was OK.
Taylor : played out of position but made one good hit on Murray.
Faumuina : two knock ons which relieved the pressure on the Irish.
Scott Barrett : stole one LO and scored a great try on debut. Not bad for a first outing.
Savea : not a game for him.
Perenara : changed the pace of the game for the AB when he came in. Best player on the field for the AB.
Cruden : had a mare. He is clearly not an impact player. I think Sopoaga is now in front of him in the pecking order.
Fekitoa : not seen. Was he playing ? -
@cgrant What Moody did was reckless and dumb with that tackle, but seriously how did he cost 2 tries?
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@ACT-Crusader said in MotM vs Ireland, Chicago:
@cgrant What Moody did was reckless and dumb with that tackle, but seriously how did he cost 2 tries?
Brian O'Driscoll - 0-13 vs New Zealand......"could have died" from a spear tackle
Robbie Henshaw - 1-0 vs New Zealand.....got up from a spear tackle, played on and scored the winning try.
I think todays Irish rugby players are a bit more appealing than those of yesteryear.
