RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland
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@mariner4life Lots of good stuff in your recent sequence of posts.
I'd done the same analysis of the team the played Ireland in the three tests last time vs the team this time, and we're significantly better - especially on the bench, and especially if Lomax and de Groot play. But - also in the coaches' box!!! I hope Schmidt is bringing lots of insights.
It will be bloody handy if Lomax is fit and firing - but, I've got a nasty feeling he won't quite be. At best, we might see him and de Groot off the bench. Otherwise we're going to be weak at tighthead - starting and bench.
Interestingly, in the first test in that home series, we dominated their scrum - and watching the Jaapies take apart their lineout, gives me plenty to hope on. But, they are fucking well organized and play some beautiful patterns - so it's going to be a massive test for our midfield (and outside backs) - if we pass that defensive test it will go a long way towards winning. If they cut us up, we're fucked.
But, as @Duluth says, we have firepower to hurt them and by lots and quickly.
It's also worth looking a bit at the results in their win streak - a few close-ish calls on the scoreboard vs the Jaapies, Australia, Samoa - and even Italy. Haven't watched many of those games, but they're definitely not invincible. We tend to focus too much on ourselves.
I've got no idea what will happen in this match - I can see it being tight as fuck, or I can see either team winning comfortably - but I've kind of got a hunch that it might be a case of who dares wins.
If we're prepared to throw caution to the wind in terms of the physicality that we bring - and back ourselves to do it without conceding cards, then that might well be the path to victory. In our hey-day, we'd regularly produce those sort of performances, most memorably vs Australia - particularly when we'd lost the first Bledisloe test - and just blow them off the park.
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i only need to think back to SA last year. We had come off that Ireland loss. Then we had been as impotent as i had ever seen an AB team.
A week later we fucking pounded the Boks in SA. Pounded them. -
@mariner4life said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
If we can:
Not play too much inside our own 40
Chase and contest our kicks every single time
Don't go past the ball on defenseWe'll go a long way towards winning this game.
and learn to play to the refs!
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@mariner4life said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
i only need to think back to SA last year. We had come off that Ireland loss. Then we had been as impotent as i had ever seen an AB team.
A week later we fucking pounded the Boks in SA. Pounded them.Coming off the Ireland loss, we lost again, to Ireland. We did pound the Boks, and I would dearly love to pound the Irish in this match, but we are a fucking lottery at best.
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@nostrildamus sadly, the choice of reffing team could have a large impact on this game (and the others) positive and negative for both teams imo.
It shouldn't be the case, but it is.
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@Kiwiwomble said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
@mariner4life said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
i think our cleanout issues are a direct result of two things
Our set up, and
our inability to win first contactWe set up flat, don't hit on to the ball, and more often than not the play is a tip on to another forward who is also flat. It means our cleaners aren't arriving to any sort of advantage, which means technique has to be perfect, it doesn't take much being wrong to miss that assignment.
And that flat set up means our guys don't win first contact. Of all guys, Frizzell is the key to getting us on the front foot. He hits the ball at pace at a slight unders angle. A Savea's angle on the breakout against Uruguay was also perfect.What we don't want is too much Savea "yards after contact" which look great, but usually just result in slow messy ball.
If we are wedded to flat flat flat then everyone better not miss their assignments.....i 100% agree
we dont for a second try and just hit it up to try and draw more defenders disrupt they're formation...every play is with breaking the line in mind
It's like playing with that annoying team mate at touch, who loves to jink and run away from support, then he overruns after getting touched, and by the time he backtracks to the mark the momentum is gone. Just do fucken three ups and get the defensive line squeezing in and going backwards first before you try to spin it wide
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@mariner4life
We are better.
But I think Ireland might be better too. -
@canefan said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
@Kiwiwomble said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
@mariner4life said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
i think our cleanout issues are a direct result of two things
Our set up, and
our inability to win first contactWe set up flat, don't hit on to the ball, and more often than not the play is a tip on to another forward who is also flat. It means our cleaners aren't arriving to any sort of advantage, which means technique has to be perfect, it doesn't take much being wrong to miss that assignment.
And that flat set up means our guys don't win first contact. Of all guys, Frizzell is the key to getting us on the front foot. He hits the ball at pace at a slight unders angle. A Savea's angle on the breakout against Uruguay was also perfect.What we don't want is too much Savea "yards after contact" which look great, but usually just result in slow messy ball.
If we are wedded to flat flat flat then everyone better not miss their assignments.....i 100% agree
we dont for a second try and just hit it up to try and draw more defenders disrupt they're formation...every play is with breaking the line in mind
It's like playing with that annoying team mate at touch, who loves to jink and run away from support, then he overruns after getting touched, and by the time he backtracks to the mark the momentum is gone. Just do fucken three ups and get the defensive line squeezing in and going backwards first before you try to spin it wide
im sure we were all told growing up "earn the right to go wide"...sure, we've had teams in the past that didnt need to earn it...they could do whatever they liked...this is not one of those teams...and yet were still playing like we are
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@taniwharugby said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
@nostrildamus sadly, the choice of reffing team could have a large impact on this game (and the others) positive and negative for both teams imo.
It shouldn't be the case, but it is.
When are the refereeing teams for these games announced?
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@Unite said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
When are the refereeing teams for these games announced?
Fucked up indictment of the state of the game - that this probably isn't a riff on the Fern running-gag... but is actually a genuine question, with genuine interest/weight to it.
Answer is obviously Jeudi, by the way.
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@Kruse said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
@Unite said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
When are the refereeing teams for these games announced?
Fucked up indictment of the state of the game - that this probably isn't a riff on the Fern running-gag... but is actually a genuine question, with genuine interest/weight to it.
Answer is obviously Jeudi, by the way.
No, it was a genuine question...I did Google but can't find anything...
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@george33 said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
This is the side I'm picking
Beauden,Talea,Reiko,JB, Jordan, Ritchie,Smith, Ardie,Cane, Frizzell,Retallack,S.Barrett,Nepo,Codie,Ofa
Bench De Groot,Lomax(Williams), Whitelock, Papalili, Christie,ALB , McKenzieThey'll have Coles on the bench, as well.
If Lomax can't play, they'll pick Newell at tighthead- but, I wouldn't mind if you're right. I think Fletch needed to play Super rugby this year to be test-ready.
Only question-marks are how they deploy the props, and I think they'll go the way you suggest - except Newell for Williams on the bench, if Lomax can't play.
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I like Williams already, he's strong at the scrum, gets around the field, and offers a bit on attack. I would play him. He and Lomax has a nice feel to it.
Other side is an issue. De Groot and Ofa have form issues but should be a solid pairing. Laulala and Ofa starting does feel like reverting to last year. And not in a good way.It's really unfair to have Lomax emerge this well only to lose him when it matters.
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@mariner4life Yeah - I'd be inclined pick Williams ahead of Newell on the tighthead side, but I can't see it happening.
I'm prepared to trust that Ryan and Feek know what they're doing.
Really hope Lomax can play!!!!!!!! He's our best prop.
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@Bovidae said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
Williams hasn't been used as a TH so there is no way he and de Groot are on the bench together.
fuck so i am not going mental. i thought he was a LH but just figured "okay dumbass, you were probably playing on your phone typing bullshit in to the match thread and missed it"
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@Chris-B said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
@mariner4life Yeah - I'd be inclined pick Williams ahead of Newell on the tighthead side, but I can't see it happening.
I'm prepared to trust that Ryan and Feek know what they're doing.
Really hope Lomax can play!!!!!!!! He's our best prop.
if he's "fit" then you have to start him. He's our best prop, but also if he breaks it's better if he's not already been subbed on.
