All Blacks vs Pumas I
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Full replay with the OZ commentary - may not stay up for long -
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I know most of the Ferners prefer Mo'unga to BB but the latter launched his backline perfectly against the Argies last Sunday. It was smooth and direct. I can't remember Mo'unga doing the same with the black jersey. Of course, Mo'unga is a far better goalkicker but with Jordie taking the goalkicking duties, this could not be a problem anymore. Moreover, defensively, BB is superior to RM, IMO.
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@cgrant said in All Blacks vs Pumas I (yay we’re not playing the Aussies again):
I know most of the Ferners prefer Mo'unga to BB but the latter launched his backline perfectly against the Argies last Sunday. It was smooth and direct. I can't remember Mo'unga doing the same with the black jersey. Of course, Mo'unga is a far better goalkicker but with Jordie taking the goalkicking duties, this could not be a problem anymore. Moreover, defensively, BB is superior to RM, IMO.
It's good for RM to get pushed either way. Jordie with his 60m+ range is a very valuable weapon with either player at 10.
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I watched again ... third time
, looking more at the backline.My first conclusion was (I can't help how I watch a game!) I still really rate the loose forward combination. Papalli and Jacobson were huge, both all over the game for 3 of 4 quarters each ... Jacobson adding a 3rd/4th lineout option after the locks so Akira was doing less jumping. Very very physical and balanced as a unit. I'd seriously run with this as the #1 combination until Sam Cane is back. Cane likely gets his position back as AB captain but Paps looks the real deal to me (still). Start this three vs the Boks, put Ardie on the bench and ... let's see how they go.
BB was excellent (i.e. world class), options were good and taken with total committment - inclusing the way he hit the line ... like DC. One mistimed kick out on the full and one slightly aimless kick down the middle but overall he was giving the Pumas kittens with the variety of his option taking. TJP also very good indeed.
McKenzie was better than I thought on first watch. Hard to assess as 9 and 12 also changed so really 9-10-12 were very inexperienced at this level.
Rieko looks like a winger playing 13 and has real work ons, but his pace makes him very threatening. Prefer ALB but I can't see a downside to having a world-class wing who can step in at 13 for a couple of years?? Most sides would kill for what he can offer.
Pumas defended very well I thought, yet were comprehensively outplayed.
AB set piece was messy, else it could have been 50+
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@crucial said in All Blacks vs Pumas I (yay we’re not playing the Aussies again):
@l_n_p Reiko is also a key part of the 23 balance. If we don't play a 15/10 then we need a wing/centre.
The bench can then have reserve 9, reserve 10 (specialist), outside back impact OR midfield impactEspecially longer-term. Bench is a bit thin/inexperienced. But given the players out right now that's hardly surprising. I'm assuming currently if Havilli goes down, ALB moves to 12 and Rieko to 13.
Watching again reminded me how much we tend to have confirmation bias, especially when tight we focus on every small mistake. But BB, TJP and DMac were all notably better than I thought watching live ...
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@cgrant said in All Blacks vs Pumas I (yay we’re not playing the Aussies again):
I know most of the Ferners prefer Mo'unga to BB but the latter launched his backline perfectly against the Argies last Sunday. It was smooth and direct. I can't remember Mo'unga doing the same with the black jersey. Of course, Mo'unga is a far better goalkicker but with Jordie taking the goalkicking duties, this could not be a problem anymore. Moreover, defensively, BB is superior to RM, IMO.
The jury on Mo'unga is still out for me, he struggles against a committed defense and tends to just shovel the ball on when they are getting up in his face. Loved what I saw from Beauden in this match, taking the line on despite the hard tackling from the Argies, created lots of space and time for those outside him. That said, Beauden hasn't exactly been very consistent, so he needs to string some performances together. I'm 50/50 on who starts and who is on the bench.
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I'm not so worried about whether BB or Mounga as you need at least 2 quality 10s and neither are likely to play 80.
I guess I will never know if Jordan is a quality international fb until DMac leaves but that's a small shame. But given DMac leaves they'll need to look at other options.
The uproar over Bridge is mostly the fake news uproar that everyone on here thinks he was terrible, nah, most noted he had a solid game. So he isn't much more exciting than solid and arguably others winger have higher ceilings, so be it.
Midfield looking better these days (I assume Ennor won't get a turn at 13 but wing?) but we still lack depth in the forwards. -
@no-quarter said in All Blacks vs Pumas I:
@cgrant said in All Blacks vs Pumas I (yay we’re not playing the Aussies again):
I know most of the Ferners prefer Mo'unga to BB but the latter launched his backline perfectly against the Argies last Sunday. It was smooth and direct. I can't remember Mo'unga doing the same with the black jersey. Of course, Mo'unga is a far better goalkicker but with Jordie taking the goalkicking duties, this could not be a problem anymore. Moreover, defensively, BB is superior to RM, IMO.
The jury on Mo'unga is still out for me, he struggles against a committed defense and tends to just shovel the ball on when they are getting up in his face. Loved what I saw from Beauden in this match, taking the line on despite the hard tackling from the Argies, created lots of space and time for those outside him. That said, Beauden hasn't exactly been very consistent, so he needs to string some performances together. I'm 50/50 on who starts and who is on the bench.
Very 50/50 indeed, in a healthy way though.
Gregor Paul just wrote a fanboi/fluffer piece after the first Pumas match about BB on the "RugbyXV" site but made a reasonable point that BB and Jordie look very comfortable together and had great understanding, no surprise. He kind of presented it as the Barrett brothers vs Mounga and McKenzie ... not sure I agree!
I'd rather they lock in a key moving part and make Jordie the #1 full-back, THEN decide 10. Richie Mounga at 10 and BB at 15 always seem to play like an unconscious "battle of the egos" for my eyes.
Regardless, BB had a really excellent game.
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Can't really do anything with this fucking vertigo, so I had this still on the sky recorded. 2 points that came up later in the year confirmed
- ABs attacking shape was fucking non existent, just individual brilliance made most of the tries. As mentioned above set piece was shit, but HEY we've got individual brilliance
- George bridge has no positive impact, he is such a pathetic thing to have as an all black 11. That's lomu's Jersey FFS.
Also TJ was rather good, aside from his desperate desire to take every penalty quickly. Conversely DMac was a fucking idiot, with no control, crap passing (first 6 mins, 3 passes to ground), and an ability to either pass to someone in a much poorer position, or run himself into a worse position.
