Wallabies v All Blacks Saturday 26th August at Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin

[Quick Hands]

One interesting point on captaincy. At one point in the second half when things got a bit heated, Owens called out Read & Hooper and basically said things had been pretty good but were starting to get a bit over the top, have a talk and deal with it.

Hooper went back, called them all together, called out to a couple of outliers and had a word. Read simply wandered back, said something to a couple of players who happened to be next to him, and basically took no notice of Owen's instruction.

Not making any particular point, except perhaps a certain arrogance? For those on here who are refs, what would your attitude be to that?

Owen is in awe of the ABs and they know it. Some of his contorted explanations to opposing captains as to why some bizarre call has gone the ABs are things to behold. At one stage (I think during an injury break), he was having a lengthy chat with Coles about the match - who isn't even captain. Other non-captains (and even some captains) are shoed away with a "back you go".

Off you go frog;

Back you go Stephen

What should I do Rich

Am I going ok Dan.

 

[Killer]

no I didn't see the press conf, but in the post game interview he brought the ref issue up all by himself, probably what led to the questions in the presser.

When I say leadership, say maybe Hunt, I basically mean strong personalities that keep the focus on the game and maintaining an attitude of letting your actions do your talking.
IMO Chek is a hindrance in the players maintaining focus and that is where the strong focused personalities come in.
We also need that selection panel to support this attitude.

 

[Killer]

It is funny, he went out of his way to say it wasn't the refs fault, he question some decisions only when pressed, but said it was our fault that we couldn't hold the ball off the kick off and manage the last few minutes

you're joking aren't you, the first 5 min are a non stop whine. I thought Hoops spoke well, if I was a team member I would be proud of his comments.

 

[Pfitzy]

Owen is in awe of the ABs and they know it

 

[cyclopath]

Micheal, I watched the press conference, actually watched both teams press conferences, and sorry he did come across as making ref excuses again!!He even harked back to Auckland last year. I think it was another chance for Cheika to say it was a great test, the Boys went real well, but perhaps the other team was better. I find it quite funny on here that that noone has ever commented on the fact that Chuckles will very seldom give the other team credit for playing well, and I watched most of press conferences from last year against England etc. I know it not a big thing, and I don't really expect a coach to say it on the field at fulltime, but at a press conference I do think he comes across as a bit of a whinger when Wallabies lose.

McCaw very seldom credited the opposition either, choosing to mainly just comment on his own team. Maybe he felt that was all his brief required. I'm guessing that probably bothered you far less.
All over the media prior to this match were stories with plenty of quotes from Read and other senior players about how they expected the Wallabies might go the niggle like they did last year because they were under pressure, almost harking back one could say. Concerning?
I don't like Cheika complaining with such regularity at all, but there are plenty of examples of people being ungracious if you want to look hard enough.

 

[Joe Blow]

So what's the plan? Score 40 points in every test?

Yes, it should be and to decrease our defense/missed tackles and concede fewer points than 20.
You cannot win against most opposition these days scoring 12 points.

 

[Namerican]

ABs still trying to find their best 23 in particular the right bench combination.

In that 2011-15 period, the bench impact was excellent because we had genuine game breakers and quality that was good enough to start. B. Barrett was a key player off the bench and now he's a starter.

When Richie was in the side we usually went with a big loose forward on the bench like Vito that was good too.

Another issue that does get overlooked a bit is the retirement of Nonu and Conrad. That combination knew how to play those tight moments in the final quarter.

Good point. Nonu and Conrad are sorely missed thus far and the spot hasn't been filled due partly to injuries to their potential replacements (SBW, Ngatai, Crotty) and poor play (Fekitoa). Either way a solid 12/13 pairing is crucial and the ABs are lacking, at least compared to their previous setup. If Crotty is healthy his backup ALB doesn't serve much purpose either as doesn't provide a vastly different look to Crotty. SBW is getting old now too.

Meanwhile there is a glut of back 3 players, you wonder if some of them wouldn't have been better off playing at 12/13 earlier in their careers. Harder positions to learn, arguably, but harder to replace it seems.

 

[upthereds#!]

Ioanes preferred position is 13 and Crottys is 12 so that might have a bit more longevity to it if SBW can't sustain it.....but to me he is the Brad Thorn of backs. SBW just looks bigger and fitter then ever so being 32/33/34 to the WC really might not be a problem.

 

[USARugger]

If SBW has another test like his last in this RC I think the whole of the NZ rugby public may have a collective seizure

 

[upthereds#!]

lol fair.

 

[BarneySF]

If SBW has another test like his last in this RC I think the whole of the NZ rugby public may have a collective seizure

To be fair, he was mugged:

http://rugbyonslaught.com/footage-kurtley-beale-investigation-nz-man-mugged-front-30000-fans/

 

[Dan54]

McCaw very seldom credited the opposition either, choosing to mainly just comment on his own team. Maybe he felt that was all his brief required. I'm guessing that probably bothered you far less.
All over the media prior to this match were stories with plenty of quotes from Read and other senior players about how they expected the Wallabies might go the niggle like they did last year because they were under pressure, almost harking back one could say. Concerning?
I don't like Cheika complaining with such regularity at all, but there are plenty of examples of people being ungracious if you want to look hard enough.

Ok Cyclo, if you think this is an Aus/NZ thing I leave you to it. I was actually trying to say pointing of instead of pointing at refs, or super coaches not giving him fit players, he should say sometimes, hey my team played bloody well, but got beaten by a better team. Just I think it gives the Wallaby knockers a chance to actually stop getting at them so much.

 

[Derpus]

Ioanes preferred position is 13 and Crottys is 12 so that might have a bit more longevity to it if SBW can't sustain it...but to me he is the Brad Thorn of backs. SBW just looks bigger and fitter then ever so being 32/33/34 to the WC really might not be a problem.

Man i just don't understand how a non-existant season with the Blues translates into immediate starting selection for the Darkness. He was bossed by Te'o in the first, essentially culpable for their loss in the second of the BIL tour. Was fairly anonymous in the demolition of the Wobblies in B1 and terrible in B2. Why Hansen do this?

 

[Pfitzy]

Well Kiwis also changed their props at half time, that changed momentum somewhat and made Kepua job easier.. biggest issue was the underweight backrow

Nup.

I just watched back a clip someone put up about Beale mugging SBW:

http://rugbyonslaught.com/footage-kurtley-beale-investigation-nz-man-mugged-front-30000-fans/

Looks like ABs still have their starting props on in Moody and Laulala at 55 minutes at least.

According to the ABs stats page, the three front rowers were substituted as follows:

http://stats.allblacks.com/asp/teamsheet.asp?MT_ID=2281

C. J. D. Taylor (sub 67 min)
K. S. Hames (sub 67 min)
O. Tu'ungafasi (sub 61 min)

So Kepu had the AB starting T5 to deal with for nearly half an hour.

 

[Dismal Pillock]

Man i just don't understand how a non-existant season with the Blues translates into immediate starting selection for the Darkness. He was bossed by Te'o in the first, essentially culpable for their loss in the second of the BIL tour. Was fairly anonymous in the demolition of the Wobblies in B1 and terrible in B2. Why Hansen do this?

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Drives me crazayyy.
iHomo, Hansen’s been seduced by a vicious elixir containing the offload potential + power potential + SBW’s “experience” in the Nonu /Smith vacuum… and none of its come to pass… but Hansen’s got his stiffy wedged so hard into SBW’s bumcrack by now it’s gonna hurt too much to admit he was wrong and pry the fucker out now.

Turns out “experience” don’t mean shit if yer just a league convert who ends up being a passenger ergo visa visor power negated due to dipshittery and hello, “offload game” shot in the ballsack.

 

[cyclopath]

Ok Cyclo, if you think this is an Aus/NZ thing I leave you to it. I was actually trying to say pointing of instead of pointing at refs, or super coaches not giving him fit players, he should say sometimes, hey my team played bloody well, but got beaten by a better team. Just I think it gives the Wallaby knockers a chance to actually stop getting at them so much.

Didn't say it was a NZ / Aus thing. I was giving you some examples that you probably wouldn't notice, for obvious reasons, to make the point there is plenty of it going around. You like hooking into Cheika, lots do, and he gives plenty of opportunity. I don't even know what you last sentence means, in this context, sorry.

 

[Derpus]

I think he's saying it wouldn't leave the Wobblies as open to criticism as they so often are.

 

[TOCC]

Nup.

I just watched back a clip someone put up about Beale mugging SBW:

http://rugbyonslaught.com/footage-kurtley-beale-investigation-nz-man-mugged-front-30000-fans/

Looks like ABs still have their starting props on in Moody and Laulala at 55 minutes at least.

According to the ABs stats page, the three front rowers were substituted as follows:

http://stats.allblacks.com/asp/teamsheet.asp?MT_ID=2281

C. J. D. Taylor (sub 67 min)
K. S. Hames (sub 67 min)
O. Tu'ungafasi (sub 61 min)

So Kepu had the AB starting T5 to deal with for nearly half an hour.

Yeah commentators made an error when they said that during the game.
How many scrums were there with Wallaby feed or on the wallabies 5m line in that 27min?

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Drives me crazayyy.
iHomo, Hansen’s been seduced by a vicious elixir containing the offload potential + power potential + SBW’s “experience” in the Nonu /Smith vacuum… and none of its come to pass… but Hansen’s got his stiffy wedged so hard into SBW’s bumcrack by now it’s gonna hurt too much to admit he was wrong and pry the fucker out now.

Turns out “experience” don’t mean shit if yer just a league convert who ends up being a passenger ergo visa visor power negated due to dipshittery and hello, “offload game” shot in the ballsack.

Not sure I understand all of this but I'll like it anyway

 

[Dan54]

Didn't say it was a NZ / Aus thing. I was giving you some examples that you probably wouldn't notice, for obvious reasons, to make the point there is plenty of it going around. You like hooking into Cheika, lots do, and he gives plenty of opportunity. I don't even know what you last sentence means, in this context, sorry.

Last sentence means exactly what it says, I talk to a lot of people in construction industry and for some reason a lot are leaguies (thought there are a lot of soccer fans especially amongst european origin workers), and when I trumpet the beauty of union it never fails to amaze me how many have said, union?The bloody Wallabies are hopeless, even their coach thinks they are unfit , even the refs hate , them etc etc . I just don't think he helps Aus rugby with these comments! Christ even Shag Hansen was saying he thought the Wallabies were a good team, and just had a bad game in the first test. My whole point is we all (and especially the Wallaby coach) need to be promoting the game in public, not trying to sound like whingers!