All Blacks vs Wallabies 2
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@nostrildamus said in All Blacks vs Wallabies 2:
@antipodean said in All Blacks vs Wallabies 2:
@nostrildamus said in All Blacks vs Wallabies 2:
Not Savea of old but he had some good carries and I think put in quite a few tackles (haven't seen the stats).
LOL. He was practically anonymous. Laughable that he gets to start at 8.
19 tackles. https://www.rugbypass.com/news/all-blacks-player-ratings-vs-australia-bledisloe-cup-ii/
I wouldn't have chosen him to start at 8 but he wasn't terrible.Does that soft piece of shit on the try line where McReight went over him count in the 19?
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Ardie had a great game. Defensively, one of the best. Watch who was getting the line speed and making the most tackles when the Aussies were attacking in the first half.
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A few thoughts from the game:
Would it be worth switching the prop combinations up? The reserves look good, so maybe Lomax+Williams to start and De Groot+Tosi to finish (or the other way around) - just to balance the tight 5 ball running out a bit better.
Vaai was still good, but a little untidier than his last couple of games. Scott Barrett isn't a good captain, but played a bit better this week. Pat T was good off the bench, I still hope (but question) we'll see that consistently against the bigger packs.
Of the other tight forwards, congrats to Sam Cane on 100, try to stick to the fatties and avoid those mismatches mate.Loosies.
Sititi is a man possessed out there at times, the workrate is very impressive and what a relief to have a ball runner in the pack again. Still a few mistakes, and I'm pretty sure he was the lifter in the lineouts we cocked up, but he can play and well and truly showed up the others. Cane - slow, defensive errors and penalties. Ardie is the real 'busy but ineffective' guy. It's really hard to not just think 'chuck all the young guys in' when you watch that game. I think what Sititi is doing shows we are way too conservative - if you gave someone like Aumua 60 minutes starting instead of 15 off the bench I think you'd start to see his super form reflected too.The backs.
Well Tj was poor. I was wanting to be all nice and give him his due as a really good defensive halfback and support runner, but if that's experience then no thanks.
Whoever mentioned end-of-QF broken Sexton as a BB comparison is bang on the money. Just jogs and shovels it on, doesn't put anyone in a gap, doesn't take the line on, doesn't look like he has any idea how to beat the defence. The instant McKenzie came on the backs looked far more dangerous.
ALB was really good, can pass. Rieko... I think I've had enough of now - can't seem to make pretty standard passes.
Clarke really good, but another dumb card? At first borderline accidental, but picking it up and pretending that you can play on?
Reece a better game, but still not my preference.
Jordan so much better than BB. Yes he still has the blinkers on and fuck do I yell at the screen when he looks to kick every single fucking time he makes a break, but he is so far ahead of the other options it's not funny. -
Good summary.
I agree that they've been a bit too conservative especially around Cane and TJ.
However you can't really extrapolate what Sititi has delivered to include all of the other noobs.
For me there are only two freakish talents in the squad out of the new guys. 1 is Sititi and the other is Tosi.
I'd be extremely disappointed if they went back to Blackadder over Sititi and Newell over Tosi but you'd have to say that is a genuine possibility.
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@brodean For sure not everyone is going to kill it, but the new guys have just about all played well - and just about all better than the veterans they've been competing with.
Of the older guys, it's only Taylor who has really stood up to me. -
@reprobate said in All Blacks vs Wallabies 2:
, it's only Taylor who has really stood up to me.
after early wobbles in the lineouts vs England, I generally agree. Still has a nasty habit of losing the ball inside the opposition 22 when carrying.
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@sparky said in All Blacks vs Wallabies 2:
@nostrildamus Sort of.
Australia were lucky to keep it close yesterday. I can't see them doing that two weeks in a row. Australia at home is the most straight-forward fixture of the AB's season.
@sparky said in All Blacks vs Wallabies 2:
@nostrildamus Sort of.
Australia were lucky to keep it close yesterday. I can't see them doing that two weeks in a row. Australia at home is the most straight-forward fixture of the AB's season.
and you were right.
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10 still a tricky one for me.
But it comes back to the fact the we shouldnt have to coach basic skills/tactics in the ABs.
Why dont we have a group of tens who can play test style rugby?
Maybe super is now so low grade you dont need to hone those skills because if you just keep throwing pases you can score.
I'm not sold on BB or Damian but seriously not sure who else can play at test match pressure. Maybe Plummer? They'll be testing him at training and maybe hes not quite there yet. -
Just watched the game again, SB was a defensive lynchpin, in the shadows but immense. Vaa'i having a great game, I am surprised we didn't try to leverage more of our lineout superiority.
Savea was tasked with tackling Valetini and was effective at that. Sititu will be remembered for his bullocking runs but oh his passing is sweet. Apart from an against the odds turnover that TJP ruined, Cane was still clearly far off the pace. Slow reflexes, slow legs, Jacobson clearly far more dynamic a runner. Tosi is a find, if he can prove scummaging competency Newell should have a hard time getting back into the team.
When TJP has howlers they are always at major important parts of the game. I thought BB played conservatively. could take the ball to the line more and have more of a delayed pass. Doesn't normally draw his tackler.
ALB was good, missed a few, some key distributions. But I have to concur, Ioane's passing is at risk of being difficult and inaccurate. He seems slow to note others nearby and his instinct is still not to distribute. A shame, he was a tiger on defence (and so was ALB near the end of the game).
For me Cane and TJP were the weakest of the starters followed by De Groot (although he made a crunching tackle or two). Off the bench DH seemed to have the physical impact and skill of a drunk lettuce. Tried to be everywhere but had very little good impact.
The wings were good to very good, but Reece seems to have trouble physically imposing himself on the game.
Didn't get to see much of Jordan's defensive side, expect that to be tested against NH teams.
There were a couple of sweet/stealthy moves from Schmidt, apart from AB heroics and moments of attacking grandeur the Wallabies looked like they were well coached to me, but no clear onfield management, Lolesio isn't really a general. -
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@Machpants That's an uncomfortable conversation the next day.
