Scott Barrett had a great game.

@hydro11 I think that mindset is endemic in our rugby. The high risk option or the players ( coaching tactics ) that take them are often rewarded at lower levels where you get more space. However test matches can sometimes be a grind, and we don’t seem to want to do the hard work ( play the % ) for long enough. Whether it be 2 or 3 more phases or playing it tight into the 60th or 70th minute. They have to learn how to do that especially if they are behind on the scoreboard after 20.

How did they leave Sam Cane on the bench last week. Dumbest selection of all time.

Forgot how much I love watching Northland play. Can’t wait for the rest of the season.

Those that talk negatively about NZ provincial rugby ( and individual teams ) don’t understand how great this competition continues to be for NZ rugby - the jewel in the crown. The talent on display is amazing.

But a bit tired of reading articles from hack journalists and listening to ex rugby players acting as commentators who don’t know the players from the opposition team and have no passion for the game they are watching. The comments about Northland before, and after the game on the radio and in print lack any insight into our team.

I guess that’s why this forum is great .

This has been coming for some time. We keep being told that we can play rugby without the ball. Kicking it away. The Wallabies showed that keeping the ball in hand is what matters. Some of our tight forwards struggle with their hands. Tonight they lost the contact as well.

Read has been quality. Captains knock.

@Entertainer15 disagree. We lost it in the forwards an with poor tactical kicking. Their forwards created go forward, won their lineouts and they were tactically miles ahead.

Next World Cup will be more challenging.

Our Junior rugby teams have been beaten up recent years by sides with big forward packs. Development of our tight 5 depth and loose forwards that can win contact will be our challenge. We always have great footballers but size matters as the game gets tighter and defence dominates.

It’s a complete overkill. Franks tried to clean out, made contact with head. Yes red card but accidental, and some coaching on technique required. Unfortunate that refs missed it but with so much happening on field this will happen. No problem with judiciary giving a couple of weeks for accidental contact. It’s not tiddly winks and sometimes stuff happens. This doesn’t make the Crusaders dirty. It does mean any players involved need to take note and work to improve technique.

@booboo yes, those two drop goals were under advantage. Opportunity missed. Reads decision to take 3 when we needed a try to be able to win game. Those last few minutes when we had guys everywhere - in pods, out of pods, running lines, standing still - but we went side to side with nothing happening. Those endless box kicks which left us defending in our own half. Those 3 instances in the second half with running front foot attack ball and the player chose to grubber. In each case we hand the ball over. Something is wrong with our mindset.

Great write up. Comment on the coaches - the defensive efforts this year were up a couple of notches on prior years and the squad seemed really tight on the field. So it’s seems like the team really came together. So pluses for those things, assembling what turned out to be a really competitive squad and getting to the final. Hopefully we can keep some of new talent and develop it off season. The CEO talked about work starting for next year now - hopefully that includes solid plans to build on this year. Hate see young players coming in and leaving next year.

@reprobate said in Argentina Two: Newcastle, 28 November:

Not really too sure what to make of that game.

They put out a B front row and we hammered their scrum, so what. Their forwards looked a bit tired, and we dominated a bit. Our ruck work was improved. Our ball running was still mediocre, even against tiring defence. We clearly won the forward battle though.

Our backs on the other hand, were nothing short of terrible. Just really, really fucking awful. That much ball, and they couldn't do shit with it. Aimless kicks. Kicks when you have an overlap. Poor finishing. Poor option-taking. The kicks were clearly a tactic drilled into them, because they were doing them even when they weren't on. Worst part is that we didn't even bother to send someone back to cover - that's some pretty basic schoolboy stuff when you're kicking to a 50/50 contest.

The thing about the Argies is that without field position they can't do much. And with Cubelli out, and Sanchez struggling then off the field, our shit kicking was never effectively cleared, likewise our other mistakes/turnovers in their 22. So we basically spent the whole game hot on attack with all the ball, a dominant pack, the world's best halfback, and were pathetically ineffective with it.

Now, despite some odd selections which I think may have been mentioned in passing by others, we have a number of reasonably effective ball runners in our backline. That makes me think that our tactics are dogshit. We aren't finding the space. Honestly it doesn't even seem like we're looking for it.

So we're left with kicking the ball away. A shit tactic, poorly executed, which won us the game pretty comfortably.

Fucken yuck.

We are turning into England.

@Victor-Meldrew I would prefer him at 13 because instead of being the player on the crash and the player being missed, he would be the decision maker and distributor. Those are his best skills along with D. I think they moved him in because he lacks top end pace but so did Conrad Smith and he would one of our finest.

@Winger said in Argentina Two: Newcastle, 28 November:

@kpkanz said in Argentina Two: Newcastle, 28 November:

@Winger You mean the tight game that Jordan blew up to 38-0 when he came on?
You realise he scored 2 tries and set up the 3rd to make it 38-0 right? You know he didnt come in 80th minute right?

Richie was brilliant in one game. But poor to ordinary in the others. Clarke looked a super star in his first game but not close to that level since

I prefer to form an opinion based on more than a few minutes of test rugby

Agree totally. Yes great performance at the death by Jordan when the Argies where trying to run the ball after being pounded for 70 minutes by a brutal AB attack. They opened up because they needed to, made mistakes and game over. But that was set up by no mistake AB rugby where guys were running into heavy contact for long periods of time.

We tend to demonise players who make a mistake and then go overboard on players who have a good highlights package.

@Kiwiwomble That is the AB pattern not the player. Distinguish between the plays being called and the skill set of the player.

@nostrildamus that is AB pattern. In structured play he runs the pattern. In unstructured play no one puts another player into better space with the timing of the pass. To say he is not a distributor is incorrect.

@Victor-Meldrew that is just pattern. What you see is the 2nd is always the guy running at the line. Jacks other strength is he stays in the pattern.

@Victor-Meldrew said in Argentina Two: Newcastle, 28 November:

@antipodean said in Argentina Two: Newcastle, 28 November:

End of the season and what have we learnt? Akira is clearly the best 6 in New Zealand. Massive effort tonight and my MoTM.

Ardie's athleticism is a huge plus in the final quarter, but Sotutu needs to start.

Will Jordan is a shoe-in for the right wing spot. He has the golden touch Beaudy had.

Long term Rieko is a centre, just needs more time in SR to hone the positional awareness. Some good competition coming through too.

At 12 the coaches need to identiify the type of player they're after because as good as Goodhue is, he doesn't distribute.

Mo'unga is still a flat track bully.

Pretty much agree with that except I'd like to see Akira and Will Jordan with a few more tests under their belts before we nail them down in the 6 & 14 slots.

Akira's attitude change has been awesome. Huge credit to him and also the coaching staff

Goodhue doesn’t distribute? He is far and away the best distributor in the backline.

Like how Coles talks about the loss hurting.

@antipodean said in Argentina Two: Newcastle, 28 November:

There was a lot to like about the All Black game tonight. Patience, options, controlled aggression and set piece work. For all that people complained about the kicking in the first half, it's necessary to stop a rush defence. This sort of work pays off late in the game and it clearly did tonight.

Admittedly the accuracy of the kicks needs work, but it's a valid strategy.

Sam needs to work on his communication with the refs, getting in their mind about what to look at. Perhaps Fitzy could come in as a consultant.

Point taken. Didn’t mind the chip kicks as much but the cross kicks were overused.