The Silver Fern

@canefan said in All Blacks v Argentina I:

10 is a major impediment for us right now, or otherwise there are other reasons for our lack backline timing

Both can be true

@No-Quarter said in All Blacks v Argentina I:

His comments on DMac being more predictable with what he is going to do is interesting, the Saders did shut him down pretty easily in the final.

As did the Blues in the first week of the finals where Beauden clearly outplayed him.

@akan004 said in All Blacks 2025:

@chchfanatic said in All Blacks 2025:

Paddy Tups with a fractured scull. Won’t see him again this year I suspect.

Why are we getting so many injuries this year? Massive blow.

It's not just the ABs.

Wallabies lost Piestch and Wilson to injury on the weekend on top of Valetini, Tupou, Lynagh, Lolesio, Donaldson etc etc

Boks for this weekend are without Siya Kolisi , Arendse, Van der Merwe and Du Toit who all got injured from last weekend.

@Kirwan said in Boks v Wobblies I:

Interesting, might explain out midget loosies. Still think it will bite us in the arse when a team slows the game down. 2003 all over again.

BOK as a ref was especially keen on keeping the game moving at Super level this year (even more extreme than the average) - that wouldn't have hurt the Wallabies on the weekend.

@MajorRage said in Boks v Wobblies I:

@KiwiMurph said in Boks v Wobblies I:

@Dodge said in Boks v Wobblies I:

Only watched the highlights but just saw a tweet, did the Boks really do the midfield lineout with 8 mins to go whilst 11 points behind?!

What am I missing here ..... I also only saw the highlights.

A midfield line out?

EDIT. Oh, I see now. Not a lineout, but during general play they do a line out move.

A Rassie special?

They did it in the earlier tests this year - but it's one thing to do it for shits and giggles when you are playing Italy B and Georgia - it's another when you are down double digits with under 10 minutes left after blowing a 22-0 lead at home

I can see DMac getting a start this week - connecting with Ratima at 9 and perhaps Sititi at 8 for the Chiefs connection

@sparky Lord on the bench over one of Parker/Lakai

@Dodge said in Boks v Wobblies I:

Only watched the highlights but just saw a tweet, did the Boks really do the midfield lineout with 8 mins to go whilst 11 points behind?!

@booboo said in All Blacks v Argentina I:

@Nepia said in All Blacks v Argentina I:

@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks v Argentina I:

@Wurzel said in All Blacks v Argentina I:

It takes some effort to play in four All Blacks Test wins and never impose yourself on a game.

Took Vaa'i more than that, to be fair.

Fuck me, there's some weird revisionism going on when it comes to Vai'i. He had a good first season in black. I think his anti-fluffer on here (can't remember who it was) did a good job convincing everyone he was always crap.

Yeah, nah.

Personally think I was his his super fluffer, and thought he was just about done prior to his breakthrough last year.

Both can be true. His debut year was 2020. His breakthrough year was 2024. The issue is the 3 years in between.

@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks v Argentina I:

@Wurzel said in All Blacks v Argentina I:

It takes some effort to play in four All Blacks Test wins and never impose yourself on a game.

Took Vaa'i more than that, to be fair.

Due to injury Vaai had to start his 2nd test at lock in an Eden Park Bledisloe (after Wallabies drew test 1 the week before) as a 20 year old and he had a fine game - second test of the Foster era

@chchfanatic said in All Blacks v Argentina I:

@BerniesCorner it’s not really. We’ve got the greatest super rugby player of all time coming back next year

All Blacks are gonna be favourites to win Super Rugby that's for sure

The level of analysis in the post game

Kirsty: "Sevu Reece is such a nice guy isn't he"

Justin Marshall: "Ardie played the entire French series at 7"

So Jacobson going down in warm ups and Ardie captaining test 3 vs France at 8 with Kirifi at 7 just never happened eh Justin?

@NTA said in Boks v Wobblies I:

How bad is my Wallabies Fan PTSD?

All I can think now is how the Boks will cut their error rate and absolutely ream us next week

Dude - just enjoy one of the all time great test match comebacks and one of the best Wallaby performances ever. Next week cannot change that.

@stodders said in All Blacks v Argentina I:

@KiwiMurph for Reece? ABs seem to want to play with one big winger at least (Ioane or Clarke when fit).

Rieko's size is adding very little these days. What are you really missing by switching?

In the short term I mean.

In the longer term yes as I suspect someone like Tangitau will come in as another winger with a bit of size and power.

ABs seem to want ALB as a bench option and that fails time and time again.....

I wouldn't mind seeing Love tried on the wing - he's good under the high ball, can kick and has good hands. Given the poor standard of our wings it could be a way to get him in the 23.

@Canes4life said in All Blacks v Argentina I:

@antipodean said in All Blacks v Argentina I:

@kev said in All Blacks v Argentina I:

@antipodean said in All Blacks v Argentina I:

@kev said in All Blacks v Argentina I:

@Canes4life said in All Blacks v Argentina I:

@Donsteppa said in All Blacks v Argentina I:

Proctor or ALB - an underwhelming selection choice.

At least Proctor did a few good things tonight in amongst the poor things. The problem really lies around the fluidity of our backline. Right now it isn’t functioning which isn’t helping newbies like Proctor settle in to their role.

So clunky.

Proctor has a lot of upside. Stick with him. A yellow card on D is not the worst offence.

What upside, exactly?

Hands, distribution and stepping are much better than Reiko. His work rate is really good. Every player makes a few mistakes. That’s the nature of sport. I think he will grow into his role.

He's demonstrated nothing that his fluffers were banging on about when clamouring for him to be the All Black centre. What he has demonstrated is how much we relied on Rieko's defence.

Which goes back to my point that perhaps the problem wasn't Rieko; it was the coaching of the backline.

Proctor will get better, the problem is most of our backline isn’t playing well and the fact we keep kicking the ball away baffles me.

The coaching of our backs is poor. Apart from Jordan every single back out there today made far too many errors. Not good enough.

It's not entirely on coaching. We simply don't have the talent in the backs - Ratima is clear second choice - Beauden is nearly 10 years past his prime - Jordie is a good player but has been clunky his entire career - Proctor looks ok but to be honest nothing special and both wingers lack speed and power

Some thoughts

• Really pleasing that Samisoni showed some impact
• Ratima with his best game in the long time - a day game on dry track suits him
• Vaai continues to look a winner at 6
• Leroy Carter should get a run on the wing next week
• Proctor does some things better than Rieko and happy to keep giving him games but he hasn't set the world on fire just yet.
• Holland continues to look the business
• ALB puts in another awful bench performance - when is enough enough - get rid of the guy.
• pleasing ball running by Fletcher Newell.
• lineout is a real weapon.

As an aside - I thought BOK was outstanding

Schadenfreude = watching Rassie and Tony Brown in the coaches box with faces like thunder.

@sparky said in Boks v Wobblies I:

@Victor-Meldrew said in Boks v Wobblies I:

The Oz commentary team on Stan are going bonkers.... Forgivable.

Best moment for Australian Rugby since the 1999 World Cup Final.

They are should enjoy it.

2001 Lions series would disagree