Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11
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@Kirwan said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:
@Crazy-Horse said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:
I am going to defend RM a little here. It wasn't him who couldn't take the high ball in the swirling wind, it wasn't him who couldn't place the ball properly at try time and it wasn't him that conceded a try through a bad read on defence. That penalty where he failed to find touch was poor, but RM is prone to that. He is not alone there, even Carter managed to do that on a regular basis.
Those that say he can't operate behind anything other than a dominant pack are living in the past. The Crusader pack has not been dominant recently and he has still managed to win games for them. I am hoping it's a matter of time until things click for him at test level.
AB woes go deeper than RM. They stem from the inability to master the rush defence. It's been years since the BIL showed how to beat the ABs and we have yet to find a way to consistently counter it.
Plenty of players were off their game, but RM was one of them. Smith said after the game that they were guilty of not kicking for position enough.
Ten needs to assess the game, conditions, etc and move the field around the park. He came up tactically short, was throwing away possession with miracle balls, and his basic passing was poor (behind close running forwards).
Someone was celebrating his tackle on the winger, and was good. But he was being hidden on the wing again.
When we needed him to dictate the game he disappeared. That’s what people mean about needing front foot ball. On attack he’s very good, it’s just everything else!
I was in the RM camp last year, but I want BB back at 10 despite the fact I think he's a better rugby player than 10. RM just didn't seem to do any of the stuff he does for the Crusaders at test level.
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@Kirwan said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:
@westcoastie said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:
@Crazy-Horse Aaron Smith does have a habit of trying to do too much, when his first role should be give the ball to the 10. He box-kicked heaps from our 22 when I would've preferred he give it to RM. Maybe Nugget is the issue?
Maybe Smith wasn’t liking RMs option taking?
Maybe. And then we get into a big philosophical debate, who do we want to run our game? the 10? the 9?
Does Sam Cane need to see this and say "oi Nuggie, just give the ball to Richie. Hes our 10"
Aaron Smith was top-3 on the park for us tonight, but he does get a touch over-excited from time to time, and tries to do too much, or takes too much on. He also hasn't played heaps with RM, whereas hes played plenty with Beaudy - so they should look a better pair. -
@Kirwan said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:
@westcoastie said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:
@Crazy-Horse Aaron Smith does have a habit of trying to do too much, when his first role should be give the ball to the 10. He box-kicked heaps from our 22 when I would've preferred he give it to RM. Maybe Nugget is the issue?
Maybe Smith wasn’t liking RMs option taking?
Who knows, but for much of the game it looked like RM didn't get much of a chance to make decisions because we didn't have the damn ball.
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@voodoo said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:
@Victor-Meldrew said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:
.RM was awful from what I saw. He looked like a rabbit it the headlights at times. If BB isn't back, DMac at 10 and RM on the bench. Gotta be an improvement from what I saw.
🤮
Maybe, but he's performed OK and has Test experiencee there and who else is there?
With the Bled on the line do we risk another performance from RM like tonight's or risk a relative rookie like Josh Ione or Otere Black?
Oh, hang on, Fozzie could always play Jordie at 10......
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@Crazy-Horse said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:
@Kirwan said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:
@westcoastie said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:
@Crazy-Horse Aaron Smith does have a habit of trying to do too much, when his first role should be give the ball to the 10. He box-kicked heaps from our 22 when I would've preferred he give it to RM. Maybe Nugget is the issue?
Maybe Smith wasn’t liking RMs option taking?
Who knows, but for much of the game it looked like RM didn't get much of a chance to make decisions because we didn't have the damn ball.
And when we did Aaron Smith box kicked it away
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Man I hope Foster picks the same starting XV next week. The Fern will really come alive.
At least we aren’t in 2016 and the Fern talking about rugby being boring because the ABs keep winning and Fitzy and other jokers saying AB dominance is not good for rugby.
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@Victor-Meldrew said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:
@voodoo said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:
@Victor-Meldrew said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:
.RM was awful from what I saw. He looked like a rabbit it the headlights at times. If BB isn't back, DMac at 10 and RM on the bench. Gotta be an improvement from what I saw.
🤮
Maybe, but he's performed OK and has Test experiencee there and who else is there?
With the Bled on the line do we risk another performance from RM like tonight's or risk a relative rookie like Josh Ione or Otere Black?
Oh, hang on, Fozzie could always play Jordie at 10......
I hear you that stocks are thin or untested beyond these guys, but I think we have seen enough of RM and DMac to know that RM is the better option, despite a poor performance tonight.
As someone said a while back, DMac could actually be an excellent backup 9. And maybe cover 10 at a stretch for a short period [Edit: fixed for missed words]. But not a starter at either.
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Been thinking, Foster must be working on some genius midfield innovation to beat the rush defence.
Probably sounds a bit obvious and simple, nor am I sure how it’s supposed to exactly work or look, but he must be looking for Goodhue to bring the accuracy of how he plays at centre in a spot, and for Reiko to use his step and gas to get on the outside his rushing opposite?
Who bloody knows, I’m probably just clutching at straws.
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@chimoaus said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:
@hydro11 If only Stransky had played like RM
It's not really apples with apples though. In a KO game there is more incentive to kick the drop goal because you always have extra time.
Edit: biggest difference is probably just that Mounga isn't as good at kicking drop goals as Stransky was - plus the wind.
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@ACT-Crusader said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:
Man I hope Foster picks the same starting XV next week. The Fern will really come alive.
At least we aren’t in 2016 and the Fern talking about rugby being boring because the ABs keep winning and Fitzy and other jokers saying AB dominance is not good for rugby.
It might just make for a lot of short posts before the game; there’s only so many variations on “what is that cretin doing now?” to post 😊
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@NTA said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:
Losing the Bledisloe would be a fairly major KPI failure - enough to warrant sacking
What happened to making it interesting?
Interesting is for Art critics and Sydney Barista bois
The Bledisloe is Win or GTFO as far as the majority of NZ rugby aficionados are concerned. Athletic Park 96 is still the defining Wellington game for many of us. -
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@Kirwan said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:
Well I thought it was pointed that Rennie said they were practicing drop kicks during the week when asked if he wanted his players too have taken that option.
Anybody think we were practicing drop kicks?
And yet OZ didn’t take one?
It’s pretty standard these days for guys to practice them.
Rennie knows the NZ psyche so is having a dig I reckon.
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@chimoaus said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:
@hydro11 If only Stransky had played like RM
Wasn't that one of multiple attempts by Stransky in that match? Him and Mehrts both had some misses.
So what you're saying is RM should have had some pots during the game so he could eventually get one over?
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@Nepia He could have almost thrown it over at the end. But I understand it's a low percentage play, but they are professionals and should have that play dialed in just like any other. If that had been Wilko, Stransky, Brooke etc they would have had a go you would think.
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Don’t entirely get the hate for the lack of attempt at a droppie.
Yes, it’s 3 points and a potential win, but it sure is shit isn’t guaranteed.
What happens when they take the shot and it misses, everyone cries and stamps their feet that it was the wrong option?
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@nzzp said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:
well, shit I'm still steaming.
I'm pissed, and the reason is that all of this was called in advance. Players picked out of position, poor game plan and dumb rugby - everything we feared about Foster's All Blacks. We had better players than Australia, but they were clearly better coached and it showed. Up for it? Not sure we were in the same way.
Positives
Cane was outstanding. If you wanted a leader look at that bastard. Worked his guts out.
Defence was really solid. Some freakish tries (following interesting ref calls) to get there.
Um, I'm struggling after thatNegatives
Players out of position killed us. Jordie, Ardie, Goodhue in particular
Forwards were good without being dominant
Mo'unga chose a bad time to shit the bed.
Gameplan was terrible (what gameplan), and the lack of rugby nous in fielding kicks had me yelling at the TV. Seriously, with the wind behind them, how the hell do you let a farking dropout from the 22 go over your head, and basically gift Aus 40 m and possession. My. Head. Exploded.
Lack of a dropgoal at the end. Have we learned nothing from SA a few years ago? Seriously? FFS people, get betterWe did well living on scraps, offense looked great in the first 40. Rieko needs to learn how to put the ball down.
Unlike @tim I'm OK with Frizzel; he just smashed into people all night.Argh, I'm really annoyed. Win here was important. God knows we need to get up next week
But how good was that Aggies win over the Gators!!
