The Silver Fern

If only the AB fullbacks could defend as well as Canes4Life defends Canes players.....

That's the best game of rugby I've seen in a decade since 2013 ABs Boks at Ellis Park

Both teams played fucking well.

The ABs set piece and breakdown work was exceptional.

The intensity of ABs to keep getting to their feet was incredible. Talk about emptying the tank.

Not sure how you give a man of the match - nearly everyone had a claim. Cane and Ardie were enormous. Jordie match winning moments.

Hard luck @Derm-McCrum @The-Irishman @leinster and other Irish fans you have a fantastic side. Your lads didn't choke - you just got beat by a team that red-lined in one of the best World Cup games of all time.

He's probably thinking to himself "If Bridge can make the ABs...."

Is it just me or did Hansen become a smug arrogant fluffybunny towards the end of his tenure?

@BerniesCorner said in All Blacks vs England I:

Barrett/Patty T - Whitelock/Retallick not a lot in it.

Sorry what?

There's two outstanding number 8s in the country that are both excellent lineout exponents. If you had either of them at 8 you wouldn't need to shoehorn in a lock at 6.

At least he won't get benched now.

@Bones said in All Blacks v Ireland - 1st Test:

@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks v Ireland - 1st Test:

@Bones said in All Blacks v Ireland - 1st Test:

@Stargazer said in All Blacks v Ireland - 1st Test:

@Bones Those stats only say something about where a player starts. It doesn't give info about a player changing position during a game as a result of substitutions.

We're talking about starting aren't we?

To me starting at 6 is what's weird about his selection. It means either Retallick & Whitelock play the full game or one is replaced by a SB who's played 6 since kick-off.

I think that's the hardest part to swallow for me - after all the talk of the 6's, as well as Vaai playing 6 (presumably at Foster's suggestion) and excelling, we go back to a guy who should be starting at lock and hasn't exactly set the world on fire at 6.

What also annoys me is it takes away another chance to see a young player get some game time.

Vaai was a bolter in 2020 - went better than expected - and has barely been sighted in black since.

Grace picked in 2020 - one test off the bench for a handful of minutes I think (the Bledisloe loss in Brisbane) - never seen again.

Sotutu barely played last year - Hodgman picked and discarded - De Groot picked and discarded - Peter Umaga Jensen impressive cameo then never seen again.

Meanwhile nearly 3 years after the RWC 2019 semi we roll out a forward pack that is pretty damn close to our forward pack then.

@nzzp said in All Blacks 2022:

Christ on a bike, how good would

12 Laumape

look right now.

Considering he did nothing at test level not very?

Ardie Savea saying in his press conference today that he didn't know that the All Blacks had never lost to Ireland in NZ before Saturday.

Seriously wtf?

A senior leader in the team and the ABs home record isn't touched upon at all in the leadup to the series?

What the hell is going on with the AB culture?

My disappointment with Razor is that he has a full 12 months between finishing up at the Crusaders and starting the ABs job

I was hoping that unprecedented lead in time would mean he would hit the ground running more than he has in terms of selection.

He has selected the squad as if he got thrown the job on short notice straight off the back of a Super Rugby campaign.

"Razor has been selecting players he knows"

Well what was he doing for 12 months between finishing up at the Crusaders and starting the ABs.

He had 12 months to try and learn as much as possible about other franchises and what they do.

I'm sceptical that much is going to change in year 2.

The ref saw Bridge so that ruled out the try option.....

So pleased for Plummer - so deserving

I'm glad the Boks made it. To quote Ric Flair to be the man you gotta beat the man.

The best rivalry in international rugby has another epic chapter.

The race for the 4th RWC is on.

If we aren't good enough then so be it.

I'm glad we have a specialist throwing coach.... Corey Flynn really earning his pay.....

@Bovidae said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:

Who won't be replaced during a test match? That is most likely to be S Barrett.

That's true. You can't replace players once they have been red carded......

@Dan54 said in All Blacks vs Ireland - series decider:

@Stargazer said in All Blacks vs Ireland - series decider:

Taukei’aho didn't have the impact in the Ireland tests that he had last year. I can also understand them not starting Coles, who hasn't played much at all, this year. So in that light, starting Taylor makes a lot of sense. I don't think he's been as bad as people are posting here.

Yep almost seems some players are more effective against super defences etc huh Star?

But Samisoni is effective at test level.

He was effective on the weekend.

He got 25 minutes off the bench when were one man down and made the most running metres of any AB forward in the game.

The guy who got shafted was Narawa

Barely saw the field for the ABs this year then discarded

What a moment.

What a team.

What an era.

Legends.