The Silver Fern

@No-Quarter You reckon he got Suzie to deliver the envelope of cash?

@Machpants I think we know that. The joke was that with AIG if you were focussing on corruption you were probably missing the bigger picture, which is that they are a dumpster fire of an organisation.

Maybe I need to start using irony flags if such a thing exists.

@antipodean Well at least with AIG you never had to worry about corruption. They do all their evil right out in the open.

@sparky Awesome to see the All Blacks’ jersey sponsor name checked in an article about corruption in rugby. Just the kind of publicity we need.

@mariner4life said in NH International Rugby:

i for one hope England follow this "lets go back to success" ex-girlfriend shit

i can't wait for Sir Clive to get the job.

Or even further back to when England didn’t need backs except to kick goals. 30 lineouts, 30 rolling mauls, 20 scrums with 40 resets, 1 try, 5 penalties and a droppie per game. Job done.

@Crucial said in NH International Rugby:

@Catogrande said in NH International Rugby:

Eddie must be bricking it following this news

Nah, he gets to return to Oz or back to Japan.

Musical chairs.

Hasn’t Eddie been linked to Rugby USA? I know they’re broke but Eddie will be flush from his severance won’t he?

@No-Quarter said in Foster, Robertson etc:

An 8 point win against the Scots is par for the course. The last time we smacked them was in 2012, since then it's been an 8 point win in 2014 (with one of our best ever AB squads), a 5 point win in 2017, and then this 8 point win.

If we manage to get it done against the English tomorrow then this EOYT has been a resounding success, and I'll happily give Foster credit for that. A good coaching group is so important, he's got that now and it does look like we're heading in the right direction with a much more settled lineup and only a few positions really still up for grabs. I'm pretty excited about this team now.

I think they still need a world class defense coach, and soon.

@nostrildamus said in All Blacks v England:

In rare compliment to Foster team they did well to stick with Ioane at 13 despite criticism of him there but the wider midfield cupboard is so crazily bare. Ennor is a quick no from me there, they should have maybe tried Big Leicester there (or Nankivell at 12) but are there any more options at 13? Did someone say Shaun Stevenson? Athletically yes, but decision-making seems too risky to me..

< thinks, haven't had any crazy ideas lately >...
Is there any back with heaps of AB experience but hasn't locked down their chosen background, with intimate knowledge of the AB game plan and team mates, who can step in in an emergency, has a kicking game, reasonably fast, unpredictable, not much smaller than Ioane, underrated at tackling, can pass, plays well with Jordie?

Beaver!

@Bones said in All Blacks vs Scotland:

@Rapido said in All Blacks vs Scotland:

ALB would have done better to have tripped over his own laces.

If only it was Clarke chasing!

Like you I originally thought the ball had beaten Hogg, but then the replays showed how massively deep the in goal is and Hogg had already started to stop. I reckon he probably could have stopped and dived back, just beating Jordie.

It doesn't excuse the ref arrogantly ignoring opening up the gap for Hogg by blocking DP and then saying it had no effect.

To give Hogg credit, it looked to me like he manipulated that situation by running that line past the ref on purpose. Clever play.

@canefan said in All Blacks vs Wales:

How good was our clean out. It was exactly what I've been wanting to see for some time. The forwards were clinically brutal shifting any opposition from the breakdown area

And without risking a card too.

Reece had a pretty poor game in a match that I thought might suit him. Things weren’t going his way but he wasn’t looking for much work and he seemed to be getting a bit hot headed right before he was hauled off.

@Chester-Draws said in All Blacks vs Wales:

This place is beginning to sound like Keo's with all the whinging about the refereeing. Not pointing out mistakes, or issues with the rules, but the allegations that only we are being screwed over.

If it is every game -- and from some on here it is every game -- then we are the problem, not the referees.

You kinda did say there was no criticism of players. Anyway, I’m out.

@Chester-Draws said in All Blacks vs Wales:

@JC said in All Blacks vs Wales:

Barnes was inventing breakdown infringements for the ABs that he let Wales get away with. Fact. And despite looking multiple times at Tipuric’s ball control over the line, we waved the try through. He’s a mediocre ref.

"Fact" eh? I think you prove my case.

The whole Tipuric "not having control" is a case in point. There is no requirement that a player have control of the ball to score a try. My copy of rules even has a picture showing that a person lying on the ball has scored. The only thing that matters is was the ball propelled forward from Tipuric's hand prior to the line, and so a knock-on. That he lost control in goal is utterly irrelevant (indeed the Try Law doesn't even mention the concept of control).

So bleating about the ref being an idiot, when you don't know the rules.

I’m not getting into arguments about the laws. Barnes said he was checking for control, then decided there was when there wasn’t. Maybe ask him.

Your point was that we don’t criticise the NZ players and blame the ref instead. There is plenty of criticism. It’s possible to point out Barnes’s inconsistency and also the All Blacks. Most people here have been putting the boot into the ABs all year. How have you missed that?

@Chester-Draws said in All Blacks vs Wales:

This place is beginning to sound like Keo's with all the whinging about the refereeing. Not pointing out mistakes, or issues with the rules, but the allegations that only we are being screwed over.

If it is every game -- and from some on here it is every game -- then we are the problem, not the referees.

There were plenty of mistakes and people have definitely pointed them out. There was pointed criticism of BB, Clarke, Reece, Smith’s howler of a pass, our breakdown discipline, defensive pattern overall but particularly on that Welsh try, the awful lineout overthrow, Ardie’s dive almost costing a try, early ball handling, Frizell’s physicality, and loss of concentration.

So yeah, nah.

Barnes was inventing breakdown infringements for the ABs that he let Wales get away with. Fact. And despite looking multiple times at Tipuric’s ball control over the line, we waved the try through. He’s a mediocre ref.

Nugget says they’re going to celebrate tonight. He may be on the hunt for Cardiff’s best STD.

Against England I’d like to see Reiko on the left wing instead of Clarke. I know I won’t get it but that’s what I want.

@sparky said in All Blacks vs Wales:

Wales win, All Blacks very good with a few work ons. Looking forward to Tests against Scotland and England in the next fortnight.

Misinformation! Elon will be buying The Fern any day now.

@Bones said in All Blacks vs Wales:

@JC said in All Blacks vs Wales:

@Bones said in All Blacks vs Wales:

@JC said in All Blacks vs Wales:

Soni’s maul try is inevitable.

I have to pull you up on this finally

Sami is not Soni. I don't know who Soni is but he's really not featuring.

It’s what he calls himself.

That's getting into dangerous territory.

Does make you wonder what Codie calls himself though eh.

Professor Wonderful. Probably.

@Bones said in All Blacks vs Wales:

@JC said in All Blacks vs Wales:

Soni’s maul try is inevitable.

I have to pull you up on this finally

Sami is not Soni. I don't know who Soni is but he's really not featuring.

It’s what he calls himself.

A 32 point win and we should have been better.