The Silver Fern

Season breakdown...

1. need to get props that do more than just scrum. what happened to the Joe Moody who tore it up at RWC15?
2. Hookers - we're ok here. Have options. Sami T. is a beast. Coles will always compete. If Cody Taylor can find his form
3. Locks... Retallick hasn't been the same since the injury prior to RWC'19 - Need to back in a young aggressive lock - Tupou, Josh Lord, whoever.
4. Loosie mix all kinda fucked, what was once an area of strength, is confused, muddled and unsure who our best 3 and bench is.
5. Aaron Smith... and then... who? Finlay, Brad W., Fakatava?
6. Beaudy & Richie can lead us to RWC glory, but not if the forwards don't lay a platform. BB does a bit better, RM has regressed under Foster - here's hoping he can rebuild in Super Rugby
7. Need some wingers - Caleb Clarke might be useful as a power wing if he can rediscover some form.
8. ALB needs to be at 12. I don't rate Goodhue, but maybe we are actually missing him? Rieko should be 13. and 14. He's a weapon and has to be on the field. I think Will Jordan should definitely be one wing.
9. Jordie is our 15.
10. Players I don't ever want to see in big AB games again - Damien McKenzie, David Haviili, TJ Perenara.
11. Coaching & coaching succession is fucked. Has been since SBW got the red card in the second Lions test. We showed the template in Game 1. and never went back to it. Everything off 9. Much like the French just played us tonight.

Posted it before, good news is South Africa showed things can be changed in 12months, bad news is I don't believe Foster can do it.

@Winger said in Argentina Two: Newcastle, 28 November:

@Canes4life said in Argentina Two: Newcastle, 28 November:

@Tim move Barrett to fullback for his bro. B Barrett has been shite.

BB has been going downhill for years now.

which years? the one year where he got moved to fullback?
thats actual rubbish. in 2018 he was still shredding everyone at 10. then Hansen got cute trying to fit in Mounga.

Watched the AB's v Pumas on the weekend and solved our backrow and backline problems all in one go. Strap yourself in people.
Front Row.
4. Whitelock
5. SBarrett
6. Jacobson
7. Cane
8. Read
9. A.Halfback
10. BBarrett
11. Reiko
12. Ardie. The kid was a back, back in the day, get him running off the 10's shoulder and watch him smash through a few backlines. Hes got a good grub, good turn of pace. Gets him and Cane on the field. It gets better people...
13. Goodhue
14. Retallick - seriously, did you see what he did when positioned in the backline. An intercept. Jordies height is supposedly part of his x-factor, BBBR is taller still. Tackles like a demon. Throws a mean dummy. Has pace.
15. Bender

Brilliant.

Thats it! We can't win the RWC now. The golden reign is over! Darkness descending upon our national game. Wait for the journos to go batshit...

This is what I find interesting...
In Test 1 v the BIL. We demonstrated a clinically brutal and efficient game - and then we put it away. We've brought it out in patches, the odd half, but thats it.
Some of the reason is Aaron Smith - go back and watch highlights of the AB's 2013-2016 - he used to skip to each ruck. Get it and fling accurate 20m passes and give us momentum - thats just not happening - except today, when TJ did it - what the hell is up with Smith?

Theres so many little 1%-ers we're not nailing, 3 time in tests we've dropped the ball at the end chasing the W, Sam Cane v Australia, Dmac v SA, Retallick v Ireland today. Droppsies at the end don't lose a test but they're a sign we're a. fatigued, or b. not mentally getting it right - why aren't we getting the clarity we used to?
Was Richie such a standard setter and a freak in this regard - he was able to demand it?
I read a story on Read & Whitelock who say they operate differently and don't demand things quite the same - issue?

I really don't believe Barrett is the issue. I think it lies with who is around him.
2016 he was incredible, when he was getting quick ball, and Crotty was on his shoulder.
I think hes shown in the last two tests he can control things and push us into parts of the field we want to be (not without saying, a few of his grubbers were a bit long v England)

I like that we can scramble through game-plans to find one that works - I wonder though - are we getting a bit muddled because we have too many options?
We're a great chance to get the RWC three-peat, we'll win through our pool, quarters will be fine. As long as our coaches get clarity and we sharpen our focus over the summer.

Lastly, what pisses me off, is that we just seem to be playing dumb & loose. The Irish showed the value of keeping possession. If you've got it, they can't score. And thats what happened today.
All of our starters can fuck-off for summer. They don't get to fix it vs. Italy. They can go let that niggly little rock fester all several months.

Teams like England, Ireland, Wales wearing non-traditional colours like BLACK... as their alternative strip. You're not the All Blacks ffs.

@damo said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:

I think missing Aaron Smith is a bigger loss than some realize. We need his crisp accurate pass and decisiveness.

Weber played well. I'd have him over TJP anyday now.

@MN5 tried to fit him in, but he just keeps disappearing.

Foster on Sky.

Intercept killed us. No. A shoddy first half did, and inability to think clearly,
Great occasion. Fuck the occasion!
is this a great advert for world rugby? "awesome to be part of it" Good on you Foster, but we need you to coach, not be a "part of it"
Ran out of energy at the end. Horseshit, you picked fresh guys that didn't play last week, you subbed. No excuse for that.
Always knew they'd play fast. Then counter it FFS
Disappointed that lineout drives hurt us. Then get better at defending this
Loved how we came back in third 1/4 - couldn't keep it going. Four quarter game Fozzie, Four quarter game.
"Can you change things around?" I'd love that, last two games big learning curve. What about the last five years? the SA game 2020, Argentina, Ireland. You're not learning shit. You remind me of my Year 13 students doing the same stupid stuff they did in Year 11. If they're not gunna learn, they're not gunna learn.

Stop using the tour as an excuse. The Black Caps don't. Breakers didn't. Warriors didn't.

Jeff Wilson "AB's not on top of their game clearly"

Angus Gardiner.

@kiwiinmelb said in Things that annoy you about rugby...:

Ex front rowers who become commentators that get over excited over fat unco blokes running slowly with the ball

Ex Halfbacks who become commentators that get over excited and use the phrase "boomfa"

Who's seen the paywall go up at NZ Herald?
Hopefully Rattues articles go there so I don't have to read them by accident. Hoorah!

show that reply of the hit on Read after he smoked Hodge. Looked high, no arms = red?

Could R.McCaw do a B.Lochore?

Richie went looking for pen and paper to leave a note on the kitchen table, for his wife. It said: “Gemma, gone to Auckland to play in the First Test. Ring you later”. Then he hopped in his car, drove out of retirement and to the airport where he hopped into his helicopter and flew to Eden Park.

surely that was probably a try to Ioane?

Did Kaino win a Super title in 2003 with the Blues?

Anyways, replacements?
Cane to 6, Todd or Savea to 7?
Squire? Don't think Dixon or Messam are up to it.
Brad Shields? (I thought he was an 8, but started at 6 vs Brumbies - could this be his time?)

AB's really like their 6 smashing people in the tight, and also like Read being free to roam so they need that balance.

To be honest, Kaino will get back, and fresh, and then belt Warburton, Faletau, O'Brien, Itoje, anything in red, and then retire. Actually, he might belt a few aussies just for shits & giggles and then retire.

@crazy-horse said in Ireland Vs All Blacks:

@victor-meldrew said in Ireland Vs All Blacks:

@westcoastie said in Ireland Vs All Blacks:

I really don't believe Barrett is the issue. I think it lies with who is around him.

Good point. Carter & Cruden had stability outside them - almost always Nonu - plus a firing on all cylinders Aaron Smith,

BB had SBW, Crotty, ALB, Laumape - almost like a revolving door - and a strangely out-of-form Smith

Carter and Cruden are completely different styled 10s to Barrett. Barrett relies on individual brilliance more than Carter and Cruden did.

I always think about what Barrett will be like as a 10 when he loses his pace - it's not a pretty thought.

Yet today and vs England, I think Barrett played a bit more traditionally. I think hes learnt a few lessons, and just needs to find that balance.
I don't think we were any better or worse with Mounga on today, some say more organised, but its not like Richie was suddenly the most dangerous player on the park.
We did look better at the back however, BB gobbled up any kicks that came his way.

Weekly injury update (also updated the OP)

UPDATE 7/5/17
How are we going with injuries?
NMS - out, but could be back for the Maori game I read
Squire - annnnd, out for 4-6 weeks (busted thumb)
Coles - dicky calves 50/50 for 'Canes v Stormers, now with added Concussion, return TBC
Kaino - successful surgery, back in for 3-5 weeks (back for the Samoa test)
Dagg - might be back for Hurricanes game
Ben Smith - out for 1-2 weeks, Ankle Sprain
Read - out for 5 weeks, broken thumb (back in time for Samoa test)
Cruden - out with concussion, Chiefs v Reds.
SBW - possible concussion, Blues v Waratahs

Naholo - back and scoring tries

on the stream I'm watching you can hear the crowd singing "I don't know" - bloody brilliant

@kiwimurph said in Pommie BaaBaa & Froggie XV:

Fun game to watch.

Was impressed by Laumape. Thought he was the standout AB.

Thought Seta completely outplayed The Bus - selectors made the right (and obvious) call.

Both number 8s Kaino and Whitelock were anonymous. This could be the end for Kaino.

If Luatua stayed with the AB's - theres your starting #6 and Kieran Read cover straight away. Big loss. Charles Piatau level loss.

I wanna see Read scream like a cowboy, "come on boys, Poppa wants him a try, YEHAWWWW"