@nta said in England V Australia:

All that said, we need to put Scotland to the fucking sword and at least earn our current ranking.
Looks like you put them to the sword just like Roth did to Neeson in that final duel scene of Rob Roy.

@chester-draws said in AB's v Wales:

@nostrildamus

Since when do we need fullbacks to make dominant tackles?

Compared to Dagg, McKenzie is a tackling genius.

He can't stop them close to the line.

@billy-tell said in Ireland v Argentina:

@pot-hale said in Ireland v Argentina:

@act-crusader said in Ireland v Argentina:

I’m picking the Argies in an upset

Not sure it would be that much of an upset against that raw backline with both centres and wings having 5 caps between them. However, Ireland have never lost in Dublin to them so it should be a cracking match - got my ticket today so looking forward to yet another grudge-match between the two where no love is lost. Weather looks shite though and it may become a shit-fight up front.

Schmidt pushing the depth boat hard in this series to get players tried out. Conway and Stockade look the most promising. I think Byrne is going to get found out defensively.

It would be a complete upset. Ireland are a seriously well-drilled side with a 9 and 10 that suit their game-plan perfectly. Argentina have largely been very average since 2015 - their current world ranking (they just moved ahead of Fiji again) tells you all you need to know.

False modesty is unbecoming Pot Hale 😉

I call it humility, BT - especially where Argentina is concerned. And it ain't false.
Mind you, Ireland is on a 6-game streak, so you never know..... 😉

@victor-meldrew said in What is the best AB Midfield?:

@nepia Reuben Thorne is the glue in the AB pack. Gets thru a huge amount of work.

😎

@disgusted-of-tw said in Future All Black coaches...:

@crucial D'oh, I forgot him. Maybe I should have excluded the West Island from the question - what about an NH coach, then?

Considering that NH teams are grabbing SH coaches in order to get away from stodgy rugby it is unlikely that we would go the other way.
Perhaps a set piece coach once Cron retires?

I'd expect Vodafone to back up Sky and fight them for the rights

@act-crusader said in Whiny Warren Gatland:

@mariner4life said in Whiny Warren Gatland:

@canefan fuck that! It's a no win job.

We win 99.9% of the games we play, and still the coaches get a whack from the public if we don't look like the personification of perfect rugby played by aggressive angels.

Lose? Hatchet jobs. Just win? Not god enough what are the coaches/selectors doing. Win by a shit load? Well, we just expect that.

I would take a high paying job where every success is celebrated, and winning more than you lose is brilliant.

Let’s not forget this pearl of wisdom of when we win by a lot that it’s “not good for the game”.

One of the more laughable things I’ve ever read.

It’s a typo obviously, when the abs reenact the love scene from deliverance on them “ it’s not good for their game”.

I guess the real question is; do we get more head trauma from sporting collisions, or reading the daily tripe served up on stuff.co.nz?

@billy-tell Yep, they did beat Canada 54 to 22 only ten days ago and play the USA this weekend. Romania is similar and beat Samoa last weekend and will play Tonga next. Georgia and Romania are teams that are gradually closing in on the weaker 6 Nations teams and can cause the occasional upset to tier 1 teams if the latter are complacent, don't field their best team or have a really bad day. I think these are interesting teams to watch.

The batsmen have just been offered the light and they have accepted, so it's a draw. Test cricket can be so full of tension and is streets ahead of any other type of cricket when it gets like this one turned into on this last day.

In the end, Serin's ill-discipline has cost them the game.

@majorrage said in Ryan Fox:

He's one of the professionals at the course I am a member at over here. They talk about him all the time and have pictures of him everywhere, with his bags etc etc.

Apparently he's been to the club once in the last 6 months.

foxhills?
I recall one of his Instagram posts on it. How could you not with the similarity of names

I was being a bit nit picky and semantic there! BBRR would have been a certainty for selection had the tragedy not occurred whereas Israel Dagg would have had a fight on his hands to be selected had his injury not ruled him out.

@barbarian said in The Ashes:

Voges was dropped a while back MN5. Before the last summer, actually. Think he's actually retired now.

You have to cater for the fact that @MN5 is at least a couple of years behind in most sports. Better than rugby though where he's a good 20 years off the pace now.

Fiji

1 Campese Maáfu,
2 Tuapati Talemaitoga,
3 Manasa Saulo,
4 Apisalome Ratuniyarawa,
5 Leone Nakarawa,
6 Dominiko Waqaniburotu,
7 Akapusi Qera,
8 Nemani Nagusa,
9 Henry Seniloli, 10 Ben Volavola,
11 Nemani Nadolo,
12 Levani Botia,
13 Jale Vatubua,
14 Timoci Nagusa,
15 Kini Murimurivalu.

Reserves
16 Sunia Koto,
17 Peni Ravai,
18 Kalivati Tawake,
19 Sikeli Nabou,
20 Peceli Yato/Semi Kunatani,
21 Nikola Matawalu,
22 Asaeli Tikoirotuma,
23 Vereniki Goneva

@gunner too right. Very foolish

They're looking for a few more coaches:

alt text

@crazy-horse said in Maori Tour:

@bones nah somebody in their wisdom suggested JGB was All Black material based on his season with Wellington. May have been one of the more fanatical Wellington posters...

@Winger