Italy vs All Blacks 2021 NH Tour
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@stodders said in Italy vs All Blacks 2021 NH Tour:
No match thread for Ireland-Japan?
Strangely enough we were watching the ABs game.
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This ref is off his head
But
We're shit. We don't know how to beat them. Italy.
Mounga is fucking rubbish by the way. He, DMac and Barrett are so fucking ordinary. We lack physical specimens in the back line.
We need a better plan to use these limited players
@mariner4life said in Italy vs All Blacks 2021 NH Tour:
This ref is off his head
But
We're shit. We don't know how to beat them. Italy.
Mounga is fucking rubbish by the way. He, DMac and Barrett are so fucking ordinary. We lack physical specimens in the back line.
We need a better plan to use these limited players
Exactly we are playing a 2012 game plan with 1999 players - fucking horrible all around
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The best thing about this game is that the coaches now know who their top 15 is - basically no one who started today
@junior not quite fair. I thought both the initial front row and sub props went ok. Christie had a decent game for someone so green. Cane got some needed game time.
What did you really expect though? Novice locking combo, a back row that had never played together (with a 7 returning from long term injury) an early disruption in the halves, a centre combo who have never played together with v few caps between them.
Mo'unga didn't go v well today, but that was more to do with players dropping the ball 2 or 3 phases in as the line was being bent. I expected to see him kicking behind the rush more to at least put doubt in the Italian defensive line. No kicking just gave the Italians licence to rush with impunity.
Of all the players on the pitch, McKenzie was the biggest disappointment. He's an experienced player now, yet his ability to make poor decisions was top notch today.
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@victor-meldrew not many teams can field a 7 as a passenger (he was better in 2nd half but didn't control his team well in 1st because he was concentrating too much on his own job) to get his fitness back up and still post a 47-9 away win

@stodders said in Italy vs All Blacks 2021 NH Tour:
@victor-meldrew not many teams can field a 7 as a passenger (he was better in 2nd half but didn't control his team well in 1st because he was concentrating too much on his own job) to get his fitness back up and still post a 47-9 away win

Not disagreeing, but I'd want a fit Sam Cane in my team any day. Today was progress.
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@stodders said in Italy vs All Blacks 2021 NH Tour:
@victor-meldrew not many teams can field a 7 as a passenger (he was better in 2nd half but didn't control his team well in 1st because he was concentrating too much on his own job) to get his fitness back up and still post a 47-9 away win

Not disagreeing, but I'd want a fit Sam Cane in my team any day. Today was progress.
@victor-meldrew of course, if fit. I'm not sure working your way back to fitness in the AB setup is right though. ABs know what they get from Cane. I think it is a missed opportunity to look at someone else, especially with the leadership group of Whitelock/Retallick/Savea/Coles in the pack.
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@sparky several ppl have said it on here...he gets dominated at test level. He can be the 10/15/wing cover on the bench or in a WC squad when numbers are tight, but he is a liability at test level when accuracy is needed and calm heads are required.
@stodders said in Italy vs All Blacks 2021 NH Tour:
several ppl have said it on here...he gets dominated at test level.
Up until he was injured he was really solid at 15 and certainly wasn't dominated by the NH sides in 2018. But at times he looks a shadow of the player he was pre-injury.
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@stodders said in Italy vs All Blacks 2021 NH Tour:
several ppl have said it on here...he gets dominated at test level.
Up until he was injured he was really solid at 15 and certainly wasn't dominated by the NH sides in 2018. But at times he looks a shadow of the player he was pre-injury.
@victor-meldrew He's off to Japan next year. By the time he comes back, I think he'll be behind J Barrett and Jordan at 15 at least.
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@stodders said in Italy vs All Blacks 2021 NH Tour:
several ppl have said it on here...he gets dominated at test level.
Up until he was injured he was really solid at 15 and certainly wasn't dominated by the NH sides in 2018. But at times he looks a shadow of the player he was pre-injury.
@victor-meldrew on current form, you wouldn't want him defusing the bombs that are certain to rain down in Dublin next week.
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@victor-meldrew He's off to Japan next year. By the time he comes back, I think he'll be behind J Barrett and Jordan at 15 at least.
@stodders said in Italy vs All Blacks 2021 NH Tour:
@victor-meldrew He's off to Japan next year. By the time he comes back, I think he'll be behind J Barrett and Jordan at 15 at least.
I think he is now.
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@victor-meldrew on current form, you wouldn't want him defusing the bombs that are certain to rain down in Dublin next week.
@stodders said in Italy vs All Blacks 2021 NH Tour:
@victor-meldrew on current form, you wouldn't want him defusing the bombs that are certain to rain down in Dublin next week.
Cue Jordie to have a shocker...
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In no way shape or form should Cane ever be permanent captain of the AB’s again.
Great player but not a captains arsehole. -
That was a very hard watch.
If passes stuck like a good ab team then it’s a good win and we are happy. They didn’t and we sucked and we are unhappy.
Halfback only really performed well. I wonder what his odds were for first try scorer given he was on bench and we were playing Italy.
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I think Whitelock is a fantastic captain
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I think Whitelock is a fantastic captain
@berniescorner said in Italy vs All Blacks 2021 NH Tour:
I think Whitelock is a fantastic captain
Fully. When Fozzie first made the decision to have Cane as his captain I was shaking my head.
Whitelock is arguably as good as McCaw as a captain.

