Bledisloe Four: Brisbane, 7 November
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Match report from ground zero.
So seats were awesome. First allocation we got was on the try line. Emailed and enquired about anything better and got reissued on the 10. Much pleased.
Stadium brilliant. All seats looked to have a good view. Pretty easy to get around prior to kick off. No queue for food (only bought two cartons of chops - reckon they might have only charged for one as it only cost $6), and three people for beer. (Two XXXX Golds and two Bundy & cokes go Mrs Boo- one of which I ended up drinking - $38. Was sufficient to see us through the game remaining compos mentis with no need to get out for comfort stops.)
Surprised at the access to around and from the Stadium. Lots of road closures and diversion and rat runs. I don't recall even Eden Park being that level of disorganised outside the ground.
Crowd atmosphere was pretty much the best I've experienced. Seemed at least 50/50. Not a bad size either but enough gaps to make moving easy enough. Good natured, despite the niggly game , and both sides had reason to cheer.
But the incessant bloody music! First time I've been to a game for five years and I don't recall it being that bad last time.
I also don't recall buying tickets to a disco.
Several times there was good lead up work, crowd getting into it, maybe a kick to a corner with attacking lineout (one team or the other) and then DOOF DOOF DOOF. Way to kill an atmosphere. Or they're still blasting out some tune 10secs (a long time in sport) after kick-off.
Some of it was good. The rest of it just drowned out the atmosphere.
But enough of that rant.
On to the game. I'm not very good at remembering the intricacies of a game at the best of times, so the following are just general observations.
I did start browsing the match thread last night, got about as far as half-time so will be an interesting exercise to see if my opinions match with the general feel of TSF.
I'm over us giving away penalties. The Wobs first try came from a penalty that gave up possession and territory, after that all they needed was a lucky bounce and presto! Five points.
Bigger discussion point here but I am beginning to think the desperate need to retain possession is not balanced by the consequence of a penalty.
Will need to watch the recording but thought Ofa's red was deserved. First viewing from the stand looked ok but the shots from the reverse looked bad. Quick peruse of the forum suggests there may have been mitigations that weren't fully factored. Will have to check.
Shame they had to drag Akira. Looked like he'd been going well.
Missed the Swinton red live but lucky it was only a red.
Game didn't have a lot of shape from my viewing, especially after the cards.
Not sure about the obsession with the rolling maul just prior to half-time. Wondered if we shouldn't have had a crack wider.
Thought we missed a couple of chances on the outside, particularly in the second half. I think ALB went himself once, and Jordie could have passed to Rioane once. Maybe not full on overlaps but felt there was some space out there.
Beaudie put in a couple of awful kicks.
As Jordie was calling for the quick throw in from Reece I could see Wellington all over again. Came close.
Reece wasn't up to much.
Not a fan of SB, don't see him adding much.
Maybe we made a few too many changes?
We need to clone Aaron Smith ASAP, or find a different way to play.
More thoughts on the thread as they come.
Am now one and one for tests attended at Suncorp.
All up a great day apart from the result. Will be back again. Maybe not this package - will take a chance of purchasing tickets, and do a cheaper hotel.
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Cue Fox Sports saying new dawn for Aus rugby and the ABs are poo. Ugh. Can't wait till we sign with 9.
Didn't watch this live and surprised we won - that AB team looked really strong on paper. It's good to know that if the ABs lost their two best halves they'd be in as much strife as Aus are (how fugn bad were TJP and BB?).
How on earth does JBar keep getting picked? I mentioned on here ages ago that i'd never seen him have a good game and got ripped into. He's basically a poor man's Reece Hodge. Long may his tenured selection continue.
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@Tim said in Bledisloe Four: Brisbane, 7 November:
Laumape is so far below test level. He's a great test Super player, but shit at this level.
Oh yeah. Meant to mention he didn't deliver.
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@akan004 said in Bledisloe Four: Brisbane, 7 November:
@Chris said in Bledisloe Four: Brisbane, 7 November:
That is more what I expect from a Foster coached team
Headless chook stuff.
Long couple of years coming up.Tbh, we weren't much different under Shag over his last 2-3 years.
I agree thats why I didn't want more of the same ,Foster and McLeod someone fresh with new ideas etc at the helm would have been my choice.
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Rugby pass seem to have actually watched the match, unlike most press. TJ 3/10, Reese 3.5
Tri Nations: New Zealand player ratings vs Australia
After a draw and two solid wins, everyone expected the All Blacks to record another crushing victory over the Wallabies in Brisbane on Friday night. That wasn't to be. How did the individual players perform on the night?
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@junior said in Bledisloe Four: Brisbane, 7 November:
Here is a post of mine from last year's RWC after the Canada match - it remains as true today as ever
@junior said in RWC: All Blacks v Canada (Pool
:@canefan said in RWC: All Blacks v Canada (Pool
:@junior said in RWC: All Blacks v Canada (Pool
:@Chris said in RWC: All Blacks v Canada (Pool
:@MajorRage said in RWC: All Blacks v Canada (Pool
:@Chris said in RWC: All Blacks v Canada (Pool
:Has anyone forced their way into the top 23 if SA Selection for game one is the top 23 ?
Weber perhaps?
Game changed when he came on great pass and runs great support lines would not have thought that was a chance to take TJs spot before the WC but Webber was very good.
I agree. I can't see how anyone thought he was anything other than excellent when he came on (at least compared to TJP). He kept it simple, did his job, got the ball out quickly, backed-up well and, importantly, didn't try to do too much himself. Based on that performance, I'd feel much more confident having him to come on and guide us home in the last 10 mins of a RWC knockout match.
Really?!?! You would have Webber supplant TJP, who at times has challenged A Smith hard for the starting job this year, based on 35 minutes against Canada? You set your bar much lower than me
I actually set it quite high for halfbacks, but my metrics might be different to others. TJP is a great rugby player with a good "rugby brain", hence why he scores so many tries by running really good support lines. My problem is that's not what he should be doing - he's a halfback not an openside flanker. His pass is shit, his kicking is shit, he's selfish and greedy, his option-taking is often poor, he plays for himself more than the team and - crucially - he's not calm or smart enough to be entrusted with such a key role (at which he's not particularly proficient technically), particularly in such a crucial match. I'd much rather have Weber there in such moments, because at least you know he'll pass fast and accurately to the guys who should be taking control (e.g. Mo'unga and Barrett) rather than trying to be a hero and do it all himself.
That last line, in particular, was very prescient.
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@NTA said in Bledisloe Four: Brisbane, 7 November:
@mofitzy_ said in Bledisloe Four: Brisbane, 7 November:
@Bovidae
It's strange, obviously they feel 6 is the least important player on the field but this is the second time they've subbed off a 6 after a red and lost.Taking off your blindside seems to be the done thing when you lose a prop. Dunno why - but when your skipper is 7 and your 8 is one of the more effective ball runners you have (Savea was making yards in contact all night after Swinton went off).
Our 6 was also one of our most effective ball runners. Plus when he tackled people they stopped.
None of the loosies deserved to be subbed. -
@Machpants they also thought Laumape was better than Rieko
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@antipodean said in Bledisloe Four: Brisbane, 7 November:
@Machpants they also thought Laumape was better than Rieko
Yeah not perfect. But every other one I've seen had those two, out worst performers by far, at 5 or 6.
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I think the coaching team have to have 2 Barretts on the field at all times. Don't ask me why.
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@Machpants I find this hard to understand, Rieko did a lot of good tackles and cleaned up for others.
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Seeing a bit of talk (Rugbypass ratings and on here) about BB and the silly kicking.
The same style of short kicking worked last week, and nobody thought it was anything but clever when they were tearing the Wobs a new one.
The comment above about things not really changing since Hansen is accurate IMHO.
Similarly, AB fans have been so conditioned to BB pulling off miracle bullshit like lucky bounces and regathers on the sideline that it looks worse when it doesn't come off.
Don't get me wrong: fantastic player. His counterattack is mindblowing at times (when you're not the opposition
) but sometimes his broad skillset simply doesn't come off - like the AB game plan of defending until you get to counterattack.To the Wallaby game plan for a minute: attacking wide from the get go looked like the strategy but it was risky as shit. Like BB's play book not coming off, this is what happened last week as we continually dropped the ball or exposed ourselves to a short defence against a willing counter.
There seemed to be a notable shift as the second half wore on of attacking in close to draw defenders - not that it mattered because we got the job done through the guts and (again: miraculously) didn't drop the ball.
It looked a bit like Perth in that suddenly we looked like a Test rugby side instead of 23 blokes who met in the carpark for a game of touch.
And we still only won by 2.
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@nostrildamus said in Bledisloe Four: Brisbane, 7 November:
I think the coaching team have to have 2 Barretts on the field at all times. Don't ask me why.
Quotas. Like the Boks.
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Watched today after getting home from weekend away, wish I had stayed up the mountains. First off congrats to Oz, they had to score more points than us and they did that. OZ forwards really stepped up, scrum and lineout good and they have some real bulk in their pack. Only concern is they will get much better under Rennie and with more experience.
Reece and TJ were unfortunately dire, and their involvements lost us points. SB you egg, why would you do that stupid shit.
I'm starting to think kicking is one of the most important aspects at test level. Last week OZ kicking was awful, and A Smith and RM were on point. This week our box kicks and general play kicks really were shit and just kept us under pressure. If you cannot exit to halfway from your own 22 then there is an issue. This week the Wallabies chase was very good and RI and JB both coughed up pill. We also just gifted possession back with aimless kicks, OZ did that last week and got punished, this week it was out turn.
I was very impressed with AI, some quality D, clearing out and some nice touches, really unfortunate he was subbed early, I hope to see him Vs Argentina.
ALB shows again that super form means jack shit, that man needs to be at 12 getting as many touches as possible. We need to see him and PUJ at some stage together.
Again, I hate fucken red cards and their impact. Leave actual send offs for intentional foul play like ear biting, poking eyes etc. Both players just misjudged their hits, yes dangerous, yes yellow but not red.
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@chimoaus said in Bledisloe Four: Brisbane, 7 November:
This week our box kicks and general play kicks really were shit and just kept us under pressure. If you cannot exit to halfway from your own 22 then there is an issue.
As I said above: I think the short kicking was absolutely deliberate in order to try and regain possession in the air. If it was just once then that's a mistake. Twice is a plan.
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@NTA said in Bledisloe Four: Brisbane, 7 November:
@chimoaus said in Bledisloe Four: Brisbane, 7 November:
This week our box kicks and general play kicks really were shit and just kept us under pressure. If you cannot exit to halfway from your own 22 then there is an issue.
As I said above: I think the short kicking was absolutely deliberate in order to try and regain possession in the air. If it was just once then that's a mistake. Twice is a plan.
Yeah, I agree the difference between AS/RM and TJ/BB was obvious and clear. From memory the Wallabies got more return from theirs with RI and JB both dropping the pill.
Exits from your own 22 happen so many times per game it annoys the fuck out of me when your exit only makes it to your own 22. Your 9 and 10 should be able to run the game to get you between the 40-50 each time.
