The 'How is Fozzie going?' thread
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Rather than revisiting the appointment process, I'd like to look at another problem with the current AB coaching panel that is starting to become apparent - they are too afraid to make the tough selection calls.
In my opinion they simply can't make up their minds and are too afraid to pull the trigger on picking the right team; rather they want to put all of the individuals they rate on the field and hope that their individual brilliance will get us over the line.
I'm going to call it the "can't choose, so why not both" AB selection policy.
If you have two great 7s (Cane, Savea), let's choose both, and move one of them to 8 so we can have both, even though that means we'll have a misbalanced loose forward trio.
If you have two very good 13s, let's choose both, and move one of them to 12 where they won't be as effective. Even better, let's switch them around the wrong way so that they'll both be playing worse.
If you have two very good 10s, let's choose both, and move one of them to 15, where he can influence play and we can have two playmakers, but when the shit hits the fan neither of them will step up and drive the team around.
If you have two very good Barretts who can play 15, let's choose both, and move one of them to the wing, even though that will mean that one of the form players in the country will be out of position and will playing alongside his brother who is also playing out of position.
At least back in the day, when coaches chose between Buck versus Zinzan, or Mehrts versus Spencer, we at least knew where they were going and what they were looking towards, and those decisions drove the results and decisions (by the public) about their selections. These guys are just guessing, and they are hoping that by trying to keep as many people happy for as long as possible, they will stumble across a combination of "choose boths" that will actually be a good team.
But that exposes a fallacy in their approach. By choosing both, they clearly don't have a picture of the type of game that they want to play. For those who argue (as I have), that Cane should be 7 and Savea off the bench, it is based on an idea that we lead with physical dominance and finish with speed and energy - in other words basically the same pattern that won the WC in 2015. It may well be that we have to move on from that, and need to establish a new pattern where we use Savea's tools from 7 from minute 1, in which case it's time for Cane to go and for us to front up to identifying and implementing a new pattern of play.
Either way, these coaches need to start making decisions. Just choose.
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@canefan said in The 'How is Fozzie going?' thread:
The last time we played smash it up the guts rugby against a defensive minded opposition was vs Ireland in the 2019 RWC QF. In that first half we totally eviscerated them by smashing them where they thought they were strong. Ever since then we have shown no inclination for playing a forward dominated direct style, and I can't think why not
I was tempted to make a quip about keeping our powder dry, but won't.
That really is one of the key questions to be answered isn't it?
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Looking at the results of the last month, I reflect that the previous AB coach had to suggest that Foster look at Rieko vs Julian on the left flank.
I've seen enough that he won't select the best number eight in New Zealand as determined by SR A (Sotutu) which is followed up by not even benching Akira.
It's self evident that a golden period in All Black history coincided with a bunch of centurions. And for some reason we've determined a succession plan for coaches based on this. The house of cards is falling apart.
The underlying incompetence goes to NZR - a decade of astonishing success has covered over the incompetence of individuals relying on each other's resume to climb the greasy pole.
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We're playing the same game plan as 2015 with significantly worse players and hoping for the same results.
Actually that's not fair. 2015 we had more than 1 way to play.
Still better players but.
This is a new low for AB rugby as far as I am concerned. A supposedly superior team playing its 5th test against an inferior side playing it's first meaningful game?
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The Argentinians weren't even battle-hardened. Well done them.
But I also wonder if during the Bledisloe we have seen the limits to SB, kind of a shame he works hard. But there aren't many options at lock are there? -
@nostrildamus
Brodie was young when he burst on the international scene, not that we necessarily have another Brodie in the pipeline but Vaai was a no name with barely any pro rugby and he has done well. I'd be trying out more players rather than hoping SB turns into a test quality player, and SW and PT find their form and don't get injuries.Edit: super annoyed how Will Jordan has been handled.
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This may be a ridiculously harsh comment, but it's worth noting that Patty T has started, and been found wanting, in two key AB losses: Soldier field and Parramatta.
My point is that I think we are looking for more than one world class lock.
I wouldn't pick one of the five starters today in a world team. We're in deep shit.
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@mariner4life said in The 'How is Fozzie going?' thread:
We're playing the same game plan as 2015 with significantly worse players and hoping for the same results.
Actually that's not fair. 2015 we had more than 1 way to play.
Still better players but.
This is a new low for AB rugby as far as I am concerned. A supposedly superior team playing its 5th test against an inferior side playing it's first meaningful game?
Nails it for me.
The ABs' culture in the last four years has become backwards, arrogant and lazy in its thinking. Innovation has been stifled. Inward looking (almost narcissistic), self-congratulatory and complacent. What you sow, you reap.
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@Machpants said in The 'How is Fozzie going?' thread:
Had he quit yet? Cos of he had any resurrect he fucking we should've.
Still going eh bro? Bender!
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@Bones said in The 'How is Fozzie going?' thread:
@Machpants said in The 'How is Fozzie going?' thread:
Had he quit yet? Cos of he had any resurrect he fucking we should've.
Still going eh bro? Bender!
Fake news!
Has he quit yet? Cos of he had any respect he fucking well should've.
Fucking phone
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Also massive raspberries to the usual media types trotting out the "it's only a game" and "don't take anything away from Argentina by criticising the team".
I can't think of a bigger complement than taking the loss seriously and making major changes after it.
We don't need to be spitting at racehorses again but the media is way too chummy. Can someone except the usual moaners start making some serious sustained criticism of this side. If the media did their job the Foster appointment may not have slipped through the radar.
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@rotated said in The 'How is Fozzie going?' thread:
We don't need to be spitting at racehorses again but the media is way too chummy.....If the media did their job the Foster appointment may not have slipped through the radar.
Sumo Stevenson is the worst offender here. He decided a few years ago that he could get more gigs by being a toady to NZR and the AB coaches. He regularly serves up sick-inducing sycophancy. Puff piece after puff piece after puff piece. The cumulative effect is to swell up certain people's heads who should know better
We need the media to be critical friends to the AB bosses not their mates.
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@Machpants said in The 'How is Fozzie going?' thread:
@sparky Not any more, he's moved on now to Spark. Much more confrontational
While we all need a day job, his views are often conveniently strident towards his wage payers, and strongly against any doubters of them.
He was quick to put the boot into the ‘armchair critics’ of the cards last week, but I wonder whether he’s said much about the similar views of Sir JK and his fellow panelists.
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based on the Title...I'd say not good.
I have been willing to give him space, but many of the errors and poor decisions we are making are no different to last year, now either the players arent listening or the coaching is to blame.
I think the large portion goes on the coaching.
We made a raft of changes for B4, and look how disjointed we were, so what do we do, knee jerk into wholesale changes for this one...while I guess it was always planned that way, sometimes you need to change and adapt, react to the situation.
I wonder if some players who Fozzie has planned on putting on a plane tomorrow, will stay on, or stick to the plan?
But what it all boils down to:
Draw
Win
Win
Loss
Loss
40% Winning rate = not good enough. -
@taniwharugby said in The 'How is Fozzie going?' thread:
based on the Title...I'd say not good.
I have been willing to give him space, but many of the errors and poor decisions we are making are no different to last year, now either the players arent listening or the coaching is to blame.
I think the large portion goes on the coaching.
We made a raft of changes for B4, and look how disjointed we were, so what do we do, knee jerk into wholesale changes for this one...while I guess it was always planned that way, sometimes you need to change and adapt, react to the situation.
I wonder if some players who Fozzie has planned on putting on a plane tomorrow, will stay on, or stick to the plan?
But what it all boils down to:
Draw
Win
Win
Loss
Loss
40% Winning rate = not good enough.He's heading towards the realm of the 1998 team
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@canefan I see your 1998 and raise you the spectre that is 2020
"This role always comes with pressure and what I feel now is [a] massive disappointment that I haven't achieved what I wanted to achieve in the last two games," says Foster.
"It's the second week in a row that we haven't shown good composure when things weren't going our way. We got rattled again and that's something we will have to work on," says Foster.
