The Silver Fern

Maybe Max is already gone? Could have been the last straw, Horner has to go, start from the bottom and build up a new team?

Otherwise surely Red Bull Racing is more attractive to Verstappen with Horner in charge? He knows how to create not just a winning team but a team that can completely dominate. That's got to be 10 times more important than a Team Principle getting along with your Dad, despite what the tabloids and netflix might want us to believe.

There was a group of people at Red Bull (Horner, Newey, Wheatly, Marshall, Marko and others) who are all as competitive as hell and for a long time they likely put their differences to one side because combined they ruthlessly created one of the most successful teams of all time. It has all been slowly crumbling since Dietrich Mateschitz passed away. Max's continued success has merely created a facade to cover what began to collapse 2.5 years ago.

Ref and touch judge instructed to do their best to ensure an Aussie team makes the semifinals…

Apart from the injury enforced Reece for Telea that has to be our best backline, not superstars at the top of their game in all positions but the best backline we currently have. Aumua could rightly feel aggrieved to not be rewarded for his performance the last two games with the starting jersey but really isn't this a position where we are talking about two players who have both been playing outstandingly this season, unlike first five where we are not as strong as we sometimes have been and it seems everyone on here has their pet. With the cantabs still rooting for Mo'unga less than half the fern is ever happy.
Loose forward combo maybe not quite the best we could come up with but so hard to balance a trio with Savea in it, he has to be selected as one of the best we currently have but he's still not a 7 or an 8, Cane has been utilised superbly to balance this. Could be a glimpse of the future if Savea is subbed for Lakai... unlikely to be the plan though.
I thought it was hard to complain with the team from the available players the last two weeks and I would say the same this week.

Really not getting the McKenzie love here. Thought his game pretty such summed up the overall, especially of the backline!

@Machpants he passes to any normal winger and he scores from there

WTF

@mikey07 I thought it was good that he made it clear to Shields that the two stand alone offences did not alter the overall penalty pressure and re-put the Hurricanes on a warning. Foul play and a professional foul treated separately seems fair?

Savea a deserved motm, Cane was immense but I think he stood out more due to the ‘unexpected’ nature of his performance. Savea just doing 2023 Savea things. Either of those 2 or JB and you couldn’t really complain.

Also, nice to see Verstappen and Red Bull are not unstoppable. Not hooking it up in practice doesn’t usually stop them hitting the right lines come qualifying. Will make for an interesting race where overtaking is not so easy.

Great result for Lawson, looking quite at home under the ‘bright lights’ of F1. Riding a positive wave and that’s what being a rookie in F1 is all about! Onwards and upwards, would be amazing if he could pick up a points finish in one of these two opportunities he probably has left this season.
Piastri hasn’t looked quite as comfortable on track at Singapore so far, few good laps but not consistently comfortable. No doubt will be looking forward to also having the full set of upgrades Norris was running on his car for Suzuka.

Wilson in commentary “it does bring a smile to my face” haha

Great opportunity, tough with one practice session (which might be wet by the sounds) and then straight into qualifying but maybe that also takes the inherent expectation pressure off a bit?

Game of two halves, Taranaki just getting through another 40 minutes for the 2nd half.
Funny hearing the commentators talking up how awesome the Manawatu lineout had got going, be a bit disappointing if they didn’t with no locks and 3 hookers on the field for Taranaki!

What! Can only imagine how many Taylors wines Eddie had consumed with some of those selections... only four locks and 5 loose forwards!

*I'm aware Kemeny is a loosie

The McLaren surprised having that race pace on two quite different circuits. Bit unfortunate for Piastri losing track position to his team mate Norris in order to cover Hamilton's first pit stop, but definitely proved to be a good overall team strategy call. Always fun to watch a race where different cars are 'in the zone' in different phases and not all just tyres, the low fuel Mercedes on slightly fresher tyres in this case. And some good old well fought Perez overtakes.

@His-Bobness said in All Blacks Vs Springboks RC Week 2:

Someone is going to have to explain to me what Foster sees in Christie.

He’s really good at flapping his arms, one day he’ll fly?

@MajorPom it will be interesting to see how he goes in the Alpha Tauri, seemed like a big chunk of his 'form slump' at McLaren was an inability to be enthused and motivated in a clearly non-competitive car after a reasonably long time in the sport. The Alpha Tauri takes the competitiveness down another notch but hopefully the different starting point of expectation and the half year break help the enthusiasm and motivation, or is the carrot of that second Red Bull more present than Christian Horner would have us believe...

I hope Taylor straightens up his line out throwing before the ABs tests, not all referees will be so accomodating.

Congrats Brumbies, not sure you were the better team but you definitely played smarter both in general and with the refereeing interpretations and that’s what knock out games are all about.

If Roigard has to be subbed I wonder if the coaches have considered just having 14 men on the park instead? Recent weeks are showing it’s just too bigger penalty to the team having Booth and Morgan on the field together.