The Silver Fern

I have only seen the ABs live against minnows Japan, Namibia and Australia ... haha. First one 96 at Wellington. Epic game. My prop was interviewed by Ric Salizzo as we found our seats pre kickoff. we were a bit of a hectic melee as our bus driver had dropped us off at the opposite entry to our seats and we had to walk past the AB reserves and coaches taking their seats. We were a bit wobbly as we were on a Massey Gentleman's Club bus trip. Our prop was in a state of chaos and was pissed off entirely with Salizzo who would not believe him when he told him he was Cyril Brownlie (actually the grandson of).
Epic match. Aftermatch at the steinlager tent where recently retired Foxy was well in his cups!
Then I saw ABs play Australia twice in HK. The first with Reuben Thorn down from his Japan retirement package and watch him having to chop a couple of jugs of pimms (ordered for his missus - Merts sis) and a handful of beers because there was no drinking in the stands in HK for 15s.
Next one we lost in HK when Donald wrote the penultimate chapter of his story ... I had scored tickets from Corey Jane and was sitting with Mr and Mrs Mcaw and Mr and Mrs Carter and Rico Gear and other AB family ticket holders. DC came off and kissed his mum which all the Chinese girls thought was amazing.
The night (scratch that morning)before my mates and I were drinking spirits with Kurtley Beale who had a brilliant game that day! The night of thetest the Wobblies had a no drinking rule imposed by Dingo. But we were all drinking with Gitaeu and Cooper before there recovery session. Giteau missed his kick from in front against Scotland the week after and Deans basically dumped him.
Next up I watched the ABS vs Australia at the RWC dress rehearsal. at Eden Park. We were really dominant. Then in 2013 I saw a second string ABs demolish Japan on the way to Europe in Tokyo. Highlight was the after party in Roppongi with a heap of NZ, Australian expat rugby players. and a very drunk Shane Williams. In 2018 I was in Thailand so went up to Tokyo watch the ABS vs Aust in the RWC dress rehearsal. My 'little' cousin D Papalii was in the AB squad and I had a travel arrangement the next week and was hoping he would get a bench debut. vs the Aussies. As it turned out he was a dirty and debuted a week alter against Japan. I was so lucky for that as I was on a flight from Bangkok to Kuala Lumper at the same time and a mate was the pilot so I sat up in the cockpit with him and we watched his debut live. Last Abs test was at the RWC in Japan in the match against Namibia. Hk democracy demonstrations were in full swing at the time so couldn't get to any other games. Really sad about missing the ABs at Oita versus Canada as I spent three years living there and lots of great rugby mates there.

@SBW1 I have played in Japan and I've always called for top 4 ITM/NPC teams and top 4 Top League teams have a super 8 round robin final. That would be straight after top league an straight before NPC. great incentive for NZ players to plug away at TTM level.

I see the Boss there too. Mark Robinson waddling around. Keeping a closer eye on Fozzie.

@victor-meldrew Pod system needs a massive tweak. It's predictable and often static these days. I realize it was a reaction to rule changes designed to negate McCaw but that kind of backfired in some ways as he had slowed a little so clearing quick ruck ball became less of a priority. Now getting the ball to a front rower or a lock to set a pod way behind the advantage line is proving largely ineffective. So maybe breaking up the pod and back to ruck and run. There was a time when we were weak at maul ball too - particularly the start of 92 and suddenly we had fitzy and MJ doing powerful pick and goes at the advantage line and it threw out the Aussies in test 3 that year and the Bokke couldn't handle it for the first hour of their welcome back match too. We drifted in and out of that through to 95 when it was modus operandi.

@mariner4life This is my entire issue with the POD system. We get cluttered and rely on frontrowers to have the adaptive ballskills too much. If it breaks down it is well behind the gain line and takes our loosies out of the game. I went to Mexteds coaching school a few years back and asked about this because then all NZ teams were doing the 1331. The comment was that the POD system was agreed on because of the seemingly yearly IRB changes to ruck rules to basically negate McCaw. I saw last years Crusaders change it up and Blues did it mid-season. To me for the last couple of years as we have struggled I kind of recall that period during Mains early years when we struggled to match it with the Aussies we went back to ruck and run quick ball with one-off off the 2nd phase. Remember fitzy just taking opposition loosies out of the game and putting us up to the advantage line. Now we just throw it back 20 meters to try do it there? And often turn it over.

@mariner4life I beg to disagree. In finals footie, all the 10s need a 12.
In 2003 England without Mike Catt at 12 outside Wilko in their quarter versus Wales would have lost. At the same cup, Mauger calling for the missed pass didn't help Carlos escape the firing line in '03 either! Then in 2011 Nonu looked after Donald and was largely unheralded.

@Crucial I agree on this. Saw some stats on effective tackles by loosies through 21-22. Interesting one was blackadder having a lot of contacts that needed support from Christie Crusadser and Papalii in The ABs in 2021. Christie's super high tackle count is influenced by this and also because Grace has still got that one weak shoulder the AB coaches talked about with him about after they took him to Aussie for a look. Anyone follow schoolboy rugby down south and know his injury history? It seems for the last three seasons he's lost time with shoulder knocks and when he plays his defence sits around 70 percent. I like the cut of his jib but he has got to be tackling at a higher effectiveness rate than that.

@nevorian said in All Blacks vs Wallabies Bledisloe 2 Eden Park 14th Aug:

@nzzp said in All Blacks vs Wallabies Bledisloe 2 Eden Park 14th Aug:

@machpants said in All Blacks vs Wallabies Bledisloe 2 Eden Park 14th Aug:

One article pointed out that they couldn’t reduce the ticket prices as those who paid for Bled 1 would complain. What a pile of shit, I paid full dollar for the first test, and would’ve gone for a second if they really reduced the prices. Covid forced the move be flexible, maeke two for one deals and kids deals and stuff. Just lack of flexibility.

Oh and fucking drop Steinlager as a sponsor FFS

hell - reward those who come for Round 2 with a deeper discount. Buy your seat again priority period for 50% off. FFS, no imagination.

And if tickets still aren’t selling let emergency personnel by $10 tickets

both great ideas! DCA the tickets of tests to real fans and reward those people in the community who have sacrificed for the majority. I would support free for nurses even! Empty seats look like bad marketing.

good to see Scotty Hawker get a mention. Spent most of July running in Chamonix and its a magical place. the whole alps is seemingly full of these gnarly fast dudes running for hours at high altitude with huge elevation. For a kiwi to place top 3 in a European event is amazing. Especially one seen as the Olympics equivalent on the sport. Ruth Croft won her event in the same trail running festival.

@Duluth DP was packing at 8 on attacking scrums that day. The pest christie pinched a pushover try from a stray boot.