New Zealand v Australia - Auckland - 23 August 2014
- Thread starter Hugh Jarse
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KOB1987
John Eales (66)
this is the thing..every rugby nation in the world needs to be thankful that Australians generally have an infatuation for either League or AFL and that rugby is very much a minority sport..
and throw soccer in there too..
167 hours, 42 minutes from now.
And yes, I am counting.
I think I'll spend the week at The Fern - it might be less painful.
Pfitzy
Nathan Sharpe (72)
its not his strength - its his fucking technique! Lower your shoulders young bull, and charge into them, then drive up. Don't go in high or you'll turn it over.
When we (stupidly) shovelled it wide to 2 players against 6, Carter went in high and got stripped, then Savea scored. Firstly, he should never have got that ball because the playmakers should have kept it tight. But second, he should have aimed for Retallick's midriff, then pumped his legs until someone could arrive and clean out.
What is also confronting about Link's selection policy is that Slipper played the whole game, because the supposed injection of pace Pek Cowan is supposed to have around the paddock was not required. Why? Scrum, that's why.
jollyswagman
Ron Walden (29)
I can't think of one bloke in our pack that the all blacks would fear.....a bunch of bloody soft cocks. We need some personalities in the pack like Vickerman, Finnegan, Sam Scott-Young, Harrison. Right now we have a pack of John Eales type characters with less talent. If we can't match their skill level then the least we can do is get under their skin and rough them up but we can't even do that.
KOB1987
John Eales (66)
I think Link treats the front rowers on the bench as 'reserves' which is the right call..i.e. only bring them on if required
Viking
Mark Ella (57)
To be fair I think its a bit of both. Poor technique and lack of strength. Also poor alignment and distribution, we don't seem to be hitting the ball at pace - its no wonder we don't get over the advantage line when our forwards start from a static position. Amateur stuff really - which makes its so frustrating to watch.
Spewn
Alex Ross (28)
Couldn't agree more. I'm so sick of watching soft packs. For a decade we had to endure a pack with Nathan Sharpe in it and we still can't pick mentally harder men. The fact that there will be howls of protests in saying that about Sharpe will highlight the difference in NZ and Australian beliefs. Most NZers would agree with me.
Ash
Michael Lynagh (62)
I don't think there's much we can do about it right now. Ringing the changes I don't think will work.
I expect a few changes - Phipps, TPN coming back in, maybe Foley, and maybe AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) to win with Kuridrani at 13 - but not wholesale. To be honest, I don't think the game would've been largely different (if at all) with those changes to begin with.
There's no panacea to this. We played badly, our tactics were off, ABs played great, their tactics were spot on. They cruelly exposed our weaknesses.
The Wallabies need to go back to the drawing board and make sure they front up next time.
Dismal Pillock
Michael Lynagh (62)
Looking good mate.
You know I never tire of your posts.
They greatly fascinate me.
Particularly lately.
Very, very lately.
Official Mt Eden Metch Report.
Rumours of R.J.B.J Mccaw's demise much exaggerated.A manic rabid freak.
Everywhere.
GOATMOTM.
A.Smith 2nd MOTM. Murderous jailbreak tempo started with him
A.Cruden 3rd MOTM. As guileful as he was glacial. That teasing sideline jog before he finally decided to put Savea away was jazz-hand time
KOB1987
John Eales (66)
this will sound like a classic case of hindsight, but I said it at the time...ask my wife!
after we had been steamrolled at the first scrum when Simmons was in the bin, at the next scrum I said Link should have taken Fardy off and brought Skelton on..this would have meant of course that Simmons or Carter would have played at 6 when he came back on, but we may have averted that first try, the penalty try..that was the turning point..
after we had been steamrolled at the first scrum when Simmons was in the bin, at the next scrum I said Link should have taken Fardy off and brought Skelton on..this would have meant of course that Simmons or Carter would have played at 6 when he came back on, but we may have averted that first try, the penalty try..that was the turning point..
Th0mo
Herbert Moran (7)
Some questionning if we drop certain players as to who we replace them with. After tonight's performance a number of players need to be dropped just to create competition. If I had to make the calls they would be:
Horwill for Carter (out of 23 - Simmons retained only for combination)
AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) to wing, McCabe (out of 23 - 5:2 split to be reviewed the following week once Speight comes in)
Foley for Beale (bench)
Kurindrani to outside centre
Higgers for Fardy (to bench)
Add McCalman to bench as part of 5:2
Horwill for Carter (out of 23 - Simmons retained only for combination)
AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) to wing, McCabe (out of 23 - 5:2 split to be reviewed the following week once Speight comes in)
Foley for Beale (bench)
Kurindrani to outside centre
Higgers for Fardy (to bench)
Add McCalman to bench as part of 5:2
boyo
Mark Ella (57)
jollyswagman
Ron Walden (29)
Sadly, its; not that simple. We just don't have the cattle in the second row. Fardy showed some mongrel last year but has since turned into a winging halfback that spends most of his time throwing his hands in the air and pissing in the referee ear after the whistle like a 15 year old halfback. Horwill used to have some mongrel but now has nothing. Skelton might be too green right now but he is one of the few that shows any promise. Give him time in the jumper now. Coach to the big bastard how to use his frame. He has the natural ability and sub the bastard off when he runs out of juice. I can live with a drop ball or two if that is what we have to pay for a sweet offload and a couple of squashed kiwis.
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