All Blacks vs Springboks II
-
Late to the thread after a great watch this morning. Test match footy - wow. Such great physicality, two super committed teams just bashing each other, but still with some skills on display.
Really enjoyed the game, and congratulations Bokke. Earned that win big time; brough the physicality, but also played. I thought the pace would catch up with them, but they kept at it for 80.
Anyone pointing to a single AB who cost us this game can get knotted. We lost this up front, and it wasn't on one individual. For every brain fart we had, so did SA. It was just a proper tussle of a test match. Springbok forwards were excellent, and we were second best on the night.
Have to mention the ref though - started really well, and it is a tough gig, but some of the calls appeared inconsistent as all hell. Still, you have to be better.
Fact is, we had the ball, with a lead, and a scrum on halfway, with 90 seconds to go and blew it. I know coaches love to run it out with forward pods, but as @barbarian said, refs are thirsty for penalties, and seem to hate the clock being run like that. A few years ago it was Beale kicking a penalty on the high veldt to win; tonight the ref will find someone for sealing. I've always thought it's a low percentage play. Go back to 2015 RWC Semi, and we kicked for the corners as the Bok didn't have good exits. I'd do the same again here frankly, and back our defence.
So, the younger AB will have learned plenty over the last fortnight, and so will Foster. Savea is an outstanding player, but not a grreat captain at this level. JB was our best player in both games. Lock is no longer a position of strength for us.
Our tighties used to be the point of difference with opposition sides with how they carried and passed the ball. I'm not seeing it any more - plenty of handling mistakes (Moody - where the hell is the 2015 ball playing prop who arrived?) - and lots of falling over into contact.
Ball protection was often non-existent, and a massive workon for us.So, in the wash, all you can say is well done Bokke, and roll on the EOYT and 2022. Hope we both go up north and put sides away.
-
-
@bones said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:
@stodders said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:
@bones he certainly seemed to get swept up in the drama. Refs are only human, and I think this was his first Bok/AB game, no? Makes you appreciate how good Nigel Owens was to maintain his poise in the heat of these types of games.
Nah, these refs work their way up - but did anyone else see how nervous he looked before kickoff? He got so tired after the 30th minute that he stopped being able to see the most basic infringements. That suited the bokke way more than us - but to be fair the AR's were just as bad... what the fuck was the thinking on Mapimpi and the penalties before and after halftime? They are worse than shockers.
The ref lost his composure for a period after the water carrier berated the AR. He made a number of bizarre calls in the 10 minutes after that. Never really got it back.
-
@damo it is his decision making that was missed most IMO.
Thought the AB forwards didn't pose enough of a threat around the edge of the breakdown. The Boks were just fanning out knowing the ball was going wide rather than using the inside ball that the Wallabies used to good effect. Of course, it would have helped massively if the ball wasn't dropped as much over last 2 tests that relieved the pressure on Boks in telling moments.
-
@damo said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:
I think missing Aaron Smith is a bigger loss than some realize. We need his crisp accurate pass and decisiveness.
Weber played well. I'd have him over TJP anyday now.
-
@westcoastie said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:
@damo said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:
I think missing Aaron Smith is a bigger loss than some realize. We need his crisp accurate pass and decisiveness.
Weber played well. I'd have him over TJP anyday now.
I can't think of many other teams that TJP would get into. I do think the time has come to move on from him. Decent reserve if required, but others should be given the opportunity to stake their claim. Real shame Fakatava got his long term injury.
-
Our tighties used to be the point of difference with opposition sides with how they carried and passed the ball. I'm not seeing it any more - plenty of handling mistakes (Moody - where the hell is the 2015 ball playing prop who arrived?)
Maybe because it is now 6 years later and he is not the same player.
-
@chris said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:
@canefan said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:
@chris said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:
@canefan said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:
Our tight 5 is not as good as the Boks 5. Work to do
Our tight five was 100 times worse when our subs came on.
Yup. Our forwards just aren't there right now. Lots of young guys, a few past their best. And they put it all together tonight
We need Whitelock and cane back and hope next Super Rugby season some young tight fives with mongrel turn up.
Definitely missed Whitelock, and I think we'd like to have Dalton Papalii there. He seems built for games like this one.
I'm a bit half/half on Sam Cane. We miss his tackling, but not his overall work as a 7. Play him at 6. -
@bones said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:
My kingdom for a halfback. The difference between winning and losing today.
Don't get me wrong, Weber was adequate...but that's in comparison to the shit show that is TJ.
Nock needs to be involved in the ABs. He's got all the materials.
is it Fakatava? spelling? the other Highlanders 9...
-
@rancid-schnitzel said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:
@tim said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:
Havili/ALB midfield lacks a ball carrier. We really could do with a physical 12.
Havili is simply not a top class 12. He's done ok but he's not a long-term solution.
Give him some time. I thought ALB should've come off the bench rather than start straight into that level of intensity. Our midfield tactics were shite.
ALB also spent a lot of time out on the wing I thought. Seemed to be there plenty.
-
@berniescorner Foster.
-
@broughie said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:
Our tighties used to be the point of difference with opposition sides with how they carried and passed the ball. I'm not seeing it any more - plenty of handling mistakes (Moody - where the hell is the 2015 ball playing prop who arrived?)
Maybe because it is now 6 years later and he is not the same player.
He's got so much slower, and the handling hsa gone to shit. I know it's 6 years, but damn that's some regression.
-
@westcoastie said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:
ALB also spent a lot of time out on the wing I thought. Seemed to be there plenty.
He reminded me of Bridge when he was out on the wing with ball in hand.
-
-
@crazy-horse said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:
@westcoastie said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:
ALB also spent a lot of time out on the wing I thought. Seemed to be there plenty.
He reminded me of Bridge when he was out on the wing with ball in hand.
if he was slightly faster, we get two more tries. Tough, as coming back from injury and not match conditioned
-
@westcoastie said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:
@chris said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:
@canefan said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:
@chris said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:
@canefan said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:
Our tight 5 is not as good as the Boks 5. Work to do
Our tight five was 100 times worse when our subs came on.
Yup. Our forwards just aren't there right now. Lots of young guys, a few past their best. And they put it all together tonight
We need Whitelock and cane back and hope next Super Rugby season some young tight fives with mongrel turn up.
Definitely missed Whitelock, and I think we'd like to have Dalton Papalii there. He seems built for games like this one.
I'm a bit half/half on Sam Cane. We miss his tackling, but not his overall work as a 7. Play him at 6.I think we have to get used to missing the likes of Whitelock and Cane. Those guys are approaching the end of their careers and we need to hurry up and find some depth in these areas. Even with Nugget, hopefully we will get another 30-40 tests out of him but def need more depth at halfback
-
@akan004 said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:
@crazy-horse True, and it's because we are sticking to the conventional method of having the 10 kick it out. BB doesn't have the biggest punt and neither does Richie. Why not utilise Havili's boot or Jordie's?
Even Reece kicked it further.
I recall reading during the week about how Beaudy was third on the points list behind Dan and Merhts , likely to stay that way because he seems to have lost the goal kicking duties anyway
-
@crazy-horse said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:
Another thing that I don't think has been mentioned yet is how easy it is for teams to pin us in our own half following kick off. This has been a problem for a few years now. Last night the Boks were superb at it. Kick long and high to give the chasers time to get in a defensive position. Then stop the ensuing maul, smash our one off hit up and pressure the subsequent kick. We end up defending a lineout between our 22 and 10 metre line if we are lucky.
We miss a long punting game, especially at 10.
Carter was a great runner and passer, exceptional goal kick, and his defence was very good, but that sweeping left boot got the ABs out of difficult spots so many times.
Helped he could kick 40 on the fly with his right too.
