The Silver Fern

@sparky said in World Rugby Awards 2025:

Malcolm Marx of South Africa has been named World Rugby Player of the Year for 2025.

He's from South Africa?!

Watched a replay of the game from Sunday morning as i actually only saw the 2nd half
First thoughts was the performance of Holly Davidson i actually thought she was outstanding and her communication was first class

The TMO and the local production on the other hand the less said the better
Ruben Love in the main was very solid and did some very good things , the odd mistake but in the main very good and considering how much rugby hes played since the French series in July , it worked out to around 245 minutes rugby and good number of those minutes were across 3 games for Wellington in the Npc

I personally would like to see Love start in the 10 jersey for the Canes in 2026

I really liked how the loose trio operated as a combination knowing their specific roles , they were all able to operate by keeping to the game plan and shape and that gave Sititi opportunity to operate like a number 8 ,Parker and Du Plessis Kirifi just doing their core roles effectively
finally a game were the ABs discipline was on point
I’m certainly not saying these 3 should be the loose forward trio moving forward but just great to see players completing their roles with accuracy

Set pieces in the main were superb
Ratima is a great competitor but i dont see him in a match day 23 with young Pledger waiting in the wings , although it was great to see him and D Mac match up as a combo
I know theres been a bit of chat about Parker but even the great Jerome Kaino took around 4 years to finally nail down the 6 jersey
We tried Samipeni Finau in the 6 jersey and for me despite his size and supposed physicality we never saw it in the Black jersey
So for me i’m willing to persist with Parker especially given theres not a lot of big options out there , maybe Tupou Vai into 6 ..

Full credit to Wales , they had a few missing and the chaps that came in did very well , however the Boks will be a more ruthless beast

@nzzp said in England v All Blacks:

@MN5 said in England v All Blacks:

@Dan54 said in England v All Blacks:

@MN5 said in England v All Blacks:

@Dan54 said in England v All Blacks:

@reprobate said in England v All Blacks:

@Dan54 said in England v All Blacks:

@reprobate said in England v All Blacks:

@Dan54 said in England v All Blacks:

@reprobate said in England v All Blacks:

Cleaning up after yourself is basically a good thing. Recording it and posting it to social media to get congratulated for it is fucked up.

Geez mate when I played , scoring a try or winning a ruck was a good thing, but needing to celebrate (high fives etc)was f***ed up in our minds, but if players today wish to do it, up to them.
All I saying times change etc.

So he's celebrating cleaning the sheds?
It just comes across as the worst 'look how humble i am, doing this menial job when I'm a superstar'. whether it is him or NZR doing it, just fucking stop it. Doing it is a good thing, deliberately publicising it for praise is cringeworthy and about the least NZ thing I've ever heard of.

What is this least NZ thing you ever heard of.
I think to pretend NZers are all quiet humble farming type people is perhaps a lot more cringeworthy.

Are you serious bro? Well if you're right and there are NZers who aren't farmers, I've never fucken met 'em.

Yep well I met one who claimed he wasn't a farmer, but the bastard sounded awfully like he had an Aussie accent. And the prick didn't even know Colin Meads' home town(or town he had farm near)!

Jonah didn't even know who Colin Meads was before he met him. What a hopeless New Zealander.

Was he though, he was never a farmer!!!!! F***en imposter I think!

Not sure how much Jonah knew about farming but he could certainly plow through defenders better than anyone before or since.

Certainly caused some furrowed brows in opposing players and coaches

He rode roughshod over Mike Catt

@pakman said in Scotland v All Blacks:

@BerniesCorner I want Parker in 23, and think it makes sense for him to start. Wally is brilliant to come off bench at about 50.
Flexibility to end with SSP or SSL depending on how things are panning out.

Flexibility seems a bit optimistic. I think I'm right in saying that in the last game we had 2 loosies who had a 10 minute rest, and we left the guy who hadn't had a rest on, and subbed the guy who had just had his rest?

Elliot Daly added to the wider squad. Cue anther change at full back?

@No-Quarter I think in that case, Proctor was too close to JB than simply that he was skinned for pace, his opposite was standing well outside him, there was such a massive gap between Proctor and whoever was defending at wing in that play.

That said, it a major error on his part, but you'd hope Jordie and whoever was at wing (Jordan?) should also be talking as they can see things too.

@sparky said in Thirty years ago today......:

Jonah Lomu became Jonah The Great.

Jeez he was starting to look frail by then.

Typically humble, self effacing interview from Jonah. Absolute legend.

Worth noting that if Mike Catt hadn't been in position to help him regain his footing ( and get trampled in the process ) he might have fallen short of the line considering Will Carling did pretty well to actually ankle tap him.

Have never heard Tony Underwood interviewed so have no idea what he's like but it almost upsets me that Jonah did that to a couple of good roosters like Carling and Catt.

Almost.

Sorry ment didn't.
didn't seem to demaind the lime light

@No-Quarter said in Final - Crusaders v Chiefs:

@Canerbry said in Final - Crusaders v Chiefs:

It was pretty predictable really, target the playmaker as he is pertty much all of their attacking flair and also a notorious flake under pressure.

This has been a real problem for the ABs, both DMac and Mo'unga have been really flaky when the heat goes on, Mo'unga in particular has been a possum in the headlights on many occasions for the ABs. I think that's why the coaches have gone with Beauden so much, he makes errors etc, but he doesn't tend to get flustered when the opposition are trying to target him.

DMAc and BB have had so many chances (BB more so), and yet the same flaws remained. It makes it even more exasperating that they didn't at least try Plummer (you know, SR winning 10 Plummer) in the captain's seat once in a real game. Even the Bled dead rubber would have been a legitimate test.

@frugby said in QF Chiefs v Blues:

@Tim If Papalii put on 5kg, he could turn himself into a bastard of a blindside.

I always assumed long tern he'd be a 6 so was surprised when he specialised at 7, but I guess it was the best way for the Blues to keep their best loosies on the park.

@antipodean said in Ranking the Men's RWC Winners:

@sparky said in Ranking the Men's RWC Winners:

These things are subjective and ultimately meaningless because all ten of those sides achieved their goal and got to drink from the cup of glory that is Bill, but my Top Four because they were first and daylight was second in their World Cups are:

1987 All Blacks. Utterly dominant in every game they played in that World Cup. Daylight was second and third in that World Cup.

2007 Springboks. Dominant. Great set of forwards. Didn't look for one second like losing all tournament, even if they didn't score a try in the final.

2015 All Blacks. Needed a brilliant lineout steal by Sam Whitelock to see them home in epic Semi Final against the Boks, but that could have gone as other way. Nearly embarrassed by Argentina in their first game. But awesome against France in the QF and Australia in the Final. I loved the utter look of despair on Pocock as the ball bounced up for Beauden at the end for the final try. I had picture of it as my screen saver for years.

LOL there was one team that was going to win 2007 until Wayne Blind Freddy McFuckstick Barnes got involved. The Springboks were donkeys coming dead last in the TriNations two years running leading up to the RWC.

It all fell into place for the Boks in 07. They got Fiji in the QF who they struggled with, Argentina, and then an awful England side in the final who they already smashed 36-0 in pool play, and lets not forget that they almost lost to Tonga in pool play too.

How we didn't win the world cup in 07 is a mystery (obviously Wayne Barnes but still).

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@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks Vs England, Twickenham:

But is it?

Yeah, I think that attitude is there and is important to maintain, so good on England's players there. I think a bit of the PR is overdone, and some player (e.g.Sexton) don't seem to get the idea but it's a key part of the game.

Don't know how many I've been to. Somewhere between 20-30 Used to go to at least one a year but then transferred to watching games at Albany or at other venues Did all the RWC plus Lions III which was last one I went to (I think) Also one of the more memorable for all the wrong reasons along with Bled 03 Lions 05 Oz semi

A better version of Sam's final post match speech -

Fuck, what a fucking mess to start the year.

We’ve been lucky - no one involved that we know of has been harmed in either incident so far, but my in-laws and one team member’s family were evacuated.

Neither live there but no word yet on my team members family home. Hopefully they don’t have too much damage.

@nostrildamus our plan 'a' aint much cop either

@sparky said in Laporte:

Deans scored.

So did Mils