Foster, Robertson etc
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@KiwiMurph said in Foster:
@kiwi_expat said in Foster:
Let's not forget that under Clayton McMillian our well-coached Maori ABs beat Ireland 32-17 as well.
They also lost the next week.
The ABs won the first test vs Ireland too remember.
I didn't forget that comprehensive 42-19 thrashing.
Schmidt ran the entire week's training as Foster was in isolation.
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@taniwharugby said in Foster:
I know we dont have the cattle we have had in previous years, but I think we still have good enough players to be the best, what we lack starts with Foster, and whatever his vision is, clearly is either too complicated or a bit shit.
Just to defend the versatility of Foster, it doesn't have to be an either/or.
The AB XV looked well coached today didn't they! -
Nonu, Bunce combo for me. Would like to take Roberston as he's a Hastings Boy's* high alum but I didn't ever see him play.
- Useless fact: Hasting Boys essentially had a lock on the centre position for the ABs from 1967 through the 1970s as we had Bill Davis then Robertson.
I’m not sure a locks skills suit playing in the midfield but I’m glad you’re excited
Took me a while to get that.
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Whichever way you lean, this is a much better use of a thread than going around in circles talking about bloody Foster and Robertson
Foster would've selected Little and Smith.
Foster would have selected Bernie Scott McLeod and Keith Lowen
How do you make that out? He played around their era and was AB coach a decade later! McLeod was actually a very good player too.
Bruce Robertson is the best midfield AB I have seen. Thought Nonu only reached and passed Bunce standard late in his career.
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@kiwi_expat said in Foster:
To exhibit such cohesiveness after only a week is a credit to the coaching team, recall how Foster's All Blacks got humiliated by the Irish in June, which was followed by Foster's apologists on here lamenting that our players were average and our depth poor.
Yet with a week's preparation (and under different coaches to Foster) our development team Ireland's 48-17
Let's not forget that under Clayton McMillian our well-coached Maori ABs beat Ireland 32-17 as well... but no, the All Black coach isn't the problem guys!
You must have fucking long arms to connect those three dots.
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@Victor-Meldrew Yet you connect the 1970s ABs with today's.....
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@Old-Samurai-Jack said in Foster:
@Victor-Meldrew Yet you connect the 1970s ABs with today's.....
There seems to be a common theme there though eh...
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An average coach (Foster) outcoached a below average coach (Pivac) primarily by selecting the right players
As soon as I saw Priestland at 10 I knew we were going to get thumped
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My potential future father in law played against Ian Macrae in Hawkes bay club rugby. Said he was a monster before his time.
Bit before my time, but Ian McRae was a game-changer who re-invented 2nd 5/8 play and with Bill Davis at 13 was absolutely key to Fred Allen's 15 man rugby. You can trace a direct line from Nonu's style of play back to McRae.
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Nonu, Bunce combo for me. Would like to take Roberston as he's a Hastings Boy's* high alum but I didn't ever see him play.
- Useless fact: Hasting Boys essentially had a lock on the centre position for the ABs from 1967 through the 1970s as we had Bill Davis then Robertson.
An astonishingly good 13 and one of the greats of that era. Double All Black IIRC.
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@MN5 I'm surprised that (to this point) none of the Hawkes Bay lads have mention McCrae and Davis. They were outstanding on the 67 tour of NH. Probably didn't play together enough at AB level to be real contenders but legends of that record setting HB team of the late 6's.
McRae was I think 6' and 14 stone (1.8 - 90 kg) which was enormous for the time.
Bruce Robertson would have excelled in the modern game, given how good he was in the very limited backlines of the 70's.
It pains me to say it as a Harbour supporter but as a combination i think Nonu and Smith shade Little/Bunce.
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Nonu/Smith for me as the best combination - maybe slightly influenced by the 2 WC's they managed to be a part of.
Nonu was big and physical but added more skill and nuance to his game as he progressed, just got better and better with age really.
Smith certainly not athletically the best AB you'd see (no disrespect) but one of the finest rugby brains I've seen. Seemed to go game after game without making a poor decision or being caught out of position.
It really was the ultimate combination of brawn, brains, skill and nuance.
