All Blacks v BI Lions Test #3
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If there is a comforting thing , returning to Eden Park for a decider , gives us a feeling of , been there done that , its business as usual
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@booboo said in All Blacks v BI Lions Test #3:
I still think Warren G is a massive dick and hope he loses.
Is there the option for the Lions to win but Gatland to lose?
Maybe a French-style RWC2011 revolt when they ignored the lunatic Livremont?There are many things this tour that Gatland has done this tour that have annoyed me - his digs in the press conferences, not trying the Sexton-Farell partnership earlier in the tour, his drafting in of the "plastic Lions", in the last midweek game making 7 of the pack play 80 minutes to the point of exhaustion and demoralise them about not then having no hope of getting into the test team.
That said, he has seemed to create a good atmosphere among the players and has supported the early trips to schools etc. On a rugby front he has been willing to abandon his preferred approach of bulky-12 smashing the ball up for a 1m gain and somehow the team have become at times quite fluid.
If I had the choice I'd have Hansen as a coach - he has been more respectful of the opposition and the officials, he has set the tone for a good culture within the team and good results/style on the pitch. He has a good mix of analysis, pragmatism, proportion, humility and humour in what he says in the press conferences.
I hope that when/if the ABs lose on Saturday, Hansen is not the scapegoat.
The ABs have had significant disruption in both tests - it is normally the touring team who are running out of first-line players by the third test. Maybe the good fortune of the Lions with injuries has had more of an impact than has been suggested so far? -
@kiwiinmelb Last time Eden Park was a decider was 2015 Bledisloe, in that ABs team were Carter, McCaw, Nonu, Conrad, Coles, Woodcock, Ben Smith, Nehe Milner Skudder.
Just slightly different to the team that will run out on Saturday!
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@KiwiMurph but also followed a loss the week prior....
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@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks v BI Lions Test #3:
@kiwiinmelb Last time Eden Park was a decider was 2015 Bledisloe, in that ABs team were Carter, McCaw, Nonu, Conrad, Coles, Woodcock, Ben Smith, Nehe Milner Skudder.
Just slightly different to the team that will run out on Saturday!
yeah I guess it was a different side ,
At least the coaching staff and a few of the players were still involved ,
And the supporters
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I see Treason is having a field day, couple of headlines I saw (obviously didn't click) apparently it was hubris to play our Super rugby rookies against the Lions and also our razzle has gone wrong....
and the little bit I can read without clicking on it...
OPINION: The Lions have so far seen absolutely nothing to fear, writes Mark Reason.
How is it that hacks such as him can get paid for their BS?
then there is this guy:
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@taniwharugby said in All Blacks v BI Lions Test #3:
I see Treason is having a field day, couple of headlines I saw (obviously didn't click) apparently it was hubris to play our Super rugby rookies against the Lions and also our razzle has gone wrong....
and the little bit I can read without clicking on it...
OPINION: The Lions have so far seen absolutely nothing to fear, writes Mark Reason.
How is it that hacks such as him can get paid for their BS?
then there is this guy:
You make the exact same post on here every time Reason writes an article.
Why don't you just not read the herald?... it's shit, everyone knows that
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@SammyC he aint on the Herald, it is just the headlines pop up for me, and it aint exact, nor is it every time
Maybe you could ignore my posts?
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@Bovidae said in All Blacks v BI Lions Test #3:
@Wairau said in All Blacks v BI Lions Test #3:
I would have accepted a yellow. But it deserved a red, or failing that, citing and 2 week ban.
This is a black mark against the officials, and Garces in particular. The SOB swinging arm should have been dealt with on the field. A penalty at least, but he couldn't have had any complaints if a YC was issued.
I expect both coaches are going to have plenty to say to Poite so he will be under pressure to get his decisions right. The last thing anyone wants is a controversial call to decide the game and series.
Actually - depending on who comes out ahead as a result of said controversial call - it's not the last thing I want.
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@taniwharugby Notice the headline changed to be more inflammatory the course of the day as the editors strove for more clicks. Expect "AB's conduct human sacrifice" by 9-ish.
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@taniwharugby said in All Blacks v BI Lions Test #3:
@SammyC he aint on the Herald, it is just the headlines pop up for me, and it aint exact, nor is it every time
Maybe you could ignore my posts?
Most of us do.
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@Catogrande obviously not
@Marty yeah they do that, and often the headline for you to click is different to the actual headline of the article.
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@taniwharugby I read-a da wun post
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@SammyC said in All Blacks v BI Lions Test #3:
@taniwharugby said in All Blacks v BI Lions Test #3:
I see Treason is having a field day, couple of headlines I saw (obviously didn't click) apparently it was hubris to play our Super rugby rookies against the Lions and also our razzle has gone wrong....
and the little bit I can read without clicking on it...
OPINION: The Lions have so far seen absolutely nothing to fear, writes Mark Reason.
How is it that hacks such as him can get paid for their BS?
then there is this guy:
You make the exact same post on here every time Reason writes an article.
Why don't you just not read the herald?... it's shit, everyone knows that
I'm gonna go and read it now
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@taniwharugby said in All Blacks v BI Lions Test #3:
@Marty yeah will be interesting, with it all on the line will the Lions go to a more conservative game plan and try and shut us down up front?
We've hardly been the Harlem Globetrotters
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@MiketheSnow said in All Blacks v BI Lions Test #3:
@taniwharugby said in All Blacks v BI Lions Test #3:
@Marty yeah will be interesting, with it all on the line will the Lions go to a more conservative game plan and try and shut us down up front?
We've hardly been the Harlem Globetrotters
Yeah I reckon the Lions have played fairly similar in both tests and mixed it up during the 80 minutes quite well. I can't see the Lions back 3 "shutting up shop". They're not that sort of players. Likewise with the two 1st 5s starting (presumably), they will look to play with width.
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@Crucial said in All Blacks v BI Lions Test #3:
The way the Lions are doing the rush D is to be so on the edge and anticipate as a line that usually no one looks obviously 'the guy'. Most times they are certainly moving before the ball is lifted but are also not planting the first step until right on the lift. It is well coached and usually executed well.
They are often getting it wrong though and the ref is telling them to get back which they do and avoid the penalty (but have affected the play by slowing it down).It's boundary pushing for sure but that's what good teams do.
I stated earlier in the series that I thought the game needs tidying to avoid this 'style' shutting down a game. Laws have been implemented with 5m back from scrums and 10m back from line outs to create space so it's not like this is a radical concept. You can't have a 1 or 2 metre back law at tackle/rucks, it would be to hard to rule on, but you can put the onus of teams to show they are clearly onside rather than clearly offside. Make doubt go in favour of the attacking side and the game would be 'cleaner'
Just going to quote myself here because I've thought about this a little more.
What if the laws were to state that non-participants in a ruck (i.e. not bound or not halfback) had to retire to 5 metres back like a scrum? Apart from creating space for a backline it would also create space for the ref team and potentially stop players blowing past the ruck and creating a further mess.
The drawback would be that some rucks would become very light in numbers and resemble a league situation where the defending team simply concedes the possession then fans out with a stronger wall.
I'd be interested in other views on this. -
For those lauding the Sexton- Farrell axis, take a look at this vid.
In 8 and change minutes, the better passing and space creation came from Farrell, often as first receiver.
Defensively they were adequate.
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A facebook post popped on my feed and it asked "What happens to Hansen if the Ab's lose saturday?"
I wanted to answer "He will be literally thrown under a bus after the game, his remains will be fed to baby seals which Andrew Hore will then club into oblivion and Warren Gatland will be made Ab coach effective immediately", but fuck I don't want to engage in to a discussion on Facebook.
