All Blacks vs Ireland - series decider
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@Bones said in All Blacks vs Ireland - series decider:
Why is RTS' (rumoured) lack of a kicking game a problem, but it's not a problem for Tupaea? Even Goodhue very rarely kicks. Anyone got any strong memories of one of ALBs pearlers off the boot?
That’s what we’re missing. None of our 12’s have a strong kicking game to speak of. It would be advantageous to have another kicking option outside of Smith, Barrett & JBarrett.
Even Nonu developed a rudimentary one towards the back half of his career. Good short kicking game, serviceable long game.
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@TheMojoman said in All Blacks vs Ireland - series decider:
@Bones said in All Blacks vs Ireland - series decider:
Why is RTS' (rumoured) lack of a kicking game a problem, but it's not a problem for Tupaea? Even Goodhue very rarely kicks. Anyone got any strong memories of one of ALBs pearlers off the boot?
That’s what we’re missing. None of our 12’s have a strong kicking game to speak of. It would be advantageous to have another kicking option outside of Smith, Barrett & JBarrett.
Even Nonu developed a rudimentary one towards the back half of his career. Good short kicking game, serviceable long game.
Jordan and Clarke are both good kickers, we actually have a few options there.
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@TheMojoman said in All Blacks vs Ireland - series decider:
@Bones said in All Blacks vs Ireland - series decider:
Why is RTS' (rumoured) lack of a kicking game a problem, but it's not a problem for Tupaea? Even Goodhue very rarely kicks. Anyone got any strong memories of one of ALBs pearlers off the boot?
That’s what we’re missing. None of our 12’s have a strong kicking game to speak of. It would be advantageous to have another kicking option outside of Smith, Barrett & JBarrett.
Even Nonu developed a rudimentary one towards the back half of his career. Good short kicking game, serviceable long game.
Oh sure, but RTS needs to develop a kicking game is what I keep reading. I'm struggling to recall any of our other 12 options being known for their kicking - but only RTS needs to do so.
Edit: and Nonu had an excellent short kicking game, but that's kinda irrelevant now
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@TheMojoman said in All Blacks vs Ireland - series decider:
Even Nonu developed a rudimentary one towards the back half of his career. Good short kicking game, serviceable long game.
Nonu's kicking was rare but really effective and was always a threat which Ma'a used to keep the opposition guessing. And he had a really smart rugby brain on him - which took a long time for people to appreciate.
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@taniwharugby said in All Blacks vs Ireland - series decider:
@Bones yeah Nonu had a pretty well rounded game by the time he retired, including some great touches off the boot.
That's true, but let's not pretend he was regularly kicking that team out of trouble every match he played. The kicks Ma'a put in were genuinely good quality, but it would be fanciful to suggest that he was consistently used as a second or third kicking option in his 100+ tests.
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@taniwharugby said in All Blacks vs Ireland - series decider:
@junior I didnt imply he did, sure he wasnt called upon alot, but in those last couple of seasons, when he was required to kick, he did what was needed.
Sorry, didn't mean to suggest you were saying that - it's more a general comment about the obsession with having a kicking 12 and people pointing at Nonu to support this argument (again, not saying you did this)!
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@junior said in All Blacks vs Ireland - series decider:
@taniwharugby said in All Blacks vs Ireland - series decider:
@junior I didnt imply he did, sure he wasnt called upon alot, but in those last couple of seasons, when he was required to kick, he did what was needed.
Sorry, didn't mean to suggest you were saying that - it's more a general comment about the obsession with having a kicking 12 and people pointing at Nonu to support this argument (again, not saying you did this)!
Thinking about who was around him (Jane, BFA, DC, Cruden, Weepu, Dagg, etc etc) he never really needed to anyway - which ideally should be the same for our 12. But then you look at the state of our 10s (main kickers) kicking game and can see why people might think that.
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@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks vs Ireland - series decider:
If he’s out Ireland will really attack our lineout. I hope they bring Vaai and not PT into the 23.
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@Bones said in All Blacks vs Ireland - series decider:
@junior said in All Blacks vs Ireland - series decider:
@taniwharugby said in All Blacks vs Ireland - series decider:
@junior I didnt imply he did, sure he wasnt called upon alot, but in those last couple of seasons, when he was required to kick, he did what was needed.
Sorry, didn't mean to suggest you were saying that - it's more a general comment about the obsession with having a kicking 12 and people pointing at Nonu to support this argument (again, not saying you did this)!
Thinking about who was around him (Jane, BFA, DC, Cruden, Weepu, Dagg, etc etc) he never really needed to anyway - which ideally should be the same for our 12. But then you look at the state of our 10s (main kickers) kicking game and can see why people might think that.
An interesting point here is that Weepu had a brilliant all round kicking game while Dagg was often the main clearer.
Not sure Smith has quite that and Jordie lately is kind of nowhere to be seen.
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@Billy-Tell hopefully they promote Akira and put Vaai on the bench.
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@taniwharugby said in All Blacks vs Ireland - series decider:
@Billy-Tell hopefully they promote Akira and put Vaai on the bench.
Logic? Get outta here.
DP to start and PT/Sotutu to the bench.
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@Bones cos Akira is a 6, DP plays more like a 7, in the way we seem to play, or are trying, and last week 3 7s worked out how well?
Then Vaai as back up lock, IMO offers more than PT.
Edit...sorry, thought your "Logic?" Part was what was my logic, as opposed to THE logical choice.
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Players do get better the longer they haven’t played, don’t they 😀
Because I remember some absolute shanks off the side of the boot from Nonu. He had a decent grubber game but he hardly had to use it.
The way the ABs used to set up was to have DC and our fullback or wing (eg Mils, Dagg, Bender, Jane, Scott Hamilton 😉) stationed on either side of the ruck or if it was out wide, one would be positioned deep and the other flat.
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@Bones said in All Blacks vs Ireland - series decider:
@gt12 yeah, it still doesn't explain the hang up on RTS' kicking ability - again probably something he wasn't required to do at the Blues. Did he ever field kick for the warriors? I see he had a 50% goal kicking career....with 1 from 2 attempts.
He wasn’t a designated kicker but he did kick for the Warriors, but that was because someone like Shaun Johnson or one of the other eggs forgot it was 5th tackle and a hospital pass gets thrown back to RTS to just get something off….
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@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks vs Ireland - series decider:
@Bones said in All Blacks vs Ireland - series decider:
@gt12 yeah, it still doesn't explain the hang up on RTS' kicking ability - again probably something he wasn't required to do at the Blues. Did he ever field kick for the warriors? I see he had a 50% goal kicking career....with 1 from 2 attempts.
He wasn’t a designated kicker but he did kick for the Warriors, but that was because someone like Shaun Johnson or one of the other eggs forgot it was 5th tackle and a hospital pass gets thrown back to RTS to just get something off….
That sounds about spot on for this years ABs!
