All Blacks vs Ireland
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@The-Irishman said in All Blacks vs Ireland:
@Jet Whatever way the match goes, enjoy the weekend jet. No whinging at the ref or booing the kickers 😉
Place kicks only though yeah? You can't ask a New Zealander to not boo a drop-kick.
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I think the selectors have made a very sensible decision sticking largely to the same 23 as last week.
Tuipulotu has flattered to deceive in the vast majority of his previous appearances for the All Blacks. He had a very good game in the opening Test of the year but was then back to his usual standards the following weekend. We've seen a few times in the past that he has good games but can't back up. He was immense off the bench last weekend so why not keep him in the role where he excelled and see if he can do it again? The bench has been a massive weakness for the All Blacks in 2024 so if he can shine from the pine while the starters maintain their standards set throughout the rest of the season, then that's a great step forward for the team.
Vaa'i, meanwhile, has been one of the All Blacks' top performers this season and last weekend was his first 'dud' of the year but given his consistency throughout the season, it wouldn't make sense to make a change in the second row just because of one underwhelming performance (I know you're not advocating from dropping Vaa'i, but just throwing in my two cents here).
Similarly, Ratima has also been excellent for the All Blacks this year so there's no point dropping him to the bench just because of one bad performance, while Roigard is still in the early days of his return to play and, as with Tuipulotu above, helped turn a key weakness of the All Blacks this season into a strength. If Ratima plays like he has throughout the rest of the year and Roigard can offer similar impetus as he did against England, then NZ are onto a winning combination - so why mix things up at this stage?
Also @ACT-Crusader and @Landers92, not sure why Stuff were reporting De Groot had a calf injury, but that was never said by the All Blacks.They were pretty emphatic that he'd been stood down for the match for disciplinary reasons (and have openly said he has to play his way back into the team after the performances of Williams and Tu'ungafasi on the weekend).
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@Mauss said in All Blacks vs Ireland:
@Jet said in All Blacks vs Ireland:
Couldn’t you just call Scooter a fluffybunny or something like the rest of us?
Worse things came to mind than fluffybunny when I was watching some of those lineouts on Saturday. But that's only during the heat of the game.
I honestly don't know how you guys do it, watching the game and discussing it at the same time. I'm having enough trouble keeping myself composed during the game as is (with composed being used very loosely here).
It’s easy to do when you pick your scapegoats and narratives before hand 😂
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@The-Irishman said in All Blacks vs Ireland:
@Jet Whatever way the match goes, enjoy the weekend jet. No whinging at the ref or booing the kickers 😉
Won’t be able to hear me booing over all the ABC 1’s Ewan MacKenna does be lampooning on Twitter. I’ll be drowned out by the arrogant swilling of hot toddy’s. I’ll be skulling pints in Kehoes, Mulligans, the grave diggers, Grogans (ham toastie with mustard) and the long hall . The no name bar or le gulleton on fade street for a bop in the evening. Woolshed on Sat for the other AI’s. Interpol in the 3 arena on Sunday, Kasabian and the streets in the 3 arena on Monday and then back to Spain ten days later. Will give any paddy whingers I see plenty of welly in The Shelbourne, particularly Gerry Thornley or that two chinned kunt Ruaidhri O Connor. Those Newstalk pricks will get both barrels too if I see them near digges lane. Insufferable supercilious piston wristed gibbons, especially that snarmy kunt Ger Gilroy.. I’ll then endeavour to meet the AB’s late on the Friday near the marker hotel in grand canal dock. Reminds me of the time I put Kezza and Sam Cane in a taxi outside coppers on harcourt street after Ryan Crotty broke the inbreds hearts in the left hand corner.. I wouldn’t mind but they were only going to the Conrad on Earlsfort Terrace. All that cardio and couldn’t walk 2 Georgian blocks. Lazy Allblacks (I knew the aura was toast) Brekkie in Wuff in Smithfield , cocktails in VCC, and a late drink in the hacienda on Mary’s lane…if Shay lets us in. Haldon gold cup on in Exeter on the Saturday too. The ponies won’t back themselves. Keep an eye on Skelton in the handicaps and Billy Loughnane on the flat. Early pints in Slattery’s, steak in Hawksmoor and then over to the Westbury for some cocktails in the back bar. Hasta la Victoria Siempre.
I’ll be keeping my eye out for Rocky Elsom while I’m there near C.U.S. Heard there is a finders fee.
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@Jet said in All Blacks vs Ireland:
@The-Irishman said in All Blacks vs Ireland:
@Jet Whatever way the match goes, enjoy the weekend jet. No whinging at the ref or booing the kickers 😉
Won’t be able to hear me booing over all the ABC 1’s Ewan MacKenna does be lampooning on Twitter. I’ll be drowned out by the arrogant swilling of hot toddy’s. I’ll be skulling pints in Kehoes, Mulligans, the grave diggers, Grogans (ham toastie with mustard) and the long hall . The no name bar or le gulleton on fade street for a bop in the evening. Woolshed on Sat for the other AI’s. Interpol in the 3 arena on Sunday, Kasabian and the streets in the 3 arena on Monday and then back to Spain ten days later. Will give any paddy whingers I see plenty of welly in The Shelbourne, particularly Gerry Thornley or that two chinned kunt Ruaidhri O Connor. Those Newstalk pricks will get both barrels too if I see them near digges lane. Insufferable supercilious piston wristed gibbons, especially that snarmy kunt Ger Gilroy.. I’ll then endeavour to meet the AB’s late on the Friday near the marker hotel in grand canal dock. Reminds me of the time I put Kezza and Sam Cane in a taxi outside coppers on harcourt street after Ryan Crotty broke the inbreds hearts in the left hand corner.. I wouldn’t mind but they were only going to the Conrad on Earlsfort Terrace. All that cardio and couldn’t walk 2 Georgian blocks. Lazy Allblacks (I knew the aura was toast) Brekkie in Wuff in Smithfield , cocktails in VCC, and a late drink in the hacienda on Mary’s lane…if Shay lets us in. Haldon gold cup on in Exeter on the Saturday too. The ponies won’t back themselves. Keep an eye on Skelton in the handicaps and Billy Loughnane on the flat. Early pints in Slattery’s, steak in Hawksmoor and then over to the Westbury for some cocktails in the back bar. Hasta la Victoria Siempre.
I’ll be keeping my eye out for Rocky Elsom while I’m there near C.U.S. Heard there is a finders fee.
Ross O Carroll Kelly can fuck off too.
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Commentator Grant Nisbett to call 350th All Blacks Test
He's now called over half of the All Blacks' 648 Tests.
