The Silver Fern

@frank said in Crusaders v Highlanders (2 April 2021):

@pakman said in Crusaders v Highlanders (2 April 2021):

Couple of things I’ve not seen mentioned.

1. Highlander runners seemed for at least first 60 to back off/slow a tad/change line at last moment going into contact. Result was a bit like when a scrum fakes at hit. Oppo overbalanced and contact ineffective. Whatever it was it really threw Saders momentum at breakdown.

2. Clan seemed to target running one out and then angling back in behind ruck. Seemed that analysis may have identified space there, and good yards made.

Seemed also to result in Saders not getting the rub of the red and black, as per usual.

If I were Super coaches I’d be pouring over tape!

A bit of actual rugby analysis rather than endless moaning about the refereeing. Awesome stuff!!

Apologies for any inconvenience caused.

@Tim said in All Blacks vs Springboks - Twickenham:

Some real dud selections in this squad. Williams and Newell are nowhere near ready for test rugby, Vaa'i has no physical impact, and Jacobson is a converted seven who is absolutely lost at test level. Then there is the thoroughly unathletic Lienert-Brown.

France will destroy that forward pack.

De Groot is back to slow and ponderous.

Ryan needs to open both eyes.

Call me hindsight Harry, but I wanted to post something fairly similar when I saw the bench.

It was made worse by the fact that Bok 23 was named well in advance. Nche is probably the Bok's best scrummaging LH, and same can be said for Nbonambi at hooker. And Nyakane their no. 2 TH. With serious power in second row.

Both Vaa'i and Lord are LH locks, so it ought to have been clear second half scrums were going to be a BIG challenge.

So Nepo and Ofa ought to have been a given.

Likewise, Finau would have been closest LFL swap for Frizell.

Of course, that's assuming to win the Qatar Cup was the priority.

Obviously not. At the cost of the Baby Blacks getting a spanking in second half, TWM have learned some pretty important lessons for French game, one being that the mobile, looser, forwards which prosper in Super get found out against the top level in the tight.

The biggest issue is the injury squeeze with BBBR and Frizell, as that leaves us without a heavy duty 6.

To paraphrase the Matrix, 'Tell me, Mr. Foster, what good is a gamebreaking winger, if you're unable to secure any pill?'.

Oh, and if ref is looking to blow against you, make sure you focus on getting into oppo half before trying the fancy stuff.

@MN5 said in RWC Final: All Blacks v Springboks:

I thought this was quite a cool pic

That happened right in front of me. DDA broke off victory lap and walked 5m over to do that. Class.

@voodoo said in RWC Final: All Blacks v Springboks:

@booboo said in RWC Final: All Blacks v Springboks:

@Unite said in RWC Final: All Blacks v Springboks:

@booboo said in RWC Final: All Blacks v Springboks:

@bayimports said in RWC Final: All Blacks v Springboks:

Stan shat the bed for the last 15 minutes of the loser play off, if it happens tomorrow I will be very angry.

Looking forward to this final

Poo.

Stayed on ok for me.

But for those saying you can get the Sky NZ comms on Stan, can you give step by step instructions or admit you're trolling us?

Have not found the magical option.

Wrote to Stan even, and they don't know how to do it. Apparently there is no option to do so ...

As the others have said it is there, but quite close to the broadcast start time. Don't use the massive banner link to watch the game. From the home landing page go to Sport -> Rugby -> scroll down to Upcoming Live rugby, there should/will be two options for the game live, one will have the additional label showing 'NZ Commentary'.

Thanks. Will try.

Do not try!

Come on Booboo, you can’t be changing shit up this late - I’ll be listening to whatever bastard Stan throws at me, and so should you.

All you fuckers better be doing the exact same shit that you did for the QF and SF!!!

I was at Ellis Park in 95 and watching the pre match celebrations it was impossible not to feel that it wouldn't be the end of the world if Boks won.

Pakman Senior passed on Thursday.

Junior and I in St. Denis tonight and calling in the chit.

Italy put up more resistance.

Pakman was at Dublin 1991, Ellis Park 1995, Twickenham 1999, Sydney 2003 and Cardiff 2007. He's watching on Sky.

Irish have no chance.

The final first I want under Fozzie is beating Boks in a RWC final.

BTW I think we should be taking our hats off to ABs pack, and in particular fatties.
Sure Boks were shagged by two tough games, and sure Bongi was a huge loss, but:
Lineouts were dominated, albeit Codie overexcited a couple of times;
Scrums nullified the Boks. In fact I thought I saw a tighthead! Perhaps Jordie’s power did it?!
Bomb squad defused. Nepo, Sami and The Mighty Williams monstered them in last scrum;
Mauls pretty even.
Individually:
BBBR well on top of EE; Big Sam bested Ereira Snyman, both front rows didn’t budge an inch and Scooter was Scooter.
Awesome, awesome, awesome.

So Ofa out for Boks tour after 'clean' by Aki, and BBBR out after absorbing tackle by Porter.

It's lucky there was no foul play involved or they might have died.

@DaGrubster said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:

@ruggabee

He played in 4 matches for the ABs that year.

4 matches in 6 months.

How do you expect a player to be anywhere near his best when he plays 50-60 minutes of rugby every 6 weeks?

He got unceremoniously dropped last year and would have had reasons as to why.

He came back this year and was the player of the competition and is still left out.

I think it is Jason Ryan who doesn’t like him.

Sotutu will be one of those players that heads overseas and becomes a huge star in the Roo 14 or in another league. Maybe England and he plays for them in a couple of years

There is plainly something behind this.

In 2022 game between Saders and Blues Hoss was benched before halftime, and seemed Leon was very unimpressed.

Leon and Jase are close. Hoss started 2023 Super very well and was notably more physical. While running and passing like Michael Jones.
Tailed off towards end of season and didn’t even make XV, which is odd.

Got back on horse this year, I think much fitter, and was great at start and good at end. More impact than WS in final. Twelve tries.

Against the odds TWM had to consider him!

But along comes WS, has two or three good games, shows naivety in final, and Razor clutches at him as reason not to pick Hoss.

He is 25, a young man. WS is 21.

The glaringly obvious course is to pick Hoss, and attach Wallace to squad à la Lakai, who by the way had a better season overall.

Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.

Last 20 rewatch. Was our worst period:

• Big gaps close to rucks, esp. for Koroibete try, after Tupou twice made good ground.

• ABs passing to no one -- Patty T after SW takes kick off at 33-19, Taylor after great Savea break from 22 -- and Patty T drop in contact.

• Poor kicks gifting possession -- Laumape grubber, RM kick which Beale ran from goal line and could have led to end to end try but for Read covering.

• More easy metres from pick n go, leading to Hodge's second.

• Moli poor defensive alignment attacked, second time big hole when Beale scored.

• At 40-26 Read taps penalty rather than kicking into Oz 22?

• Moli under pressure at scrum.

• Last try from good scrum on our 10 metre -- Oz momentum wasn't checked (our forwards on wrong side field), leading quickly to final try.

Takeaways:

1. Gave away possession by forcing things rather than being patient (5 times!). Treasure the farking pill!

2. Defence round ruck abysmal.

3. Fast Oz ball meant they several times made 40 metres in a blink, and once five out were clinical.

@sparky said in RWC: England v New Zealand (SF1):

England Vs New Zealand in the RWC Semi Final. It's happened before.....

No one who saw Jonah's brilliant quartet of tries in Cape Town will ever forget them.

Pakman certainly won't. As I walked up the stairs in the stadium I was thinking that English were getting too confident, and thus ultimately dangerous, and we needed to give them a good spanking to keep them in their place. Five minutes later Jonah did his thing!

He also scored in pool game 1999 (best atmosphere I've ever experienced at Twickenham) following which Dayglo dropped a knee on him. The big man got up angry then clearly thought, 'You're not worth it'!

For completeness, I was also at first game of 1991 Cup, the only other time the sides have played.

So 100% and doing the right thing by getting my ass to Yokohama to ensure the record remains intact.

@tewaio Yes. A bit concerned that Owen Franks will have lost his pace when he returns.

@Bones said in Argentina One: Parramatta, 14 November:

@booboo said in Argentina One: Parramatta, 14 November:

@Bones said in Argentina One: Parramatta, 14 November:

@booboo Grace got 30 seconds in the loss to Aus I think...really useful.

Kinda my point.

I'd forgotten him, and it appears so had Fozzie

DisGraceful.

No way to Foster talent.

@Jaguares4real said in TRC: The All Blacks against the Springboks (version 98):

@Yeetyaah

You misinterpreted my post

Simply put Cane is more versatile as a player than Cane

ala Hooper is with Pocock

You've got me with that one.

@sparky said in RWC Final: All Blacks v Springboks:

TMO missed this.

That is why I have a problem with where rugby has gotten to.

Barnes didn’t see Cane red card, but TMO did. But if TMO didn’t call that but brought things back for Etzebeth red ABs win.

Reductio ad absurdem, why not dispense with the game and just have a coin toss?

Now World Rugby reviewing whether or not Kolisi yellow updated to red. If so, match replayed.