Bledisloe #1 New Zealand vs Australia, August 7 2021

[Pfitzy]

No win but we played much better than I expected. Noah was off tonight but no need to ditch him next game. 10. Lolesio 12 To'omua 13 Paisami.

Uh, no. Paisami just had one of his best games at 12. To'omua has done precisely zero to be recalled besides not fucking up off the bench. Don't change the combinations.

Phillip showed his value at scrum time and I think should rotate with LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto), who was also good but a Swain/Philip combo might help unlock the best of our lineout. A lineout that was a fucking shambles for half a game, but came good, I might add.

Kellaway showed what a Test winger needs: composure, pace, and defence. Wright fans, take a long look because all the X-factor you wave your hankies at doesn't mean shit compared to actual results. Kellaway threw one bad pass but was otherwise good.

Williams surprised me by being not completely shit. Favoured us early but the call against Tupou at scrum time was a horror. Big Karl flat on his face and it is Tupou's fault for "pulling back" despite not moving? Sheesh.

ABs deserved a yellow card. Didn't get it because we scored.

Anyway many other comments but the main one is the AB bench was fucking poo compared to us.

Everyone ready to get thrashed next week?

 

[wamberal]

We must all have watched different games. I saw a Wallaby team who "struggled to beat a 2nd or 3rd ranked French team" perform very creditably indeed against a champion team at their fortress, in front of an overwhelming unfriendly crowd.

Not only that, they showed some good patterns in both attack and defence.

 

[Derpus]

I think we'll lose but why should we get trashed? Plenty there for Rennie to target. ABs far from perfect.

 

[Rugbynutter39]

We outscored them 4 tries to 3. Poor kicking in the wind, a few questionable1st half penalties, and an intercept.
Why make changes just in the name of experience?
Pick the team based on form and performance - not caps.

Yeh pity our kicking was off as was a rare Chance to beat the all blacks not at their best. 2 out of 7 successful kicks was not a good day kicking wise for Noah.

 

[Cancelled Account]

Uh, no. Paisami just had one of his best games at 12. To'omua has done precisely zero to be recalled besides not fucking up off the bench. Don't change the combinations.

Phillip showed his value at scrum time and I think should rotate with LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto), who was also good but a Swain/Philip combo might help unlock the best of our lineout. A lineout that was a fucking shambles for half a game, but came good, I might add.

Kellaway showed what a Test winger needs: composure, pace, and defence. Wright fans, take a long look because all the X-factor you wave your hankies at doesn't mean shit compared to actual results. Kellaway threw one bad pass but was otherwise good.

Williams surprised me by being not completely shit. Favoured us early but the call against Tupou at scrum time was a horror. Big Karl flat on his face and it is Tupou's fault for "pulling back" despite not moving? Sheesh.

ABs deserved a yellow card. Didn't get it because we scored.

Anyway many other comments but the main one is the AB bench was fucking poo compared to us.

Everyone ready to get thrashed next week?

Paisami’s first half was brilliant, and To'omua coming on picked the tempo up. I’d even go with To'omua at 13.

 

[KOB1987]

Paisami’s first half was brilliant, and To'omua coming on picked the tempo up. I’d even go with To'omua at 13.

Well that won’t happen. Not criticising the the thinking though.

 

[Pfitzy]

Paisami’s first half was brilliant, and To'omua coming on picked the tempo up. I’d even go with To'omua at 13.

I'd leave him right where he is. He's not a 13 and never has been. Ikitau did well enough to get another shot.

Marika for Petaia - who also did nothing wrong but isn't Marika.

 

[Cancelled Account]

I'd leave him right where he is. He's not a 13 and never has been. Ikitau did well enough to get another shot.

Marika for Petaia - who also did nothing wrong but isn't Marika.

If Lolesio can sort out his game next week, and find the plays and get the ball to the runners then yeah, keep the centres as they are but if not To'omua needs to come in.

 

[KOB1987]

We outscored them 4 tries to 3. Poor kicking in the wind, a few questionable1st half penalties, and an intercept.
Why make changes just in the name of experience?
Pick the team based on form and performance - not caps.

Agree. Form and performance weren’t Ikitau’s friends tonight. He wasn’t terrible but we aren’t looking for ‘OK’ at test level. If JOC (James O'Connor) was fit the solution would be easy, but he ain’t.

 

[tragic]

Everyone ready to get thrashed next week?

Yeah I think tonight was our best chance to get a win at Eden park for a long time.
I suspect we’ll run out much the same side next week bar koro’s inclusion only to see the ABs step it up a gear and send us back to the drawing board for game 3.

 

[cyclopath]

I think we'll lose but why should we get trashed? Plenty there for Rennie to target. ABs far from perfect.

That's the problem. Whitelock said as much post-game. Doubt they won't be better.

 

[Up the Guts]

That's the problem. Whitelock said as much post-game. Doubt they won't be better.

Maybe. Their bench didn’t make many noticeable errors, they just weren’t great. Certainly not the side they once were.

 

[KOB1987]

I’ll back whatever side we put out next week. The all blacks could be better, but so could we. In fact, we have more upside.

 

[Pfitzy]

That's the problem. Whitelock said as much post-game. Doubt they won't be better.

Losing Barrett and Coles disrupted their bench setup significantly. I think you'll probably see the Barrets used in a different way as well.

 

[Pfitzy]

I’ll back whatever side we put out next week. The all blacks could be better, but so could we. In fact, we have more upside.

If we un-fuck our lineout it would help.

 

[Derpus]

That's the problem. Whitelock said as much post-game. Doubt they won't be better.

Guess so. They've rarely put together a complete performance of late. We won't win but Rennie will have enough to work with. Some of that shit isnt overnight work, like RMs defence.

 

[tragic]

If we un-fuck our lineout it would help.

First few were a bit weird. Wasn’t much wrong. Good throw. Good jump. Ball just dislodged on the way down to ground.
Rub of the green went against us and saw us 9-0 down with not much between the two sides.

 

[Dismal Pillock]

You shouldn't risk going full Rodha mate - you'll wake up with Robbie Deans in your bed.

 

[Teh Other Dave]

Absent rugby smarts. Silly cut-out passes, dumb penalties, and leaving kickable points on the field. This was a golden opportunity to put the all blacks to the sword and we failed. I've kicked every bin in my fucking neighbourhood. I don't know where to go if I read one more description of the Wallabies as 'brave'.

 

[TSR]

Absent rugby smarts. Silly cut-out passes, dumb penalties, and leaving kickable points on the field. This was a golden opportunity to put the all blacks to the sword and we failed. I've kicked every bin in my fucking neighbourhood. I don't know where to go if I read one more description of the Wallabies as 'brave'.

Have you got a cat?