The Silver Fern

@African-Monkey said in Blues v Chiefs:

Lol that streaker could win another penalty for the Chiefs here now that a scrum has been called.

I dunno what happened to the streaker but as I was leaving out the back 3 st johns ambos were wheeling along him along in a wheel chair and he was sucking pretty hard on a green whistle looking very unhappy.

then outside the police were walking the tan pants guy out carrying a few pages of paperwork - also looking very unhappy and was very unresponsive to any banter in his direction..

@Bovidae said in Blues v Chiefs:

The Chiefs forwards have put on some weight in the off-season, a consequence of being bullied up front in the final. They certainly won more collisions in this game.

very noticeable in person how much size vaa'i and lord have added.

especially compared with Segner who looks like a toothpick.

Both the TT and IP moved to mat h thr men's distance on 1 jan...
So Botha and andrews record were about 3rd attempt. But both are topof the game so deserve to hold them.
I felt like it was a missed opportunity to organize a track day on new years day and have my kids be world record holders 😅😅

@Kruse said in Sevu Reece - in trouble again:

@Bones said in Sevu Reece - in trouble again:

@Kruse said in Sevu Reece - in trouble again:

To be fair, after reading the details of Sevu's first "incident" - and reading between the lines of the witness reports - I had some sympathy. It seemed quite possibly an innocuous incident, but branded with "domestic violence" and therefore pitchforks out.
But a second incident... not sure I can be bothered reading the details of this one, but one way or the other, he hasn't learned lessons.
Plus he's slower than me, so get him out of the All Blacks anyway.

I thought he'd knocked/tackled her to the ground and dragged her? The injuries don't sound very innocuous, have I completely misunderstood the meaning of that word?

My reading of it was that he'd been trying to de-escalate a situation between her and others, and had tried to get her to sit down, initially by sitting down himself, then eventually physically pulling her down to sit with him.
The kind of action which a particularly nasty prosecution lawyer of the american kind could force a witness into describing as "pulling her to the ground" and "dragging".
I might have it wrong though - and the fact there is this second incident... yeah, I'm wondering if I was overly optimistic in the first place.

she was an absolute nutter - always hitting him and stuff - he reacted, got done. Saders got the 'get him away from her he'll be ok' so took him on.

Not saying the guy hasn't totally farked up on this occasion but first time round was plenty of sympathy from those close to the situation and hence the reason they signed him.

Pretty surprised the saders and AB's kept him on this year tho - plenty knew it was him

@canefan said in All Blacks 2024:

@Darth-Sader said in All Blacks 2024:

@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks 2024:

@frugby you say 'let's see what Super Rugby brings'

A number of guys carved up in Super Rugby this year and were barely given an opportunity.

Lam
Love
Proctor

Etc etc

And the irony is - for the most part - the guys who were given a shot in black on the back of Super rugby form looked good.

Meanwhile these established guys rack up test after test with mediocrity (Havili, ALB, Rieko, Jacobson etc).

Havili and ALB have had their time. Absolutely need to introduce new options there. Neither offers enough. Reiko still has something in him, but how do we unlock it consistently?

Give him some time and space for one thing. Plummer seemed to do it during Super. Of course the Blues backs stood a little deeper

reeks seems to have one job with AB's which is crash ball. He just aint that big ball carrier type though.

@Duluth said in All Blacks 2024:

@WillieTheWaiter said in All Blacks 2024:

(sauce: completely random convo with Razor in a lift somewhere in Paris back in my I was overseas days still remember how filthy he was)

That was 20 years ago

I remember you speaking to the rest of the group just after that.. you were surprised that he was so willing to shit on Mitchell to a random kiwi

Wasn't he pissed at Deans too?

dunno my memory ain't that good! just remember him raging about mitch.

had a 30 year uni reunion on the weekend - just a bunch of people looking at each other say yeh can kinda remember you but not really... so not just my memory that's gettin hazy!

@kpkanz said in All Blacks 2024:

@canefan said in All Blacks 2024:

Nov 23, 2024

Robertson to up ante on selecting overseas players for All Blacks

The All Blacks coach, reflecting on his first year in charge, said he will make a submission to the NZ Rugby board about changing the selection criteria.

Or 2004 where we transformed the team in ONE EOYT by leaving behind Spencer/Marshall and a bunch of experienced MUST HAVE players.

And the next gen took over and dominated the world.

hmm interesting - this made me remember how Razor exited the AB's. He was the incumbent Mitch didn't take him on EOYT so he could get in great shape for next season as he'd have a heavy workload. Then he never got picked again. Suffice to say Mitch was never going to be on his xmas card list. (sauce: completely random convo with Razor in a lift somewhere in Paris back in my I was overseas days still remember how filthy he was).

wonder if that baggage is impacting his selection thinking..

Will Jordan same fuckup that cost us WC final.

Can't believe he doesn't get the same shit dmac would for his never ending knock ons shit passing and brain farts

Reiko. What about another shithouse pass from Jordan.

@antipodean said in All Blacks v France:

Only five minutes left and the captain is banking on another penalty in their half to win it. Not a decision I'd have made.

Doesn't make much sense when that would mean they'd have to score a try to win if we got 7.. now down to who can get a pen

@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks v France:

Ratima pushes that time and time again

Not helped by williams pissing the ref off by counting before..
Cheap payback from the ref

@BerniesCorner said in All Blacks v France:

@WillieTheWaiter Perhaps he wants to finish strongly?

yeh I get that and that's defo a more explosive pack coming off hte bench.

it's just his shithouse contradicting messaging. And more against Beauds - not like he's done anything that makes him the natural selection at 10 with the 1.5 games he's played.. and more of a slap in the face for Dmac who finally delivered everything that we've wanted from him all year, and still gets dropped.

geez this coaching squad makes it hard to get on the razor bandwagon..

We’ve rewarded performance.
we rewarded form
It’s difficult not to play Ethan de Groot but the other two are playing great footy, as simple as that
“Cam’s been impressive hasn’t he? He’s taken his opportunities and we believe this is the match for him

then goes and sticks the two blokes that took their opportunities, played great footy and delivered probably their best test performances..

..on the bench

@Magic65 said in All Blacks vs Wallabies I:

@Donsteppa I'm more interested in finding out who's in charge of conditioning... This person needs their credentials checked.

Nick Gill.. over a decade he's been in charge of S&C for the AB's

I know he got an average feedback review from the players under Fozzie so surprised he still there under new regime

@reprobate said in All Blacks 2024:

@gt12 said in All Blacks 2024:

If the selectors are in love with Blackadder, IMO they'd be better to put him at 7 and let him do his stuff there. We could then carry Ardie at 8 and look for more size and power at 6.

My issue with the selections now is that they don't appear to be ideal for balance now and are clearly not building for the future. I don't get it at all.

I kinda agree that he'd be better at 7, but my assumption is that they think they have quality at 7 in Cane and Dalton, Ardie is locked in, and nobody else putting their hand up at 6. Blackadder should really be the 'cover all positions' bench guy.

I'd like to see them give Wallace (or Hoskins) a go at 8: Ardie may well not make it to the next WC as a starter, he may get injured, and it doesn't make sense for nobody at all to ever get a run there. Meanwhile we've tried three different 7s and three different 6s I think?

we're back in the same scenario we had with Read after 2011 - was never as good as his early days - but there was either no one coming through or no one getting a decent crack so he was there for years after.

Can't make size - just keep working with Finau. If it's alright for Rieko to learn how to centre on the job do the same for the guy that's got the physical attributes.

Nico Stanley.. only in 5th form.. 192 tall, north of 100kegs fast as fark. Absolute weapon who already has a line out the door of clubs trying to get his signature and nzr having discussions how they can hang onto him.

Long ways off if he made the AB's but would that be the first Grandfather, Father and Son to play for the ABs?

@BerniesCorner said in All Blacks MOTM v Boks II:

I must admit I am waiting for the next MJ.
A fast 7 would be Xmas.

merry xmas..

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@cgrant said in Springboks vs All Blacks I:

Ref was a disBrace. Every 50/50 call was against the ABs. The non tackle on Darry and then the penalty against Ardie were just incredible. That said, the ABs were poor during the second half, particularly BB, Finau and Jordan. Why did BB kick away so many hard won possessions with just a few minutes to play and ABs trailing by 4 points ?
From an experienced player, that was just insane !

Beaudie has been doing this for years now.
It's farking insane.
One of the best runners in the game and his brain tells him to do a shit kick every time he kicks it.
Not only that he's lost the ability to get any distance.
2 kicks out on the full then another to touch before the hooter goes.
Gifted possession in good position so many times

Waikato need to just plug the corners and play wet weather footy.
Cruds turning back the clock 15 years!