Bledisloe 2
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@Gunner One thing though. Dmac was only in the squad because of Bender's sabbatical. Jordie was in the squad no matter what. Because of Jordie's injury, Dmac will see more game time than was originally intended. Havili has been called up because of Jordie's injury. Using him in one or two games is not necessarily a deviation from their original plan (Dmac was never going to start all tests at fullback in BFA's absence). It will indeed be interesting to see the team selections for the other RC tests.
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Could Ioane play 15? Bit desperate but Dmac was dire. We can't have a FB who loves to attack the line fook up that much.
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@Chris-B. said in Bledisloe 2:
@Stargazer said in Bledisloe 2:
They just showed a few examples of why Dmac's lack of height is a problem. When competing for the high ball with a much taller player (Folau, who obviously won the contest), when isolated at the back of the field (being run over) etc. It's clear why opposition teams will target him.
Yes.
The differences between test rugby and Super rugby (and Super rugby and NPC for that matter) is that your strengths tend to be shut down and your weaknesses exacerbated.
For someone like DMac - he's sort of Christian Cullen - 20 years too late. His broken field running will be way less effective, because he'll get less time, less space, and he'll be rounded up quicker. But, his size will be exploited more - with contestable balls, rag-dolling him in tackles, and bouncing him back or off in defence. His AB future is surely at first five.
I agree.
I'll hand it to him though, he's a tough little Maori. He got smashed in a tackle tonight and I thought he'd been snapped in half. But he got straight back up.
Also his offload in that Bender try was classic DMac. Did it brilliantly.
There's no doubt he would've been playing 10 the past two weeks in the NPC had Jordie been fit.
I reckon we see Dagg, NMS and Reiko next test.
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@ACT-Crusader said in Bledisloe 2:
@Chris-B. said in Bledisloe 2:
@Stargazer said in Bledisloe 2:
They just showed a few examples of why Dmac's lack of height is a problem. When competing for the high ball with a much taller player (Folau, who obviously won the contest), when isolated at the back of the field (being run over) etc. It's clear why opposition teams will target him.
Yes.
The differences between test rugby and Super rugby (and Super rugby and NPC for that matter) is that your strengths tend to be shut down and your weaknesses exacerbated.
For someone like DMac - he's sort of Christian Cullen - 20 years too late. His broken field running will be way less effective, because he'll get less time, less space, and he'll be rounded up quicker. But, his size will be exploited more - with contestable balls, rag-dolling him in tackles, and bouncing him back or off in defence. His AB future is surely at first five.
I agree.
I'll hand it to him though, he's a tough little Maori. He got smashed in a tackle tonight and I thought he'd been snapped in half. But he got straight back up.
Also his offload in that Bender try was classic DMac. Did it brilliantly.
There's no doubt he would've been playing 10 the past two weeks in the NPC had Jordie been fit.
I reckon we see Dagg, NMS and Reiko next test.
Yes, I'd expect that, too. Or, more likely, Dagg, Naholo and Rieko.
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@Rancid-Schnitzel said in Bledisloe 2:
Could Ioane play 15? Bit desperate but Dmac was dire. We can't have a FB who loves to attack the line fook up that much.
I'd leave Ioane where he is. Use this as a chance to give NMS and DMac reps in the first team to work out who will be there in 2019
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What a game, eh.
While there was little appreciation for my nerves, that was vintage Bledisloe, and I'm glad we got up in the end to honour the mighty Tree.
Shocking start by the ABs, Wallabies were crisp in passing, tight on defence, and pounced on mistakes. Genia clearly took a sip from the fountain of youth, great game.
Ioane fantastic, gees he is quick, always making metres. Our scrum was also mighty tonight. DMac, well he is brave, and he makes some good sniping runs, but bloody hell he needs to sort out his passing. Sometimes it is downright awful. I'm nervous about these continual head knocks for Crotty and Cane. Not good. SBW had a game to forget. ALB much better from last week.
Cheika is a dick. Dude, you lost because your kicker couldn't kick for shit. And I wouldn't be shitting on the refs, because your team got several favours out there in terms of 50/50 disallowed tries, and another than could have easily got one of your men a yellow. -
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@Stargazer wonder where that came from?
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@NTA said in Bledisloe 2:
@Stargazer wonder where that came from?
It was similar to what they did last week, but looks more tightly formed this week. Hoopers idea from what I read this week.
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Watching the game now , Aussie scrum reminds me of the era where they considered Matt Dunning a test level prop.
Cheika is close to surpassing Woodward as most fuckwitted coach of the pro era , well done to him for having edged past Scott Johnson and Warren Gatland.
Owens not his usual self tonight.
DMac and SBW weak links so far.
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Just watched the last try of the game again. FFS Parenara! When is this guy ever going to learn not to be ahead of the ball carrier when receiving the pass. He does this all the time as a support runner and it's going to cost us a test one day. If they had reviewed that pass from Read to him, it could have gone either way.
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@ACT-Crusader said in Bledisloe 2:
@akan004 it's that flat attack line that both Boyd and the AB coaches employ though. TJP is good at catching that ball from behind though.
Puts a lot of pressure on the defence.
That pass was bordering on forward though (in fact I think it was). He didn't have to stand so flat on that occasion.
