Japan v All Blacks
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@Mr-Fish said in Japan v All Blacks:
Interesting reading all the comments about Japan's relative standing in the game at present.
This Brave Blossoms side is currently not as good as the team that All Blacks belted in 2018 (with a junior squad) and likely won't make it out of their pool at next year's World Cup.
So I do think that it's a bit optimistic (for Kiwi supporters) to write off the poor performance as a product of facing a good Japan side. Sure, they tackled their hearts out - but a half decent NZ side should still have the won this match at a canter.
If the ABs have had played this poorly and won against SA, Australia etc, we'd be labelling this as an embarrassing game for the ABs. But instead we say Japan are no easy beats anymore and we should expect results like this going forward. This was a very poor test for the ABs as a team and should be labeled as such.
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@Steve said in Japan v All Blacks:
@ACT-Crusader said in Japan v All Blacks:
@Stargazer said in Japan v All Blacks:
“Meaningless test”, doesn’t look like it!
I’d be interested in what some of the players thoughts were of the atmosphere and crowd. Through the TV at least it looked amazing and certainly lifted the Japanese. The roar when Tatafu made a charge at the line or when Dearns broke through was huge.
Those two players don't sound Japanese...
Aki isn’t a traditional Irish name either.
Get over it. They are representative sides and not everyone that lives in Japan has generational heritage. -
@Stargazer said in Japan v All Blacks:
@canefan Yes.
I assume he could become eligible for NZ if he wished to?
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@Joans-Town-Jones Played off the bench in the semi final against the All Blacks for England that knocked them out of the cup. He is a big halfback and would be close to the best in the country after Smith.
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@canefan Yes, after a 3-year stand-down.
Edited to add this article:
“From since I was a kid I've always wanted to play Super Rugby,” Dearns said from Japan. “Obviously, as a young boy, growing up in New Zealand you always want to put on that black jersey.
“Coming over here, and having spent lots of time in high school here and actually playing a test now for Japan, I feel like it's like a second home at the moment.
“At the moment, my goal is to play in the next World Cup, this France World Cup for Japan, but if opportunity arose that was intriguing, I'd definitely have a look at it, and see what my options were.” -
@Dan54 said in Japan v All Blacks:
we not seeing the indivudual skill levels that I believe we did in the late 90s-early 2000s when we seemed to watch wonderful flowing games at test level.
Part of the problem, IMO, is that defensive players have become so efficient at jackling that the excellent mini-breaks that would have triggered thar flowing rugby, now often result in the player being isolated and conceding a penalty. Less risk = less ambition.
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Coles and Cane out, heading home.
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Amazed at the ignorance of so many posts about Japan here. Aside from a single pasting against Ireland Japan has been very competitive against all international opposition in recent years. So against a second string AB team and with some fortuitous tries the closeness of scoreline should not have been such a shock.
Really liked the inventiveness in Japanese lineout, but we also pulled off a huge lineout play.
I thought our backline was very poor and the kicking and defensive reads far too inaccurate and ruck clearance was sloppy. The absence of a kicking 12 stunted us with the defence in our faces. Hope to see Jordie back there and see why they have persevered with Havili.
Surprised that nobody seemed to notice the high workrates of Cane Sotutu Vaii Retallick and Sami cos I thought that effort won us the match. -
@SBW1 said in Japan v All Blacks:
@Joans-Town-Jones Played off the bench in the semi final against the All Blacks for England that knocked them out of the cup. He is a big halfback and would be close to the best in the country after Smith.
Honestly, I'd be after Will Genia. He's the best 9 I've seen behind a forward pack going backwards.
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@taniwharugby said in Japan v All Blacks:
@canefan see edited post
An opportunity for some of the fringe players to show their quality
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@Chris-B said in Japan v All Blacks:
@Dan54 said in Japan v All Blacks:
we not seeing the indivudual skill levels that I believe we did in the late 90s-early 2000s when we seemed to watch wonderful flowing games at test level.
Part of the problem, IMO, is that defensive players have become so efficient at jackling that the excellent mini-breaks that would have triggered thar flowing rugby, now often result in the player being isolated and conceding a penalty. Less risk = less ambition.
It is also the way that the 'jackal' is ruled.
At present if you look stable over the ball with your hands on it for a split second the refs rule a holding penalty.
IMO it should be that the tackled player is denying you a clear opportunity to turn the ball over. The tackled player also has a right (in the law book) to play the ball and needs to be given that right. At present that is ruled simply on seeing a clear release by the tackler, yet the jackler is on the ball way before the ball carrier gets any chance to do what they are entitled to.
There is no benefit, in fact a deterrent, to make a line break at times so you are better to turn the game into a recycle fest.
Rugby's beauty was that it highlighted player's endeavour and that has gone to a large extent.
As I have suggested many times before, the emphasis on size and impact must go. Enforce the binding law and encourage the breakdown back to being a wrestle/push on the feet with turnovers achieved by getting numbers there first. That will bring the aerobic requirement back, create room on the field, decrease flying missile impacts and reduce the desire for player size over skill. -
@taniwharugby said in Japan v All Blacks:
Coles and Cane out, heading home.
Going or staying home might be a good option for players,because this NH tour could get ugly.
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WTF is it with Mounga and his kicking game? Some games he looks a million bucks and others he looks like a twenty cent piece being kicked into the gutter.
Even DMac was shaking his head at the brainless kicking at times.
That shit kicking was what gave Japan the ability to be good. Why is a player like Mounga not seeing that on the field? -
@Crucial said in Japan v All Blacks:
Even DMac was shaking his head at the brainless kicking at times.
He of all people should understand it he has done enough of it himself.
As BB was doing it all season JB from FB as well it looks like a team tactic for some bizarre reason.
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