The Silver Fern

Party at Josh Ioane's tonight then.

ARDIE!!!!!!!!!!

Guinness has retired for the evening.

The latest edition of The Breakdown was one of the weakest I’ve seen and frankly it’s embarrassing that it gets put out on the All Blacks’ YouTube Channel.

South Africa beat the ABs 35-7, no analysis of what the Springboks did well, just constant deluded whining about the referee. Lots of moaning about the pace of the game as if no one involved has watched the Six Nations in recent years. Why should the game be played at tempo the All Blacks want to play at? What God-given right do they think they have to make diktats to World Rugby and every other Rugby nation?

Jeff Wilson’s assertions about the second Scott Barrett card were slapped down by the video footage in front of him which showed what has been judged as a Yellow Card in Rugby around the world for some time now.

Then at the end lots of half-witted crowing at the England national team’s current misfortunes. Jeff Wilson and the journalist they had on looked really smug about it all.

At least Kirsty and Mils appeared a bit sheepish about what they had been asked to do.

It will be watched around the Rugby world. No wonder Rugby fans outside NZ think we’re an arrogant bunch of fluffybunnies seeing that.

If any of the producers of The Breakdown are reading this, give yourself an upper cut please.

The AB’s starting props were outstanding. Demolished the Argentinians’ scrum. They did shed lots of work in defence.

@sparky said in RWC squad. Who's in, who's out?:

Sparky's All Black RWC squad

Props: Nepo Laulala, Joe Moody, Atu Moli, Angus Ta'avao, Ofa Tu'ungafasi

Hooker: Dane Coles, Liam Coltman, Codie Taylor.

Locks: Scott Barrett, Brodie Retallick, Patrick Tuitupolou, Sam Whitelock

Back Row: Sam Cane, Luke Jacobson, Kieran Read, Ardie Savea, Matt Todd

Half Backs: TJ Perenera, Aaron Smith, Brad Weber

First Fives: Beauden Barrett, Richie Mo'unga

Midfield: Ryan Crotty, Jack Goodhue, Anton Leinert-Brown, Sonny Bill Williams

Back Three: Jordie Barrett, George Bridge, Reiko Ioane, Sevu Reece, Ben Smith

Some very tough decisions ahead for the selectors to get it down to 31..

Proof that a stopped clock is right sometimes.

Fuck you Bundee Aki, fuck you Bono, fuck you James Lowe, fuck you Jamie Gibson-Park.

Big problem for me is how slow the game has become. Too many breaks and stoppages. Too much emphasis on power, not enough on fitness and agility.

His name is spelt "Ma'a Nonu" but it can be pronounced as "Living Legend".

This is a guy who made his NPC debut in 2002 and his Super Rugby debut in 2003. In his distinguished international career he donned the famous Black Jersey for 104 Tests, contributing to two World Cup wins with tries in the 2011 Semi Final and the 2015 Final.

Tonight he set up Tom Robinson for the first try with a superb pass, he set up Caleb Clarke for the second with another superb pass and had the instincts honed by nearly two decades playing and training at an elite level to be in the right place to take the offloaded from Reiko Ioane to run in and score a try himself.

A great signing for the Blues. Their young players must be learning so much from playing with perhaps the greatest ever 12 to play the game.

New Zealand have won the Netball World Cup!!!!

Big Sam Whitelock with the last turnover. What a legend.

Thinking about the great Martin Crowe and how much he would be enjoying this.

Kirwan ‘I am a little bit worried about the balance of loose forwards against outside backs.’

Understatement of the year.

Congratulations to Wallace Sititi on being named men's world rugby breakthrough player of the year 2024.

To be fair Jonny Sexton, he never lost a RWC Semi Final or Final.

Classic Ted:

Dear Sirs and Madams,

Don't even think about making Ian Foster the next All Blacks coach.

Yours faithfully,

Sparky

Great to see the improvement in Akira Ioane from a player with great promise to a player delivering week after week in Test Rugby. Looking like a world class Blindside Flanker.

Foster is a stubborn bugger, I'll give him that.

Take your pick:

A couple of baffling decisions from the officials, an over-enthusiastic TMO, the incredible defence of the Boks, Pollard’s super boot, our dodgy goalkicking, the decision to turn down points on offer, Cane’s bad tackle that led to a rightful Red card, the ABs midfield and outfield backs being a bit off their game, Foster being out coached by Razzie, SA being perhaps a wee bit hungrier and wilier.

Whatever. The main thing is that it hurts.

It just wasn’t our night, despite an awesome effort from the boys that left me super proud. In the end it was as close as it could have been.

It just wasn’t our night.

But then I realise there have been times when it’s been that tight and it’s been our night or it’s been our day. Eden Park 1981, Loftus 96, RWC Final 2011 when it mattered so much after Pike’s River and the Christchurch earthquakes. Maybe the big lesson from this is that the fates won’t always elide for you however much you try to make them.

Anyway that’s enough feeling sorry for ourselves IMHO. Time to look forward to 2024 and the start of the 2027 RWC campaign. In Razor we trust! Keep the faith! Go Black!