France v All Blacks
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Pretty frantic game. French were a big step up from when we smoked them in the RWC.
Thought Barnes started well but lost the plot a bit. Players flying in off their feet all game then pings Ardie. TJP being taken out by an offside player then pinging ALB. Also thought the last penslty they kicked for the obstruction was pretty harsh.Was that off that messy lineout where the ball was everywhere and Smith then accidentally bumped into one of our players, would normally be an accidental, therefore free kick?
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@Billy-Tell said in France:
Thought Barnes was fine myself one of his better tests.
I assume you are ignoring letting someone score a try from a quick tap that wasn't tapped and was well ahead and to the side of the mark he never made?
Yeah I didnt think he had tapped it correctly, the number of times refs pull up kids in U11 for not tapping properly and then these guys get away with it.
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Barnes had a good game if you ignore the many, many, many things he got wrong. Calls out French 6 at KO but still let's him get within a few yards of the ball - that's offside. ABs all offside at final KO and nothing. Savea has ball ripped while already on the ground - penalty or knock on but nothing. French 9 is literally standing there with his hands on the ball and nobody is allowed to touch him. At least 3-4 ruck infringements every time (by both sides) and he randomly calls one now and then. The only good thing was that his randomness meant no side gained much from him.
Anyway that was tough on the French - they really did play well and showed how an offloading game can cause any defence problems. Some great last ditch tackling from the ABS. Way to many kicks when starved of possession. Goodbye 2016 season.
PS Expectation will be HUGE on the Skud on his return.
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A slight feeling of dissatisfaction but over ridden by a hearty feeling of "a win's a win and thanks for a great year lads, enjoy your break and we'll come up with something a bit different in'17"
Frogs played bloody well. I was looking at things to whinge ala last week but at halftime could only conclude that the french were playing good rugby.
I've never laughed at a rugby incident but Beaudy's intercept had me howling. Nervous release of anxiety I'd say, but christ what blow that was. Using EOS idea of imagine if the jerseys were swapped, I could feel for the french supporters
Getting sick of watching my team defend for what seems to be 75% of a match. We gotta change something for next year because there ain't a rosy future in relying on scramble defence and playing out the phases like we've done lately.
Suspect we've kept a few things up the sleeves, which is quite Shag'esque. Ain't we got a close quarter offload game around the fringes of a ruck?
Same with strategies for a rush defence - which France did well- all we use now is the chip, and I get it but it's only good for a wee bit of territory and turning them around, not for regaining possession.
Barnes is a cock. reffed ok for sure but is a cock.
2 glaring annoyances are making up your own rules when a player is in front of the kicker at kick off you can't just "coach" the fluffybunny not to interfere. No, the action is a scrum on halfway which we should have had.
Also when tackled and down on the ground the laws express that the tackler will release. FFS Wayne and others, that doesn't mean the tackled player can just get up and keep cunting running!!! or worm along the ground like an epileptic during a monsoon thunderstorm. Fuck that nonsense gets on my wickAny way we can graft Nuggets pass onto TJ?
Read, you lost me a fair bit when you couldn't see the reasoning behind an 11 point lead with 5 minutes to go. we don't like seeing our players hoof the ball out on the siren in an act of pseudo submission. That's what happens when you forget the lessons of 100 years of AB rugby - when in front, keep accumulating the easy fricken points.
ALB and Crotty tackled well all night. Beaudy just stays at 1st 5 as much as we can, i.e. no starts for the others while BB is fit.
Todd is better than Savea. Get fucked, he just is
I also get warm stirrings when watching our defensive lineout
When did we attack around the fringes of a ruck last? Surely we can do that from time to time
Are we tired or were the other Rugby Championship teams just fucken crap?
Finally, well done boys in black. You'll agree there's a lot to work on but you've made me bloody happy this year, domestic violence in our house has plummeted and you've done yourselves bloody proud. Have a great holiday
But, we flush the funny and move onto those Lions pricks and 2017 eh?
Ignore Savea, Todd is better than Cane. Don't think we can afford to start Tests without a seven that can contest for the ball.
Todd has saved our bacon several times this year with a turnover with the opposition hot on attack. Has earned a starting position IMO.
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@taniwharugby said in France:
Pretty frantic game. French were a big step up from when we smoked them in the RWC.
Thought Barnes started well but lost the plot a bit. Players flying in off their feet all game then pings Ardie. TJP being taken out by an offside player then pinging ALB. Also thought the last penslty they kicked for the obstruction was pretty harsh.Was that off that messy lineout where the ball was everywhere and Smith then accidentally bumped into one of our players, would normally be an accidental, therefore free kick?
Yeah think we are talking about the same one but im not sure smith bumped into our player. More that Naholo, i think, was also chasing back and a french ran into him and milked the penalty. Don't think he changed his line at all so tough to call it deliberate obstruction. May be wrong though, it happened so fast.
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@Tim he was well off the mark, or where the mark should have been, but then on the flipside, you always wonder the point of a 'quick tap' if you usually have to wait for the ref to make the mark you lose the 'quick' part of the quick tap...ideally it should be within a metre behind, or either side of the 'mark'
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Glad to get out of that one as we were outplayed for most of it yet still found a way to win. The season couldn't finish soon enough as we were really beginning to tire. Credit to the French they were fantastic and on another day it could have gone their way.
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Barnes had a good game if you ignore the many, many, many things he got wrong. Calls out French 6 at KO but still let's him get within a few yards of the ball - that's offside. ABs all offside at final KO and nothing. Savea has ball ripped while already on the ground - penalty or knock on but nothing. French 9 is literally standing there with his hands on the ball and nobody is allowed to touch him. At least 3-4 ruck infringements every time (by both sides) and he randomly calls one now and then. The only good thing was that his randomness meant no side gained much from him.
In other words he was a bit shit? Typical Wayne Barnes reffed game
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@Kirwan Really? Cane brings a hell of a lot more physicality in the tackle. He was also producing turnovers before his injuries.
That would be great if he was play six, but Todd is getting way more turnovers in limited opportunities.
If we are going to continue to not put numbers in at the ruck we need a seven that can get us turnovers. With Cane it's always a surprise when he gets one. I'd guess that the locks get more than he does.
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@Kirwan Really? Cane brings a hell of a lot more physicality in the tackle. He was also producing turnovers before his injuries.
That would be great if he was play six, but Todd is getting way more turnovers in limited opportunities.
If we are going to continue to not put numbers in at the ruck we need a seven that can get us turnovers. With Cane it's always a surprise when he gets one. I'd guess that the locks get more than he does.
Agree Todd has been outstanding every game he's played. I think Cane is physical enough to play 6, a Cane-Todd-Read trio might not be a bad bet if we can't find a starting 6 post-Kaino.
It's been a steep learning curve for Ardie this year, and he'll only be better for it. A bit more bulk (as Hansen has talked about) will help him a lot. Has a big future but he's nowhere near the finished product one or two of my fellow Canes fans made him out to be.
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@Kirwan I think they play different games, lets not forget in his last few years Richie didnt get many t/o's which is why the world loved Pocock so much...
That being said, the way Todd is playing, however different to Cane is surely pressing his claims for more starts.
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I see your point, but I'm still not that convinced about going for turnovers - unless you've go a ref like today who let things go a bit wild. I reckon our defense looks much much better when we focus on aggressive tackles and then getting men across the field, rather than attacking the breakdown too much - I think it's hard to focus on turnovers without putting more men towards the BD (unless Todd or anyone just happens to be there on their feet when someone falls over, then we seem pretty good at seizing the opportunity). Today, we were at our best in the last 10 minutes of the first half when I thought it looked like we changed tactics a bit and went back to tackle, set defence, rather than tackle and look for turnover opportunities.
Having said that, Todd is clearly world class and is better than Savea right now. I'd carry Todd on the bench right now, and get Ardie to focus on putting on more weight,
Overall, the player I'm most worried about is Kaino - maybe he's just tired but he looks well below his best. I don't think we have a replacement ready either.
Read has also had too much rugby and needs a break (and surgery, which is a worry).
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And those fucking jerseys can piss right off!
Wide camera shots I was looking at the wrong team...
Sorry but am fed up with the whinging about the jerseys. It's part of the deal these days, the ABs need revenue to retain their best players and that involves making compromises with sponsors such as AIG and Adidas etc. It's something I can live with if it means keeping someone like BFA in the country. What was wrong with the jerseys anyway? Looked as good if not better than the all white ones imo. As long as the black jersey is not tampered with, people should just chill out.
