Olympics Thread
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<p>Harping on a bit but Usain Bolt's world record is 9.58 and Carlin Isles can run 10.13. The quickest New Zealand sprinter Wyatt ran 10.64 at the Nationals this year. So the gap from Wyatt to Isles is about the same as the gap from Isles to the fastest man ever. I think that just illustrates how we cannot win tournaments just based on speed. We will always have a speed disadvantage which we have to make up in other facets.</p>
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="hydro11" data-cid="604723" data-time="1470822928">
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<p>Harping on a bit but Usain Bolt's world record is 9.58 and Carlin Isles can run 10.13. The quickest New Zealand sprinter Wyatt ran 10.64 at the Nationals this year. So the gap from Wyatt to Isles is about the same as the gap from Isles to the fastest man ever. I think that just illustrates how we cannot win tournaments just based on speed. We will always have a speed disadvantage which we have to make up in other facets.</p>
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<p>It's not so much the out and out speed that is the problem (IMO). Someone like Ben Smith isn't super fast over 100m but by fuck he's elusive, which is the type of player we need.</p>
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<p>But more importantly we need a coach that hasn't become obsessed with the "physical" side of the game. I saw him on the news saying we dominated the physical aspects like the tackle and rucks against Kenya which is why we won, and that we didn't do that against Japan. That, to me, makes no sense. In a game where there's only 14 players in total on a full sized rugby pitch, surely exploiting space is the name of the game.</p>
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<p>The rucks in 7s are a joke and can go either way regardless of the size of the players competing - if I was coach I'd want to avoid the ruck as much as possible given how much of a lottery they are, and how random the refs interpretations are. You can't just commit 4 - 5 guys to a ruck to ensure you win it like you do in 15s.</p>
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<p>I get the feeling Titch has been in the job too long and has become a bit narrow in his thinking. We need to freshen things up with some new ideas.</p>
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<p>In saying that, as Don pointed out 7s is overall a bit of a lottery so we are still a decent chance of a medal.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="No Quarter" data-cid="604726" data-time="1470823559">
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<p>It's not so much the out and out speed that is the problem (IMO). Someone like Ben Smith isn't super fast over 100m but by fuck he's elusive, which is the type of player we need.</p>
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<p>But more importantly we need a coach that hasn't become obsessed with the "physical" side of the game. I saw him on the news saying we dominated the physical aspects like the tackle and rucks against Kenya which is why we won, and that we didn't do that against Japan. That, to me, makes no sense. In a game where there's only 14 players in total on a full sized rugby pitch, surely exploiting space is the name of the game.</p>
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<p>The rucks in 7s are a joke and can go either way regardless of the size of the players competing - if I was coach I'd want to avoid the ruck as much as possible given how much of a lottery they are, and how random the refs interpretations are. You can't just commit 4 - 5 guys to a ruck to ensure you win it like you do in 15s.</p>
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<p>I get the feeling Titch has been in the job too long and has become a bit narrow in his thinking. We need to freshen things up with some new ideas.</p>
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<p>In saying that, as Don pointed out 7s is overall a bit of a lottery so we are still a decent chance of a medal.</p>
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<p>That's a very good response. Do you think the problem is that Tietjens hasn't picked the right players or is he just coaching the players we have poorly?</p>
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<p>I don't really claim to understand 7's on a technical level but it looked to me like Pulu was very good against Kenya. I would take it that you would want to pick Kaka instead?</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="No Quarter" data-cid="604722" data-time="1470822925"><p>
FFS. We've worked hard to keep aura safe and then the 7s team go and treat her like a cheap stripper and lose to Japan.<br><br>
McCaw needs to get her on the plane back to Auckland ASAP.</p></blockquote>
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The sevens team licked her butt without paying? -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="jegga" data-cid="604733" data-time="1470825048"><p>The sevens team licked her butt without paying?</p></blockquote>
No, they let Japan lick her butt without paying. -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="mikedogz" data-cid="604729" data-time="1470824297">
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<p>Maybe from next year Titch could have a role like Director of sevens rugby based in BOP and some one else can take over the mens team. Who would be his successor? Wayne Smith for a new challenge?</p>
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<p>Eric Rush, if he wants it.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="taniwharugby" data-cid="604701" data-time="1470813656">
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<p>front row seats to watch Phelps win his 20th...</p>
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<p><img src="https://scontent-syd1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/13900135_1089919064378138_3358664450073082779_n.jpg?oh=48c6d45fd8056e297ba325bad274ae42&oe=581F12A9" alt="13900135_1089919064378138_33586644500730"></p>
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<p>got a mate working over there for getty.. look at the farking size of the kit he's using for shooting the pool!</p>
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<p>no need to worry about cards and crap like that -- cabled straight back to 'nerve centre' where editors havve them online for purchase in mins!</p>
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<p>[attachment=2064:phils camera.jpg]</p> -
Awful day in Rio. Rowing off. Womens time trial is treacherous at best
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="hydro11" data-cid="604727" data-time="1470823805"><p>
That's a very good response. Do you think the problem is that Tietjens hasn't picked the right players or is he just coaching the players we have poorly?<br><br>
I don't really claim to understand 7's on a technical level but it looked to me like Pulu was very good against Kenya. I would take it that you would want to pick Kaka instead?</p></blockquote>
Possibly a bit of both. I don't claim to be a 7s expert either but trying to exploit the extra space with limited time on the clock makes sense from a rugby point of view. If you've only got 7 defenders in front of you I don't know why you'd focus so much on the "forward encounters" as he called it.<br><br>
You make good points around available players though, it's bad timing with the Super finals and now TRC kicking off, so I guess he didn't have a big pool to choose from. -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="mikedogz" data-cid="604729" data-time="1470824297"><p>Maybe from next year Titch could have a role like Director of sevens rugby based in BOP and some one else can take over the mens team. Who would be his successor? Wayne Smith for a new challenge?</p></blockquote>
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To me Titch doesn't seem like the Director type. He's a hands on rah rah type that likes to be in the thick of it during game time. Sitting back and watching someone else do it may not sit well with him. <br><br>
The thing about that Japan game was that some of our key guys weren't involved enough. I thought our ruck work was pretty good, but that we lacked execution. <br><br>
I still think we are a decent show for making the finals and pushing on. -
<p><span style="color:rgb(38,38,38);font-family:'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif;background-color:rgb(246,246,246);">Villumsen rides home and she's outside of the medals with a time of 44:54.71. </span></p>
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<p><span style="color:rgb(38,38,38);font-family:'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif;background-color:rgb(246,246,246);">6th i think</span></p> -
<p>I am surprised that no one has mentioned possession (with the exception of Scott Curry who identified this clearly in the post match interview). We lost to Japan as we didn't have much of the ball. In 7s the critical point regarding this, is kicks offs & kick off receipts. We didn't come close to winning the World Series because of this and the issue has still not been rectified. In theory, a kick off should be a 50/50 if both teams are going hard out and you do not continually knock on (as we did yesterday). We didn't come remotely close to this v Japan.</p>
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<p> I certainly hope Titch has addressed this, but improved execution is required. Any team (yes even Japan) will beat us just by retaining possession. Continuous tackling knocks the bejeezus out of you. You saw that when we actually got the ball - a lack of real energy and subsequently no momentum.</p>
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<p>A few years ago you could rely on the other teams poor handling skills or breakdown retention - to get the ball back. You can no longer do this, all other sides have lifted their skillsets in this regard. Kick offs are the key to the rest of the Olympic 7s for us.</p>
