The Silver Fern

I think they are just playing the long game. Keeping TJ and Cane to instill ABs culture and slowly build from there.
For all the anti razor stuff around sotutu and akira not being picked but Wallace did they did show that they knew the qualities they were looking for (not just playing wise ...hes a future captain I suspect).
I would have liked to see Love get a run but given the 9 months to the next test I think they are drawing a lined under this seasons team and see who develops in super.

Core team with a few changes, happy with that.

Thought is was our players who ran out of gas around half time. We lost a few turnovers when we put someone through a gap (williams the best example) and left them 10-15m up the field with no one even trying to get there to support. That is attitude mixed with tiredness.

We had almost no variation in our attack all game. 10 never kicked for variation so no stress on the defence. (except BBs daft kick passes)
They knew what was coming every time and we just kept serving it up.

Really liked that while we are playing a high risk late passing game there was no panic if someone got tackled and was pushed back 5m or so. The team got back promptly and calmly and started again.

Great game, nothing in it, we are improving all the time, not the finished article but good signs.
Just have to beat Italy ..... dont want to take them lightly.

Also whats the new ruling about defending a high ball chase? The commentators seemed to suggest its a new tweak but could understand why we got pinged when no one obviously changed their line. Was I just blind?

I dont recall the ref giving any penalties (maybe one but that was williams) for not rolling away, all the rest where for not releasing.
I thought Ratima played really well under the circumstances at the ruck but ne needed to learn how to communicate with ref when there are irishmen just lying about at the back of the ruck impeding his access to the ball.

Were just in that gap when the old hands are at the end of their careers but there are no young bucks close enough to replace them yet. 2024 and 2025 are going to be a bit meh until we get a decent 10.
(see canes results for the first 15 years of super and blues results after spencer for where we are).

We are at a funny place with 10. We've moved from DC to BB, RM and DM. The last three are full of x factor and have been raved about based on excellence at super rugby. In turn as a result every young 10 wants to be one of those but very few want to be DC.
At the same time the quality of Super rugby has dropped especially in the last 5 years meaning that a test match skill set is simply never required to win.

Where does that leave us? Our best three 10s are flawed but can handle test match speed and pressure (maybe not always at 10 but certainly at 15).
We have no young 10s who have shown they are up to that level of pace and pressure at 10(see lower calibre of super rugby) and we wont really know who might for a year or two.
Better to bring them into a settled team and just change a 10 to try them than a team still getting used to new systems, structures and approach.
Until we get the loosies sorted then we will be well on the way.
(Probably worth giving plummer 30 mins in the third bledisloe all the same unless in training they recognised he wasnt quite ready yet).

10 still a tricky one for me.
But it comes back to the fact the we shouldnt have to coach basic skills/tactics in the ABs.
Why dont we have a group of tens who can play test style rugby?
Maybe super is now so low grade you dont need to hone those skills because if you just keep throwing pases you can score.
I'm not sold on BB or Damian but seriously not sure who else can play at test match pressure. Maybe Plummer? They'll be testing him at training and maybe hes not quite there yet.

Like the idea of giving proctor a run but only with JB at 12 as combinations will help him show his best.

Still worried about on field leadership. Its like all the experience guys who have left were the ones who naturally lead when it was tight and we been left with the followers who have a lot of games to them.

Plummer, dont see the point of a player who is described as a 'made for test' style (% plays, kick for territory etc) is player you want off the bench. Surely he should start.
But if we have learnt anything this AB season super form doesnt count. Its now such a step down it is not a good measure.
Trial one or two at most each game at most to see if they are up to test capability.

Having said that we really should stuff the aussies, they're even worse off than us!

If we learnt anything from the SA games I suspect its that our experienced players we still have aren't the leaders they should be. Good players but not leaders. A Sam Whitelock plays and we win the first test because he has the mana and experience of how to lead to win difficult games.
The move to experience on the bench for the second test showed that our experienced guys werent able to bring the calmness required to win the game.
I think super is a much bigger step down after the demise of the aussies and not playing the saffas.
Super form isnt much of a yardstick for test ability now. Not enough pressure on players.
If you think Fozzie and Razor have a similar capabilty of players to pick from we are all in a dreamland.

So for three games in a row our bench hasnt added value.
Who goes onto the bench to improve that?
Loosies still not what we want but do we even have the cattle for what we want?

Admittedly only saw the highlights but given the strongly held views by many in Auck that Akira is a beast but we just dont appreciate it I would have thought he would be playing like a man against boys at this level.
Did anyone at the game or seeing it all see him as a step above the rest?

Scrum question, As good as frans is as a prop how much impact does the quality of the lock behind him make?
Are the named bok 4 an 5 good scrumagers or just good locks? Could it be a prop leveller?
Conversely how good a scrummagimg lock is Vaii?

@Frank said in All Blacks vs Argentina I - 10 August:

Fuck me, have you been watching him for the last few years?

Well no, I live in the UK and dont have sky so have to rely a lot on youtube highlights

Christies defensive game is why he get picked for the big games. Defence wins trophys.

I was surprised though at just how much slower his passing was compared to both Ratima and Hotham which I think was a very significant reason why the 'finishers' had such a late game impact. The backs had more time and your pods can run onto the ball because you know its coming rather than waiting and then starting your run. (are getting it passed to where you are standing not in front of you).

If we are going to move RI to the wing ....... which of the four current squad wings does he replace?

Ahh the joys of statistics.
EB tackles 7/4 horrific and almost 20% of all missed tackles
Aumua great performance but still only has a 50% tackle rate.
Not happy for a 7 to have a 7/4 tackle rate but equally amazed that a hooker only manages 50%

It was such a different game from the last two weeks, pressure, space, defensive approach that its very hard to compare the performances.

Well done the new guys who had their chances and performed well though.

Yes but if Jordie goes down are we not in bigger trouble?
Seriously our entire backline activity changes completely if hes off.
ALB would take his place but he is a very different 12 and hes been playing at 13 when he comes on has he not?

Lineout was a worry but we have had two of the worlds best leave/retire.
Barrett has always been good (not quite at Whitelock or BBBR level but capable for a shorter lock) but Ive never thought of Patty as a really good lineout guy. We,ve basically got two short locks and a reasonably tall six.

However our shortage of locks means we cant play a lock at 6 and our issues at 6 means lineout is not the primary skillset we need from a 6. (especially with a short-ish 8).

Do we sacrifice a power defence six for a better lineout six? Swap Finau for say Grace who is a good lineout operator?

Lock, 10 and 12 are still the biggest holes to fill.
We've gone with three locks, two of which are slightly broken/injured, Two 15s who play 10 (well but are actually both best at 15) but no up and comers, and 1 specialist 12.
Will they trt to convert Proctor to 12?