USA v All Blacks Test - Chicago November 2014

[Beefcake]

Cory Jane & Nathan Harris coming home, replacements yet to be named. Jane has done his hammy & Harris the medials in his ankle.

www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/10693546/Cory-Jane-and-Nathan-Harris-out-of-All-Blacks-tour

I'm picking Frank Halai for the wing spot (& not just 'cos he's already over there) but have no idea who the next hooker is, Coltman (been to a coupla camps), Parsons (played for Baabaa's) or Dixon (NZ Maori)?

Would've thought Nanai-Williams could be a sneak in for Jane, to diversify and balance out the back three reserves. But Halai & Osbourne are being touted.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Would've thought Nanai-Williams could be a sneak in for Jane, to diversify and balance out the back three reserves. But Halai & Osbourne are being touted.

He made noises about switching to Samoa via the Olympic 7's loophole earlier in the year which won't have hone down well at HQ & I doubt that even being SBW's real cousin would negate that. Osbourne's still way too green for mine whereas Halai looks the goods, has been there before (v Japan last year) & is already in situ. Barring further injuries he needn't even be used in a 23.

Hooker, though, is the real worry IMO esp with Keven's calves being less than robust these days, his outfuckingstanding performance in La Plata notwithstanding. If he blows out in training, we're in deep shit.

 

[Beefcake]

He made noises about switching to Samoa via the Olympic 7's loophole earlier in the year which won't have hone down well at HQ & I doubt that even being SBW's real cousin would negate that. Osbourne's still way too green for mine whereas Halai looks the goods, has been there before (v Japan last year) & is already in situ.

Hooker, though, is the real worry IMO esp with Keven's calves being less than robust these days, his outfuckingstanding performance in La Plata notwithstanding. If he blows out in training, we're in deep shit.

You couldn't hold against him, he's been in form for the last 2 years and taken his game to the next level under Smithy at the Chiefs but has been overlooked numerous times. I read the reverse for Taimeufuna, who wanted to pledge allegiance for Tonga, but HQ threatened to cancel his chief contract if he didnt prioritise NZRU long pine of eligible players. The old stick and carrot trick never fails.

There are backs by the truckloads, but seems theres a hooking crisis between the Tasman. I was reserved about Coles, but what a gem he's turning out to be, but havent seen either coltman or harris play (longer than 5mins) although Parson looked strong for the Babaas

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

You couldn't hold against him, he's been in form for the last 2 years and taken his game to the next level under Smithy at the Chiefs but has been overlooked numerous times. I read the reverse for Taimeufuna, who wanted to pledge allegiance for Tonga, but HQ threatened to cancel his chief contract if he didnt prioritise NZRU long pine of eligible players. The old stick and carrot trick never fails.

There are backs by the truckloads, but seems theres a hooking crisis between the Tasman. I was reserved about Coles, but what a gem he's turning out to be, but havent seen either coltman or harris play (longer than 5mins) although Parson looked strong for the Babaas

Yep, heaps of midfield & back-3 options means TNW can be cold-shouldered & lack of FR options means that Big Ben can be "persuaded" to commit to NZ - at least until he's found to need to improve his S&C (pretty sure that's code for "lose 5 - 10kg"). This is, after all, the AB not some shitty reality-TV karaoke popularity contest. And that's as it should be.

 

[Dan54]

Well Slade and Parsons have come in. Must admit Parsons sneaked under the radar for me, but will be interested to see how he goes.
As for Ben T, let him go to Tonga, I don't believe he been told he got told to commit to NZRU long term, as just last week he has said he will go to commit to Tonga if he hasn't got nod for ABs by April next year. Unfortunately with Ben, you know as soon as he gets outside a really tight structured team he will go to pack, he seems to not have good work ethic.

 

[boyo]

A few observations (having watched a replay):-

1. I was surprised that the telecast didn't feature the kiwi commentary.
2. The Eagles' players need to back-up their player.
3. The Eagles need to play more matches.
4. Did the NZRT commit no infraction of the laws? The penalty count was heavily in their favour.

 

[Ruggo]

Just no.

USA is not one of the Six Nations.

The six nations idea is stupid. You know American sentiment better than me so what's your view on weather America would warm to any test on home soil that doesn't involve a USA side? Hypothetically a third Bledisloe being played their as both sides head to Europe for EOYT's.

I'm just a huge fan of rugby spreading its global footprint.

 

[Ulrich]

@Ulrich, I live in a rugby tolerating country and if Australia's two best FiveKick teams were to play on my front lawn, I'd call the police.

Some clever bugger once said that you can very easily destroy an army from within. To win over the Septics, you have to involve the Septics. Sending the B&I Lions and NZL over to San Francisco, Houston and Boston to play a three match series would not achieve much.

Exactly.
Not to mention I'd be pretty pissed if the IRB took a NZ v SA or SA v NZ game and hosted it anywhere but NZ or SA (apart from World Cups).

The same goes for SA v AUS or AUS v SA or any other Intl involving SA for that matter. It's my team, I should be able to support them locally and if not then at least the opposition should get that opportunity.

 

[USARugger]

The six nations idea is stupid. You know American sentiment better than me so what's your view on weather America would warm to any test on home soil that doesn't involve a USA side? Hypothetically a third Bledisloe being played their as both sides head to Europe for EOYT's.

I'm just a huge fan of rugby spreading its global footprint.

A third bled on the West Coast could have potential but I just can't see a Six Nations test on the East Coast producing nearly the same effect for a list of reasons (weather being a big one).

Any test not involving the USA played on American soil would be a gamble.

A few observations (having watched a replay):-

1. Did the NZRT commit no infraction of the laws? The penalty count was heavily in their favour.

It's a lot harder to commit penalties when you are barely rucking for most of the match. Joubers was also hard on the Eagles at ruck time (lots of very, very quick calls for not rolling away even when it had no impact on the play - Folau Niua's intercept comes to mind) as well as a handful of just plain bizarre calls (near the end of the game Scully strips Dagg in a tackle and begins to run off with it but the whistle blows for a "not releasing" because another Eagles player had an arm around Dagg's ankle...pretty sure the player being tackled has to actually go to ground and can't be "not released" if they are still standing up).

I'm still unsure what the penalty was that lead to the first ABs try but I haven't bothered to pull out the guide for referee hand signals to see yet - the announcers fucked up and said it was an Eagles penalty even though Joubs had the arm out to NZ.

 

[MrTabua]

Did the NZRT commit no infraction of the laws? The penalty count was heavily in their favour." Boyo

Richie wasn't playing.

 

[Bairdy]

A third bled on the West Coast could have potential but I just can't see a Six Nations test on the East Coast producing nearly the same effect for a list of reasons (weather being a big one).

Any test not involving the USA played on American soil would be a gamble.

What about a Six Nations game involving Ireland, hosted, in say, Boston? Do you see a a game like that (which might appeal to expats) gaining any traction

 

[MrTabua]

What about a Six Nations game involving Ireland, hosted, in say, Boston? Do you see a a game like that (which might appeal to expats) gaining any traction

When Gosper was flying a kite and saying that there could be a 6 Nations game held in the USA I figured it was just to drum up further interest in the USA All Blacks fixture and get people talking about rugby in America.

A bit like the NFL Commissioner going to Wembley and, every bloody year, saying to any reporter in the UK that London will host a franchise in the future.

 

[USARugger]

What about a Six Nations game involving Ireland, hosted, in say, Boston? Do you see a a game like that (which might appeal to expats) gaining any traction

I honestly don't know. I think it would be a massive gamble and they should keep the Six Nations in the Six Nations regardless.

Ireland v USA in Boston (or Philadelphia) would be a totally different story - not totally sure why they did the last one in Houston but I never researched into potential reasons why.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Based on this I'd say a rematch in 2016 is all but a certainty:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/10721118/Big-spin-offs-for-NZ-Rugby-from-Eagles-game

 

[Hugh Jarse]

The final TV Ratings for NBC will be an interesting number.

 

[USARugger]

From what I remember seeing in the initial ratings the viewership may have been in the 5.5-7mil range

 

[Antony]

From what I remember seeing in the initial ratings the viewership may have been in the 5.5-7mil range

Jesus - that seems pretty decent considering the lack of exposure. Just a casual five and half million.

 

[S120]

Those ratings, if accurate, are nuts. The American market is such a valuable market, one that rugby needs to continue to take advantage of. Great first step for that happening.

 

[Antony]

To put that in perspective: 4.34 million people in Australia watched the 2003 rugby world cup final.

I knew the US was huge, but that's just a bit silly.

 

[USARugger]

It's all a bit of black magic because of how statistically unreliable Nielsen Ratings are but by the transitive property of "I think I still remember how to do math"..

The Breeder's cup drew a viewing audience of ~2.5mil and ended up with a 0.4 rating.

USA v. All Blacks scored a 0.7 - so through some extremely rough math and a lot of assumptions/estimations that would put it at around the 5 million viewer mark. I'll be interested to see what actual numbers NBC comes out with.

Reminds me of this post from the archives: http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/infographic-where-the-money-is-globally-in-rugby/