Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11
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@rotated said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:
The leader in the clubhouse for worst first year is Laurie Mains' and Fozzie ain't off to a good start.
Bit hard on Laurie, he had to mould together a new team against the current RWC holders after a disastrous ABs RWC campaign rife with division - and he lost 2-1 in one of the greatest and closest Bledisloe Cup series ever (I think the exact same number of points were scored by both teams and the biggest margin was 3 or 4).
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@Mick-Gold-Coast-QLD said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:
... they pay him four or five hundred thousand a year
He's not a Wallaby.
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A drop goal is a really low percentage option - that is the problem. If you kick a drop goal and miss, it is game over. If you kick a drop goal and it gets charged, the opposition could be down the other end. To kick a drop goal you need to get the field position, a good pass and then a good strike. There are lots of things which have a 15% chance of something going wrong and they compound. I think keeping the ball in hand and playing for a penalty is a high percentage option. I'm less disappointed in the decision not to take up a drop goal as I am that we couldn't score a try after being given about 3 opportunities.
I only got to see the game from the 66th minute onwards. We were dire in that period. Jordie missing the penalty, the 22 going over his head, stupid penalties, Clarke not securing the ball off the upright, a team mate not securing the ball. Normally, we would pull away in a game like this despite not having the ball much in the first half.
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@Crazy-Horse said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:
I am going to defend RM a little here. It wasn't him who couldn't take the high ball in the swirling wind, it wasn't him who couldn't place the ball properly at try time and it wasn't him that conceded a try through a bad read on defence. That penalty where he failed to find touch was poor, but RM is prone to that. He is not alone there, even Carter managed to do that on a regular basis.
Those that say he can't operate behind anything other than a dominant pack are living in the past. The Crusader pack has not been dominant recently and he has still managed to win games for them. I am hoping it's a matter of time until things click for him at test level.
AB woes go deeper than RM. They stem from the inability to master the rush defence. It's been years since the BIL showed how to beat the ABs and we have yet to find a way to consistently counter it.
Plenty of players were off their game, but RM was one of them. Smith said after the game that they were guilty of not kicking for position enough.
Ten needs to assess the game, conditions, etc and move the field around the park. He came up tactically short, was throwing away possession with miracle balls, and his basic passing was poor (behind close running forwards).
Someone was celebrating his tackle on the winger, and was good. But he was being hidden on the wing again.
When we needed him to dictate the game he disappeared. That’s what people mean about needing front foot ball. On attack he’s very good, it’s just everything else!
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@chimoaus said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:
@Crazy-Horse I did find it odd seeing RM standing at the base of the ruck right in front of the uprights, maybe he was going to throw it over?
It's a strange one. Crusader level he would have demanded the ball, but at AB level he seems to be relegated to a role player. I was hoping with BB sitting this one out he would have stepped up. Maybe there is something about the culture or hierarchy in the ABs that is holding him back?
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Only watched the last 30 minutes & the highlights, but my take on the game...
Thought Nic White And Aaron Smith both outstanding.
Ardie is a better 7 than an 8. Like Kirwan said, I'd like to see Sam Cane at 6 at some stage. Didn't see enough to rate Frizzell
Caleb Clarke should start. He really gave the ABs momentum down the touchline.
RM was awful from what I saw. He looked like a rabbit it the headlights at times. If BB isn't back, DMac at 10 and RM on the bench. Gotta be an improvement from what I saw.
Hope Reiko's missed try doesn't screw his confidence - he's too good a player. Needs another shot at 13, but from the bench.
Goodhue was busy on defence. Needs to start with ALB next week.
Thought Cane did OK as captain. Kept the team focussed and we almost nicked a win at the end. Play was outstanding.
All in all, typical rusty first run out by the AB's. Just want to see some sensible selections and,you know, players in their best positions.
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@Crazy-Horse Aaron Smith does have a habit of trying to do too much, when his first role should be give the ball to the 10. He box-kicked heaps from our 22 when I would've preferred he give it to RM. Maybe Nugget is the issue?
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@Victor-Meldrew Agree with most here, except for Dmac, he needs to go.
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@westcoastie said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:
@Crazy-Horse Aaron Smith does have a habit of trying to do too much, when his first role should be give the ball to the 10. He box-kicked heaps from our 22 when I would've preferred he give it to RM. Maybe Nugget is the issue?
Maybe Smith wasn’t liking RMs option taking?
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@Victor-Meldrew said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:
.RM was awful from what I saw. He looked like a rabbit it the headlights at times. If BB isn't back, DMac at 10 and RM on the bench. Gotta be an improvement from what I saw.
🤮
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@Stargazer said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:
@Tim I wouldn't look at Rugbypass for stats. ESPN stats are usually better.
For all the domination the Wallabies had, and as well as they went, they still only scored 16. We can definitely do a heap better for the hit-out.
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@Kirwan said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:
@Crazy-Horse said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:
I am going to defend RM a little here. It wasn't him who couldn't take the high ball in the swirling wind, it wasn't him who couldn't place the ball properly at try time and it wasn't him that conceded a try through a bad read on defence. That penalty where he failed to find touch was poor, but RM is prone to that. He is not alone there, even Carter managed to do that on a regular basis.
Those that say he can't operate behind anything other than a dominant pack are living in the past. The Crusader pack has not been dominant recently and he has still managed to win games for them. I am hoping it's a matter of time until things click for him at test level.
AB woes go deeper than RM. They stem from the inability to master the rush defence. It's been years since the BIL showed how to beat the ABs and we have yet to find a way to consistently counter it.
Plenty of players were off their game, but RM was one of them. Smith said after the game that they were guilty of not kicking for position enough.
Ten needs to assess the game, conditions, etc and move the field around the park. He came up tactically short, was throwing away possession with miracle balls, and his basic passing was poor (behind close running forwards).
Someone was celebrating his tackle on the winger, and was good. But he was being hidden on the wing again.
When we needed him to dictate the game he disappeared. That’s what people mean about needing front foot ball. On attack he’s very good, it’s just everything else!
I was in the RM camp last year, but I want BB back at 10 despite the fact I think he's a better rugby player than 10. RM just didn't seem to do any of the stuff he does for the Crusaders at test level.
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@Kirwan said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:
@westcoastie said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:
@Crazy-Horse Aaron Smith does have a habit of trying to do too much, when his first role should be give the ball to the 10. He box-kicked heaps from our 22 when I would've preferred he give it to RM. Maybe Nugget is the issue?
Maybe Smith wasn’t liking RMs option taking?
Maybe. And then we get into a big philosophical debate, who do we want to run our game? the 10? the 9?
Does Sam Cane need to see this and say "oi Nuggie, just give the ball to Richie. Hes our 10"
Aaron Smith was top-3 on the park for us tonight, but he does get a touch over-excited from time to time, and tries to do too much, or takes too much on. He also hasn't played heaps with RM, whereas hes played plenty with Beaudy - so they should look a better pair. -
@Kirwan said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:
@westcoastie said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:
@Crazy-Horse Aaron Smith does have a habit of trying to do too much, when his first role should be give the ball to the 10. He box-kicked heaps from our 22 when I would've preferred he give it to RM. Maybe Nugget is the issue?
Maybe Smith wasn’t liking RMs option taking?
Who knows, but for much of the game it looked like RM didn't get much of a chance to make decisions because we didn't have the damn ball.
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@voodoo said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:
@Victor-Meldrew said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:
.RM was awful from what I saw. He looked like a rabbit it the headlights at times. If BB isn't back, DMac at 10 and RM on the bench. Gotta be an improvement from what I saw.
🤮
Maybe, but he's performed OK and has Test experiencee there and who else is there?
With the Bled on the line do we risk another performance from RM like tonight's or risk a relative rookie like Josh Ione or Otere Black?
Oh, hang on, Fozzie could always play Jordie at 10......
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@Crazy-Horse said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:
@Kirwan said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:
@westcoastie said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:
@Crazy-Horse Aaron Smith does have a habit of trying to do too much, when his first role should be give the ball to the 10. He box-kicked heaps from our 22 when I would've preferred he give it to RM. Maybe Nugget is the issue?
Maybe Smith wasn’t liking RMs option taking?
Who knows, but for much of the game it looked like RM didn't get much of a chance to make decisions because we didn't have the damn ball.
And when we did Aaron Smith box kicked it away
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Man I hope Foster picks the same starting XV next week. The Fern will really come alive.
At least we aren’t in 2016 and the Fern talking about rugby being boring because the ABs keep winning and Fitzy and other jokers saying AB dominance is not good for rugby.
