Blues v Hurricanes
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@nzzp said in Blues v Hurricanes:
@ACT-Crusader said in Blues v Hurricanes:
@nzzp said in Blues v Hurricanes:
@Rancid-Schnitzel said in Blues v Hurricanes:
And Jordie Barrett (of all people) showed why Akira Ioane doesn't get selected for the ABs. He's an absolutely phenomenonal talent but who would bet against him doing something dumb in a big game?
Akira had one of the worst games I've seen from him in ages -- but he didn't (and doesn't) get penalised for his off the ball stuff. It's largely disappeared from his game.
Also, I understand he had 24 carries last night. Twenty four!!! Clearly lazy
His ability to get his hands on the ball has never been an issue at age grade level and now in senior rugby. There are two issues I see (I know everyone’s an expert on Akira), it’s what he does with the ball and also on the defensive side of the game. Things that can be developed and worked on.
I'm dirty because his work at 8 in the scrum was woeful. Disrupted by TJ, but the slow, signalled pickups followed by fumbles were a stain on my soul. I've been such a fan of Akira, but last night wasn't a game that made me feel good about anything meaningful
Was just listening to Mexted on Radiosport. Mex is one of those people who sounds very authorative and very sure of what he's saying, but I'm never sure if he's quite as expert as he sounds. I guess he's been running that IRANZ academy for a long time, he's probably learned something.
Anyway, he said the scrum management of the Blues was woeful and that was primarily down to Akira along with the halfback. He reckons Akira isn't good enough at that "bread and butter" aspect of the No. 8's game and he also doesn't get wide in support, which he also says is the 8s job (I'd have some question marks about this in the AB set-up).
Anyway, to howls of outrage, Mex wants him in the AB squad because he's a beast of a man, but he wants him picked as a 6 and not an 8.
Mex also picked his midfielders - Crotty, Nonu, Goodhue and ALB. Said his choice was between Nonu and Laumape - who offer the same game, but Nonu's ability to put his outsides in space tips the balance. Was pretty dismissive of SBW - said he's not sure he should even be in frame because while he can give you a couple of offloads a game, he's a liability on defence (and always has been) and is always broken.
http://120.138.20.16/WeekOnDemand/radiosport/2019.05.12-12.30.00-S.mp3
http://120.138.20.16/WeekOnDemand/radiosport/2019.05.12-12.45.00-S.mp3
8.15 in this for anyone who's interested.
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@Chris-B yeah I heard that too.
Agree, he says the things that make you think he knows his shit, but dont always agree with his analysis.
With his comments on SBW it made me wonder if he has any contact with the upper echelon of NZ Rugby these days, while many of us struggle to see what SBW brings any more, it seems clear the coaches rate him, and if fit, I simply cannot see him not being on the plane.
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@taniwharugby I can't either.
The only thing that might mitigate against SBW is that - the way I see it - you've SBW, Crotty, Nonu and Laumape contending for two 2nd five slots. So, they could pick two experienced options in Crotty and Nonu. I can't really see them picking Laumape ahead of SBW.
But, I think it will be the glass brothers!
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@Chris-B said in Blues v Hurricanes:
Mex also picked his midfielders - Crotty, Nonu, Goodhue and ALB. Said his choice was between Nonu and Laumape - who offer the same game, but Nonu's ability to put his outsides in space tips the balance.
In this I'm in complete agreement. There simply isn't a better second five-eighth in New Zealand at carrying, passing and kicking. It's just a pity his pace has deserted him now he's old.
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@antipodean said in Blues v Hurricanes:
@Chris-B said in Blues v Hurricanes:
Mex also picked his midfielders - Crotty, Nonu, Goodhue and ALB. Said his choice was between Nonu and Laumape - who offer the same game, but Nonu's ability to put his outsides in space tips the balance.
In this I'm in complete agreement. There simply isn't a better second five-eighth in New Zealand at carrying, passing and kicking. It's just a pity his pace has deserted him now he's old.
Laumape has pace though. Nonu would get brutally exposed a level up - even at this level, some people are runnign around him.
Well, I should say 'were'. I think he's adjusted to the pace of game more, but having pace can get you out of a bad situation offensively or defensively. Realistically, I think he's behind both SBW and Laumape in the AB selector's eyes ... will take a couple of injuries to get into squad contention
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So after watching this game I’ve decided that Tony Johnson is either @Rancid-Schnitzel or Jordie Barrett’s publicist. I swear if JB had crouched down and taken a dump in the middle of the field Johnson would have been praising him for the consistency of the tutae (hopefully the advertisers algorithms don’t speak Maori).
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Besides a possible loss of pace the other thing I have noticed is that Nonu appears to have been less involved in the second half of games this season. My imagination?
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@Crazy-Horse Good Observation I was thinking the same thing
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@nzzp said in Blues v Hurricanes:
@antipodean said in Blues v Hurricanes:
@Chris-B said in Blues v Hurricanes:
Mex also picked his midfielders - Crotty, Nonu, Goodhue and ALB. Said his choice was between Nonu and Laumape - who offer the same game, but Nonu's ability to put his outsides in space tips the balance.
In this I'm in complete agreement. There simply isn't a better second five-eighth in New Zealand at carrying, passing and kicking. It's just a pity his pace has deserted him now he's old.
Laumape has pace though. Nonu would get brutally exposed a level up - even at this level, some people are runnign around him.
Well, I should say 'were'. I think he's adjusted to the pace of game more, but having pace can get you out of a bad situation offensively or defensively. Realistically, I think he's behind both SBW and Laumape in the AB selector's eyes ... will take a couple of injuries to get into squad contention
It's a pity that in two aspects there's such a difference between Ma'a and Ngani.
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@Crazy-Horse said in Blues v Hurricanes:
Besides a possible loss of pace the other thing I have noticed is that Nonu appears to have been less involved in the second half of games this season. My imagination?
The influence of Pulu?
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@antipodean can't remember how much Pulu has been playing in the second half of the games I have seen.
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@Chris-B said in Blues v Hurricanes:
@nzzp said in Blues v Hurricanes:
@ACT-Crusader said in Blues v Hurricanes:
@nzzp said in Blues v Hurricanes:
@Rancid-Schnitzel said in Blues v Hurricanes:
And Jordie Barrett (of all people) showed why Akira Ioane doesn't get selected for the ABs. He's an absolutely phenomenonal talent but who would bet against him doing something dumb in a big game?
Akira had one of the worst games I've seen from him in ages -- but he didn't (and doesn't) get penalised for his off the ball stuff. It's largely disappeared from his game.
Also, I understand he had 24 carries last night. Twenty four!!! Clearly lazy
His ability to get his hands on the ball has never been an issue at age grade level and now in senior rugby. There are two issues I see (I know everyone’s an expert on Akira), it’s what he does with the ball and also on the defensive side of the game. Things that can be developed and worked on.
I'm dirty because his work at 8 in the scrum was woeful. Disrupted by TJ, but the slow, signalled pickups followed by fumbles were a stain on my soul. I've been such a fan of Akira, but last night wasn't a game that made me feel good about anything meaningful
Was just listening to Mexted on Radiosport. Mex is one of those people who sounds very authorative and very sure of what he's saying, but I'm never sure if he's quite as expert as he sounds. I guess he's been running that IRANZ academy for a long time, he's probably learned something.
Anyway, he said the scrum management of the Blues was woeful and that was primarily down to Akira along with the halfback. He reckons Akira isn't good enough at that "bread and butter" aspect of the No. 8's game and he also doesn't get wide in support, which he also says is the 8s job (I'd have some question marks about this in the AB set-up).
Anyway, to howls of outrage, Mex wants him in the AB squad because he's a beast of a man, but he wants him picked as a 6 and not an 8.
Mex also picked his midfielders - Crotty, Nonu, Goodhue and ALB. Said his choice was between Nonu and Laumape - who offer the same game, but Nonu's ability to put his outsides in space tips the balance. Was pretty dismissive of SBW - said he's not sure he should even be in frame because while he can give you a couple of offloads a game, he's a liability on defence (and always has been) and is always broken.
http://120.138.20.16/WeekOnDemand/radiosport/2019.05.12-12.30.00-S.mp3
http://120.138.20.16/WeekOnDemand/radiosport/2019.05.12-12.45.00-S.mp3
8.15 in this for anyone who's interested.
Is Ioane really anymore beastly than Frizzel, Fifita, Squire etc?
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@MN5 said in Blues v Hurricanes:
@Chris-B said in Blues v Hurricanes:
@nzzp said in Blues v Hurricanes:
@ACT-Crusader said in Blues v Hurricanes:
@nzzp said in Blues v Hurricanes:
@Rancid-Schnitzel said in Blues v Hurricanes:
And Jordie Barrett (of all people) showed why Akira Ioane doesn't get selected for the ABs. He's an absolutely phenomenonal talent but who would bet against him doing something dumb in a big game?
Akira had one of the worst games I've seen from him in ages -- but he didn't (and doesn't) get penalised for his off the ball stuff. It's largely disappeared from his game.
Also, I understand he had 24 carries last night. Twenty four!!! Clearly lazy
His ability to get his hands on the ball has never been an issue at age grade level and now in senior rugby. There are two issues I see (I know everyone’s an expert on Akira), it’s what he does with the ball and also on the defensive side of the game. Things that can be developed and worked on.
I'm dirty because his work at 8 in the scrum was woeful. Disrupted by TJ, but the slow, signalled pickups followed by fumbles were a stain on my soul. I've been such a fan of Akira, but last night wasn't a game that made me feel good about anything meaningful
Was just listening to Mexted on Radiosport. Mex is one of those people who sounds very authorative and very sure of what he's saying, but I'm never sure if he's quite as expert as he sounds. I guess he's been running that IRANZ academy for a long time, he's probably learned something.
Anyway, he said the scrum management of the Blues was woeful and that was primarily down to Akira along with the halfback. He reckons Akira isn't good enough at that "bread and butter" aspect of the No. 8's game and he also doesn't get wide in support, which he also says is the 8s job (I'd have some question marks about this in the AB set-up).
Anyway, to howls of outrage, Mex wants him in the AB squad because he's a beast of a man, but he wants him picked as a 6 and not an 8.
Mex also picked his midfielders - Crotty, Nonu, Goodhue and ALB. Said his choice was between Nonu and Laumape - who offer the same game, but Nonu's ability to put his outsides in space tips the balance. Was pretty dismissive of SBW - said he's not sure he should even be in frame because while he can give you a couple of offloads a game, he's a liability on defence (and always has been) and is always broken.
http://120.138.20.16/WeekOnDemand/radiosport/2019.05.12-12.30.00-S.mp3
http://120.138.20.16/WeekOnDemand/radiosport/2019.05.12-12.45.00-S.mp3
8.15 in this for anyone who's interested.
Is Ioane really anymore beastly than Frizzel, Fifita, Squire etc?
He averages more run metres than them per game - if that's the kind of thing that points to that (then again he may have more runs), but Frizzell has slightly better tackle bust average.
You can't really get stats on smashing tackles though.
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@MN5 watch a few games and form your own opinion...
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@taniwharugby said in Blues v Hurricanes:
@MN5 watch a few games and form your own opinion...
Life gets far too busy to watch games willy nilly....that’s why I consult with all the ‘experts’ on here
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@Crazy-Horse Did a skim watch of the 2nd halves of the last 4 games and I can't say it's his fault in these games.
Against the Canes, the ball barely went past the 10. Our attack was so forward dominated.
Last week against the Brumbies, the Brumbies had all the ball in the 2nd half. A lot of time was wasted in the setpieces.
Against the Highlanders, we could barely get through a few phases without losing the ball. We couldn't really work into our attacking plan because of it.
Had a lot of involvement in the Chiefs game in the 2nd half. Better ball security and discipline a big part of that.
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@Nepia said in Blues v Hurricanes:
So after watching this game I’ve decided that Tony Johnson is either @Rancid-Schnitzel or Jordie Barrett’s publicist. I swear if JB had crouched down and taken a dump in the middle of the field Johnson would have been praising him for the consistency of the tutae (hopefully the advertisers algorithms don’t speak Maori).
And I could swear you're related to the Ioanes or in love with them or both.
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@Rancid-Schnitzel said in Blues v Hurricanes:
@Nepia said in Blues v Hurricanes:
So after watching this game I’ve decided that Tony Johnson is either @Rancid-Schnitzel or Jordie Barrett’s publicist. I swear if JB had crouched down and taken a dump in the middle of the field Johnson would have been praising him for the consistency of the tutae (hopefully the advertisers algorithms don’t speak Maori).
And I could swear you're related to the Ioanes or in love with them or both.
Don't forget Josh!
