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All Blacks Non-Bledisloe Matches 2024

molman

Jim Lenehan (48)
What you confused about? TJ being TJ Perenara. The incident that looked like his leg/knee was bent badly the wrong way in the English counter ruck? or something else?

Because I don't know about you, but his leg/knee doesn't look great when Barrett falls on/pins it here.

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waiopehu oldboy

George Smith (75)

Pretty sure England will feel they should've won that.

AB work-on No. 1: keep ball in hand & be more direct in & around the tackle area. Kicked away far too much ball & with Eng running screens to protect the receiver (something we need to start doing, too) many of them became nothing kicks.

On the timed-out kick, I thought I heard ref tell DMac "15 seconds" so if that did happen he should've gotten a move on.
 

Dan54

Tim Horan (67)
I actually thought I heard 10 seconds WOB, and only counted down to 3 seconds, but no probs , don't risk it.

I also see why they say BB brings a calming head to backline, ABs looked a lot better and less skittery when he came on.
 
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KiwiM

Arch Winning (36)
He was a brilliant bench player early in his career for a different reason but I think he could be a terrific bench option now too. 120+ tests. Can see where the game is heading from the sideline and bang.
 

Dan54

Tim Horan (67)
Have heard time and again the last few years that he has a very good voice for directing play etc, and had that feeling last night. Was almost as though the backline calmed a bit after he came on?
I also thought the team looked like it had too many coaches at times and didn't really flow in anything they tried to do? Perhaps a bit of time will sort that out.
 

Tomthumb

Alan Cameron (40)
Surely it's time to end the failed Rieko at 13 experiment? He's just not a Centre, and Billy Proctor is and was the form 13 in Super rugby

ABs seem to lack a big, dynamic ball carrier out there. 3 of the 4 loose forwards in the 23 are essentially opensides and the other is a defence first blindside. I get they did the whole "coach is smarter than the fans" by not picking Sotutu, but they really need someone physical & dynamic that can bend that English line.
 

zer0

John Thornett (49)
I know it's only the first game and they've "ripped up the playbook", so the attacking shape wil take time, but I was pretty uninspired by the attacking approach/philosophy. Just seemed to be more of the same airy fairy 2016-2021 'yeet it wide asap' nonsense just with better/more experienced backs. It didn't work then and doubt it will work now. Or at least not consistently so.

Second test is in Auckland so would love to see them play some Vern-ball/killdozer rugby (which I, personally, found much more enjoyable to watch). Start Oddjob Aumua and tell him to wreck cnts through the middle on both sides of the ball, just like he did in Super Rugby. He, Tuipulotu, and Savea as the main carriers. Everyone else murdering cnts on the cleanouts, especially that pest Itoje. Could also look at Williams on the bench for extra carrying power in the second half.

A proper power winger. Reece and Telea are too similar for mine. Telea wasn't bad but Reece was clearly better, so retain Reece. If he's avaialble, Clarke would be the ideal replacement as he just needs to rinse-and-repeat his Blues efforts. If he's unavailable, then either Narawa or Rieko. Whichever is more motivated to get stuck into the close-in breakdown carrying.

A proper centre. Rieko can defend but Conrad he is not. Must be pretty difficult to try run around rush defences with a centre who offers almost nothing on attack, even when behind the Blues killdozer. Get one of ALB or Proctor in there. I'd like to see Proctor tbh, especially as he already plays with Jordie but ALB would be good as well.

I wouldn't expect the ABs pack to reach the dominance levels of the Blues forwards - because pummelling the opposition pack isn't what the team is built around, and the English pack is much tougher than anything the Blues faced in Super Rugby - but McKenzie and Perofeta would surely have a much easier time against a rush defence that is back peddling more often (from sustained good forward carries through the middle) and playing with a centre that can setup his outsides.
 

Dan54

Tim Horan (67)
TJ is out for this week. Hotham has been brought into squad for cover, so reckon Christie will start with Ratima on bench!
 

Dismal Pillock

David Codey (61)
Looks like poor old Barkays Fakatava is on the outer. Prolly not trusted to not throw a radio rental offload in heavy traffic instead of going to ground.

I'd still have the mad bugger over The Ranga who defends well but FFS his potty little pass is just simpering dogshit and handbrakes Razors biff it wide quick agenda before it even gets out of neutral.
 

John S

Chilla Wilson (44)
As a neutral, it was good seeing a team put the ABs under pressure. Looked like there was pressure all over the park, and the usual cohesion wasn't quite there.
 

waiopehu oldboy

George Smith (75)
Would've liked to see one of the wings swapped out for Clarke or Narawa, to me Reece & Tele’a are a bit too same/ same which isn't something that's ever really worked for us in the past.
 
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