The new All Blacks Captain is......
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<p>I read an article about Jerry many years ago after the 2007 RWC, and he took that 1/4 final exit hard, and it affected his approach to the game.</p>
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="taniwharugby" data-cid="560623" data-time="1456347645">
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<p>I read an article about Jerry many years ago after the 2007 RWC, and he took that 1/4 final exit hard, and it affected his approach to the game.</p>
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<p>....and in So'oialos case I think he just burnt out, too much fitness work which effected his physicalilty which showed when Steven Donald handed him off on the way to a try like he was Andrew Merhtens or even Ronan O'Gara.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Crazy Horse" data-cid="560606" data-time="1456337287">
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<p>I don't recall Richie's form dropping off like Read's did, leading many on here to suggest Read was looking gunshy.</p>
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<p> </p>
<p>How many years were people saying McCaw's form was slipping.....</p> -
<p>more years than fingers on MN5's right hand (even if he is a hillbilly with 6 fingers it is valid)</p>
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="taniwharugby" data-cid="560675" data-time="1456361422">
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<p>more years than fingers on MN5's right hand (even if he is a hillbilly with 6 fingers it is valid)</p>
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<p> </p>
<p>Someone from Whangarei calling someone from Wellington a hillbilly ? in what universe does that make sense ?</p>
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<p> :think:</p>
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<p>My gripes with McCaw have never been form related, more book related.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Bovidae" data-cid="559495" data-time="1455849130">
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<p>. He'll need to develop a better rapport with the refs.</p>
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<p>Yeah,</p>
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<p>I remember one Ref telling him: "I don't know why you are waving your arms about there - it's not a rock concert".</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="MN5" data-cid="560620" data-time="1456347072">
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<p>Read looks to be doing a JC/So'oialo......both of them declined really quickly.</p>
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<p>Difference is Read is a much more multifacited player.</p>
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<p>Jerry & Rodney were good players, but they both leaned heaviliy on single areas. In Jerrys case it was his physicality close in, in Rodneys it was his engine. When Jerry had neck / shoulder issues he lost the physicality & the rest of his all round game, while good, wasn't anywhere near good enough to cover. Same when Rodney slowed down. When Rodney was top 3 to every fricking ruck for 80 minutes it didn't matter than he was short & lacked power in the carry. Because that one trait was a huge part of how the ABs played. Once that went you think "we could pick a genuinely lineout option instead"</p>
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<p>If you are picking a guy mostly because of just one trait, when he loses that one trait he's at risk. Read probably has 5 aspects to his game where he is head & shoulders above the next guy (Vito).</p>
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<p>Same with Richie, he maybe wasn't getting hands on the ball as much as Cane late on, but he was far better in the tight, carried better, tackled harder etc.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="gollum" data-cid="560813" data-time="1456407039">
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<p>Difference is Read is a much more multifacited player.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Jerry & Rodney were good players, but they both leaned heaviliy on single areas. In Jerrys case it was his physicality close in, in Rodneys it was his engine. When Jerry had neck / shoulder issues he lost the physicality & the rest of his all round game, while good, wasn't anywhere near good enough to cover. Same when Rodney slowed down. When Rodney was top 3 to every fricking ruck for 80 minutes it didn't matter than he was short & lacked power in the carry. Because that one trait was a huge part of how the ABs played. Once that went you think "we could pick a genuinely lineout option instead"</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>If you are picking a guy mostly because of just one trait, when he loses that one trait he's at risk. Read probably has 5 aspects to his game where he is head & shoulders above the next guy (Vito).</strong></p>
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<p>Same with Richie, he maybe wasn't getting hands on the ball as much as Cane late on, but he was far better in the tight, carried better, tackled harder etc.</p>
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<p>Although there were worrying signs last year that he was losing more than just one or two of those traits.</p>
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<p>Hopefully he's had a good break off season and will be rearing to go this year.</p>
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<p>Also, I'm not sure Richie carried harder or tackled harder than Cane - he was just all round a better player (he was the GOAT) - but you just identified two of Canes biggest strengths and one that Richie had to work hard on (even the GOAT has to work hard some times).</p>
