All Blacks Vs Springboks RC Week 2
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Conservative team as expected from Foster apart from picking Williams. Glad they selected him, and also happy that they are being careful with Whitelock. Don't want him to aggravate his injury. Vaai is a selection I guess I will never understand, he's so meh.
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@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks Vs Springboks RC Week 2:
One of the themes of Fozzie's selection is he avoids making tough decisions.
With the first fives he gives everyone a go.
The only reason Jordie is at 12 is multiple injuries last year and even then he rotated 12s on the end of year tour despite Jordie being a revalation at 12 in Bledisloe 2 last year.
With his 3 locks injury has meant he hasn't had to make a tough call there yet this year but in the past has put Barrett at 6 to squeeze them all on the field.
I don't believe he has ever started Jordan at fullback but he'll pick him on the wing etc.
I think I'd characterize that quite differently - I think he's actually a very consistent selector. He gives people runs of games and I think has a very clear idea of what his top team is - it just doesn't always accord with what the Fern thinks and wants. He probably errs in sometimes showing too much loyalty/consistency.
On first fives, Beaudy started the first half of last season (carrying on from 2021 when he'd got his nose in front in the latter part of the season - and recalling babies and injuries at the end) and only after the run of losses did Richie take over.
Havili got a long run at 12 and Jordie was clearly established as our first choice 15. I'd guess Fozzie didn't want to disrupt his backfield combination (Clarke, Jordan, Jordie) to try to solve his midfield problem.
He clearly wants Jordan at 14, so he's been very consistent there.
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Fucking lol at all the Foster-whining here at the non-selection of DMac at 10 and the selection of Friz at 6 and BB at 15.
Those of you claiming DMac had a "blinder" last week need to go and watch it again. Against a better side his first 15 minutes could have lost us a game. As is was a pathetic Argies forward performance and a masterclass at 9 from ASmith, gave him an armchair ride to try to make amends.
RM was ALWAYS going to start this game. I would have had DMac on the bench myself, but I'm not entirely surprised to not see it. I expect him to feature heavily in the rest of the RC though, especially against Oz
Re Friz, I'm not his biggest fan either, but with SW out and SB into lock, we were never going to start anyone else there.
BB was very good last week, as I said a few days ago, I reckon he did enough to cement his spot - if we were 18 months out from a RWC, maybe that wouldn't be the case. It would be good to see WJ spend some time at 15 in this game though.
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@reprobate said in All Blacks Vs Springboks RC Week 2:
@voodoo That's the thing though - he didn't have a blinder. And it was still the best our backline has functioned in a couple of years.
soooo, maybe it was more to do with our forwards and Smith then? Plus the midfield getting more and more chops?
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@voodoo said in All Blacks Vs Springboks RC Week 2:
@reprobate said in All Blacks Vs Springboks RC Week 2:
@voodoo That's the thing though - he didn't have a blinder. And it was still the best our backline has functioned in a couple of years.
soooo, maybe it was more to do with our forwards and Smith then? Plus the midfield getting more and more chops?
Or maybe it's a first five who plays flat at the line and combines well with his backline (inside and out).
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@Chris-B said in All Blacks Vs Springboks RC Week 2:
I think I'd characterize that quite differently - I think he's actually a very consistent selector. He gives people runs of games and I think has a very clear idea of what his top team is - it just doesn't always accord with what the Fern thinks and wants. He probably errs in sometimes showing too much loyalty/consistency.
On first fives, Beaudy started the first half of last season (carrying on from 2021 when he'd got his nose in front in the latter part of the season - and recalling babies and injuries at the end) and only after the run of losses did Richie take over.
Havili got a long run at 12 and Jordie was clearly established as our first choice 15. I'd guess Fozzie didn't want to disrupt his backfield combination (Clarke, Jordan, Jordie) to try to solve his midfield problem.
He clearly wants Jordan at 14, so he's been very consistent there.
You don't think those two things might be related? Our back play has been terrible since BB became our starting 1st-5. Then we have RM and DMac and things start to look up. That isn't a coincidence in my book.
Foster is beyond "consistent" and deep into stubborn. He will play Beauden until he breaks, no matter how many passes he shovels right in front of the posts to people in worse positions.
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@voodoo The forwards have fronted up off and on over the past 2 years, and Smith has rarely been less than excellent: even at his worst he's been very good by others' standards. Barrett helps the midfield, but again, Foster's hand was somewhat forced there and despite the solution then being right in front of him he kept trying to revert to what hadn't worked in the past.
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@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks Vs Springboks RC Week 2:
@voodoo said in All Blacks Vs Springboks RC Week 2:
@reprobate said in All Blacks Vs Springboks RC Week 2:
@voodoo That's the thing though - he didn't have a blinder. And it was still the best our backline has functioned in a couple of years.
soooo, maybe it was more to do with our forwards and Smith then? Plus the midfield getting more and more chops?
Or maybe it's a first five who plays flat at the line and combines well with his backline (inside and out).
who knows - but I'll tell you one certainty - the knives will come out for RM when he gets rushed ball this week cos the forwards struggle for dominance (or maybe even parity), and because the midfield isn't able to break the gain line after receiving identical ball to last week...
Look, I'm no DMac hater - he did some great stuff last week. But we love to call RM a "rocks and diamonds" guy, and DMac's effort last week was the ultimate R&D showcase.
The reality is that we simply don't have the kind of 10 in our squad who can boss a game with his boot when territory is all important - they all look great behind dominant forwards, and bloody awful when time is taken away from them.
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@voodoo said in All Blacks Vs Springboks RC Week 2:
@reprobate said in All Blacks Vs Springboks RC Week 2:
@voodoo That's the thing though - he didn't have a blinder. And it was still the best our backline has functioned in a couple of years.
soooo, maybe it was more to do with our forwards and Smith then? Plus the midfield getting more and more chops?
Dmac got 3 try assists in that game, Ioane, BB and Narawa all to do with him helping create space and putting men into that space - as you would expect a good first 5 to do and what he did for the Chiefs all season.
Yeah the forwards and Smith helped create some space/less bodies in the line but you still have to see it and still put people into it - which Dmac did, even after a shaky start.
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@voodoo said in All Blacks Vs Springboks RC Week 2:
and DMac's effort last week was the ultimate R&D showcase.
'The ultimate rocks and diamonds showcase'. You think that's just a tad hyperbolic? On the charge down the Argies were miles offside and I remember he dropped a ball in the second half but the ultimate rocks and diamonds is way overboard.
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@voodoo said in All Blacks Vs Springboks RC Week 2:
@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks Vs Springboks RC Week 2:
@voodoo said in All Blacks Vs Springboks RC Week 2:
@reprobate said in All Blacks Vs Springboks RC Week 2:
@voodoo That's the thing though - he didn't have a blinder. And it was still the best our backline has functioned in a couple of years.
soooo, maybe it was more to do with our forwards and Smith then? Plus the midfield getting more and more chops?
Or maybe it's a first five who plays flat at the line and combines well with his backline (inside and out).
who knows - but I'll tell you one certainty - the knives will come out for RM when he gets rushed ball this week cos the forwards struggle for dominance (or maybe even parity), and because the midfield isn't able to break the gain line after receiving identical ball to last week...
Look, I'm no DMac hater - he did some great stuff last week. But we love to call RM a "rocks and diamonds" guy, and DMac's effort last week was the ultimate R&D showcase.
The reality is that we simply don't have the kind of 10 in our squad who can boss a game with his boot when territory is all important - they all look great behind dominant forwards, and bloody awful when time is taken away from them.
Yup, I couldn't agree more.. The fowards set a great platform that enabled the backs to take advantage and play well. Best exemplified by the lack of a strong platform and the resulting scrappiness of the last 30mins last week once the fwd reserves came on.
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@Chester-Draws said in All Blacks Vs Springboks RC Week 2:
@Chris-B said in All Blacks Vs Springboks RC Week 2:
I think I'd characterize that quite differently - I think he's actually a very consistent selector. He gives people runs of games and I think has a very clear idea of what his top team is - it just doesn't always accord with what the Fern thinks and wants. He probably errs in sometimes showing too much loyalty/consistency.
On first fives, Beaudy started the first half of last season (carrying on from 2021 when he'd got his nose in front in the latter part of the season - and recalling babies and injuries at the end) and only after the run of losses did Richie take over.
Havili got a long run at 12 and Jordie was clearly established as our first choice 15. I'd guess Fozzie didn't want to disrupt his backfield combination (Clarke, Jordan, Jordie) to try to solve his midfield problem.
He clearly wants Jordan at 14, so he's been very consistent there.
You don't think those two things might be related? Our back play has been terrible since BB became our starting 1st-5. Then we have RM and DMac and things start to look up. That isn't a coincidence in my book.
I completely agree - well, I'm not quite as harsh on Beaudy's whole career, but clearly he had to go mid-2022!
Fozzie's "consistency" is why I'll be amazed if DMac supplants Richie barring injury or some disastrous performances.
Mainly, at this point, I like that. It would be pretty concerning to be this close to a RWC and not have a clear idea of who our first choice first five is. It would be like a top NFL team starting their season not knowing who their starting QB is.
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@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks Vs Springboks RC Week 2:
@voodoo said in All Blacks Vs Springboks RC Week 2:
and DMac's effort last week was the ultimate R&D showcase.
'The ultimate rocks and diamonds showcase'. You think that's just a tad hyperbolic? On the charge down the Argies were miles offside and I remember he dropped a ball in the second half but the ultimate rocks and diamonds is way overboard.
They may have been offside but he still put the ball to boot! He then missed 2 very kickable shots at goal. That can easily be enough in a big game.
I can let the 2nd half stuff go given how disjointed the whole team looked.
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@Windows97 said in All Blacks Vs Springboks RC Week 2:
@voodoo said in All Blacks Vs Springboks RC Week 2:
@reprobate said in All Blacks Vs Springboks RC Week 2:
@voodoo That's the thing though - he didn't have a blinder. And it was still the best our backline has functioned in a couple of years.
soooo, maybe it was more to do with our forwards and Smith then? Plus the midfield getting more and more chops?
Dmac got 3 try assists in that game, Ioane, BB and Narawa all to do with him helping create space and putting men into that space - as you would expect a good first 5 to do and what he did for the Chiefs all season.
Yeah the forwards and Smith helped create some space/less bodies in the line but you still have to see it and still put people into it - which Dmac did, even after a shaky start.
That to me was the difference. The ABs tries weren't scored from individual brilliance they were tries created through manipulation - something that has been rare in the ABs for years.
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@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks Vs Springboks RC Week 2:
@voodoo said in All Blacks Vs Springboks RC Week 2:
@reprobate said in All Blacks Vs Springboks RC Week 2:
@voodoo That's the thing though - he didn't have a blinder. And it was still the best our backline has functioned in a couple of years.
soooo, maybe it was more to do with our forwards and Smith then? Plus the midfield getting more and more chops?
Or maybe it's a first five who plays flat at the line and combines well with his backline (inside and out).
a first five that actually looked to unleash his backline rather than either run it himself or kick it away?....madness
DMac was not perfect...at least twice worried me running sideways ducking and weaving behind our line...BUT...he was looking to put people in holes or in space
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@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks Vs Springboks RC Week 2:
That to me was the difference. The ABs tries weren't scored from individual brilliance they were tries created through manipulation - something that has been rare in the ABs for years.
Yes agree with that, the AB's have been a hard watch recently as so much of the attack seems to be based off someone pulling something out of their ass or throwing the ball around in the hope that one of our backs gets a 1:1 with a fatty in the defensive line.
Rugby is beautiful to watch when a defense is manipulated, space is created and people run into that space. Maybe it's just me - but when you outthink your opposition to score instead of just using brute force or flair it's just so much more pleasing.
