Bledisloe 1 - Saturday 18 August 2018 - ANZ Stadium, Sydney

[cyclopath]

You know it's Bledisloe time when Frank reappears with some weak trolling.

 

[Brumby Runner]

EDIT: And these front row injuries are becoming a real nuisance. As far as I know both Perry and Sheriff Karl are dedicated looseheads, and tighhead scrummaging is more challenging than loosehead scrummaging. So there could be a real danger of late game scrums being uncontested on safety grounds.

A case of no LHs wanting to put their hands up to face the Thor in the last 20 minutes, perhaps?

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

You know it's Bledisloe time when Frank reappears with some weak trolling.

So now's possibly not a good time to share this hil-awius joke I heard the other day:

What do you call an Australian with a bottle of bubbly after a Bledisloe Cup presentation?



The WAITER!

I'll see myself out

 

[cyclopath]

So now's possibly not a good time to share this hil-awius joke I heard the other day:

What do you call an Australian with a bottle of bubbly after a Bledisloe Cup presentation?



The WAITER!

I'll see myself out

Are you here all week? And no, not trying the chicken!

 

[dru]

You know it's Bledisloe time when Frank reappears with some weak trolling.

I thought it was funny. Hell there have been a lot worse. Anyway:

I have a softly building feeling of enthusiasm if not actual expectation.

I expect that - last year's first game with unprepared players being flogged in training to ensure lactic burn in the opening stanza - won't be repeated and that fitness is much improved. I expect that more stabilised selections will lead to better built-in combinations.

I expect that certain players who I have castigated in the past - eg Robertson - have actually improved and we will see a workmanlike performance in areas they were previously weak and they will hold their strengths.

I expect that the barn yard dance has been tempered and we will rarely see that confusion of "hell, who is meant to go there?" I expect that the Pooper no longer is presented with an inherent weakness in the line out. I expect to see parity with an awesome scrum.

I expect to see Hooper lining up in D not that far from Hodge and both thinking "you're targeting us? Bring it on."

I could go on, but we are I think a superior team to 12 months ago when we won one, and came close on a second and I don't expect a repeat of that first game. Naturally I ALSO expect that the All Blacks have not stood still, start from an even better position and are supremely well prepared for the improving Wallabies.

I'm not predicting a win be any stretch, I am however predicting a vastly improved performance, and hell - you never know.

 

[ACT Crusader]

Karl T has played provincial rugby at TH. Not sure what the fuss is. The scrum contest will be very good I reckon.

From my armchair view the prop replacements seem to be just as important as any of the starting 15 players. Their impact or lack thereof is very noticeable. Karl T I think will be fine but I do worry about Perry.

 

[zer0]

Didn't know that he's played at TH provincially, but good to hear. Hopefully it won't be as bad as I originally -- and perhaps incorrectly, it seems -- figured. Guess we'll have to wait and see.

 

[Braveheart81]

He'll be going up against a guy who is primarily a THP and hasn't played LHP for a couple of years so that should even things out.

Meanwhile, here's a preview of Sideshow Luke Tim Perry going up against Taniela Tupou in his first scrum.

 

[fatprop]

If Cron is happy with him there, I would guess he will be fine

 

[TSR]

I've watched Scott and Allan since they played under 9s with my young bloke and, if I could suggest, CHOOSE A SIDE AND LEAVE THEM THERE. Same with Robertson.

Problem is your 5th squad prop has to be able to cover both sides and that is the position Ala'alatoa currency occupies. Not ideal for him, but he is certainly the best chance of pulling it off from the props we had available.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Are you here all week? And no, not trying the chicken!

One night only & you're right not to touch the chicken, it's rubbish. The Vietnamese pork belly is to die for, though

 

[Derpus]

Problem is your 5th squad prop has to be able to cover both sides and that is the position Ala'alatoa currency occupies. Not ideal for him, but he is certainly the best chance of pulling it off from the props we had available.

It's more of an asset than a problem. If 7A's could only play one side he would not be in the squad right now and he would be twiddling his thumbs waiting for Kepu to retire.

Instead he steps back into the squad at LHP. Pretty good really.

 

[Dan54]

I thought it was funny. Hell there have been a lot worse. Anyway:

I have a softly building feeling of enthusiasm if not actual expectation.

I expect that - last year's first game with unprepared players being flogged in training to ensure lactic burn in the opening stanza - won't be repeated and that fitness is much improved. I expect that more stabilised selections will lead to better built-in combinations.

I expect that certain players who I have castigated in the past - eg Robertson - have actually improved and we will see a workmanlike performance in areas they were previously weak and they will hold their strengths.

I expect that the barn yard dance has been tempered and we will rarely see that confusion of "hell, who is meant to go there?" I expect that the Pooper no longer is presented with an inherent weakness in the line out. I expect to see parity with an awesome scrum.

I expect to see Hooper lining up in D not that far from Hodge and both thinking "you're targeting us? Bring it on."

I could go on, but we are I think a superior team to 12 months ago when we won one, and came close on a second and I don't expect a repeat of that first game. Naturally I ALSO expect that the All Blacks have not stood still, start from an even better position and are supremely well prepared for the improving Wallabies.

I'm not predicting a win be any stretch, I am however predicting a vastly improved performance, and hell - you never know.

I like you dru and think the Wallabies will be quite some amount better than last year. I really think they have players that have looked better most of the year than they did last year, and I sure they have got their plans working better too. I actually thought although they lost series to a very good Irish team, it was that a very good team that beat them.
Obviously I both hope and think the ABs will be humming ok too, and am quite interested to see if they are very far into bedding in the new attack they have talked of implementing, saw signs of it against France. Really looking forward to it as always, suspect it won't be a hell of a lot in it, and hope the ABs haven't looked at papers or TAB odds and lose a little edge.

 

[dru]

Tom Robertson - from Planet Rugby.

What's going on? He was always this sort of boofy, afable, young bloke making good at high level. Now he's looking, I don't know.

Hard<?>

 

[emuarse]

So now's possibly not a good time to share this hil-awius joke I heard the other day:

What do you call an Australian with a bottle of bubbly after a Bledisloe Cup presentation?



The WAITER!

I'll see myself out

Use the back door please, unless you can come up with a better effort

 

[Upthenuts]

getting excited flying in tomorrow, going to be a long day

 

[Tomikin]

It's more of an asset than a problem. If 7A's could only play one side he would not be in the squad right now and he would be twiddling his thumbs waiting for Kepu to retire.

Instead he steps back into the squad at LHP. Pretty good really.

He will go great guns total faith in 7A 's

Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

 

[Brumby Runner]

Allan's workload when he plays THP is immense. Hits the ball up off the ruck, makes his tackles, hits rucks and scrums great. Should have even more energy when playing on the LH side and for only around 20 minutes. Expect a strong showing.

 

[Tomikin]

I do love how no kne tries tospell AAA's name its bang on one the hardest if you dont know it

Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

 

[notapatrioticboneinme]

did i say
Ala'alatoa, Ala'alatoa ...

ex-gunnedah high here