RWC 2023 - All Blacks pool matches

[John S]

From an Aussie perspective, it looked as if our rubishness has rubbed off on the ABs. Don't think I've seen so many aimless/non contested kicks from the ABs in a long time.

First half was definitely the better one for you guys, the Frogs just switched something in the second half.

 

[dru]

Congrats to the French. Big occasion opening game and did themselves proud with the atmosphere, the preparation and winning it.

This is a cracking game... I don't see how the wallabies beat either of these teams.

Go All Blacks

I'm not so sure, Tomikin. Certainly based on our recent 5-0 it doesn't look good, but presuming we step up at the RWC by the Semis, I give us a shot based on what I've seen so far. I thought both teams looked rusty. Unfortunately I'd expect that rust to be well and truly knocked off well before we meet either team.

 

[Tomikin]

Great to see all the negativity about the Wallabies before it’s even begun

It's not negative,just an opinion..

 

[griffins]

Marchand gone for the night by the looks.

(Whispering)

Cody Taylor's cleanout bore some resemblance to Swain on Tupea.

 

[KiwiM]

From an Aussie perspective, it looked as if our rubishness has rubbed off on the ABs. Don't think I've seen so many aimless/non contested kicks from the ABs in a long time.

The kicking issue has been there for a long time.

The tactics combined with fairly average kickers in the ABs backs mean they are constantly on the back foot.

ABs forwards are ok (still issues there) but aren't so good that they can survive a half where they are stuck in their own half.

This is a poor ABs side that deserves to get rolled in the quarters.

ABs badly need a reset across the board - can't wait till Fozzie fucks off.

 

[Sword of Justice]

The breakdown was at an extremely high level in this match. France became dominant there at the end but both backlines were terrible I thought. Maybe just because France didn't want to play there and NZ tried to solve their problems by hoiking it too early.

I think Smith, Whitlock, Retallick are now making life difficult for their team mates while France might struggle for ideas with their backline injuries against an Ireland or RSA. They need Danty back and Ntamack is a bigger loss than some initially thought.

 

[Bullrush]

With the Ben Darwin 'cohesion' philosophy in mind, it's quite easy to see where the ABs lacked their spark in the backline and the work done by the back row.

I was getting a bit frustrated by how the French players would fall on the wrong side of the tackle and get in the way of ABs trying to clean out.

I thought the ABs looked fine for the first 40 and pretty terrible in the second. The French were too good.

 

[molman]

100%. His erratic play doesn't help when the forwards are failing to get any go forward. We've known this for years though. Soon as Carter retired everybody noticed that Beauden doesn't actually have great game management, just oodles of talent/speed.

It's a bit fucking criminal that this team always looks completely clueless when playing the top sides though. Ireland, France, SA on their day. They always, always revert to low success plays. They don't grind anything out. Seems like poor coaching. I guess the forward pack just isn't what it used to be also, let's be real. Oh well.

Hopefully they can somehow turn themselves into a test team before the quarters, not flat track bullies.

There are elements of what they are doing that plays to their strengths, but they're not looking test smart. For the amount of failed French tackles, the amount of ball they had and the fact they'd scored a very nice opening try, to go into the half time behind France was a real issue.

I think COVID (less tests against top teams over those years) and SuperRugby (little challenge from Aus coupled with the exit of Argentina & SA) have left an AllBlacks team that just doesn't hum like the previous generations did. Still a lot of this RWC to go, but it wasn't a great start for a team who is expected to go all the way.

On the positive, Telea looks great with is dancing feet on. There are a couple of players to come back who will hopefully make a difference. That first 30mins against SA earlier this year in NZ was class, so we know they have it in them to play some great Rugby. I'm just curious if they can put in a 80mins performance.

 

[RebelYell]

I cannot fathom how they pick Christie ahead of Roigard (or Weber for that matter)

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

I was really surprised at how pedestrian the ABs looked in the second half last night, or maybe it was the cumulative effect of the French pressure and field position. The further the game went the more France looked like winning. The AB's looked way more dangerous in the first 20-30 minutes and maybe it was a French adjustment that did them. Certainly that's a pragmatic side of France that we haven't seen in prior RWC's.

 

[Derpus]

I mean I wanted NZ to win because fuck the Dupont love in but also haha fuck you NZ you fucken looooooooosers.

 

[Derpus]

@Dismal Pillock

 

[Dismal Pillock]

LOL the frogs miss 17 tackles in the first 25 mins..... and still win in a laughing canter.

B.B with a vintage Blues kicking performance. "Hay guyzz, I'll pitch up a copout tinpot speculator from here inside our own 22 and if one of you resecures the 50/50 then we will have the ball again around halfway! The halfway line! Imagine that! I would chase my shitty loser kick myself but I might get hurt and I'm going straight to Japan for my next big payday as soon as the final whistle blows in our loss to Italy I mean our quarter final loss"

tl/d.r: Fozzie's ice-brained Titanic is going down forever firmly anchored to Beauden motherf**** Barrett

 

[Dismal Pillock]

SOMEHOW B.B and Mounga managed to combine to keep NZ in their own 22 for the entire 2nd half.

Dropping B.B for a DMac roll of the dice would be my call. Maybe even at 10 in place of Soup Rugby Super Legend Mounga. FFS DMac looked like murder at 10 vs the Argies

ALB. ffs they've had years to get the Umaga Jensens and Aumuas etc into AB camps to iron out defensive deficiencies and still we start with a big RWC match with Mr Nothing Anton Lienert FUCKING Brown. Then we sub on his nothingburgers pal Dave FUCKING Havili

Matt Proctor. Ngani Laumape. Fucking ANYONE.

Work Experience Boy Tupou Vaai must have very good manners when dealing with Coach Fozzie. "That nice young man. So polite. Not like that nasty surly brutish Aucklander Akira something...."

So much Fozzie loser in this team. You literally cannot play your way out. Soup Rugby Superman Codie FUCKING Taylor. Ranga Christie ffs.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Might be completely out of line here but in the 2nd half bb (stop changing to berrick Barnes ffs) seemed like hand break/stunted it in attack.

Might be skewed by the pop gun kick that went straight to the French winger on half way and the shanked torp.

Is Fozzie scared to make the call? He could be effective off the bench to get on an run the ball.

 

[Goosestep]

nz needs to spend less time crying about their jerseys and more time winning games

 

[Sword of Justice]

SOMEHOW B.B and Mounga managed to combine to keep NZ in their own 22 for the entire 2nd half.

Dropping B.B for a DMac roll of the dice would be my call. Maybe even at 10 in place of Soup Rugby Super Legend Mounga. FFS DMac looked like murder at 10 vs the Argies

I find it incredulous that Barrett and Mounga can look so ineffective given their respective resumes. Having a pack that's soundly beaten will put any 10 under pressure but I've always felt those two are the ultimate flat track bullies, it's just so rare for the darkness to be beaten up at the breakdown like this morning. Not sure there's an answer in the NZ playing group.

 

[Dan54]

With the Ben Darwin 'cohesion' philosophy in mind, it's quite easy to see where the ABs lacked their spark in the backline and the work done by the back row.

I was getting a bit frustrated by how the French players would fall on the wrong side of the tackle and get in the way of ABs trying to clean out.

I thought the ABs looked fine for the first 40 and pretty terrible in the second. The French were too good.

I thought that as soon as heard Cane was out at last minute, I thought f*** it's too late to really reset!

 

[chasmac]

I have never seen the ABs look so loose. So many areas they were below their usual high standard. Penalties, scrums, breakdowns, kicking, tactics. They looked like the Wallabies: including the yellow card.

 

[RugbyReg]

With the Ben Darwin 'cohesion' philosophy in mind, it's quite easy to see where the ABs lacked their spark in the backline and the work done by the back row.

I was getting a bit frustrated by how the French players would fall on the wrong side of the tackle and get in the way of ABs trying to clean out.

I thought the ABs looked fine for the first 40 and pretty terrible in the second. The French were too good.