Bledisloe I (All Blacks team room bugged)

Unco

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="pukunui" data-cid="607666" data-time="1471736459">
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One thing i noticed last night was the lack of kicking we did. Showed a real shift away from the use of the high ball and kicking out of our half that has worked really well recently. This game we just held the ball and got a march on. Must be a nightmare playing against a tram that can so effectively change up game plans. 
I don't have too many concerns for international rugby. Its all a cycle. England seem to be on the up, Lions next year and by the next rwc Aust and Boks will have gone through some change but should be on the way back up. Argies seem to change week to week but super rugby should eventually improve their game.
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No point kicking when you're playing a team that can't tackle.
 
All the late nights and early mornings following the Olympics this week took their toll last night and I ended up falling asleep early (a pathetic Saturday night), so I had to watch the game this morning instead. Christ. The ABs were monstrous but fuck, that was the softest Aussie team I've ever seen. They looked terrified of contact, clueless at the set piece and flat on attack. I felt embarrassed for them and the post-game coverage legitimately felt like a funeral. It really puts England's whitewash into perspective, I'd expect the Argies to whitewash them too if this keeps up.
 
As for the ABs, Coles, BBBR, Read, Cane, Crockett, Whitelock, Barrett, Crotty, Naholo and Cruden were class.
 
The downside to such a one sided game like that though, is that I don't really think any of the question marks were really answered. I'm still not sure about Fekitoa, TJP on the bench or Savea. It has made me wonder how Cruden might work at 12 though.

taniwharugby

I wonder when we will hear the outcome of the 'espionage'?

Tim

<a class="bbc_url" href="http://i.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/83394663/Banged-up-All-Blacks-are-seeking-reinforcements-for-Saturdays-clash-with-Australia">Banged up All Blacks are seeking reinforcements for Saturday's clash with Australia</a> 
Crotty had a head knock.

Virgil

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="taniwharugby" data-cid="607723" data-time="1471746963">
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I wonder when we will hear the outcome of the 'espionage'?
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Bet the aussies hear about it first..

westcoastie

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Tim" data-cid="607727" data-time="1471749192">
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<a class="bbc_url" href="http://i.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/83394663/Banged-up-All-Blacks-are-seeking-reinforcements-for-Saturdays-clash-with-Australia">Banged up All Blacks are seeking reinforcements for Saturday's clash with Australia</a> 
Crotty had a head knock.
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Call up Jordie Barrett to #12.
Beauden at #10, Jordie at #12. If the Aussies thought one Barrett was hard yakka, they'll shit the bed when they line-up against two. (seriously this might just happen in the future, maybe around 2018 EOYT)

NTA

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="nostrildamus" data-cid="607706" data-time="1471741967">
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not just a great fend by Crotty but also a Vulcan neck pinch!
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Looks more like a throat rip! Nice I heard DHP had a disappointing game :(
 
In any case, where to from here for the Wallabies?
 
Giteau: syndemosis so he's out for TRC. His French club won't be happy either because those things can heal bloody slowly.
Horne: dislocated shoulder - out for TRC.
Toomua: another concussion. Leicester must also be a bit nervous because he's had a few.
 
Other than that, the previously mentioned reshuffle. Personally, I think we need to abandon the Pooper for a while as a starting point, and see if playing a "traditional" back row is going to make a difference in terms of balance across the park.
 
Its not necessarily because of the reported lineout woes - fact is, Simmons is meant to be some kind of lineout god, but is clearly not. Someone over on GAGR made the (rather idiotic) statement that "3 jumpers never beats 4!" which is just rubbish - you can if you're good enough. We weren't.
 
1 Slipper 
2 Moore - last warning for captaincy. Improve or hand it over 
3 Kepu 
4 Douglas 
5 Simmons 
6 Fardy 
7 Pocock 
8 McCalman/Timani 
9 Genia 
10 Cooper 
11 Mitchell 
12 Kerevi 
13 AAC 
14 DHP 
15 Folau 
16 TPN 
17 Sio 
18 Alaalatoa (though I'd like Robertson to have a go, apparently the incumbent did alright) 
19 Coleman 
20 Timani/McMahon 
21 Hoopah 
22 Phipps 
23 Foley

taniwharugby

When Gits went down I thought of his boss....
 
<img src="http://latimesherocomplex.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/comic_book_guy_angst.jpg" alt="comic_book_guy_angst.jpg">

pukunui

Is that it for Giteau and the Wallabies then? Surely their EOYT will be used to develop new guys and he will be another year past it next year.

Tim

Rob Simmons is frankly rather shit. I've never seen why people rate him.

NTA

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="pukunui" data-cid="607758" data-time="1471758566">
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Is that it for Giteau and the Wallabies then? Surely their EOYT will be used to develop new guys and he will be another year past it next year.
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I think the Giteau rule has run its race. Really, it had after RWC2015 when we needed it due to emergency Link-sacking.

NTA

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Tim" data-cid="607759" data-time="1471758611">
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Rob Simmons is frankly rather shit. I've never seen why people rate him.
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Yeah I didn't either until I had a couple of decent scrum cases to judge him on. He's actually not a bad TH lock. He's soft as a pensioner's turd around the park, though.
 
Its just that our scrum needed him at the time.
 
With the comments about him being critical to our lineout, and having just been fisted at the lineout.... well...

RoninWC

One problem as you highlighted Nick is leadership and I don't think that Moore is providing much. 
And he really has an issue managing the refs who so often seem to get sick of his "style". 
But who replaces him with the C? 
I honestly look at the current Wallaby squad and don't really see a better replacement. 
What are your thoughts on this?

NTA

Slipper was mentioned elsewhere. He would be OK because at least he isn't confrontational.

Pocock was brought up, and it has the "cloak of invisibility" attribute that might come in handy.
 
But I'd go with Slipper, because props rule the world.

taniwharugby

Moore was a much better player when he wasnt moaning at the ref every 5 minutes!

reprobate

i agree, moore isn't playing as well as he was before becoming captain, he relates badly to the refs, and they always sub him off which is not ideal.
please god though don't give it to bono, the less interviews with him the better.
 
probably an appropriate time to reiterate how shit kuridrani has been for a long time now; surely adam 2 dads to centre.
you can't afford to carry a guy like simmons. he's shit in the lineouts, and you can't pick a lock just because he scrums reasonably well and doesn't do anything else. sio, kepu, slipper, moore are all good enough, likewise hooper and pocock - but the pooper will only work if you have size and mongrel in the rest of your pack.
 
for us it's all been said really, bloody good performance. crotty was excellent before injury, should be a few people on here reconsidering opinions i think.

Samurai Jack

Crotty has always looked good in black. Option taking is his biggest strength and when you surround him with capable fellas he really is effective.

sparky

What a spanking! 
Personally I've loved seeing the ABs really take it to the Aussies.I'm old enough to remember the pain and embarrassment of the era of Campese, Farr-Jones, Horan and Eales when the Wallabies used to win the Bledisloe and a couple of World Cups so I don't feel sorry for them at all. 
Four thoughts:

Australia were very bad. Weak leadership from Moore. He should encouraged more resistance from his side and he got totally outplayed by an injured Dane Coles. I've long argued that David Pocock is not the Rugby God that the Aussie hype machine would have us believe. He never got the better of the GOAT in a test match that mattered. I'm not sure now he's even good enough to be an international Rugby play any more, so slow and makes poor decisions. I'd drop him. Read was the better Number 8 on the park by a loooong way. I can't remember seeing an Aussie backline with so little threat and purpose in the last 35 years. The guys back from France looked physically not ready for a test and if there was an attacking game plan from Australia I missed it. Australia should go back a policy of only picking guys willing to commit to their Super Rugby franchises, A number of tries were down Two Dads' wing who looked surprisingly clueless in his defensive positioning for 100+ test veteran
The All Black pack is superb. Great lineout work, strong scrums, lots of great work around the park from them all. The ABs have multi-skilled forwards but compromise nothing with their set piece work. As long as that continues they are going to be a tough side to beat.
The All Black backline is a work in progress. BB is looking increasingly confident at first five, Crotty took big steps forwards as well and is showing a pleasing hunger to learn and improve. A mixed bag from Fekitoa and Dagg to be honest. I'm delighted that King Julian was on the score sheet again. 40 test tries is no small achievement. It is a shame the injuries will prevent the AB backline on working on it cohesion and continuity.
Steve Hansen is a much, much better coach than Michael Cheika. A ruthless, disciplined and focused first half performance from Hansen's men and an energetic if scrappy second half. I am so impressed with how he motivates his men and out-thinks his opponents. That said, World Rugby have probably already ear-marked their coaching award for 2016 for Eddie Jones. 
Looking forward to next week and a chance to secure the Bledisloe Cup for yet another year. Great to be so dominant over Australia, the result of a lot of hard work by AB squad and their coaching staff. Don't take these happy times for granted.

NTA

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Samurai Jack" data-cid="607777" data-time="1471765818">
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Crotty has always looked good in black. Option taking is his biggest strength and when you surround him with capable fellas he really is effective.
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Option taking when there are very few wrong options is awesome. You know if you run it, they'll be there to clean out. You know if you pass it, they'll be on the spot to take the ball. You know if you kick it... well you'll probably only kick it for the right reasons.

sparky

A massive shame about Crotty's injury. He had his best international to date yesterday before going off.

pakman

At risk of turning this completely into an Oz focussed thread, I do think that having five Super teams is doing more harm than good. It would be much better for Oz to field three strong teams, and the best players would get a lot more out of playing alongside each other.
That horse having bolted, it did seem that after the first ten minutes the fight went out of Wallabies. Know Blacks were excellent, but didn't get much sense of Oz playing for each other. Could it be that Pomwash has broken the resolve of some of them? IMO Oz should have won at least the first test, so one would think there is a spark which can be resurrected.
 
Agree with Nick that Pooper needs a rest. Think Poms and Blacks have shown that robust clean out beats twin fetchers. And lack of size catches up elsewhere.

The Silver Fern

Bledisloe I (All Blacks team room bugged)