Poll: Best AB coach - professional era
-
@MN5 said in Poll: Best AB coach - professional era:
@No-Quarter said in Poll: Best AB coach - professional era:
@African-Monkey said in Poll: Best AB coach - professional era:
@sparky said in Poll: Best AB coach - professional era:
@African-Monkey said in Poll: Best AB coach - professional era:
Cullen was past in in 03.
He was second top try-scorer in 2003 in both the Super 12 and the NPC.
Past it may be rough, but not the payer he was after his injury in 2000? My memory is a bit hazy.
Still would have had him and Mehrtens in the squad having said that.
He was a shadow of his former self but still the best FB in the country at that time is the way I remember it
It's funny how life is.
Razor is maligned for continuing to pick Beauden Barrett, yet Mitchell was maligned for dropping Cullen.
I loved Cullen, one of my absolute favourites but he had lost that tiny bit of spark, lets be honest.
Beauden Barrett lost his jet shoes 4-5 years ago yet is still one of the first names on the team sheet.
In conclusion......
Fuck being an AB coach, there'll always be a bunch of fluffybunnies having a whinge no matter what you do.
thats probably true
i saw several times on the socials in the last couple of days BB on the mount rushmore of world GOAT 10's...and people defending it to the death....up there with DC etc
-
@Kiwiwomble socials are full of 'tards.
There have been ones asking who is the best 10 ever...Wilko or Sexton, clearly some algorithm has generated that as opposed to someone who watched rugby.
-
@Chris-B said in Poll: Best AB coach - professional era:
The best kicker in the team by a wide margin was Benny Blair and maybe they should've primed him to play wing or even fullback.
Wise after the event.
Wasn't Blair injured as soon as he was called up? Or am I getting matches mixed up?
-
@taniwharugby said in Poll: Best AB coach - professional era:
There have been ones asking who is the best 10 ever...Wilko or Sexton, clearly some algorithm has generated that as opposed to someone who watched rugby.
Bo Derek.
-
@nostrildamus You might be right.
Was it Blair that Atiga replaced?
-
@nostrildamus said in Poll: Best AB coach - professional era:
@taniwharugby said in Poll: Best AB coach - professional era:
There have been ones asking who is the best 10 ever...Wilko or Sexton, clearly some algorithm has generated that as opposed to someone who watched rugby.
Bo Derek.
-
@Chris-B said in Poll: Best AB coach - professional era:
Read Gregor Paul's biography of Hansen earlier this year. He makes a pretty compelling case that Hansen is a more rounded coach than Sir Ted.
Interestingly, he makes a similar case for Keiran Read vs McCaw as captain.
Hansen was phenomenal in his first four years - I think he lost 3 and drew 1 - and built probably the best ever All Black team.
With all due respect to Gregor Paul - Hansen and Read both got to operate in a 'monkey off of the back' environment due to the work done by Henry and McCaw from 07 - 11.
In 2012 for the first time in 21 years the All Blacks didn't have to carry around the tag of 'world cup chokers' which obviously grew over that period. Hansen had his captain in place with still plenty left in the tank and options at 10 with Carter still around and Cruden having taken massive strides in 2011/12 having featured at a RWC and won a Super title with the Chiefs.
Hansen's tenure reminds me of an elongated version of Hart's tenure - very successful with an established team and integrating new talent into said team - followed by a struggle once the senior heads departed (McCaw, Carter, Nonu etc). Of course Hart's drop off was more pronounced but part of that is because the Boks and Wallabies were a joke in 2016-17 (Allister Coetzee was Bok coach and the Wallabies really struggled with an exodus of talent post 2015 RWC) and it really masked how good the ABs were travelling.
Read might have been more engaging as a person for players to deal with and was a solid captain but the proof is in the pudding and he can't hold a candle to McCaw as a leader (and realistically no one was going to be able to after McCaw).
-
@Chris-B id wager if you were in McCaws teams, and you put in the work, all would be well.
If you didnt then that'd likely piss him off the hierarchy stuff would come into it.
When you look.at the likes of Jordan and Tiger, they were laser focused at thier peak, and seemingly without a lot of personality (at least overtly) but as time has gone on, they have become more personable, in terms of contributions to thier sports, McCaw sits up there with those guys, and youd say he had.that same singular focus on his career and legacy.
-
@Chris-B said in Poll: Best AB coach - professional era:
@nostrildamus You might be right.
Was it Blair that Atiga replaced?
Yeah, looked it up, replaced him in 2003 after Blair's neck injury (from having to look up to the opposition no doubt). They say Ben Blair was 5"9 /174 cm tall but he looked shorter to me, must be the illusion of his stocky build.
-
hang on and sorry to derail this coaching thread yet again but it suddenly occurred to me and I hope I am wrong: was there the [may-have-been-possible in an alternative universe] chance for the RWC2003 SF game against Australia of having Mills at 13 or Umaga (who I think afterwards said he was fit to play?) and Cullen at 15?
-
@nostrildamus said in Poll: Best AB coach - professional era:
hang and sorry to derail this coaching thread yet again but it suddenly occurred to me and I hope I am wrong: was there the [may-have-been-possible in an alternative universe] chance for the RWC2003 SF game against Australia of having Mills at 13 or Umaga (who I think afterwards said he was fit to play?) and Cullen at 15?
Hell didn't freeze over so no
-
@MN5 said in Poll: Best AB coach - professional era:
Hell didn't freeze over so no
is that an actual quote from the coaches or are you still bitter? And if the latter, how was it growing up with cueball as a father?
-
@nostrildamus said in Poll: Best AB coach - professional era:
@MN5 said in Poll: Best AB coach - professional era:
Hell didn't freeze over so no
is that an actual quote from the coaches or are you still bitter? And if the latter, how was it growing up with cueball as a father?
6th ranked ODI batsman and 9th ranked test batsman.
Fuck you Dad, I like Cricket better than Rugby.
-
@MN5 said in Poll: Best AB coach - professional era:
Fuck you Dad, I like Cricket better than Rugby.
Perfect opportunity for Cullen to send John Mitchell some pointed cards on Father's Day...
-
I do recall at the time a lot of chatter about the team Mitchell finally selected for RWC 2003.
The general thought being sort of like; ok . . . but if you dont win, you are guna get crucified.He and Mark Shaw had a very bad relationship with the media (what ever you think of the media).
The media was just waiting for them to crash and burn . . . and they did . . . and then they got hammered.Good lesson there for future coaches, you dont have to slurp them like say John Hart, but dont be calling them DHs, because sooner or later things wont be going well and they'll deal to you.
In the end it was probably his very poor PR that did Mitchell in; and made it easy for NZR to ditch him.
-
@Kiwiwomble said in Poll: Best AB coach - professional era:
BB on the mount rushmore of world GOAT 10's
Fuuuuuuuuck off!
I dont even have him as a starting 10 . . . ever!The best 10 play i've ever seen from an AB was DC (especially in that series against the Lions).
I might have BB in the running for the world GOAT 22 tho.
-
@Chris-B said in Poll: Best AB coach - professional era:
I'm assuming you're not old enough to have seen Bert Cooke - and he was tiny!
Steve Pokere could take a gap, but I don't recall him having jet shoes.
I'll have to say, Super Sid?
Yep, there should have been way more olden time players in that team of the century.
Especially from the likes of the 1920's. AB rugby was extremely strong in that era.
PTM was the only other olden time player to make it; which is super impressive really; because both those players were on the back ends of their careers when TV came along.Another player I've heard old timers rave about was Johnny Smith (40's-50's)
Pokere was a neat little player. Silky i think is the word the commentators use.
-
@MN5 said in Poll: Best AB coach - professional era:
30 tries in 67 appearances. Played in a couple of World Cups. He went very well.
But I'll admit when you put it like that it's tough to pick him clearly over JR and DH.
Yeah
Add in his RL and i'd have no trouble taking him over JR and DH; nothing really in it tho.
Allways thought DH was one of those types of players that looked better than he actually was.But Rupes over them all.
-
@mohikamo said in Poll: Best AB coach - professional era:
@MN5 said in Poll: Best AB coach - professional era:
30 tries in 67 appearances. Played in a couple of World Cups. He went very well.
But I'll admit when you put it like that it's tough to pick him clearly over JR and DH.
Yeah
Add in his RL and i'd have no trouble taking him over JR and DH; nothing really in it tho.
Allways thought DH was one of those types of players that looked better than he actually was.But Rupes over them all.
Howlett scored a lot of tries ( more than anyone else ! ) but wasn't a genuine gamebreaker like others were. The more I think about it the more I'd choose Tuqiri over him.
....and yes, peak Caucau would get in my mythical all time back three in the 14 jersey with Cully and Jonah.
-
A bit of revisionism going on about Howlett. He scored some pretty amazing tries both individually and then on the back of his speed, chase and support play. If that’s not game breaking not sure what is.
He worked hard to get into positions for the offload or short pass off the shoulder. When midfielders or forwards looked to be tackled and Howlett pops up and breaks the play open for a try.
@MN5 Lote? Yeah nah. Not even a top 5 Wallaby winger.
