AB Test Team v France.
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Hope the man’s nuts survive. Mumps can cause sterility
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My preferred starting XV (but won't happen of course)
Crockett - Coles - Laulala
Romano - Whitelock
Squire - Read - CaneSmith - Barrett
SBW - Crotty
Ioane/Tamanivalue - McKenzie - NaholoHames - Taylor - Tu'angafasi
Barrett
Todd or FafitaTJP - Mo'unga - Laumape or Havili
I reckon our team is a little bit crap at the moment with all the injuries etc: especially Moody, Retallick, Jordie Barrett and BFA.
And we still haven't sorted out the midfield, 2 years after Nonu & Smith. I hope Goodhue gets at least 1 game. -
On current form giving Mac a go at 10 can't be much worse than BB or Lima.
BB is one of the worlds best when playing well but it seems a long time since seeing any great form from him.
I don't know if it is a gameplay thing but he is standing flat footed to take the ball from set piece.
It was really noticeable in the Baabaas game. I know TJP has a lot to answer for here but there was no evidence that BB was even looking for a ball delivered a metre and a half in front of him to punch onto.
BTW, I saw some old clip of the 2001 Auckland Northland game the other day (can't find it on youtube) and fuck those guys were popping passes into mid air for the support to catch at speed. Spencer was taking the ball at pace and causing havoc. Even the forwards were passing in front. Are the modern defences so good they have killed this off?
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@crucial its in the first post of this thread
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@taniwharugby said in AB Test Team v France.:
@crucial its in the first post of this thread
Not surprised you posted that!Great game.
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@westcoastie said in AB Test Team v France.:
Well bloody hell. Least we're dealing with some bad luck with injuries and things this year rather than 2019.
I reckon this year will be the making of the side. A lot of new blood, real challenges, and the realisation of how tough Test Rugby really is for a lot of players.
2 years to go, and you will see this pay off at the cup I reckon. Very glass half full on this one.
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@nzzp said in AB Test Team v France.:
@westcoastie said in AB Test Team v France.:
Well bloody hell. Least we're dealing with some bad luck with injuries and things this year rather than 2019.
I reckon this year will be the making of the side. A lot of new blood, real challenges, and the realisation of how tough Test Rugby really is for a lot of players.
2 years to go, and you will see this pay off at the cup I reckon. Very glass half full on this one.
I'm hoping that the coaches learn from it as well.
You can't expect these cobbled together sides to play like the experienced guys do.
Look at the difference Cane made yesterday.
It took a short spell of focussing the guys onto running hard and direct before spotting the ,mismatches and going wide.
This season we have too often tried to play too much rugby without earning the right. When we had the McCaws, Nonus and Smiths we could do that because the right had been earned just by them being there but without them and without BBBR, BFA, Whitelock etc we can't expect to run around everyone. -
This season we have too often tried to play too much rugby without earning the right. When we had the McCaws, Nonus and Smiths we could do that because the right had been earned just by them being there but without them and without BBBR, BFA, Whitelock etc we can't expect to run around everyone.
this.
We have to earn the right.
I'm a bit curious as to why the tactic to run everything from the #9 in the first BIL test was shelved so quickly because geezus that was effective.
Maybe we didn't want to continue to show that. Maybe it was just by circumstance that we ran things that way.
Until SBW' red card, we were up by a whole bunch in that 2nd test too.
And in the third we blew enough chances to win by 21.All said & done, the trials and tribulations we're going through now is only a good thing. And it is Test rugby, I guess its not meant to be easy.
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@westcoastie said in AB Test Team v France.:
This season we have too often tried to play too much rugby without earning the right. When we had the McCaws, Nonus and Smiths we could do that because the right had been earned just by them being there but without them and without BBBR, BFA, Whitelock etc we can't expect to run around everyone.
this.
We have to earn the right.
I'm a bit curious as to why the tactic to run everything from the #9 in the first BIL test was shelved so quickly because geezus that was effective.
Maybe we didn't want to continue to show that. Maybe it was just by circumstance that we ran things that way.
Until SBW' red card, we were up by a whole bunch in that 2nd test too.
And in the third we blew enough chances to win by 21.All said & done, the trials and tribulations we're going through now is only a good thing. And it is Test rugby, I guess its not meant to be easy.
Probably because Gatland analysed and correctly identified that is exactly what we were doing.
However I agree completely, the hard direct runners coming off A Smith's shoulder worked a treat.
I would return to that - mix it up of course, but it was bloody effective. -
I think good fortune (as in we had very little) some well executed tactics (rush defence) and a few unfavourable calls conspired against us...
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@crash Analysing and Identifying It is different to Negating It and It's effectiveness.
Its just that we've shelved that so completely its all a bit curious. The AB's can be so goddam effective almost when we choose to be. I really hope we have a statement game on this tour, and I really want that to be vs Wales. Solid wins vs France & Scotland, then smacking the shit outta the Welsh.
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