AB Test Team v France.

@rancid-schnitzel was he the one lauding the French 9 for dummying from the base of a ruck and getting away with it, calling us 2 time RWC champs amongst other unknowledgable calls?

westcoastie

@tim said in AB Test Team v France.:

20 point win over a tier-2 team. Ireland or England would’ve done us today.

Its all relative though isn't it. In the first half we were looking really good.

That second half was just some of the oddest rugby ever from all three teams...starting with SBW forgetting what sport he was playing - Volleyball Scouts sniffing around though which might be a blessing for the AB's.

Was weather an issue? Composure? Foster running the bench? not the same bench-impact as in the past - are we putting more emphasis on the first half/strong starts?

Scott McLeod carrys on the Professors defensive portfolio

Higgins

@crucial said in AB Test Team v France.:

Looking like a good scoreboard for a bunch of muppets playing against 16.

Was the 16th player the referee or the TMO? You might have to consider revising your total to 17.

Samurai Jack

@crucial DMac was absolutely dire today. From the chip kick with two unmarked players outside him in the first half to his "let's give the ball back to France" chip in the second. Basically he is not reading the game well. His positional play was so poor. Been a fan in the past but tonight he should have been off earlier.

DMX

This commentator is a complete moron, says that the next match is a test like this one.

Rancid Schnitzel

@taniwharugby said in AB Test Team v France.:

@rancid-schnitzel was he the one lauding the French 9 for dummying from the base of a ruck and getting away with it, calling us 2 time RWC champs amongst other unknowledgable calls?

Yep. And he somehow mistook TJP for Smith 5 minutes after he was subbed.

Higgins

@crucial said in AB Test Team v France.:

@chimoaus said in AB Test Team v France.:

My wife,” that was more painful than it needed to be”

You shouldn't have been trying it on her while watching the game. Bound to make the odd clumsy move.

A leading candidate for the post of the year award.

Crucial

@higgins said in AB Test Team v France.:

@crucial said in AB Test Team v France.:

Looking like a good scoreboard for a bunch of muppets playing against 16.

Was the 16th player the referee or the TMO? You might have to consider revising your total to 17.

Ok, so we beat 17 while playing like the Eketahuna Intermediate School 2nd XV.

Yeah, they played shit for some of the game by the high standards we expect but they still won comfortably.

As soon as they scored easily early on the warning bells were there that once the game had a decent margin it would lose focus.

westcoastie

Plus' for the game...Vaea Fifita getting through the full 80. BB kicking for goal. Probably a few others.
Ioane & Naholo were good/busy. TJ didn't flap his arms. Naholo was busy.
Front row x6 were good at scrum time.
Whitelock immense.
Cane & Todd did some good stuff.
Aaron Smith.

When did Beaudy actually become an official vice-captain? When Ben Smith went on vacation? I reckon the experience hes getting captaining at the moment will be the making of him - that extra responsibility might just be the thing that takes him to DC level - all the time.

Rancid Schnitzel

Interesting theory by 2003 pom hooker Thomson. He reckons Read was hooked deliberately to give them experience with that scenario. I'm not keen on these games being experiments for world cups, but that sounds like something Hansen would do.

westcoastie

God - SBrandW with the trophy next to the Reado at the end. I'd be hiding the fuck out the back if I got a yellow the way he did.

chimoaus

Serious question, could Marshall have done a better job commentating than the two muppets we had?

Crash

Watching delayed coverage on Freesports here in UK, been a helluva day for me - plus the rugby results have been all over the place.

rotated

@crucial said in AB Test Team v France.:

@rotated said in AB Test Team v France.:

@crucial said in AB Test Team v France.:

I know everyone will think I'm simply white knighting DMac but his good plays made more points than his errors gave away. That's a positive return.

Leaving aside whatever the standard for a starting AB is.

There is a difference between being largely ineffective, but marginally positive and wildly hot and cold erring slightly on the positive side.

The game these days is built on capitalizing on those rare errors and it's tough carrying a guy when you know he is going to make four befuddling decisions per test (especially when we are carrying SBW who is good for one absolute boneheaded move).

You do know that he is filling in as best available option at the moment? If BFA or JB or Dagg were available he wouldn't be there?
You make it sound like he thinks he is in that 15 jersey from absolute merit when everyone knows the reality.

Absolutely. My point was once you get down to your fourth choice fullback perhaps go with a different style of player - perhaps one who is more stable - but less flashy. The Colin Slade principle.

McKenzie deserved his selection up to this point, with the injuries we would have been foolish not to give him a genuine opportunity at test level. He has had it and come up short - move on.

Give either Havili or Duffie a crack for the remainder of the tour.

The Silver Fern

AB Test Team v France.