RWC: 3rd/4th game All Blacks vs Wales
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@Bones said in RWC: 3rd/4th game All Blacks vs Wales:
@reprobate you forgot to add...Rieko should move to centre, he'd be good. Based on nothing of course, but he's ordinary on the wing right now so let's ditch our good midfielders anyway.
now i'm no rieko hater, but centre? now that's remarkable. goodhue was great for the crusaders all year, hasn't put a foot wrong for the ABs, come back strongly from injury, best on our side of the park in the semi loss in my eyes.
still, rieko... hard done by not being given jack's spot eh? -
@kev said in RWC: 3rd/4th game All Blacks vs Wales:
Thought BBBR was lucky to get man of match. Sam Cane for me. Man he hits hard.
From the first breakdown - he drove some poor Wales player back about 3m.
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Forgot to add about Beauds...has the move to fullback brought out some bad traits in him? This game and last game we see so many moments where he seems really bad at working with anyone other than himself. Passes and offloads to the ground, kicks to nowhere unless it's a short one for him to chase. Just bizarre.
About as bizarre as ASmiths kicking game. Some really odd ones there eh...what on earth was that kid size bomb just over a ruck that no one was expecting?
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@Rembrandt said in RWC: 3rd/4th game All Blacks vs Wales:
Enjoyed that. Both teams came to play and put on a show for the crowd. 3rd/4th game makes sense as an exhibition match for fans.
Yeah, I came around to the idea of playing it today. We say it's bad for the players but it must be quite cathartic in the end. Just getting out and playing a good game of rugby to get the monkey off the back, respect the oppo and have a knees up after.
Plus I reckon in a few years if you stumble upon that bronze medal you might crack a smile and have a sense of pride.
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@Bones said in RWC: 3rd/4th game All Blacks vs Wales:
Plus I reckon in a few years if you stumble upon that bronze medal you might crack a smile and have a sense of pride.
This.
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@Bones said in RWC: 3rd/4th game All Blacks vs Wales:
Sooo....first off - Barnes should never ref the AB's in knock outs. Crucial moments appear and he goes out of his way to ignore the call that should be made and instead rule against the AB's. I don't see how that Wales try wasn't obstruction and I don't see how the Ioane knock on was clear and obvious.
Ioane...is probably having the worst "luck" for a winger you'll ever see - but I don't think he can be blameless in that department...the harder you work the luckier you get? His drop has been really weird, but he's just not performing better than anyone you could think of to put on the wing.
Watching our defence tonight...just WTF eh. Who's in charge? I'd probably go so far as to call it arrogant - we ignore the numbers game, I take it assuming that if we're outnumbered it doesn't matter because we're so good we'll stop the oppo and then they'll swing it back the other way where we'll out number them and get a turnover? It's annoying, because that combined with not being so passive are easy fixes.
Shag, you've been an outright legend, thanks for the memories, enjoy the quieter life.
Nice one Reado, way to bow out putting in a tough captains performance, even pulling out the old shoulder once or twice. Enjoy the yen!
Barnes and team missed plenty for both sides.
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@Bones said in RWC: 3rd/4th game All Blacks vs Wales:
Ioane...is probably having the worst "luck" for a winger you'll ever see - but I don't think he can be blameless in that department...the harder you work the luckier you get? His drop has been really weird, but he's just not performing better than anyone you could think of to put on the wing.
I've never seen a Super Rugby coach cast a player in their own image so quickly or so completely. Obviously I jest but I do think a lot of it is luck and getting infrequent B-grade opportunities (would it hurt to see him run with ALB-Goodhue for more than 10 mins in Perth). Play ran Ben Smith's way and up until five minutes before his first try everyone was writing him off as past it (which he probably is at test level) but give him a bit of ball and he looks like the Bender of old.
Watching our defence tonight...just WTF eh. Who's in charge? I'd probably go so far as to call it arrogant - we ignore the numbers game, I take it assuming that if we're outnumbered it doesn't matter because we're so good we'll stop the oppo and then they'll swing it back the other way where we'll out number them and get a turnover? It's annoying, because that combined with not being so passive are easy fixes.
If you grade on the scale of 3/4th playoffs that defence was probably above average. In a game like that where we got out to a lead early and opportunities were frequent the commitment level was always going to be a bit off the mark given the occasion. They did enough I guess.
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@rotated said in RWC: 3rd/4th game All Blacks vs Wales:
@Bones said in RWC: 3rd/4th game All Blacks vs Wales:
Plus I reckon in a few years if you stumble upon that bronze medal you might crack a smile and have a sense of pride.
Unlikley. The only crack coming out of this game is ALB's.
Well played
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ALB looked a bit flat after the match...he wasn't over the moon I suppose.
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@Machpants said in RWC: 3rd/4th game All Blacks vs Wales:
@Gunner said in RWC: 3rd/4th game All Blacks vs Wales:
@Jailbreak7 said in RWC: 3rd/4th game All Blacks vs Wales:
What did Hansen say in his interview? ITV bloody didn't show it
Not a lot really.
The usual stuff about coming out and playing a good game for the fans and it was tough for Wales too, blah blah.
The good bit was he was asked what it meant to be involved with the ABs for 16? years, he had to take a couple of deep breaths as he nearly lost his composure. His answer was simple but summed up beautifully ‘a privilege’Whilst the crowd cheered and cheered
It was a superb atmosphere. The Japanese LOVE the ABs. NZRFU need to play to that. Could be a way to mitigate the leakage of good player overseas.
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@pakman said in RWC: 3rd/4th game All Blacks vs Wales:
@Machpants said in RWC: 3rd/4th game All Blacks vs Wales:
@Gunner said in RWC: 3rd/4th game All Blacks vs Wales:
@Jailbreak7 said in RWC: 3rd/4th game All Blacks vs Wales:
What did Hansen say in his interview? ITV bloody didn't show it
Not a lot really.
The usual stuff about coming out and playing a good game for the fans and it was tough for Wales too, blah blah.
The good bit was he was asked what it meant to be involved with the ABs for 16? years, he had to take a couple of deep breaths as he nearly lost his composure. His answer was simple but summed up beautifully ‘a privilege’Whilst the crowd cheered and cheered
It was a superb atmosphere. The Japanese LOVE the ABs. NZRFU need to play to that. Could be a way to mitigate the leakage of good player overseas.
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@Bones said in RWC: 3rd/4th game All Blacks vs Wales:
@rotated well yeah...he looked like the Bender of old because he was beating defenders - fends, lines, steps. What was Ioane doing? He got ball also - just seems tired or something.
Looks completely out of confidence
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@Billy-Tell said in RWC: 3rd/4th game All Blacks vs Wales:
ALB looked a bit flat after the match...he wasn't over the moon I suppose.
He was badly exposed. Some cracks in his performance for sure.
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@Bones when he caught it...
Bit more direct from the forwards this week, which helped alot.
ALB looks fatigued
Not the send off many were hoping for these lads, but better than the send off some in the opposition got.
Gats looked wrecked.
Well...now NZR can get their arse into gear and appoint a coach...before Xmas, sheesh lots of time them to drag this shit out.
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Randomly
Watching third and forth is the most passionless AB test you'll experience.
Good win though
The first 8 minutes of watching Sam Cane had every AB fan sighing
Scott Barrett can always look back with pride the day he menaced rugby great Alun Wyn Jones. Got some great hits in.
Poor Reiko. Tried so hard to do what BFA did but couldn't find it within himself. Perhaps we forget how few years he's been plying his trade.
8 minutes of watching Bender had me postulating "that's what it looks like when one is past it". 72 minutes of "You know nothing Jon Snow!"
Barnes refereeing his last game in the limelight rather than what was in front of him. 2nd half was just silly. What, Wayne, was red number 6 doing for their pick and go try?
What if Jordie Barrett isn't actually that good? All I'm starting to see is a McCahill/Mannix/Ralph type with tons of opportunities.
55 minutes we just seemed to give up on d structure. Totally understandable though.
We just watched the end of an empire. The Ted Shag dynasty was better than any rugby fan, from anywhere, could ever expect from their team in their lifetime.
It was a great ride and hopefully discerning fans took time to pause and smell the roses on the way.
We bested the world for more than a decade with hard, clever graft minus the budget or population of others. So many great wins and so few losses.
Nothing but admiration and respect ( as the bitterness of last week's tepid performance wanes), for Shag et al for some terrific weekends over the years.
And, refreshingly nice to look forward to a new broom and a hitting of the reset button with the enthusiasm that comes from a new start. Hopefully we retain all the IP from the back room and management staff. All Black conditioning, culture and camaraderie looks superb, we just need the new coaches to focus on game plans and style for 80 minutes. Looking forward to it.
Finally in an ode to Babe:
That'll do Shag. That'll do