Bledisloe #2

[Nevorian]

look out for plenty of cross field kicks but hopefully we will improve our possession stats

[taniwharugby]

Catching a few passes and making a few tackles always helps too.

[mariner4life]

@taniwharugby said in Bledisloe #2:

Catching a few passes and making a few tackles always helps too.

she's a simple game

[nzzp]

@Chris-B said in Bledisloe #2:

But, if it was a real choice I'd much rather bank another RWC, because that's something that can never be taken away - whereas the Eden Park record is up for grabs every time we play there.

Also, how much psychological damage will we do to the rest of the Rugby world if we romp this RWC, after the buildup we had. Who's going to bet against us next time?

[Bovidae]

@KiwiMurph said in Bledisloe #2:

@ploughboy said in Bledisloe #2:

is luke jacobson still injured. i must be the only person who is not happy with this loose forward mix.for me it just didnt work last week .

I think I read he had returned to training this week. I agree - i'd have him in the 23.

If true, then maybe he has been asked to play for Waikato this weekend.

[kiwiinmelb]

@Chris-B said in Bledisloe #2:

@ploughboy I don't like playing two opensides at all, but I've banged that drum enough.

All I can think of is , they don’t believe they got a proper look at it with losing a lock and playing with a weakened pack anyway.

But I’m on your side.

[NTA]

@mariner4life said in Bledisloe #2:

Yep the starting wingers were definitely the issue

A bit more pace to chase the breaks would be useful, and to make some breaks as well.

Of course I take your point about everything inside that being a bit poo - but if you've got Mounga crossfield kicking to Reece, then that's a combination, right?

What about Barrett 10 Mounga 12?

[Rembrandt]

Well last weeks team seemed to get a fern seal-of-approval and that backfired horribly. Let's hope the lack of approval this week is the curse we need to win this one well and prove yet again we don't really know what we are saying but by damn we're not going to stop saying it!

[ACT Crusader]

In all seriousness I feel better about this side than last weeks.

[rotated]

@nzzp said in Bledisloe #2:

Also, how much psychological damage will we do to the rest of the Rugby world if we romp this RWC, after the buildup we had. Who's going to bet against us next time?

It would be a bit like Aussie in the 2007 CWC.

We beat them 3-0 at home just prior to the tournament and had shown some frailties, especially with the white ball, post 2005 Ashes...

Then turn up to the West Indies and win every game - closest winning margin was 100 runs/8 wickets or so. Bloody Aussies.

[canefan]

@ACT-Crusader if they can't get up for this one we are really stuffed

[taniwharugby]

@canefan what will be worse, is if we can't get up for this game and then go on to win the RWC, that IMO would show the slow decline of importance of test matches outside the RWC

[Chris B.]

@mariner4life The one part of the strategy I'm pretty sure about is the plan to play at speed in the last 20 minutes - so fresh legs, mobile front rowers, two opensides and a mobile lock.

So far, so good. It's what goes before that I'm struggling a bit with.

I guess if we're getting out-muscled we can run Hemopo out on the blindside after halftime and then shift him to lock when Patty T. runs out of gas.

Having been out-muscled across the park in Perth, I'm surprised that we've picked two smaller wings (Bridge and Reece vs Ioane and Smith) - though SBW adds some size to the midfield.

Hemopo into the 23 for Barrett arguably makes us smaller in the forwards - though it's a bit of a long bow to draw.

A lesson I took from 1999 when it turned out that John Hart's secret plan really was just to give the ball to Jonah, was not to believe in dry powder. I suppose after 2015, when it seems Hansen really was keeping some powder dry through the pool games, is that I should have some faith that he knows what he's doing and all will be revealed.

In other straws to clutch - I haven't read any analysis that I've thought really nails his plan, so hopefully Rassie Erasmus is sitting at his computer going, "What the f*ck iz Hansen duuing "!

“Forward, the Light Brigade! Charge for the guns!” he said.

[Rancid Schnitzel]

Would be terrible if Hanson ends such an illustrious career by losing both the Bledisloe and the World Cup.

[Chris]

@Rancid-Schnitzel I don't want to even contemplate that happening.I couldn't stand the Aussie gloating and waiting 4 more years for WC redemption.

[Rancid Schnitzel]

@Chris said in Bledisloe #2:

@Rancid-Schnitzel I don't want to even contemplate that happening.I couldn't stand the Aussie gloating and waiting 4 more years for WC redemption.

Could be more than 4 years. Was 20 years last time.....

[Nepia]

@ACT-Crusader said in Bledisloe #2:

In all seriousness I feel better about this side than last weeks.

Really? I’d like to hear the reasoning behind this? I mean two of your precious Crusaders forwards have been replaced by Nancy boy North Islanders.

[KiwiMurph]

A year without the Bledisloe feels like 4 years.

[Donsteppa]

@canefan said in Bledisloe #2:

@ACT-Crusader if they can't get up for this one we are really stuffed

Spark Sport might take a big hit on RWC packages...

[Donsteppa]

@Rancid-Schnitzel said in Bledisloe #2:

Would be terrible if Hanson ends such an illustrious career by losing both the Bledisloe and the World Cup.

I read somewhere this morning that Hansen "risks becoming the man who lost all the silverware in one year".