All Blacks vs Wales

Tim

@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks vs Wales:

The comparison between 2nd half of the French Test last year and this game was stark. Last year they took it up the guts to wrestle the game back but made mistake after mistake which handed momentum back to France

That French team is vastly better than this Welsh team, who finished 5th with one win. Can't compare.

voodoo

@Victor-Meldrew I do wonder if the biggest change is actually just quality of opposition (sorry Mike)

Tim

At 17:37 Frizell was driven backwards, and Nisbit commented "Good strong charge from Shannon Frizell." He needs to be put down. Get McTavish in.

canefan

@Tim said in All Blacks vs Wales:

At 17:37 Frizell was driven backwards, and Nisbit commented "Good strong charge from Shannon Frizell." He needs to be put down. Get McTavish in.

I noticed Frizell get knocked back more than once.

BerniesCorner

@voodoo
I think there are genuine improvements.
Jason Ryan
A front row
Paps
JB 12
SW captain

The technical improvement has been significant in the forwards
Where's Razor

Tim

BTW, a reliable source has said that McLeod also had poor performance reviews last year. For some reason he has escaped scrutiny. I think it's vital that he is replaced in the off-season.

Tim

@canefan He had some good carries too. Quite a few mistakes, some decent chop tackles in the first half, but no ability to slow the ball or dominate with his tackles. Clean out game below his earlier performances.

canefan

@Tim said in All Blacks vs Wales:

BTW, a reliable source has said that McLeod also had poor performance reviews last year. For some reason he has escaped scrutiny. I think it's vital that he is replaced in the off-season.

If the NZRFU were in a mood to replace Fozzie's assistants, how the hell did McLeod survive the chop?

Tim

Taylor playing much better, but throwing not quite back to his best. Great to have him back in form as the bench option though.

Who will be the 3rd hooker in the squad? Coles is available for about two tests per year now.

Tim

Can Retallick back up his Eden Park Bledisloe performance? Or is Whitelock/Barrett the combination for the big games?

canefan

@Tim said in All Blacks vs Wales:

Can Retallick back up his Eden Park Bledisloe performance? Or is Whitelock/Barrett the combination for the big games?

Pretty tempting not to mess with a group that is performing well

voodoo

@BerniesCorner said in All Blacks vs Wales:

@voodoo
I think there are genuine improvements.
Jason Ryan
A front row
Paps
JB 12
SW captain

The technical improvement has been significant in the forwards
Where's Razor

Well, I agree with this post, though I'm not really sure what all that has to do with Jordies best attributes being his vision and distribution.

Let's move on I guess.

MiketheSnow

@voodoo said in All Blacks vs Wales:

@BerniesCorner said in All Blacks vs Wales:

@voodoo
I think there are genuine improvements.
Jason Ryan
A front row
Paps
JB 12
SW captain

The technical improvement has been significant in the forwards
Where's Razor

Well, I agree with this post, though I'm not really sure what all that has to do with Jordies best attributes being his vision and distribution.

Let's move on I guess.

If Tompkins had been playing in black it would have been close to 100 pts

Steve

Tim

Not sure what all the criticism of Jordie Barrett is for? All the backs ran the ball straight, so it was obviously a team tactic. He was good at that.

Tim

Restarts, exits, and defensive structure are big work-ons for this team. They're also the things that win tight matches.

PecoTrain

@Stargazer said in All Blacks vs Wales:

@Crucial It's amazing how after all these years in the commentary box, they still don't get the rules. I know there have been a lot of law changes over the years to digest, but the "back out of the hand" guideline for determining forward passes has been there for years now.

The commentators know there is a solid fan base for the "if the ball travels forward, it must be a forward pass" and "look at the markings on the field, it clearly went forward" interpretations of the rule and fancy physics be damned.

Stargazer

@Steve What a loser of a sports writer; not worth the title journo if he has to resort to attacking players for off-field issues in the past, instead of - or while - discussing the game. Only purpose seems to be to taint the ABs. Which article was that in?
Wait, ... I don't really want to know.

Tim

@Stargazer Yeah, that's a serious chip on the shoulder about NZ beating England stuff.

Stargazer

Ha, it does indeed sound like him.

The Silver Fern

All Blacks vs Wales