Dan54
David Wilson (68)
Well something making those flags flutter WOB!
SRP (Super Rugby Pacific) 2022 - NZ & Drua matches with no match thread
- Thread starter waiopehu oldboy
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waiopehu oldboy
George Smith (75)
... and you know this how?
Rich man's Tupaea has a weakness, then...
waiopehu oldboy
George Smith (75)
Either the adjacent Pak'n'Save & Countdown aircon exhausts are simultaneously & majorly malfunctioning in the same direction or people are seeing things. This being The Tropical Tron each is as likely as the other.
Dismal Pillock
Michael Lynagh (62)
waiopehu oldboy
George Smith (75)
If CruSadists are gunna kick they need to KICK THE MUTHAFUKA OUT or Tribe will tear them several new ones on counter-attack...
waiopehu oldboy
George Smith (75)
Not liking the idea of Lurch having broken his thumb. Tricky little buggers those broken thumbs.
waiopehu oldboy
George Smith (75)
10 up, 20 to go. Still need at least one more score, I feel.
waiopehu oldboy
George Smith (75)
That's one, still need another to make sure of it. Drafted a "Sorry For Your Loss" group text to wifey's numerous cousins but won't be hitting send just yet...
waiopehu oldboy
George Smith (75)
10 points & 10 minutes aka squeaky bum time...
waiopehu oldboy
George Smith (75)
waiopehu oldboy
George Smith (75)
Working my RDO on Monday as Covid cover. Thinking of rocking up in a CruSadists jumper & claiming it's my last clean bit of kit...
Jeffrey
Chris McKivat (8)
This will surely be an unpopular comment, but watching Super Rugby every week leaves me jittery over the ABs' prospects for RWC 2023. The quality in Top 14 or the Premiership has edged ahead.
There are so many too-similar players in the NZ conference, in particular our forwards - dedicated to support lines, good hands, good fitness, and sound basics. Ok, but they are all the same. Is there anyone willing to stamp his mark physically on the game? That will go, I'm going to give go-forward, give it to me. Or I am going to physically dominate in the tackle. The pace and power of the North leaves me worried.
Our defensive structures continue to be poor. Attackers make plenty of metres, not because they carry hard, but because the defence meets them too late with high tackles.
Nothing exemplifies this more than at scrumhalf, a position of such superiority over the past decade. After the absolute masterclass of Antoine Dupont, Aaron Smith now seems startlingly limited. The entire premise of the ABs game is centered around Smith getting to the rucks very quickly and getting speedy, accurate passes away. The ball always beats the man.
Except it doesn't. Not with present day defences, where the defence doesn't commit, and the defensive line is incredibly aggressive, especially the league-inspired defences of Shaun Edward's France and Andy Farrell's Ireland, 2 teams that pummelled us last year. Smith is better than Dupont on the box and in open-field kicking. He has a better pass.
But he is worse off in every other area. Defensively, it is a whitewash. Dupont and Faf are tremendously powerful, which means they offer meaningful defence (which Aaron simply cannot offer -look at how attackers brush him off), and the ability and willingness to clear rucks in a fast tempo game, something which Smith vehemently refuses to do. But it is the threat of a run off the base that checks the rush defense, and makes the defending a far more complicated equation. Add that to a Willemse or Antonio, 135-140kg of angry, destructive beasts running off the 9 (it is absolutely crucial this is off 9 and not 10, which the ABs keep insisting on), and suddenly the brilliant defensive systems of most teams start to crack - we have to secure pillar and post or Dupont goes; but we have to secure around the ruck because that bloody beast Willemse is coming and we are all much smaller; but yet if we don't rush, there's Ntamarck shovelling on to Danty and Fickou, 2 good carrier in midfield, we don't want them building up a head of steam. And yet the wing is troubled - is Ntamarck going to cross-kick or not?
Smith isn't the Smith of yesteryear. He can't run threateningly anymore. His first receivers are Sam Whitelock and Brodie Retallick on the outdated duo forward pod. Already lacking in power, they recieve the ball standing still. There is no good ball-carrier to bend the line except Ardie Savea. Even if 10 is skillful and the backline is dangerous, they don't get it on go-forward ball. Our attack doesn't impose enough questions on the defence. We need physically dominant guys and more thought around how to check the rush defense off 9.
Ireland coming in June is awesome. Ireland is better than France coming over, because the French will be knackered, whearas the Pro14 which the Irish play in is pretty shite. So the Irish are going to come in reasonably fresh after a long season, hopefully with most of their frist team. I hope the Irish is as good as possible - because only if we are tested (even if it means losing at home), will we finally wake up and realise, rugby is a different game. We are being left behind.
There are so many too-similar players in the NZ conference, in particular our forwards - dedicated to support lines, good hands, good fitness, and sound basics. Ok, but they are all the same. Is there anyone willing to stamp his mark physically on the game? That will go, I'm going to give go-forward, give it to me. Or I am going to physically dominate in the tackle. The pace and power of the North leaves me worried.
Our defensive structures continue to be poor. Attackers make plenty of metres, not because they carry hard, but because the defence meets them too late with high tackles.
Nothing exemplifies this more than at scrumhalf, a position of such superiority over the past decade. After the absolute masterclass of Antoine Dupont, Aaron Smith now seems startlingly limited. The entire premise of the ABs game is centered around Smith getting to the rucks very quickly and getting speedy, accurate passes away. The ball always beats the man.
Except it doesn't. Not with present day defences, where the defence doesn't commit, and the defensive line is incredibly aggressive, especially the league-inspired defences of Shaun Edward's France and Andy Farrell's Ireland, 2 teams that pummelled us last year. Smith is better than Dupont on the box and in open-field kicking. He has a better pass.
But he is worse off in every other area. Defensively, it is a whitewash. Dupont and Faf are tremendously powerful, which means they offer meaningful defence (which Aaron simply cannot offer -look at how attackers brush him off), and the ability and willingness to clear rucks in a fast tempo game, something which Smith vehemently refuses to do. But it is the threat of a run off the base that checks the rush defense, and makes the defending a far more complicated equation. Add that to a Willemse or Antonio, 135-140kg of angry, destructive beasts running off the 9 (it is absolutely crucial this is off 9 and not 10, which the ABs keep insisting on), and suddenly the brilliant defensive systems of most teams start to crack - we have to secure pillar and post or Dupont goes; but we have to secure around the ruck because that bloody beast Willemse is coming and we are all much smaller; but yet if we don't rush, there's Ntamarck shovelling on to Danty and Fickou, 2 good carrier in midfield, we don't want them building up a head of steam. And yet the wing is troubled - is Ntamarck going to cross-kick or not?
Smith isn't the Smith of yesteryear. He can't run threateningly anymore. His first receivers are Sam Whitelock and Brodie Retallick on the outdated duo forward pod. Already lacking in power, they recieve the ball standing still. There is no good ball-carrier to bend the line except Ardie Savea. Even if 10 is skillful and the backline is dangerous, they don't get it on go-forward ball. Our attack doesn't impose enough questions on the defence. We need physically dominant guys and more thought around how to check the rush defense off 9.
Ireland coming in June is awesome. Ireland is better than France coming over, because the French will be knackered, whearas the Pro14 which the Irish play in is pretty shite. So the Irish are going to come in reasonably fresh after a long season, hopefully with most of their frist team. I hope the Irish is as good as possible - because only if we are tested (even if it means losing at home), will we finally wake up and realise, rugby is a different game. We are being left behind.
zer0
John Thornett (49)
Maybe it's borne from ignorance of not watching too much NH rugby, but I'm not as pessimistic and believe many of the AB's woes can be traced back to the coaching box (and the NZR boardroom who both put them there and keep them there).
There are plenty of forwards who will carry hard/make strong post-contact metres on attack and/or murder carriers on defence. To name some of the more prominent ones: A.Savea, Aumua, Iose, A.Ioane, Papalii, lock Goodhue, Cane, Taukei'aho, Sowakula, Vaa'i, and Grace. Probably a few others I'm forgetting or haven't seen enough of (such as the massive Crusaders prop or the Chiefs loosie-to-prop guy). That Foster doesn't want to select many of these types of players in favour of wOrKrAtE guys, like Blackadder and Frizell pumping out 200 passive tackles a match, is his issue.
Fortunately this is something that could be resolved very easily. Whether it will be pre- or post-2023 is another issue.
There are plenty of forwards who will carry hard/make strong post-contact metres on attack and/or murder carriers on defence. To name some of the more prominent ones: A.Savea, Aumua, Iose, A.Ioane, Papalii, lock Goodhue, Cane, Taukei'aho, Sowakula, Vaa'i, and Grace. Probably a few others I'm forgetting or haven't seen enough of (such as the massive Crusaders prop or the Chiefs loosie-to-prop guy). That Foster doesn't want to select many of these types of players in favour of wOrKrAtE guys, like Blackadder and Frizell pumping out 200 passive tackles a match, is his issue.
Fortunately this is something that could be resolved very easily. Whether it will be pre- or post-2023 is another issue.
waiopehu oldboy
George Smith (75)
Highlights
Dan54
David Wilson (68)
Bang on Derps, too many of us think it is our right to win every f***en test, it isn't there are some other seriously good teams out there these days!
Dan54
David Wilson (68)
I really enjoyed that Chiefs/Crusaders game. Bloody great intensity, there was some hard work on the ball, a few fellas really had good games. I thought Tom Christie continues to remind me of Matt Todd, never stops, Cullen Grace and Ethan Blackadder and him form a bloody good loose forward trio. Will Jordan also looked to be enjoying himself, as did Bridge who had a pretty good game.
Chiefs I thought Cane looks to be back where I like making tackles and back on feet so bloody fast it almost as if he sees poison ants on ground, Naií looking good at 6, though I still like him at lock. Josh Lord is progressing bloody well at lock, he only 21 or something ridiculous. I also enjoyed Ollie Norris, think Jordan must of wondered what was going on has he got in his channel and bowled him over a couple of times. and I had a smile when he gave Williams a wink just before they packed down against each other when Williams came on, a come on let's get to it type thing I thought, like that in a prop!
All in all a good game!
Chiefs I thought Cane looks to be back where I like making tackles and back on feet so bloody fast it almost as if he sees poison ants on ground, Naií looking good at 6, though I still like him at lock. Josh Lord is progressing bloody well at lock, he only 21 or something ridiculous. I also enjoyed Ollie Norris, think Jordan must of wondered what was going on has he got in his channel and bowled him over a couple of times. and I had a smile when he gave Williams a wink just before they packed down against each other when Williams came on, a come on let's get to it type thing I thought, like that in a prop!
All in all a good game!
Dan54
David Wilson (68)
talk from Farrell is the Irish bringing top team and a lot of players, so hopefully a MAB game or 2 for me to go to as well. But you right as they will have a stronger touring team than French.
lol Though we left a couple at home last year at end of year tour so we can't complain.
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