All Blacks vs Pumas I
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@pukunui Good summary. Julian looked to have taken his angry pills and good to see him back. Now stay there so we don't have to listen to the fern discuss his demise ad nauseum. Our forwards allow too much ball to be run at AS and TJP added a little more muscle in that area. AS is our halfback but TJP played well. The midfield went well and I don't that either really put a foot wrong. Fekitoa straightened the ball when he had too. Crotty did his job. Still not in the camp where I believe he is our 2nd five solution but I would like to see someone more dynamic. Dagg did his job but if your a winger and have to cut back inside because you don't have the muscle, pace or both you are not a winger. Appreciate his qualities but Naholo would be my pick with workons needed. And dude, lucky that ball did not hit your scone as you would have looked a right berk. Cane and Kaino played awesome and love what Charlie brings coming on with go forward. Well done Argentina in keeping 15 men on the field and bringing more than a fight than the Ozzies in the forwards and en general.
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Well, match report from the glorious Tron.
Great roadie with the lads, the good news is that no-one got arrested, mugged, knifed or in a fight. Weather sensational, and the rugby in the first half matched it.
Some general thoughts, in no particular order:
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That first half was some of the best ,most competitive rugby I've seen in NZ for some consdierable time. Argies played smart, disciplined aggressive running rugby and took it to the ABs. Huge commitment, married to rugby nous. Earned a well deserved lead, exploited match ups and scored a couple of very smart tries. Well done. Showed what you need to do to beat the ABs. Their challenge was always to push that past a half of rugby, and stay in the match.
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Savea J went blooyd well. Looked really sharp and engaged from the get-go, ran hard and busted some tackles, showed pace and looked like he used to! More of this please! May only have grabbed one, but sure has heck set people up.
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Joubert is not what he was. NOt a terrible ref, but nowhere near the level he used to be. Let a lot of people steal off their feet (based on my limited view at the ground), and weirdly allowed a lot of people to get up and go again. That one bugs the hell out of me... when you get tackled, the tackler releeases and the ref allows people to stand up and run. Grrr.
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Waikato Stadium is a great wee place. So close to teh action compared to the bigger ones around the country, good fun.
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Dagg can kick! That kick was into a gentle breeze, I didn't think he'd get close. Guess I don't know his range as well as he does, but well done.
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BB can also kick well, but it is a work on for sure. Could cost us games in the future.
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Ben From Accounts just turned that Argie defender into knots. Just a wonderful player, and a privelege to see him playing like he is at the moment.
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Sam Cane. I have seen a bit of Cane at Test level recently. He is a much maligned player, not super flashy, but by god he smacks people hard. Put in some monster hits, stole some good ball and linked well. I can see what he brings to the table, and it is a complete package. Hopefully the injury not too bad (people at the ground were reporting Achilles, but it sounds like Hamstring).
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Lineout fell apart at times. This better be a blip
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Scrum went very well against a good pack.
all in all, a bloody good and high quality game of footy. Pumas stayed in it all game, but came out of the sheds for the second half with poor passing and lacking a bit of cohesion. They improved, but that twenty after the break was bad for them. Thoroughly enjoyable all round
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Cane gone for 6 weeks
So does Todd come in or they roll with what they have?
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@taniwharugby Todd will probably come in as he has been involved with the team this season.
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@taniwharugby It wont happen but since we will win this thing lets bring Ioane into the fold at least. I'm hoping that he will be in the EOYT. Todd is old news.
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@booboo said in All Blacks vs Pumas I:
Pooh about Cane.
You'd have to bring Todd into the squad but personally I'd replace Ardie on the bench with Squire.
I know it won't happen but I would love to see them give Gibson a go ahead of Todd. Such an exciting player .
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*@nzzp said in All Blacks vs Pumas I:
Well, match report from the glorious Tron.
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Thoroughly enjoyable all round*That was a pretty good summary nzzp, yeah.
I don't suppose you had breakfast, afternoon tea and scones or elevenses with anyone notable? Expectations have been raised following Wellington and readers are now longing for that sort of intimacy.
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@Mick-Gold-Coast-QLD said in All Blacks vs Pumas I:
I don't suppose you had breakfast, afternoon tea and scones or elevenses with anyone notable? Expectations have been raised following Wellington and readers are now longing for that sort of intimacy.
Funny you should mention that; had lunch, afternoon tea, dinner and supper with my good friends Steinlager. You may have heard of him
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I still feel privileged to say that I was there the last time the ABs lost at home. Was amusing to see S Donald after the match talking about Crotty at 12 when the last time the ABs lost at home, Donald was at 12 and played like a steaming pile of poop.
Sad to see Sam hobble off - I thought he was starting to look Richie like with this play, into everything and generally causing carnage along with Kaino (whose engine is remarkable, still slamming into everyone late in the game). Ardie showed what he can do when he came on, let's see how he grabs his chance now - pretty confident he will be more than ready.
The Argie attack was sensational in that first half, really inventive and relentless - tough to keep that up for 80 minutes and it only really works if you're going forwards as well as sideways - they started to just go wide later on and were just becoming targets for the AB tacklers.
The ABs really do have 2 remarkable players in BB and Ben from Accounts. Both of them can turn a game and create something when the defence looks set. Lucky to have them.
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@Rancid-Schnitzel Nope. Those early misses by Barrett might have been really costly in different circumstances. You sad potential, fair enough. Barrett's speed is unreal and vision with ball in hand fantastic (as was Carter in his pomp), Carter's defence, placekicking, passing and running game (in his prime) second to none. World points scoring record and clutch droppie in WC final. Carter is the greatest of all time.
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@Billy-Tell yes I think Wyatt may be superior.
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@GM1 said in All Blacks vs Pumas I:
@Rancid-Schnitzel Nope. Those early misses by Barrett might have been really costly in different circumstances. You sad potential, fair enough. Barrett's speed is unreal and vision with ball in hand fantastic (as was Carter in his pomp), Carter's defence, placekicking, passing and running game (in his prime) second to none. World points scoring record and clutch droppie in WC final. Carter is the greatest of all time.
Nope what? Nope he doesn't have the potential?
I never said he was better than Carter now and in my next post I said Carter was GOAT10 by a long way. -
I was at Olims Hotel watching this with some mates and at about ~50mins in I said that Argentina was looking superb and could be in with a shot if they kept playing like they were. A mate laughed at me and said: "No. The result is a foregone conclusion. All Blacks will win, they don't lose anymore."
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@Rancid-Schnitzel said in All Blacks vs Pumas I:
@GM1 said in All Blacks vs Pumas I:
@Rancid-Schnitzel Nope. Those early misses by Barrett might have been really costly in different circumstances. You sad potential, fair enough. Barrett's speed is unreal and vision with ball in hand fantastic (as was Carter in his pomp), Carter's defence, placekicking, passing and running game (in his prime) second to none. World points scoring record and clutch droppie in WC final. Carter is the greatest of all time.
Nope what? Nope he doesn't have the potential?
I never said he was better than Carter now and in my next post I said Carter was GOAT10 by a long way.Yeah sorry i read your other post after that. Yes he does have the potential and he’s the best 10 in the world. He has x factor in spades.
The abs have been winning so easily (in no small part to BB) that he’s not yet been called on to take the serious pressure kicks that win and lose games. It will be interesting to see where he is a year from now once other coaches and players have had a better look at him. Knowing what he can do being able to stop him is not the same thing of course. Eventually he will lose some of that speed and will need those other elements to have a long career and be a true great and rise above the likes of Spencer, Mehrts, Fox, Larkham, Botha, Potra, Wilco etc let alone DC.
Different eras obviously and (for example) Fox’s metronomic goal kicking and territorial game were enormous assets back then with attack and defensive from a first five not so important -while the running and distribution skills BB brings add a lot to the overall game plan right now .
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Given the recent retirements , we are in unbelievable good shape ,
The 4 year block from now to the next WC is going to be good fun .
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yeah kaino will be a loss , but we have great depth in loosies , particularly when you consider the guys that missed selection, Luatua, Shields , Ioane , taufua
Shag will have a plan in place
