Ireland vs All Blacks (2018)
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@steven-harris I think without a doubt the EOSTs are tough on the travelling teams. Reading about Sam Whitelock's injury problems earlier this week - no wonder he's not looked his usual self.
Also I'm thinking Beauden's probably pretty mentally fatigued. Who else has played big minutes this season - Codie Taylor, Aaron Smith, Reiko Ioane - probably Ben Smith.
Some of the others have had truncated seasons due to injury, but even then, maybe they're just not quite as hungry as they need to be.
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@tim said in Ireland Vs All Blacks:
@chris-b Agreed on carrying frequently injured players. Add Squire to that list.
Hansen is a pretty arrogant coach, who has proven unwilling to tailor selections to the opposition, or to put results before loyalty.
Yes, well, I'm still mystified as to why Joe Moody needed to get those warm-up minutes in that semi-final, but Liam Squire didn't.
Bad news for Blues fans - Hansen doesn't answer his phone when Leon calls!
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ABs complacent, and only got serious in last 20 or so. Trying things, and not playing to win.
Suspect the result would have been different if this was the RWC final.
That said, hard to feel comfortable about our 9 -10 axis. We seem to be vulnerable if plan A doesn't work.
Hope Shag really rubs it in tonight.
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@tim TBH I think while Shag is part of the problem, I think it's his 'team' that just isnt up to it anymore, but this is where Shag as top dog needs to sort shit.
There have always been question marks over Foster, although I think the presence of Wayne SMith papered over some of his definciencies.
Seems today, we had 1 game plan, and refused to deviate.
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Some things that we are doing is puzzling to me.
For instance, it seems strange as to why we are not employing a rush defence when all the top teams are doing it. It's not like our current D is so great anyway. Ireland pretty much won that game on the back of their rush defence. Am sure they wouldn't have made the easy metres in the 1st half either if we had been in their faces.
I have always had a lot of confidence in the coaching team but that's gone this year. Worrying times.
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The squad has passengers like Franks , A Smith, SBW, and NMS. These guys are average repeatedly, and yet other up and comers aren't being given an opportunity.
I know McCaw was a once in a lifetime player, but where we miss him more is captaincy. His head was so cool it was Arctic. You think Smith and co would be fucking about with box kicks every two mins with Richie in charge? Or players acting like headless chooks? Read was once a great player, but his legs look tired, and he's not a great captain under pressure at all. The ABs lacked direction today, like each of them was waiting for someone else to do the brilliant thing that would snatch the win. And nobody did. Ireland beat us up in the forwards, and forced us onto the back foot for most of the game. Our backline had no structure. it wasn't pretty. Meh.
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@chris-b actually I think both forwards and backs were crap. But much harder to be good in backs if forwards not going forward. Issues with forwards - those first half penalties were primarily them and some just very poor from senior players, we didn’t win contact ( poor ) or tackle ball, two penalties in first half at scrum time when we were dominated.
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@kev Yeah - they got dominated for 60 minutes today, but generally I think they're a pretty solid pack. I don't have too many concerns that when we need a big effort from them at the RWC that we will get it.
I think there's a few more fundamental issues in the backs, right now.
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Was a good game of rugby to watch. Loved seeing the ABs under huge pressure two weeks in a row. Just an English foot away from being a complete horror of EOY tour.
Thought Ardie and Scott Barret were the pick of the forwards while the midfield defended strongly. We really need a plan b when plan a (Bbbr) doesn't play well.
Beaudy continues to struggle but I didn't think RM looked much better. Just played a different game that Ireland took in their stride. Heaps of flat and short passes but they never seemed like scoring.
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@mn5 said in Ireland Vs All Blacks:
Reads whinging to the ref is pretty embarrassing.
.....and I don't recall an AB debut half as eagerly anticipated as Akira Ioanes. Ever. His fern legend is the stuff Charlie Ngatai could only dream about.
Test debut (to be all pedant), it wouldn't be half as anticipated if Hansen had just thrown him a bone in the early season matches or against Japan.
If ref wasn't complaining to the ref we'd likely be complaining too - Barnes actually put both Read and Best in their place ... which was quite funny.
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@nepia said in Ireland Vs All Blacks:
Barnes actually put both Read and Best in their place ... which was quite funny.
That is one of the problems with Barnes. He is an arrogant, know all.
Yes, refs need to control, but they need to listen too.
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@nepia yep, gotta be in the eR of the ref or people will moan he isn't talking to the ref enough.
Yea I'm not a fan of Barnes style, but he was pretty consistent today.
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@taniwharugby said in Ireland Vs All Blacks:
@nepia yep, gotta be in the eR of the ref or people will moan he isn't talking to the ref enough.
Yea I'm not a fan of Barnes style, but he was pretty consistent today.
In typical Barnes fashion there were a few 'flat' passes missed - yet a perfectly fine pass was pulled up.
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@nepia haha yeah that was very funny (given his history with forward passes) and I reckon if he'd let it go, we had won the ball and were looking good down the right side..but yeah, you come to expect him to not know what a forward pass is.
