All Blacks v Pumas
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If Jordie had not got injured , no doubt he would be fb , I reckon that was their plan ,
Now with bender unavailable on top of that , they are playing what is effectively the number 3 in Dmac ,
I've got a feeling they will back him in until the other 2 return to keep the structure they want with the other players .
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@Crash said in All Blacks v Pumas:
Early days, but there may be a new 10 on the radar to add to the riches; and give BB some kicking lessons - Mitch Hunt. Another off the Canterbury conveyor belt.
...except he's from Nelson!
A way to go for Mitch yet, I think.
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@Crucial said in All Blacks v Pumas:
Can someone please list these DMac errors?
If you are talking about not collecting high balls from 20 metres away they are missed opportunities rather than errors. I wonder why the ball was put in that no mans land? To make it 50/50 perhaps.I thought he had an ok+ game. But I would still like to see Sopoaga start at first with Barrett at FB. With NMS on one wing
I thought the midfield was a bit disappointing but hope they get another start. But bring on Laumape sooner if required (unless Crotty is fit)
Parenara also had his best game for the ABs. If he was consistent at this level he would be the starter
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@Winger said in All Blacks v Pumas:
@canefan said in All Blacks v Pumas:
@pukunui I don't think it helps that BB doesn't kick for the canes
He kicked quite a bit this year. and last. But Jodie eventually took over but not from the word go
What gets me is that even the coaches acknowledge that when he has an off day with the boot it really is an off day. He should give himself 2 cracks at most and if it isn't working hand the tee to someone else. DMac is a superior kicker to BB as is Lima.
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@Crucial said in All Blacks v Pumas:
@Winger said in All Blacks v Pumas:
@canefan said in All Blacks v Pumas:
@pukunui I don't think it helps that BB doesn't kick for the canes
He kicked quite a bit this year. and last. But Jodie eventually took over but not from the word go
What gets me is that even the coaches acknowledge that when he has an off day with the boot it really is an off day. He should give himself 2 cracks at most and if it isn't working hand the tee to someone else. DMac is a superior kicker to BB as is Lima.
Why is BB starting as kicker? Just use the superior kicker from the start
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@booboo said in All Blacks v Pumas:
@Crucial said in All Blacks v Pumas:
@Winger said in All Blacks v Pumas:
@canefan said in All Blacks v Pumas:
@pukunui I don't think it helps that BB doesn't kick for the canes
He kicked quite a bit this year. and last. But Jodie eventually took over but not from the word go
What gets me is that even the coaches acknowledge that when he has an off day with the boot it really is an off day. He should give himself 2 cracks at most and if it isn't working hand the tee to someone else. DMac is a superior kicker to BB as is Lima.
Why is BB starting as kicker? Just use the superior kicker from the start
I think they just have this thing where as the senior player he gets to say if he is kicking. I have seen him quoted as saying 'there is only one kicker' or similar. I get that is a way to put pressure on yourself to take responsibility but FFS if you are having a shit day and there is another option do the best for the team.
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Hansen has said they won't be starting Sopoaga at 10 and BB at the back
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He's a crap goalkicker. Unreliable. If it continues we will lose to England at Twickenham or Ireland in a RWC quarter final. Anyone salivating at that prospect? No thought not. Hansen should just stop defending the guy as a kicker and find someone who is a consistent 80% man.
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@taniwharugby said in All Blacks v Pumas:
Hansen has said they won't be starting Sopoaga at 10 and BB at the back
Par for the course in 2017..
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@Crucial said in All Blacks v Pumas:
Can someone please list these DMac errors?
If you are talking about not collecting high balls from 20 metres away they are missed opportunities rather than errors. I wonder why the ball was put in that no mans land? To make it 50/50 perhaps.What about the woeful bomb (that lead to Argie points i'm pretty sure) and the poor one on one missed tackle on an Argie for their try. Yes it was right on the line but he still should have made that tackle.
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@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks v Pumas:
@Crucial said in All Blacks v Pumas:
Can someone please list these DMac errors?
If you are talking about not collecting high balls from 20 metres away they are missed opportunities rather than errors. I wonder why the ball was put in that no mans land? To make it 50/50 perhaps.What about the woeful bomb (that lead to Argie points i'm pretty sure) and the poor one on one missed tackle on an Argie for their try. Yes it was right on the line but he still should have made that tackle.
Oh ffs give him a break....however much you might not like it we need the Milky Bar Kid currently. We have been spoilt with BFA as 99% of the time he makes the right decisions. But yes occasionally even he makes mistakes, as does any human! DMac is young enough to learn be moulded and take these learnings on board, He's a creator, and we need those.
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@Crash Why do we need him? There are other (IMO better) options available.
I mean there are heaps of guys who can't catch or tackle and crab sideways
Seriously - talented though he is I'm firmly in the "he will cost us a test" camp.
FB is not a position for midgets in the current game
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McKenzie is the new Ben Blair. A very good Super Rugby player, can do some exciting things - but is not a Test player.
Just remember that awful game Blair had in the Super final(?), one of those is coming for the All Blacks if we persist with him.
And I think we are seeing just how good McCaw, Carter, Nonu, Smith, etc were. The All Blacks have been on the decline since the lost to Ireland, we have been lucky other sides are also not very good (like Oz). The results have been flattering us massively.
We are going to need some hard selection choices to move forward. I would be seriously considering changing captains too, to one of Brodie or Whitelock. Read is not playing as well as he used to be, and we need to be able to sub him.
If BB is not playing well at ten, and Sopoaga is then we should reward form. Not doing that cost us Charlie overseas - he'd be bloody useful at the moment wouldn't he?
The coaches can be too bloody minded at times, which is fine when we are winning. But it feels like we are just about to fall off a cliff.
And while I'm singling out players, time to drop Savea and when fit, get Matt Todd in. pick the best players not on potential.
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I'm on the fence with DMac. He always seemed destined to be a test player, so I am interested in him getting an extended run now, while we can afford it (the stars have aligned for him with Bender and Jordie out). That said, I don't actually know if he can adapt his million-miles-a-minute, uber-involvement game into the test arena. The jury is certainly still out but I'm watching with interest.
However, I've stopped using his size against him. At some point a player takes the ball into traffic enough times and tackles enough men twice his size, where it's not fair to hold it against him. Besides, I'm not convinced it was his height that was the problem with the missed catches.
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@Kirwan said in All Blacks v Pumas:
McKenzie is the new Ben Blair. A very good Super Rugby player, can do some exciting things - but is not a Test player.
Just remember that awful game Blair had in the Super final(?), one of those is coming for the All Blacks if we persist with him.
And I think we are seeing just how good McCaw, Carter, Nonu, Smith, etc were. The All Blacks have been on the decline since the lost to Ireland, we have been lucky other sides are also not very good (like Oz). The results have been flattering us massively.
We are going to need some hard selection choices to move forward. I would be seriously considering changing captains too, to one of Brodie or Whitelock. Read is not playing as well as he used to be, and we need to be able to sub him.
If BB is not playing well at ten, and Sopoaga is then we should reward form. Not doing that cost us Charlie overseas - he'd be bloody useful at the moment wouldn't he?
The coaches can be too bloody minded at times, which is fine when we are winning. But it feels like we are just about to fall off a cliff.
And while I'm singling out players, time to drop Savea and when fit, get Matt Todd in. pick the best players not on potential.
I'm not sure if its selections so much as the tactics and execution. I think the forwards have been pretty damn good this year, but the backs have been pretty shitty as a unit. The balance seems completely out of whack. Which I guess completely contradicts my point about selections...
The half backs seem fine, TJP brainfarts notwithstanding. He was excellent last week.
BBs kicking is a major concern, but in terms of general play there is nobody near him. Lima made a nice cameo, but it was his assured boot that really stood out.
The centre combo doesn't work. Neither are in particularly good form and they don't complement each other like other combos. Obviously we were spoilt rotten with a guy like None who was not only a beast with ball in hand but also one of the best passers in the game. I'd like to see Laumape and Crotty. I think that could work.
Wingers are fine. NMS was very good and Ioane is amazing.
FB. This is a difficult one because Bender is resting, Giraffe is injured and Dagg appears to be exclusively a wing. NMS can play there, but it's been a while. DMac is a risk, but I'll be happy to accept that risk if he can kick the goals. If he can cut the error rate and kick 80 plus percent then we'll be sweet.
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@Kirwan said in All Blacks v Pumas:
McKenzie is the new Ben Blair. A very good Super Rugby player, can do some exciting things - but is not a Test player.
Just remember that awful game Blair had in the Super final(?), one of those is coming for the All Blacks if we persist with him.
And I think we are seeing just how good McCaw, Carter, Nonu, Smith, etc were. The All Blacks have been on the decline since the lost to Ireland, we have been lucky other sides are also not very good (like Oz). The results have been flattering us massively.
We are going to need some hard selection choices to move forward. I would be seriously considering changing captains too, to one of Brodie or Whitelock. Read is not playing as well as he used to be, and we need to be able to sub him.
If BB is not playing well at ten, and Sopoaga is then we should reward form. Not doing that cost us Charlie overseas - he'd be bloody useful at the moment wouldn't he?
The coaches can be too bloody minded at times, which is fine when we are winning. But it feels like we are just about to fall off a cliff.
And while I'm singling out players, time to drop Savea and when fit, get Matt Todd in. pick the best players not on potential.
I agree with all of that. It seems our "rebuild" after the RWC was a little bit delayed probably aided a bit by the Wallabies and Boks being rubbish last year.
There have definitely been steps in the right direction with guys like Fekitoa and Savea being left out for Ioane/Laumape but it seems they may need to do a bit more refreshing of some positions still.
The Injuries to Coles, B smith and Crotty have somewhat forced this to happen and now the Franks and Moody injuries will do the same. By the end of the season we should have a much clearer picture of which guys are up to it and where we still have to find replacements.Agree on the captaincy. Not that Read is a bad captain but Im not sure he is the best captain. Whitelock had an awesome season leading the Crusaders.
Also agree on the BB thing. Starting to think his style of play isn't that suited to "running" the backline.
Don't get me wrong he needs to be on the field somewhere but maybe coming into the line from fullback with Lima starting would be the best use of resources. Especially while Smith and Jordie are out. Would sort the goal kicking issue too. I suspect Dmac will have the rest of the TRC to show what he has but hopefully they will cut their losses if he doesn't start showing he has what it takes at test level.
