All Blacks vs Fiji
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Pitch invasion into the huddle post game
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@WillieTheWaiter said in All Blacks vs Fiji:
Shorts so tight he struggled to put the ball down
But easy to put the balls up
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darylmitchellreplied to Frank on 20 Jul 2024, 07:54 last edited by darylmitchell 20 Jul 2024, 07:55
@Frank said in All Blacks vs Fiji:
@darylmitchell said in All Blacks vs Fiji:
I can't believe they didn't use Clarke during the England series - I mean how many times would have it been better to have Caleb punching and getting over the gain line rather than Telea dodging 5 tacklers and getting caught behind the advantage line?
He was injured.
Um wasn't Clarke available for the 2nd test?
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@Duluth said in All Blacks vs Fiji:
@No-Quarter said in All Blacks vs Fiji:
EB was disappointing given the hype from Crusaderland. He struggled with the pace of the game in the heat. May be a fitness thing given he's just back from his latest injury, but he shouldn't be close to the 23 right now.
Cane is available for the Championship squad. EB is the player that should drop out
It was always a big ask. Ardie has been playing a lower standard in Japan and looks below his best. EB hasn't been playing at all. Probably needs some reps in the NPC to get him up to speed for the EOYT, assuming that Razor wants to take him
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I still can't work out what the best position for LJ is. He kind of looks like an 8 without the impact, does well at 6 and LOs against lower tier teams, and can play a patched up 7. But is he really a 6?
Also not convinced against top sides he would have the same lineout factor.
Niggles isn't really a 7, he doesn't seem to know what to do with the ball once he gets it. -
@nostrildamus said in All Blacks vs Fiji:
> I still can't work out what the best position for LJ is. He kind of looks like an 8 without the impact, does well at 6 and LOs against lower tier teams, and can play a patched up 7. But is he really a 6?Also not convinced against top sides he would have the same lineout factor.
Niggles isn't really a 7, he doesn't seem to know what to do with the ball once he gets it.So basically a perfect 6.5 that the ABs seem to insist on selecting year after year ?
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@MN5 said in All Blacks vs Fiji:
@nostrildamus said in All Blacks vs Fiji:
> I still can't work out what the best position for LJ is. He kind of looks like an 8 without the impact, does well at 6 and LOs against lower tier teams, and can play a patched up 7. But is he really a 6?Also not convinced against top sides he would have the same lineout factor.
Niggles isn't really a 7, he doesn't seem to know what to do with the ball once he gets it.So basically a perfect 6.5 that the ABs seem to insist on selecting year after year ?
Yes could be a good utility with quite a bit more finetuning.
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@nostrildamus said in All Blacks vs Fiji:
@MN5 said in All Blacks vs Fiji:
@nostrildamus said in All Blacks vs Fiji:
> I still can't work out what the best position for LJ is. He kind of looks like an 8 without the impact, does well at 6 and LOs against lower tier teams, and can play a patched up 7. But is he really a 6?Also not convinced against top sides he would have the same lineout factor.
Niggles isn't really a 7, he doesn't seem to know what to do with the ball once he gets it.So basically a perfect 6.5 that the ABs seem to insist on selecting year after year ?
Yes could be a good utility with quite a bit more finetuning.
Didn’t someone say he was the biggest hitter in the AB squad or did I imagine that ?
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@MN5 said in All Blacks vs Fiji:
Didn’t someone say he was the biggest hitter in the AB squad or did I imagine that ?
you mean concrete shoulders? I heard that, saw some solid tackles in Super, don't remember earth-shattering ones at international level.
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@bayimports said in All Blacks vs Fiji:
@canefan said in All Blacks vs Fiji:
How lucky is Finlay Christie? Nailed on the get the next start. Fuuuck
Not often a ginger gets kissed on the dick so often
Not since Henry VIII
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Well done Planet Rugby, not taking the cool aid that NZ media are - note equal lowest scores for 1-7, forwards were lacking in go forward and Fiji got the turnovers until reserves on
7 Ethan Blackadder: It was good for the flank to get some Test minutes in his legs but it was not a blockbuster showing. Blackadder ticked the boxes in a decent outing but he would be upset having missed four tackles on the night. 6
6 Luke Jacobson: One of the players doing the grunt work so the others can run wild and write headlines. Jacobson did not do much going forward but made eight tackles on defence. 6
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@MiketheSnow said in All Blacks vs Fiji:
Not often a ginger gets kissed on the dick so often
Not since Henry VIII
Philistines. Errol Flynn played Red Beard. Elton John might have a thing or two to say here as well.
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Can Sititi play 6?
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I really hope Ratima isn’t out for long, he really looks the goods
Hard to take too much from a game like this. Annoying to see all the handling errors, and some sloppy breakdown work too. But some good stuff amongst all that too.
Clarke clearly takes the 11 spot, Sevu holds 14 for now despite falling asleep to gift Fiji their first try
Keen to see Darry more at this level to see what he can grow into.
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@voodoo said in All Blacks vs Fiji:
I really hope Ratima isn’t out for long, he really looks the goods
I think he'll be fine for the Arg test as it looked like concussion not an injury. The big question is whether TJP is fit, as then they have a selection decision to make.
The playing surface (Bermuda grass) definitely played a part in some of the handling errors when the players hit the ground, and it was mentioned was a really hard surface.
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His hometown
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@MN5 said in All Blacks vs Fiji:
@nostrildamus said in All Blacks vs Fiji:
@MN5 said in All Blacks vs Fiji:
@nostrildamus said in All Blacks vs Fiji:
> I still can't work out what the best position for LJ is. He kind of looks like an 8 without the impact, does well at 6 and LOs against lower tier teams, and can play a patched up 7. But is he really a 6?Also not convinced against top sides he would have the same lineout factor.
Niggles isn't really a 7, he doesn't seem to know what to do with the ball once he gets it.So basically a perfect 6.5 that the ABs seem to insist on selecting year after year ?
Yes could be a good utility with quite a bit more finetuning.
Didn’t someone say he was the biggest hitter in the AB squad or did I imagine that ?
Used to be known for his concrete shoulders. Like a young Read in that regard.
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Read the previous comments...shouldn't have. People are going to see what they are going to see. You can predict the people who are going to say something less than positive about Niggles and it is always "he does this but ...(slide in some abstract shite)". Watch Niggles be a pest at the breakdown, support the ball carrier, etc. Actually should have been penalized for playing on the wrong side of the ruck a few times but ...
LJ needs a mention as well. I think you get Cane's defense game plus a bit more. Here is a controversial comment. Maybe a Niggles, LJ, and Sotutu backrow with Savea as impact might be our best combo.
As did Clarke. I have been his biggest critic but his positional play, high ball ability, etc is really an obvious improvement compared to Telea.
And Proctor! A real center's game. Really impressed both on defense and attack.
I wonder how much you can read on this game though. Time will tell I suppose. -
@Old-Samurai-Jack said in All Blacks vs Fiji:
Read the previous comments...shouldn't have. People are going to see what they are going to see. You can predict the people who are going to say something less than positive about Niggles and it is always "he does this but ...(slide in some abstract shite)". Watch Niggles be a pest at the breakdown, support the ball carrier, etc. Actually should have been penalized for playing on the wrong side of the ruck a few times but ...
LJ needs a mention as well. I think you get Cane's defense game plus a bit more. Here is a controversial comment. Maybe a Niggles, LJ, and Sotutu backrow with Savea as impact might be our best combo.
As did Clarke. I have been his biggest critic but his positional play, high ball ability, etc is really an obvious improvement compared to Telea.
And Proctor! A real center's game. Really impressed both on defense and attack.
I wonder how much you can read on this game though. Time will tell I suppose.He needs to make the squad first
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I'm really happy for ALB, thought he was a bit on the slide before.
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@nostrildamus said in All Blacks vs Fiji:
I'm really happy for ALB, thought he was a bit on the slide before.
Yeah, forgot to mention ALB. Great game. When fit, he is a diamond. His "rugby smarts" is probably superior to JB's at the moment.
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Just watching the second half as I had to go out earlier. At 55 mins very nice play by Reece, Hotham and DMac to put Clarke over in the corner, only to be disallowed due to some Scooter Barrett inaccuracy 🙄
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58 mins de Groot goes over. We look so much better running hard and straight. A couple of minutes earlier we shuffle the ball out wide and Fiji smash us behind the advantage line flat footed
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Razor knockers can surely see there is less headless chicken stuff over the last 3 games
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If DMac is injured we have a problem
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@BerniesCorner said in All Blacks vs Fiji:
If DMac is injured we have a problem
I'd rather see them give Plummer a crack, than sub in BB or Perofeta
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Hotham having a tidy debut, Caleb Clarke had a very good game. High work rate, made good decisions
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@BerniesCorner said in All Blacks vs Fiji:
Razor knockers can surely see there is less headless chicken stuff over the last 3 games
Prolly gonna just wait to see how we go against something better than Borthwick England or not even the drua, but yeah for a second side it was a much tidier affair than the past few years.
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@Bones said in All Blacks vs Fiji:
@BerniesCorner said in All Blacks vs Fiji:
Razor knockers can surely see there is less headless chicken stuff over the last 3 games
Prolly gonna just wait to see how we go against something better than Borthwick England or not even the drua, but yeah for a second side it was a much tidier affair than the past few years.
Only SA will be equal to or better than Borthwick's England
If you don't thrash both Argentina and Australia then you have problems
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@MiketheSnow The lineout remains the worry for me, then the lack of depth in the backrow, then the lack of depth at ten, then the run of tough away games we have in November.
But overall, I am pleased with the results so far and to see the squad moving forward.
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RI to the wing please and a centre at centre. ALB had a great game. BP was decent too. Thought Ratima and then Hotham very good too. And CC looks so much better with less body weight.
3/3 so far. Ah, I’d forgotten what it was like for the ABs to string together victories.
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@Old-Samurai-Jack said in All Blacks vs Fiji:
Maybe a Niggles, LJ, and Sotutu backrow with Savea as impact might be our best combo.
Not that controversial.
I think you could swap in/out about 8 names in any number of combinations and it would be a defendable opinion.
Edit: defendable, not dependable
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@Billy-Tell Oh come on lol, we strung many victories together under the last management too haha.
Lets not act like we barely strung 2 victories in a row from 2020-2023.
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All in all a pretty satisfactory performance. Fiji weren't great, to be honest, and it's hard to read too much into individual performances beyond the fact that none of the debutants looked overawed.
I'd like to see two teams relatively close to full strength rolled out against Argentina, but there's definitely room for a bit of experimentation in a couple of positions because, in my opinion, there are a few 'second stringers' who are pushing the incumbents.
I think Tupou Vaa'i, Cortez Ratima, Anton Lienert-Brown, Caleb Clarke and Emoni Narawa should be starting in the first Test in place of Patrick Tuipulotu, TJ Perenara, Rieko Ioane, Mark Tele'a and Sevu Reece, but otherwise sticking with the the same side that was used in the opening game of the season.
It's tough to pick between the three Chiefs loosies at the moment, Samipeni Finau, Luke Jacobson and Wallace Sititi, for who should start, who should come off the bench and who should be left out of the 23. My preference is to persist with Finau for now and maybe give Sititi the 20 jersey. I think Jacobson should probably be starting or not in the team, I don't think he adds enough impact from the bench and I'd like to see a bit more of Sititi.
Stephen Perofeta holds onto the 15 jersey for my mind. Narawa needs a proper run. There's probably a bit of room for rotation in the props and I'm not too bothered if Codie Taylor or Asafo Aumua starts with the other on the bench.
After the first Argentina game, Robertson should be able to largely confirm the top team to run out in the second game and against the Springboks.
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Yes Beaudan IMO looks better off the bench. LJ is good defensively, good at LO but hard to gauge against Fiji who did not contest, but not really an impact player, Niggles may be better off bench and less effective tackler but they are otherwise fighting for same role (and IMO EB is better at 6 than 7).
Not mentioned much here I think but Aumuas no look passing was so sharp and effective! Even Beauden could learn from that (BB still sometimes doesn't delay but goes for ye old hospital pass). You can see why they like Wallace off the bench. They're using Ardie a huge amount as a linker he is basically another 12 minus the kicking. Man that was the best ALB performance for ages, he was really aggro and assertive. I could be wrong but Proctor looks like he has the game against tighter tougher midfielders as well, classy. He's not a tank though. France or SA might be interesting.
Did anyone else think Darry played well? Showed some good hands, energy and reflexes methinks.
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Oh forgot to mention Niggles was always keen to assist, still think he's not long-term 6 until he becomes more astute and effective with ball.
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And some of our props were shown up around the field by their replacements, boy we are lucky to have these 4, now to find more locks..
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