If we win Bled 2, are you happy heading into the end of year tour?
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It's a bit unusual that the two premier positions in All Black rugby namely open side flanker and first five have such shallow depth.
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@Nepia agreed, some poor decisions for sure. But there have been a shitload of accusations of bias.
I think it's normal for some bias among coaches and it's normal for fans to whinge about it.
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@African-Monkey said in If we win Bled 2, are you happy heading into the end of year tour?:
@KiwiMurph said in If we win Bled 2, are you happy heading into the end of year tour?:
@frugby said in If we win Bled 2, are you happy heading into the end of year tour?:
Scott Robertson was rightly hyped as the best coach in the fricken world
Rightly hyped as the best coach in the world despite never coaching test rugby and never coaching club rugby in Europe?
What?
Yeah far out haha, best coach in the world! Something only Cantabrians would say.
And I thought he was Otago!
@Bones said in If we win Bled 2, are you happy heading into the end of year tour?:
@African-Monkey said in If we win Bled 2, are you happy heading into the end of year tour?:
@KiwiMurph said in If we win Bled 2, are you happy heading into the end of year tour?:
@frugby said in If we win Bled 2, are you happy heading into the end of year tour?:
Scott Robertson was rightly hyped as the best coach in the fricken world
Rightly hyped as the best coach in the world despite never coaching test rugby and never coaching club rugby in Europe?
What?
Yeah far out haha, best coach in the world! Something only Cantabrians would say.
And I thought he was Otago!
Otago's version of @Stargazer
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Savea, Cane, Papali'i, Jacobson, Lakai and probably Blackadder and Sititi could all excel at 7 if they were able to string some starts together there for a season.
@brodean said in If we win Bled 2, are you happy heading into the end of year tour?:
Savea, Cane, Papali'i, Jacobson, Lakai and probably Blackadder and Sititi could all excel at 7 if they were able to string some starts together there for a season.
I think we should have a good idea of Cane and Paps at 7 (and Savea of course). Think Sititu's ballrunning might be wasted at 7 but the others are worth a try.
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@brodean said in If we win Bled 2, are you happy heading into the end of year tour?:
Savea, Cane, Papali'i, Jacobson, Lakai and probably Blackadder and Sititi could all excel at 7 if they were able to string some starts together there for a season.
I think we should have a good idea of Cane and Paps at 7 (and Savea of course). Think Sititu's ballrunning might be wasted at 7 but the others are worth a try.
@nostrildamus said in If we win Bled 2, are you happy heading into the end of year tour?:
Sititu's
Mind blown
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Barrett won't be cut, but I hope he doesn't start any games on the EOYT.
The All Blacks are probably better off leaving Cane and Perenara behind, but I can also completely see both of them being selected. At least if Lakai travels, he might benefit from spending a few weeks rooming with Cane. I think between Ratima, Roigard (assuming he's completely back to full fitness) and possibly Christie/Hotham, there are enough options at halfback to cut Perenara altogether.
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We will have enough halfback options. I think BB's place needs to be taken up by another.
Reece redeemed himself somewhat, playing better than Telea but I still would like to see Narawa at some point. -
@brodean said in If we win Bled 2, are you happy heading into the end of year tour?:
Rassie took over when the Boks were at their lowest nadir with Coetzee.
Robertson got a side where the bulk of the players were a whisker away from winning and RWC.
And from that team you've taken out:
Retallick and Whitelock (An all-time great locking pairing and 2x 100+ Cappers)
Frizell (Starting blindside)
Smith (An all-time great halfback and 100+ Capper)
Mo'unga (Starting First Five, Clearly Razor's preferred option and 50+ Capper)This is quite a different side.
@frugby said in If we win Bled 2, are you happy heading into the end of year tour?:
@brodean said in If we win Bled 2, are you happy heading into the end of year tour?:
Rassie took over when the Boks were at their lowest nadir with Coetzee.
Robertson got a side where the bulk of the players were a whisker away from winning and RWC.
And from that team you've taken out:
Retallick and Whitelock (An all-time great locking pairing and 2x 100+ Cappers)
Frizell (Starting blindside)
Smith (An all-time great halfback and 100+ Capper)
Mo'unga (Starting First Five, Clearly Razor's preferred option and 50+ Capper)This is quite a different side.
But not much of a drop in quality. We haven't had a step-down with Scooter and Vaai, Frizell was rocks and a few diamonds. And after Ratima got the call thru Christie's injury we've been OK at 9.
The elevation of Mo'unga to GOAT status and the impact his departure has had on Robertson's results is way OTT
.
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Much, much better game today. More composure overall and less headless chicken stuff. Bench went much better.
Not breaking out any champagne though, It was pretty much a lost rubber game so perhaps that reduced any nerves and it was against a team ranked 10th
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Ok so we won, I'm not happy with progress. My happiness will be seeing if razor had the guts to leave a fair few behind and bring others in. And who he plays in the 23
@Machpants said in If we win Bled 2, are you happy heading into the end of year tour?:
Ok so we won, I'm not happy with progress. My happiness will be seeing if razor had the guts to leave a fair few behind and bring others in. And who he plays in the 23
He had the opportunity to do that in this game and didn't. I think we'll see pretty much the same squad on the EOYT with maybe Lakai and poss. another midfielder added.
Robertson will be looking for results rather than development after coming 3rd in the RC. Wasted opportunity IMHO.
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With Cane leaving, whose our dominant tackler in the loose?? Sititi, Finau or Blackadder.
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People losing their minds with Razor. Let's have a look at how Rassie Erasmus (arguably the best coach in the world) went in his first eight tests after taking over as Springboks Head Coach in 2018:
v Wales (N) - LOST 22-20
v England (H) - WON 42-39
v England (H) - WON 23-12
v England (H) - LOST 25-10
v Argentina (H) - WON 34-21
v Argentina (A) - LOST 32-19
v Australia (A) - LOST 23-18
v New Zealand (A) - WON 36-34So in other words, a fairly similar start to what Razor had. It takes a coach time to adapt, and to work out the best players to carry out his systems. Like any coach, he'll need to adapt, but if Razor can't make it work, then the idea that a Vern Cotter coached team with a loose forward trio of Ioane, Papalii and Sotutu would dominate is just silly.
We've been the better side for more or less 75% of each of the eight tests we have played so far. When he works out his bench, we'll convert these tests. I would not be surprised to see them work out, and for us to end the year with six more wins.
Comparing Rassie with Robertson is logical if you're developing a team.
But Robertson isn't doing that - he's picking and using players with a limited shelf-life in games where the result isn't all that critical. And that's the big problem.
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I am waiting for Chris B to come in and say he "wouldn't be surprised" to see Havili, Christie, TJP, Cane to be on tour.
@Frank Be confident and say it yourself if that's what you believe!
Havili - if they take five midfielders he'll be the fifth.
Christie - probably not.
Cane - for the past month it has looked an awful lot like they think he's still the best openside in New Zealand. What have you seen the makes you think they think someone else is better?
TJ - I wouldn't b surprised.
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@Frank Be confident and say it yourself if that's what you believe!
Havili - if they take five midfielders he'll be the fifth.
Christie - probably not.
Cane - for the past month it has looked an awful lot like they think he's still the best openside in New Zealand. What have you seen the makes you think they think someone else is better?
TJ - I wouldn't b surprised.
@Chris-B said in If we win Bled 2, are you happy heading into the end of year tour?:
@Frank Be confident and say it yourself if that's what you believe!
Havili - if they take five midfielders he'll be the fifth.
Christie - probably not.
Cane - for the past month it has looked an awful lot like they think he's still the best openside in New Zealand. What have you seen the makes you think they think someone else is better?
TJ - I wouldn't b surprised.
Jesus I was joking.
You're actually serious. -
Much, much better game today. More composure overall and less headless chicken stuff. Bench went much better.
Not breaking out any champagne though, It was pretty much a lost rubber game so perhaps that reduced any nerves and it was against a team ranked 10th
@Victor-Meldrew said in If we win Bled 2, are you happy heading into the end of year tour?:
Much, much better game today. More composure overall and less headless chicken stuff. Bench went much better.
Not breaking out any champagne though, It was pretty much a lost rubber game so perhaps that reduced any nerves and it was against a team ranked 10th
I was super nervous at the 30 minute mark
