RWC Week 1: France v All Blacks
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@DaGrubster said in RWC Week 1: France v All Blacks:
Yeah, I am pretty much over this RWC already as I don’t think we have the ability to overcome our shortcomings and play in a way that is required to win it.
Too many things have to go for us to be able to win it and the odds must be high for that to happen.
Having said that, it’s a long tournament and we have seen sides grow into them before. Let’s hope the ABs do in fact grow into the tournament and use the next month to be in the best shape possible for the qtr final.
Anything is possible in a one off match of course!
I agree, I feel very downbeat about our chances. That being said, we only need to catch fire in 3 games and we can win it all. But we are in an unfamiliar position right now, of a team who are not probably seen in the world rugby media as a serious threat. But if we can put our best 15 on the park and on the bench, if we focus our game plan away from what we showed in the second half in Paris , we have a team who can do the business. I'd love to be proved wrong
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G’day mate.
We had a very good game plan in the RC but we have either put that away for now or are unable to play it against a side we don’t get dominance upfront.
It’s disappointing to see us go away from a more direct gameplan that included a physically accurate breakdown approach.
I don’t want to be too negative before we have even got going and generally I am not but on the evidence so far, it looks like we are going to come up short in this RWC.
Agreed with all you say and I am trying to just enjoy the ride for what it is and see where we end up this time round.
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@DaGrubster I actually dont think we are that far off where we need to be and as such, be in with a shot, however I am unsure we have the ability to adapt and change our mindset to achieve this, especially when we will be asked to step up 3 weeks in a row, when presently we seem to struggle to put together 2 good performances (thats without looking at the fact we played well for 40/50 mins in those games too and shat the bed for the rest)
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Maybe the coaching team weren’t confident we can play that game due to half our 1st choice forward pack unavailable?
Maybe they are putting it away for the qtr finals so teams don’t prepare for it and we upset them with a change in approach (a bit like how we did against Ireland at Eden park last year).
Maybe I am clutching at straws though!? 😂
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@canefan said in RWC Week 1: France v All Blacks:
The puzzling thing is why have we departed from the physical direct game plan we used in the RC?
Generally, I'm not much of a believer in dry powder, but against France we clearly weren't playing with the same physicality we brought vs the Boks during TRC.
In the previous game we looked like we were playing a pre-season hit-out. Way off the pace.
As Grubster says maybe we need our top team back to get to that level - or maybe we've shelved it for now. It's hard to bring that level of intensity every match.
And, frankly, I wasn't overly impressed with France - especially in the first half. I reckon they've got more gears to go through in the play-offs.
The draw has made it pretty tough for any of NZ, SA, France or Ireland to win it, but it's highly likely one of them will. Two of them will go home after the QFs - if that's us, I hope at least we play well and look like we were contenders.
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@kiwiinmelb said in RWC Week 1: France v All Blacks:
Listening to Steve Devine yesterday ,
He was wondering if they are holding something back for the 1/4s ,
He thought the game was there to be won but they didn’t go for it,
In other words what he is really saying ,the tactics were so bad he is hoping they weren’t deliberate 😀
Devine was an AB so should know his stuff, but is this really a thing? Do players in that situation actually go, yeah we can win this but let's not try very hard because quarters?
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This RWC cycle is a result of the late 2016 Hansen side. 8 years later, we still don't now our best 6, RM was just given the 10 job this year, props late last year, centers mid to late last year, wings this year and who knows what the phuck the game plan is. We do know that whatever game plan they put out, a team with half a brain and an average to decent boot will hump us.
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@Rancid-Schnitzel said in RWC Week 1: France v All Blacks:
@kiwiinmelb said in RWC Week 1: France v All Blacks:
Listening to Steve Devine yesterday ,
He was wondering if they are holding something back for the 1/4s ,
He thought the game was there to be won but they didn’t go for it,
In other words what he is really saying ,the tactics were so bad he is hoping they weren’t deliberate 😀
Devine was an AB so should know his stuff, but is this really a thing? Do players in that situation actually go, yeah we can win this but let's not try very hard because quarters?
I think its horse shit TBH. How the hell do you know a plan works if you don't practice it during a game? In which case teams will work it out.
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@Rancid-Schnitzel said in RWC Week 1: France v All Blacks:
@kiwiinmelb said in RWC Week 1: France v All Blacks:
Listening to Steve Devine yesterday ,
He was wondering if they are holding something back for the 1/4s ,
He thought the game was there to be won but they didn’t go for it,
In other words what he is really saying ,the tactics were so bad he is hoping they weren’t deliberate 😀
Devine was an AB so should know his stuff, but is this really a thing? Do players in that situation actually go, yeah we can win this but let's not try very hard because quarters?
Yes.
You see it every year in Super rugby. Crusaders lost 4 games this year - but, none in the play-offs.
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Up to a point I agree, but no way do I think ABs lost because they were keeping powder dry, just beaten by better team. As I say , at times we have to instead of just saying ABs weren't good, we should give opposition credit for being good, much as it seems a lot of us as AB fans can't do it.
Game is so structured how we play at top level add into fact that late changes seem to stuff up a little how teams play, and at top level against very good teams, off by 2% is enough to lose tests. -
@Joans-Town-Jones said in RWC Week 1: France v All Blacks:
This RWC cycle is a result of the late 2016 Hansen side. 8 years later, we still don't now our best 6, RM was just given the 10 job this year, props late last year, centers mid to late last year, wings this year and who knows what the phuck the game plan is. We do know that whatever game plan they put out, a team with half a brain and an average to decent boot will hump us.
That's maybe because we don'or aren't producing players of the calibre of McCaw, Carter (all time greats) and Kaino etc etc at super level and below. Though I believe we are getting close to seeing a few real WC players coming up , enough for us to dominate like we did from 2011-2016 I doubt, but it is up to point a cycle.
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@Chris-B said in RWC Week 1: France v All Blacks:
@Rancid-Schnitzel said in RWC Week 1: France v All Blacks:
@kiwiinmelb said in RWC Week 1: France v All Blacks:
Listening to Steve Devine yesterday ,
He was wondering if they are holding something back for the 1/4s ,
He thought the game was there to be won but they didn’t go for it,
In other words what he is really saying ,the tactics were so bad he is hoping they weren’t deliberate 😀
Devine was an AB so should know his stuff, but is this really a thing? Do players in that situation actually go, yeah we can win this but let's not try very hard because quarters?
Yes.
You see it every year in Super rugby. Crusaders lost 4 games this year - but, none in the play-offs.
Hmm. I reckon that's a tad different. The Saders routinely select a team of reserves for those games and roll the dice. No big deal. But this is the RWC. Did they not want to win this and "kept their powder dry" TM to just phone it in and give the appearance of trying? Were they instructed not to bother chasing the game? That would appear strange because they were pretty desperate to score at the end there.
In any case, based on the last 4 years I'm not sure what this side would suddenly have done different to win if they'd really wanted to.
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@Tim said in RWC Week 1: France v All Blacks:
Savea and Papalii did a lot of cleanout work, making up for the awful efforts from the tight forwards.
Paps cleanouts...I must have watched a different game
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Yeah I did see any of those clean outs by DP.
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Papalii has struggled for form all year - both Choat and Segner showed more for the Blues this year.
I know Leon hinted at an issue Dalton was having earlier this year (ribs?) I'm not sure if that's playing a part but as a 7 he doesn't disrupt / turn over enough ball.
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@Rancid-Schnitzel said in RWC Week 1: France v All Blacks:
@Chris-B said in RWC Week 1: France v All Blacks:
@Rancid-Schnitzel said in RWC Week 1: France v All Blacks:
@kiwiinmelb said in RWC Week 1: France v All Blacks:
Listening to Steve Devine yesterday ,
He was wondering if they are holding something back for the 1/4s ,
He thought the game was there to be won but they didn’t go for it,
In other words what he is really saying ,the tactics were so bad he is hoping they weren’t deliberate 😀
Devine was an AB so should know his stuff, but is this really a thing? Do players in that situation actually go, yeah we can win this but let's not try very hard because quarters?
Yes.
You see it every year in Super rugby. Crusaders lost 4 games this year - but, none in the play-offs.
Hmm. I reckon that's a tad different. The Saders routinely select a team of reserves for those games and roll the dice. No big deal. But this is the RWC. Did they not want to win this and "kept their powder dry" TM to just phone it in and give the appearance of trying? Were they instructed not to bother chasing the game? That would appear strange because they were pretty desperate to score at the end there.
In any case, based on the last 4 years I'm not sure what this side would suddenly have done different to win if they'd really wanted to.
I doubt it would be about not trying , it would be more about gearing their training to peak in the finals . And potentially holding things back they have been practicing and sticking to a plan a .
But I’m Not advocating it did happen. Not this team because it looked all too familiar anyway. -
@DaGrubster said in RWC Week 1: France v All Blacks:
G’day mate, whatever people think of Jabobsen - he is still a loose forward and picked to perform as one.
Whoever thought Vaai was up to playing as a 6 in this match really needs to be questioned.
We have had a problem at 6 since Kaino retired and have had c.70 test matches in that time to find 2 suitable players who can do the job.
I know Frizzell was injured but to get to the point we’re we have to put a young inexperienced light lock (who plays 10kgs lighter than he actually is) in our starting lineup show we have completely squandered a chance develop quality and depth in a know problem position.
If Jacobsen can’t be trusted and we have to play the above player then I really question the point of bringing him in the first place.
And on that; why bring in another player who can't fold fluffybunnies or bend the line? If you needed another loose forward then wasn't that Finau given the injury to our first choice and Vaai's demonstrated inadequacy for the role?
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@Joans-Town-Jones said in RWC Week 1: France v All Blacks:
This RWC cycle is a result of the late 2016 Hansen side. 8 years later, we still don't now our best 6,
Clearly Frizell based on this year.
RM was just given the 10 job this year, props late last year, centers mid to late last year, wings this year
So you're upset the selectors are picking based on form?
and who knows what the phuck the game plan is.
Really? You can't grasp the basic way they want to play?