The Silver Fern

@SBW1 most likely from Wallis & Futuna but born in New Caledonia https://www.rugbypass.com/news/tiny-nation-produces-professional-rugby-players-per-capita-earth/

@nostrildamus I'm hopeful JB can given how physically gifted he is. It just feels like a curse they carry around due to being so damn competitive

To me, it's like they feel they HAVE to be the one to make the big play out of nothing (hence BB's "golden balls" moniker courtesy of Shag) but the team would be better served if they let the ball go earlier or played in the moment vs trying to get too many steps ahead.

The movements at 00:55s (JB hesitation) and 01.59s (BB hesitation) of this clip are perfect examples...

https://x.com/SardieqWP/status/1718624828184289663?s=20

Telea, Savea, Tight-5

My personal gripe with the Barrett backs division is their tendency to hesitate once they're on the ball (in unstructured play). It makes it difficult for others to play instinctually off them since they chew up valuable milliseconds and put their own team-mates in two-minds about what their intention is.

On the rare occasion it pays off (BB chip n chase vs Ireland) but too often it ends up in a crap-shoot (e.g. JB knock-on after getting whacked by Du Toit while he considered his options) and our momentum dies in an instant.

@MiketheSnow the idea of expanding a free-kick's scope and reducing it's restart options isn't to de-power scrums/lineouts, it's to discourage back-to-back-to-back set-piece restarts for minor transgressions.

Set piece tap moves also require skilled practitioners

@Kiwiwomble sorry misread

@Kiwiwomble i mean you would still get rewarded possession with a free-kick (given specific infringements) but your options on what to do with it would change.

@Crazy-Horse Not sure - but eliminating the option to just go to another set-piece from a free-kick would promote a different mindset imo.

I reckon they should utilise the free-kick as a restart mechanism for way more scenarios (e.g. accidental offsides, knock-ons, forward passes, throw not straight, kick-off not 10m) BUT prohibit kicking to touch or choosing a scrum option.

That way a team's only options are to tap and play quickly, setup a tap move like "the wall" or kick possession away (but not into touch obvs).

I think it would increase the ball in play time, decrease the common set-piece to set-piece snooze-fest (e.g. throw not straight -> lets have a scrum) and drive some new innovation.

Tuitupou could prob do a job too...

@Canes4life Cue all the fringe representative loose forwards looking elsewhere to stake their claim for higher honours

@Stargazer said in 2023 School Rugby:

Wellington College v Napier BHS - CANCELLED

Anyone know why?

Wellington Premier Mens Club Results & Standings
Round 7 Swindale Shield

Any response from the WRFU? Assumed they would have been out the gate to quell any concerns raised in this op-ed...then again it is Wellington

@higgins good shout - legend

@stargazer I would think so – also when they see Moana Pasifika being filled with diaspora players, it doesn't fill the locals with confidence of a realistic pathway.

The best pathway is to make noises at the schools level and hope someone in NZ/Aus hears about you through the grapevine and cares enough to offer a scholarship - or you have a relative willing to take you in and put you through school there

@rapido said in Pasifika - how do we fix this?:

But what the hell is the problem on the actual island?

Probably a combination of a lack of coaching talent to identify and develop players to any decent level + the large shadow cast by the more-talented diaspora leads to a bit of a "why bother" attitude.

That 7s side that won the World Series a few years back was a real black swan in the history of Samoan rugby developed locally reaching the very top table, but generally, for any local talent to succeed requires more self-determination than anything to get a ticket off-island.

You are right about the slim pickings for locally produced players though (up to college level). Some names that come to mind for me:

Tuilagi brothers
Logovii Mulipola
Sosene Anesi
Afato Sooalo
Lucky Mulipola
Brian Lima
David Lemi
Alafoti Faosiliva
Ofisa Treviranus

@bovidae said in Silver Lake buying a stake in the ABs?:

The NZRPA has concerns about “cultural misappropriation’’ if Silver Lake is welcomed into the NZ Rugby tent. Is there a risk the haka could be exploited?

If they wanted a haka to slap on a commercial, I'm pretty sure they could get one for less than $387.5m

This is the most disingenuous of NZRPAs arguments. Who made NZR the guardians of tikaga Maori? I've got a mate in UK who makes a living selling haka workshops to corporate Europeans and Yanks and has done for the last 10 years (at least). There are much cheaper ways to get Ka Mate .

I would only ask NZRPA one question - what happens if their capital raise falls well short of their proposal?

e.g. If clubs were forced to merge or call time as a result of the funding shortage or the women's game fails to get the required development support — will they put their hand up and shell out to support the grassroots, or would they turn the other cheek?

@tim I wonder if Commercial LP will be filled with agency suits external to NZR's existing commercial arm.

Hoping its not a case of the left hand not knowing what the right is doing when its all put into motion.

@nepia What don't they have?