Bledisloe 2 2023 @ Dunedin 12:35PM Sat 5 Aug

[Ignoto]

Except none of the ones ahead of him are noted scummager's either. AAA got injured by being monstered at scrum time

Who's to say Allan only got monstered as he sustained the injury before the scrum went pow?

In any event, I thought Zane who's a 22 year old who just finished his first season as a starter held up on. The face we have a 22 year old being forced to play speaks volumes about our lack of depth.

Perhaps Hoskins will be on call during the RWC?

 

[Tomthumb]

He wasn't exactly going forward before the injury. Don't get me wrong, I'm not having a go at Zane, he did his best. It's more a problem with lack of coaching for young tight heads. You cant blame them if they are never taught right from the start. AAA only converted to tight head in the first place due to the lack of options there. It's not a new problem.

 

[Braveheart81]

I thought our scrum held up until Angus Bell left the field and then was a bit of a disaster.

To me he's shown to be close to our most valuable player after only two games back. One game where he was pretty clearly our MOTM and the second where he was rated by most as being among our best three players after a long injury layoff.

Scrummaging used to be the only question mark over him and now it looks like he's very solid there and exceptional around the park.

The ascendancy we had on the loose head side looked to be protecting our weaker tight head side significantly.

 

[Dctarget]

Do we know the extent of Porecki's injury?

 

[rugbyAU]

Christy's article this morning said he’d be available for selection v France, didn’t seem anything too serious.

 

[Tahtrajic]

I thought he failed the HIA and that was all. So he has a mandated 12? Day stand down period

 

[Mr Pilfer]

One thing that really shits me is how pre-meditated all the substitutions are and all coaches do it. I feel like we could be in world cup final up by 3 points with 20 to go with Tait and Gordon playing outstanding and he would still sub them out because that is what they planned before the game. Same as McReight on the weekend, if it is working and he is still performing leave him on.

Angus Bell also strikes me as a guy who could play 80 mins which is unusual for a prop. If he is still carrying hard and scrummaging well then I would rather he stayed on than bring on an inferior player. Not saying now as he is coming back from injury but if it was a crunch world cup game. I get the concept of "finishers" but they need to actually perform better than the player they are replacing

 

[Dctarget]

Haven't watched properly, Leota was subbed on for McReight, did Hooper shift to 7?

 

[stillmissit]

Missed the game but just watched 12 min highlights. the AB's in 2nd half seemed to be getting amazingly quick bd ball. Was this true for most of the 2nd half or just bits? Looked to me that we won the bd battle in the first half and lost it in the 2nd. Did the rot start when McRight left?

 

[KOB1987]

Haven't watched properly, Leota was subbed on for McReight, did Hooper shift to 7?

Yes

 

[KOB1987]

I said during the game that taking McReight off was a mistake. The breakdown went to shit, the front row subs (both theirs and ours) meant the scrum also went to shit. Those factors and the ball Quade dropped (which was as much Whites shit pass) cost us the game. I’m sure Eddie would have noticed all this.

 

[Pfitzy]

One thing that really shits me is how pre-meditated all the substitutions are and all coaches do it. I feel like we could be in world cup final up by 3 points with 20 to go with Tait and Gordon playing outstanding and he would still sub them out because that is what they planned before the game. Same as McReight on the weekend, if it is working and he is still performing leave him on.

Angus Bell also strikes me as a guy who could play 80 mins which is unusual for a prop. If he is still carrying hard and scrummaging well then I would rather he stayed on than bring on an inferior player. Not saying now as he is coming back from injury but if it was a crunch world cup game. I get the concept of "finishers" but they need to actually perform better than the player they are replacing

It comes down to longer term injury management. In certain circumstances you're going to leave them on, but mostly you're going to give them enough minutes without introducing fatigue that can be detrimental.

 

[dillyboy]

Yep. Whilst they were subbed this game as long term player management I don't see them getting subbed if it's close and we're in the WC final .....

 

[Wilson]

Haven't watched properly, Leota was subbed on for McReight, did Hooper shift to 7?

Yes, but it was a bit of a mess in general play, felt like Hooper and Leota were stepping on each other's toes at times.

 

[barbarian]

The rot started after half time, when it feels like the ABs refocussed and got on top physically.

And we lost our way a bit with ball in hand - a few ill-advised one-out runs which left us isolated, a couple of missed cleanouts. This was a collective failure, not down to one player particularly.

I don't think taking McReight off really had much to do with it. His presence wouldn't have prevented the turnovers. Blaming the subs in general is too simplistic.

 

[Pfitzy]

Blaming the subs in general is too simplistic.

Completely ignores the fact that the opposition might change their tactics and personnel

 

[stillmissit]

It looked to me like the ABs noticed we were flagging and upped the speed as they knew we couldn't stay with them. Their breakdown was barely contested and they got that 'lightning' fast ball that is talked about these days. McReight might have helped but he couldn't stop it on his own.

 

[dru]

The rot started after half time,

10 mins earlier I think.

 

[Mr Pilfer]

Does anyone know if the ref is still playing advantage for NZ’s last penalty?

 

[Dismal Pillock]

He just called it back now. He's the only one left at Forsyth Barr, alone, in the dark. All the players are long gone, as are the crowd.