The Silver Fern

If you ignore the dickhead theatrics...

Man of the match performance from James Lowe I thought.

@canefan said in All Blacks 2024:

@Nepia said in All Blacks 2024:

@canefan said in All Blacks 2024:

@dogmeat said in All Blacks 2024:

@Jet It sounds like you haven't been following NZ Rugby all that long and so have not had to endure mediocrity before.

It's not apathy or defeatism to accept that some of the traditional advantages we had over other nations have been lost due to the game going professional. As our national sport we were more 'professional' than other countries. We paid attention to things like nutrition training etc more than others. We worked on skills for all 15 players not just the fancy dan backs.

These advantages have gone and are unlikely to return. We can't expect to be fitter, faster, stronger than our opponents. NH props no longer carry beer kegs around with them as they lumber from set piece to set piece. Our opponents are also as skilled in the main as we are. Through more exposure to our players and coaches the bar has been raised.

This is nothing new. Aussie improved dramatically once their players got constant game experience against ours. Look at Argentina since joining the RC.

Meanwhile the game in NZ has stagnated. We are not getting exposure below test level to different playing styles. Our coaching has lost its edge. We exported a lot of IP yet we seem to think (institutionally) that we can learn nothing from overseas.

Yet none of this in unprecedented our unable to improve very quickly. The 70's were the worst years of AB results in my lifetime. We were shockingly poor all too often. Yet once we got the right coach and drafted in some young blood to the team we went from packing down 3 man scrums because were were so poor to Grand Slam winners in just over 12 months.

Sound familiar?

Keep the faith.

Funny how things come around. My dad remembers the star studded B&I Lions tour of 1971, where they showed us how to play champagne running rugby. Historically we were 10 man exponents.

I feel we have made strides, and there is a lot of young talent coming through. But Razor has to get out of his own way and stop focussing on trivialities like pining for overseas players and such

TBH, I think that's a slight historical myth, Fred Allen's 1960s ABs were exponents of running rugby.

On Razor, yeah, I'm the same, I'm not writing him off after this year, but I'm still criticising him for what I see as poor decisions most especially Sotutu and his wanking on about overseas players just to get an overrated 10 back.

I'll make a note to have a stern word with CF Sr the next time I see him, and correct him ! 😁. In his defence, perhaps I misunderstood. But I remember him telling me how they had very good backs on that tour

SJ Sr told me the same thing. They certainly won over the NZ rugby public at the time.

So Dmac is in the Dream World Team of the Year and the ABs get "Dinky Kicks " at pivot.....

BB dinky kick strikes again...sigh....

I agree that WJ suits wing better. He is a weapon there. Opposite to the narrative on here, I think his distribution skills are good as he has consistently shown (try assist stats?) but the lack of a tactical kicking game and decision-making in a tight arm wrestle is a concern.

@Bones said in All Blacks v France:

@Old-Samurai-Jack said in All Blacks v France:

He sets up other players well, is definitely not selfish (don't know where that is coming from)

Right, so the multiple instances of him ignoring support and/or taking the limp option then turning the ball over is great team play? Keep drinking the coolade man. What's good about him not looking to link when he breaks, or overrunning the ball carrier, kicking the ball away randomly or throwing a shit 20/80 pass when he's eventually caught? Yeah very unselfish.

Needs a comma.
I'd like to see his assist stats compared to other players. He seems to be a good link player. I am not sure you have a healthy perspective about this particular player....

@Bones said in All Blacks v France:

@nzzp said in All Blacks v France:

Y'all should also apologise to @Bones; he's been consistent with his observations of Will Jordan - elite in some facets, but missing some bits that make great Test fullbacks. That's not a hit on Will, just that he's a better wing where the things he isn't as good at don't get exposed so much.

Yeah look, Will can do some amazing stuff and fuck it's pretty to watch him in space. Just what annoys me is he still plays like that guy growing up who was bigger and better than everyone and so just grabbed the ball and did it on his own. It's not stuff that can't be worked on and I certainly would've hoped to see vast improvement this season - but there's nothing.

How is it that he's still consistently choosing selfish options, constantly overrunning players with the ball, etc? He doesn't value possession and just readily hands it back to the opposition.

If I could see even a tiny bit of improvement across his many seasons then I would be more comfortable, but he just doesn't appear to have any application or desire to improve - or he's not being taught well.

Whilst I agree his best position is wing, some of the things you have attacked Will on are just plain silly. He sets up other players well, is definitely not selfish (don't know where that is coming from), and his defensive positioning is very good (could be more physical in the tackle of course).
His best position is wing I think because he doesn't have the kicking game or maybe even the decision nous for fullback I think (neither does Jordie on the decision front....). On the wing he can roam and not have the same responsibilities that limits a fullback from getting in the game.

@Dodge said in All Blacks v France:

this is the game of the weekend as far as i'm concerned. Hoping France turn up and the noise is insane. Will be nice to see the second best 9 (and best player ever) in the world again,

Wot? SA vs Poms?

Scots backs more effective than the Boks. The Scots made quite a few opportunities then failed to finish.
Boks pretty much nailed most opportunities. Just another day at the office for them I felt.

Awesome for Wobs. They have got some really talented players in that squad, so it was just a matter of time until something clicked.

@Bones said in All Blacks vs Ireland:

@Old-Samurai-Jack said in All Blacks vs Ireland:

@Bones said in All Blacks vs Ireland:

@Old-Samurai-Jack said in All Blacks vs Ireland:

@Jet said in All Blacks vs Ireland:

Giving it the big one , because you've executed a 50/22 while 10 points down tells you all you need to know about that mob.

That kick though was a thing of beauty. Jordan did nothing wrong, the idea was good but bugger me, what a response!

Oh come on, how many meek turnovers does this guy get away with under the guise of doing nothing wrong? It was a shit kick when we were hot on attack. Selfish play.

Mate, a few minutes to play, put the opposition in their own 22 for a lineout. Whatever this kid has done to your family, let it go.

They were under pressure, we were running hot, he did his usual schizo and only cared about him so did his cute, aimless dink ahead. Brainless play. Repro has it covered.

@Bones said in All Blacks vs Ireland:

@Old-Samurai-Jack said in All Blacks vs Ireland:

@Jet said in All Blacks vs Ireland:

Giving it the big one , because you've executed a 50/22 while 10 points down tells you all you need to know about that mob.

That kick though was a thing of beauty. Jordan did nothing wrong, the idea was good but bugger me, what a response!

Oh come on, how many meek turnovers does this guy get away with under the guise of doing nothing wrong? It was a shit kick when we were hot on attack. Selfish play.

Mate, a few minutes to play, put the opposition in their own 22 for a lineout. Whatever this kid has done to your family, let it go.

@Jet said in All Blacks vs Ireland:

Giving it the big one , because you've executed a 50/22 while 10 points down tells you all you need to know about that mob.

That kick though was a thing of beauty. Jordan did nothing wrong, the idea was good but bugger me, what a response!

Those three Kiwi-Irish are pretty good, aren't they? Fuckers!
How good? They grounded out a win without going full retard. You could see the headless chook appear at times (it is going to take time to get fully rid of it) but generally a very pragmatic win. Exits good, close-in defense good,... Beyond stoked.

I've got a good feeling about this one.

Exits and stiff defense around the collision areas/up fat man's ally. These are the weaknesses of the ABs and the main things to get right against Ireland. Their smoke and mirrors chaos with dummy runners up the middle needs to be absolutely smashed back into the dark ages.

@Tim said in All Blacks vs Ireland:

Seriously hate Irish rugby and their shenanigans. Complete dickheads!

@LatsToTheMax said in All Blacks Vs England, Twickenham:

@Machpants said in All Blacks Vs England, Twickenham:

Try, and penalty against Maro, lucky it didn't connect with telea's head

A player must not attempt to kick the ball from the hands of the ball-carrier.

https://cdn4.theroar.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Mark-Telea.jpg

That's a penalty try if he collects him there.

In the last 10 or so, he basically got away with murder at the breakdown near their line as well. A real competitor but were was Gardner with all this offending?

Holland was very good and I wish McMillan was part of the the ABs set up. His teams always seem to focus on the physicality side of the breakdown battle. His battles with Razor in SR were games within games.