The Silver Fern

@reprobate said in All Blacks 2024:

@RoninWC said in All Blacks 2024:

@Old-Samurai-Jack said in All Blacks 2024:

@nostrildamus said in All Blacks 2024 - selection:

@Old-Samurai-Jack said in All Blacks 2024 - selection:

Oh, get a grip. So Sotutu is now the finest player not to get selected and everyone else is a journeyman. I find it funny how by attacking another player from a rival team who doesn't even get selected as a No.8 is the main focus of the argument. Just so friggen stupid.

you are talking about EB?
Where would you rank him on his 2024 season against the other 6s and 7s?

One of the most effective loose forwards in the comp in a dysfunctional team when playing. Hence pretty much every pundit outside this echo chamber putting his name in the mix.
Being made of glass and a lack of a body of work is a reasonable argument though...

LOL, I call BS on this statement.

One of the busiest, sure, but effective, NFW!

He's there because he's the coaches pet and son of a mate and because the fan boys fawn over the few minutes he plays each season.

Should never have walked into the squad let alone starting given how few minutes he's played and how actually ineffective he is when he plays. Busy doesn't mean efffective.

God you're repetitive and full of shit. He didn't walk into the starting side. The starting loosies against England were DP, AS, SF. EB and LJ had their first starts vs Fiji. EB performed, SF had not, and of the options available he earned the starting spot.
I wouldn't have picked him initially due to a lack of playing time, but he has performed well and justified his selection. Stats back that up.
To say he's been selected because he's the son of a mate paints you as quite the fluffybunny.

HAHAHA, look who's talking. It's my opinion, you have yours and I have my own.

And it's as clear AF that he should never have been picked in the first place. He did walk into the side without merit, that much is clear.

And I completely disagree that EB has "performed" as I have put in only 1 single previous post, I do not believe that he is effective. He's busy but effective, far from it in my opinion.

You have yours, but that is not reason to call anyone a fluffybunny, especially from one such as yourself!

From Allianz Stadium (formerly Twickenham) tomorrow night.

A rematch of the Women's 2022 Rugby World Cup Final.

Interesting stats:

• Great to see the return of the pocket rocket, Ayesha Leti-I'iga, returning for her first match since scoring the winning try in that final
• John Mitchell who took over as Head Coach of England coaches against his native country for the first time
• England are the world’s number one ranked team have won 46 of their last 47 Test matches, including 16 on the trot since the 2022 Rugby World Cup

Very annoying, Stan Sport here in Australia has decided against streaming this match despite having the rights to the game. It does conflict with the Women's Australia v Ireland match but that shouldn't matter.

I've emailed Stan Sports a few times already and I can only encourage other Aussie based Ferner's to do the same and hopefully we can get a replay?

Teams
Black Ferns (15-1):
15. Renee Holmes (18), 14. Ayesha Leti-I'iga (21), 13. Logo-i-Pulotu Lemapu-Atai'i (Sylvia) Brunt (17), 2. Ruahei Demant (37, Co-Captain), 11. Katelyn Vahaakolo (10), 10. Hannah King (3), 9. Maia Joseph (4), 8. Kaipo Olsen-Baker (6), 7. Kennedy Tukuafu (nee Simon) (23, Co-Captain), 6. Liana Mikaele-Tu'u (22), 5. Maiakawanakaulani Roos (25), 4. Alana Bremner (21), 3. Tanya Kalounivale (14), 2. Georgia Ponsonby (24), 1. Chryss Viliko (6)

Reserves:
16. Atlanta Lolohea (1), 17. Kate Henwood (5), 18. Amy Rule (24), 19. Maama Mo’onia Vaipulu (2), 20. Layla Sae (7), 21. Iritana Hohaia (10), 22. Amy du Plessis (17), 23. Ruby Tui (14)

England (15-1):
15. Ellie Kildunne (Harlequins, 44), 14. Abby Dow, (Trailfinders Women, 46), 13. Emily Scarratt (112), 12. Tatyana Heard (Gloucester-Hartpury, 23), 11. Jess Breach (Saracens, 39), 10. Holly Aitchison (Bristol Bears, 31), 9. Natasha Hunt (Gloucester-Hartpury, 73), 8. Alex Matthews (Gloucester-Hartpury, 68 caps), 7. Marlie Packer (Saracens, 105, Captain), 6. Maddie Feaunati (Exeter Chiefs, 6), Abbie Ward (Bristol Bears, 65), 4. Zoe Aldcroft (Gloucester-Hartpury, 54), 3. Sarah Bern (Bristol Bears, 62), 2. 2 Lark Atkin-Davies (Bristol Bears, 58), 1. Mackenzie Carson (Gloucester-Hartpury, 16)

Reserves:
16. Amy Cokayne (Leicester Tigers, 75), 17. Hannah Botterman (Bristol Bears, 48), 18. Maud Muir (Gloucester-Hartpury, 31), 19 Morwenna Talling (Sale Sharks, 14), 20. Georgia Brock (Gloucester-Hartpury, Debut) 21. Lucy Packer (Harlequins, 22), 22. Zoe Harrison (Saracens, 50 caps) 23. Helena Rowland (Loughborough Lightning, 30 caps)

@Old-Samurai-Jack said in All Blacks 2024:

@nostrildamus said in All Blacks 2024 - selection:

@Old-Samurai-Jack said in All Blacks 2024 - selection:

Oh, get a grip. So Sotutu is now the finest player not to get selected and everyone else is a journeyman. I find it funny how by attacking another player from a rival team who doesn't even get selected as a No.8 is the main focus of the argument. Just so friggen stupid.

you are talking about EB?
Where would you rank him on his 2024 season against the other 6s and 7s?

One of the most effective loose forwards in the comp in a dysfunctional team when playing. Hence pretty much every pundit outside this echo chamber putting his name in the mix.
Being made of glass and a lack of a body of work is a reasonable argument though...

LOL, I call BS on this statement.

One of the busiest, sure, but effective, NFW!

He's there because he's the coaches pet and son of a mate and because the fan boys fawn over the few minutes he plays each season.

Should never have walked into the squad let alone starting given how few minutes he's played and how actually ineffective he is when he plays. Busy doesn't mean efffective.

@Stag said in Springboks vs All Blacks 2:

@Kiwiwomble you are appropriately named. Blackadder has been in of the best AB’s this season and clearly would have started again.

Hahahaha, you're kidding yourself. Best of the ABs this season, get the fuck outta here!

@Chris said in Springboks vs All Blacks 2:

Ethan Blackadder is injured that is the reason Sititi is starting and Jacobsen is on the bench.

Well thank fuck!

Broken as usual and as I said before, not world class and added little to a struggling AB team.

@Jet said in Springboks vs All Blacks 2:

Story of the season is surely Blackadder casting off his niggles moniker by being an 80 minute week in week out tyro.

WPOTY incoming. 😀

Seriously, WTF do people see in Blackadder.

INMHO, he's softer in defence than the complaints about Ardie, haven't seen a good solid driving tackle or big hit from him yet.

He's useless with ball in hand and makes little real yards and then clearly his decision making is farking shite given the ball hungus screwing the pooch on a certain try!

Sure, he has an engine and runs all game and is involved but his involvment lacks much impact on both sides of the ball.

Fark me, I honestly watch his game scratching my head and think, "WTF are the coaches seeing in this guy?"!

In terms of changes, I think we clearly need more height in the engine room, start Darry and move Vai'i to starting 6. More height, more grunt!

@Bovidae said in Olympic Sevens 2024:

@RoninWC You mean Curry? It did seem strange that Webber went from being only a travelling reserve to replacing the injured Ware in the starting team. It doesn't say much about the original team selection.

Yes, I meant Curry, thanks for picking that up.

And yes, the whole selection was an absolute mess for those games.

Tomasi Cama a rubhish coach.

Starting Joe Webber in a knockout match is one of the most stupid decisions I've seen watching decades (and playing) sevens.
He misses far too many tackles (in fact, the only tackle I can recall he made was at the kickoff for the 2nd half, his one and only good play in the whole match), his passes are piss poor, usually going behind the player he's passing to and he pretty much does the same thing every time he has the ball in hand.

To compound that headscratcher, he doesn't start either of the two playmakers used the most thru the HSBC 7s, Cook-Savage and Rokolisoa, yet he starts Collier and Dillon who are both too old and too slow and keeps them on almost the entire match. In fact, Collier played the entire match and contributed almost nothing just because he's the captain he's kept on the whole time... WTF!

And WTF was that from Knewstubb, he was thru the tackle, line open in front of him and he attempts a miracle offload which is intercepted and turned into the match winning score when the SA player looks up, sees only Dillion and Collier in front of him and takes the most logical option, kick and chase when you know you can outpace your opposition, just too easy.

@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks vs England 2:

@Frank said in All Blacks vs England 2:

Perofeta actually should not have thrown to Telea in that movement when he was cut down before the line.
He had Christie and Jordie inside me and unmarked.

Telea should have done better though. Look at the space he has.

It may look like space but as someone who played at wing and in the centres, the defender clearly has the angle on Telea as well as pace (as we saw all game).

The fullback in that screen capture has the dream defence scenario as a back 3 player, you have the angle, you have the sideline and because Perofeta passed early, sole focus on Telea.

He was always going to make that tackle and when he did, Telea had no choice but to either be taken over the sideline or throw the miracle ball back inside which, as we know, was picked off by Smith.

Watching the replay of this again, that was all on Perofeta as he had two un-marked men on his inside but never even looked in that direction, only at Telea which made it even easier for the English 15 coming across in cover.

Plus, Perofeta didn't even attempt to draw and pass the 15 or delay him enough to give Telea a chance.

100% that was all on Perofeta.

@frugby said in All Blacks vs England 2:

@chimoaus said in All Blacks vs England 2:

How shit was our lineout. Kind of embarrassing really.

People will blame Taylor, but Tuipulotu and Barrett got dominated... need one or the other with a taller lock. Issue is, Lord can't stay fit and Holland is not yet available.

Darry worth a crack?

Sorry but your line out starts with the throw and Codie's throwing tonight was horrendous!

His poor throws were putting pressure on our jumpers on almost every line out.

He played poorly and should have been replaced early in the second half yet Razor kept his pet on until after the 60th minute before Aumua came on and suddenly the line out started working.

@sparky said in All Blacks vs England 2:

@ACT-Crusader

Scrums were great. Tackling was good.

Except from Jordie who missed many tackles including being palmed off about three tackles in a row.

@mariner4life said in All Blacks vs England 2:

Lol sucking off BB for being put in an enormous hole. Never change lads

Pettiest comment of the year.

Massive positive influence on this match!

@mariner4life said in All Blacks vs England 2:

I do not want BB on as Perofeta has been fucking good

And I think BB is proper cooked

This did not age well!

C'mon Beaudy!

Codie Taylor having a shocker, throwing piss poor and that penalty he gave away on the half time buzzer had me blowing a gasket at the TV.

Get Aumua on from the start of the 2nd half!

Want to see Beauden on early as well.