The Silver Fern

@sparky said in AUNZ XV vs British and Irish Lions:

@Mr-Fish Pollock got the downward pressure.

I'd have to watch again but as I said, it was more that it didn't smell right.

If Pollock hadn't touched it and HMP had gone to ground, I'm confident it would've been ruled that HMP had downwards pressure anyway, which means that regardless of Pollock's hand on the ball, there was downwards pressure from HMP.

Given HMP was the first player to touch the ball, his possession should have taken priority and it should've been ruled that he grounded the ball because he had pressure 'first'.

That try did not smell right.

Might be the worst performance from a player to get a hat trick of tries ever?

@Yeetyaah said in AUNZ XV vs British and Irish Lions:

@Mr-Fish said in AUNZ XV vs British and Irish Lions:

This is Aidan Ross's fourth game against the Lions, and all for different teams? Quite a record.

Rugby Database just posted a stat on this. He's equal 4th for most games against the Lions without a test match.

Could also feasibly play for the Wallabies in this series.

This is Aidan Ross's fourth game against the Lions, and all for different teams? Quite a record.

I think it probably reinforces that if you're going to throw an invitational side together to play the Lions, it needs to be at the start of the tour when the Lions haven't spent much time together either. The NZ Baabaas side did a great job against the Lions in 2017 with nowhere near the quality of players that this AUNZ team has access to.

@sparky said in AUNZ XV vs British and Irish Lions:

DVDM hitting form just before the Tests.

Not sure two easy run-ins count as 'form' but he did do well to make that kick two metres closer to the posts (not that it helped).

Looked like Pollock enjoyed getting that mouthful from Laumape.

@Duluth said in AUNZ XV vs British and Irish Lions:

That was awful. At least Lam got to smash someone

Always good when you're gloating at someone on the ground just as your team concedes a try.

Dumb from Kirifi.

@MajorRage said in All Blacks v France 2:

Show a couple of NFL players in the crowd …

Hang shit on them.

Odd.

Thought that was peak comedy to be honest.

Great spot tackle from Billy P.

Could have legitimately been struck off if CLW peeled away and pretended he had the ball before Ardie left the maul - couldn't tell from my first watch.

Hmm letting in a try on half time when you've scored in the 38th minute wouldn't have been in the plans.

@Kiwidom said in Crusaders 2026:

@KiwiMurph And therein lies the whole problem with our super rugby contracting. The best 15 hookers in the country won't be selected for 2026. Also factor in that new talent will emerge from the NPC this year who also won't get a look in ,as the super rosters are pretty much full up already

What would you propose as a solution? Feels like it's almost impossible to avoid.

If one of the Super Rugby teams were desperate for a long-term hooker and felt Moananu was their man, surely they'd just bring him in in place of a loose forward etc.

@Omega said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:

Hi guys...new here.

Hi Omega, do you think Riley Higgins should be in the All Blacks squad?

Le Roux was very much the playmaker in the recent successful Springboks sides - the number of touches he'd have from 15 was pretty outrageous. Not necessarily a better player than a Ben Smith etc, but exactly what South Africa has needed.

@booboo said in AUNZ XV vs British and Irish Lions:

@MajorRage said in AUNZ XV vs British and Irish Lions:

I don't really understand this game. Lions tours are so rare, so hyped up, so talked about and for one of the games they are playing a team no heritage, no pedigree and worst of all, no real selection philosophy other than who isn't in their respective countries first team squads.

Aus only has 4 pro teams. They need to create some additional teams to play.

No MABs or Provincial XV, or for that matter AB XV.

Australia A played last year - no reason why they couldn't have included them.

@MajorRage said in 2025 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia:

@antipodean kind of surprising that, in general.

With all the league and afl in Oz, you just sort of expect them to be naturally good in the air..

I do agree tho that modern game does make grass hunting a wise option.

On the flip side, if they were any good in the air maybe they'd be playing league or AFL.

Assuming Tavatavanawai is on the bench this week, it could mean that Tupaea and ALB get a run out together in the midfield in the final game.