All Blacks vs Fiji 2
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@tj said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
"Marginal" says Smithy... straight on his forearms
I mentioned that to Master Pakman at previous ruck he was NOT supporting his weight. Very quick to stabilise and lift so picture ref sees is often one of legal technique.
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Lock havili into 12. Really good game.
I don’t get what bower brings. De groot was better at super level and he looks better at international level. Imho de groot will be a world class star, he’s what just 22 years old?
Fiji were disappointing.
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@victor-meldrew Will improve his rating from a 4 to 5.
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@bones said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
@kiwiwomble said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
I’ll have to look out for Jacobson next time, I thought he was pretty invisible, frizell like, but all the plaudits he’s getting suggest otherwise
Definitely not, sat quite a few Fijians down on both sides of the ball. Think it was a couple of seasons ago players were talking about him having the hardest shoulder in super rugby?
Yeah I remember that talk leading into World Cup selection
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@bones said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
Haven't read the thread but fuuuuuuck meeeeee what was in the air in Hamilton tonight?
Well done to Damon Murphy and his cohorts for the most incompetent test match performance of the year.
Well done to Nisbo and Marshall for the most incompetent call of the year.
Well done to the ground announcer for biggest fluffybunny performance of the year, managing to play shithouse music in even the smallest breaks in play and then continue playing it minutes after play has restarted.
Seems to be a thing. Almost worth a thread in itself.
More regular attendees at stadiums may be able to confirm but my two relatively recent attendances at Suncorp were marred by music blaring over the play.
The music is bad enough but they just get the timing wrong. For example, at kick off, they don't turn it off before the kick to allow the crowd to build up anticipation, nor when the kicker kicks off, nor when it is caught but when the first tackle is made. No atmosphere. Another example from last year's test was Aussie had a good period of play and finished with a nudge into the corner. Just as the crowd was warming into some supportive noise making, bam! music! ... vibe killer.
They seem to be able to mask the worst effects on the TB sound track. Obviously they didn't last night.
It's wrong, and it must stop. I'm starting a letter writing campaign. #GOM
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@booboo said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
@bones said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
Haven't read the thread but fuuuuuuck meeeeee what was in the air in Hamilton tonight?
Well done to Damon Murphy and his cohorts for the most incompetent test match performance of the year.
Well done to Nisbo and Marshall for the most incompetent call of the year.
Well done to the ground announcer for biggest fluffybunny performance of the year, managing to play shithouse music in even the smallest breaks in play and then continue playing it minutes after play has restarted.
Seems to be a thing. Almost worth a thread in itself.
More regular attendees at stadiums may be able to confirm but my two relatively recent attendances at Suncorp were marred by music blaring over the play.
The music is bad enough but they just get the timing wrong. For example, at kick off, they don't turn it off before the kick to allow the crowd to build up anticipation, nor when the kicker kicks off, nor when it is caught but when the first tackle is made. No atmosphere. Another example from last year's test was Aussie had a good period of play and finished with a nudge into the corner. Just as the crowd was warming into some supportive noise making, bam! music! ... vibe killer.
They seem to be able to mask the worst effects on the TB sound track. Obviously they didn't last night.
It's wrong, and it must stop. I'm starting a letter writing campaign. #GOM
What songs were playing ? If there’s one thing I love it’s hearing “Why does love do this to me” for about the millionth time sung by pissed up fans. Never gets old.
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@mn5 I didn't recognise any of the songs. It was modern stuff, which the Pasifika crowd around me really got in to. Not the standard anthems much loved at the Sevens and other big matches at the venue. Did get a bit annoying at the start, but was great to see the multi-cultural crowd getting into it.
Got to say we loved it when the fire-blowers went up and warmed us all up in row E.
Don't understand why no ticket sales up in the old stand though... -
It always helps when Akira's in the starting lineup. He sorted the Pumas out last year when he came in and did much the same last night. Jacobsen was also very strong and worked well with Ioane, where both were stopping the Fiji ball carriers in their tracks. I'm definitely on the Jacobsen bandwagon for the time being, he reminds me of a young Kieran Read style wise. Would like to carry Papali'i off the bench for the Aussie test as he can cover all 3 backrow positions, with the same back row.
I know its only 25 mins against a tiring Fiji pack, but Taukei'aho is certainly one to watch. He could become a regular in the matchday 23 in the not too distant future. Scott Barrett has definitely gone ahead of Tuipulotu as well in the lock department. He gives away penalties at times, but his wor in the tight is more effective than Tuipulotu at this level. Tuipulotu needs to go back to his old role in the side which is a 15-20 minute impact player as he is no starter at this level sadly.
In the backs, I like Havili at 12. He's certainly the most rounded midfielder in the country as he's light on his feet, has the ability to crash and play as another playmaker. If they're gonna keep starting Mo'unga, I feel that Havili has to start outside him. He has the ability to take the pressure off Mo'unga and they've played more than enough rugby together.
My preferred back 3 would be Rieko, Jordan and Jordie with Reece off the bench but it looks like they prefer Reece starting. Not usually a Reece fan, but he's been good against the Fijians, so he deserves a spot for now somewhere in the 23.
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@african-monkey said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
I'm definitely on the Jacobsen bandwagon for the time being
Yeah, his combo with Ioane looks good to me.
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@victor-meldrew said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
@kiwiwomble said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
I’ll have to look out for Jacobson next time, I thought he was pretty invisible, frizell like, but all the plaudits he’s getting suggest otherwise
The old-timers used to have a saying along the lines of: "The best forward is often the one you don't notice and rarely gets mentioned in the commentary"
Akira was similarly good today - doing loads of grunt work.
I get it, it is hilarious though, if frizell went unnoticed he’d be getting lambasted
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@kiwiwomble I noticed all our loosies last night, certainly better balance than last week.
I think alot of our problems start in jersies 1-3, just lack punch and aggression, lastb2 weekends we have looked better when our bench front rowers came on, especially Coles last week and the bench last night.
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@kiwiwomble said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
@victor-meldrew said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
@kiwiwomble said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
I’ll have to look out for Jacobson next time, I thought he was pretty invisible, frizell like, but all the plaudits he’s getting suggest otherwise
The old-timers used to have a saying along the lines of: "The best forward is often the one you don't notice and rarely gets mentioned in the commentary"
Akira was similarly good today - doing loads of grunt work.
I get it, it is hilarious though, if frizell went unnoticed he’d be getting lambasted
Did he go unnoticed though? Was driving players into touch, moving bodies in rucks, doing good work in the mauls and nothing made progress past him. A nice rip steal too, making up for an offside penalty just before.
Jacobson was the same, just shutting things down and continuously getting over the advantage line (Akira most notably for Saveas try).
It’s the physical starch that Frizzel has always promised but never delivered. Akira done it every time he’s played.
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@kirwan I think the second penalty he gave away was B/S too, a halfback dithering after they touch the ball can make a player look offside. At any rate, the ABs playing close to that offside line was one of the key factors in blunting the Fijian pack.
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@taniwharugby yeah Laulala is a good scrummager but offers about zero around the field. Taylor for the second year in a row is struggling to translate his Super form to Tests. Bower has actually shown improvement i've thought.
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@nepia said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
@kirwan I think the second penalty he gave away was B/S too, a halfback dithering after they touch the ball can make a player look offside. At any rate, the ABs playing close to that offside line was one of the key factors in blunting the Fijian pack.
Yeah one of his was correct, one the halfback had lifted the ball. Not the only mistake the ref made, he was pretty poor.
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@kiwimurph we have gone from having ball playing front rowers with great core skills to adequate scrummaging front rowers who bring little else, and this seems to flow back as to how we play as we want to play a game that is based around all our forwards being able to contribute, but they cant.
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@kiwiwomble said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
@victor-meldrew said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
@kiwiwomble said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
I’ll have to look out for Jacobson next time, I thought he was pretty invisible, frizell like, but all the plaudits he’s getting suggest otherwise
The old-timers used to have a saying along the lines of: "The best forward is often the one you don't notice and rarely gets mentioned in the commentary"
Akira was similarly good today - doing loads of grunt work.
I get it, it is hilarious though, if frizell went unnoticed he’d be getting lambasted
I notice Frizell. Notice him having no impact at collisions. Built like Tarzan plays like Jane.
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@taniwharugby
like this lot
Kane Hames
Tim Perry
Jeffery Toomaga allen
Owen franks -
@ploughboy fair point, aside from Owen, the others are hardly players that had good AB careers...but I'd argue when we have been at our best, we dominated up front and at least 1 (usually 2 plus Owen who was a rock at scrumtime) of our front rowers has had superb all round skills
Now our front rows are barely dominant at one facet let alone all, although are some good signs so hopefully just a blip
