RWC Week 1: France v All Blacks
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The World XV is a bit different these days
The talent around is very even, and very spread. If people were asked to give the XV you would get a heap of different answers.
I'm not switching our 13, 11, or 14 with anyone. Sam Whitelock is still a very very good player. Aaron Smith is still the best 9 if you want a guy who gets the rucks fast and gets the ball well away from the breakdown super fast.
That's a 3rd of our team who would be in the conversation -
@Duluth said in RWC: France v All Blacks:
@akan004 said in RWC: France v All Blacks:
Magne is 100% correct. I'm not sure if even one AB would make a World XV atm. Jordan might be the only one when he's on form.
A few players that used to walk into a world xv earlier in their careers. It has a whiff of 1991 about it
Having said that I think we can beat any team when we execute well and have a bit of luck.
What will be interesting is if we get a cheesy try or two early. The pressure goes massively onto the hosts.
I agree, we can beat anyone on our day, as long as we get a fair shake in terms of rub of the green and ref calls. If things stack against us early I'm not confident we can get ourselves out of jail the way the 2011 and 2015 teams did
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@akan004 said in RWC: France v All Blacks:
Magne is 100% correct. I'm not sure if even one AB would make a World XV atm. Jordan might be the only one when he's on form.
Whilst individuals are important, I think it's how those players fit together to form a team and the strategy and tactics that counts.
There have been plenty of games over the years where the team lacking the "stars" works better as a team and beats the all-stars. I guess that is what we hope this AB's side will do, work as a unit and beat the more fancied French.
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interesting reading some of the comments on the cesspit of social media....some Saffas saying they might look to tank a pool match to play us again and avoid France, in fact some comments we may as well hand them the trophy now, although some Irish are claiming it also.
Will be interesting, this AB side is superior to the one that lost to the Irish last year, and on thier day, could smoke anyone, but key will be getting the right day...
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I'm picking a good AB win - 7-10PTS. I'd feel much better about it if Jordie was fit but we have the players to win it considering who is missing from the French team, in particular Ntamack & Danty.
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@game_film said in RWC: France v All Blacks:
Ethan Blackadder will be on a plane before the quarter final.
Wellington v Ta$man in the final and you think they won't catch the ferry? Brave call.
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@chimoaus said in RWC: France v All Blacks:
@akan004 said in RWC: France v All Blacks:
Magne is 100% correct. I'm not sure if even one AB would make a World XV atm. Jordan might be the only one when he's on form.
Whilst individuals are important, I think it's how those players fit together to form a team and the strategy and tactics that counts.
There have been plenty of games over the years where the team lacking the "stars" works better as a team and beats the all-stars. I guess that is what we hope this AB's side will do, work as a unit and beat the more fancied French.
i am definitely an advocate of the "Champion team beats a team of champions" adage...my concern is we've ignored that over the last few years, generally picking "the best" person in each position regardless of how they will work together....anecdotally i guess with the idea we're trying to strike from anywhere on the pitch so we need moments of brilliance....the issue is now our top players are looking a bit rusty or are injured.....and now we're hoping they'll suddenly play like a well oiled cohesive machine....
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@chimoaus said in RWC: France v All Blacks:
@akan004 said in RWC: France v All Blacks:
Magne is 100% correct. I'm not sure if even one AB would make a World XV atm. Jordan might be the only one when he's on form.
Whilst individuals are important, I think it's how those players fit together to form a team and the strategy and tactics that counts.
There have been plenty of games over the years where the team lacking the "stars" works better as a team and beats the all-stars. I guess that is what we hope this AB's side will do, work as a unit and beat the more fancied French.
It's balance. I remember AB teams in the past whose attacking strategy was about as sophisticated as pass it to Jonah/Inga/Cullen. On the other hand the Cantablacks were an attempt at a champion team, with a number of better players being left out. And we all know how that turned out... At the end of the day you need a cohesive game plan to allow the best players the chance to shine
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@mariner4life said in RWC: France v All Blacks:
The World XV is a bit different these days
The talent around is very even, and very spread. If people were asked to give the XV you would get a heap of different answers.
I'm not switching our 13, 11, or 14 with anyone. Sam Whitelock is still a very very good player. Aaron Smith is still the best 9 if you want a guy who gets the rucks fast and gets the ball well away from the breakdown super fast.
That's a 3rd of our team who would be in the conversation1 good forward and some good outside backs sounds a bit like early 2000s Hurricanes - except those outside backs were all best ever candidates, and they still finished 9th or so out of 12 teams...
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@akan004 said in RWC: France v All Blacks:
Magne is 100% correct. I'm not sure if even one AB would make a World XV atm. Jordan might be the only one when he's on form.
Magne is full of shit.
1999 was way weaker.
But he played and beat them so can't make himself look like a flat track bully.
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@reprobate said in RWC: France v All Blacks:
@mariner4life said in RWC: France v All Blacks:
The World XV is a bit different these days
The talent around is very even, and very spread. If people were asked to give the XV you would get a heap of different answers.
I'm not switching our 13, 11, or 14 with anyone. Sam Whitelock is still a very very good player. Aaron Smith is still the best 9 if you want a guy who gets the rucks fast and gets the ball well away from the breakdown super fast.
That's a 3rd of our team who would be in the conversation1 good forward and some good outside backs sounds a bit like early 2000s Hurricanes - except those outside backs were all best ever candidates, and they still finished 9th or so out of 12 teams...
Except that's not what I said is it?
God when did we become such scared bitches? You would think that every opposition team is full of the best players in the world (despite the impossibility of that statement) with no weaknesses
The French are good but they aren't 2015 ABs good, and they have key injuries
The Irish are good, but they lack points and if you nullify sexton the rest will fold
We beat the Boks pretty handsomely already this year -
@chimoaus said in RWC: France v All Blacks:
@KiwiMurph said in RWC: France v All Blacks:
Looks like it will be hot and humid - even factoring in the 9pm local kickoff time
Why the fuck would they start a game so late?
Pretty common in France with the Autumn Internationals
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@mariner4life said in RWC: France v All Blacks:
@reprobate said in RWC: France v All Blacks:
@mariner4life said in RWC: France v All Blacks:
The World XV is a bit different these days
The talent around is very even, and very spread. If people were asked to give the XV you would get a heap of different answers.
I'm not switching our 13, 11, or 14 with anyone. Sam Whitelock is still a very very good player. Aaron Smith is still the best 9 if you want a guy who gets the rucks fast and gets the ball well away from the breakdown super fast.
That's a 3rd of our team who would be in the conversation1 good forward and some good outside backs sounds a bit like early 2000s Hurricanes - except those outside backs were all best ever candidates, and they still finished 9th or so out of 12 teams...
Except that's not what I said is it?
God when did we become such scared bitches? You would think that every opposition team is full of the best players in the world (despite the impossibility of that statement) with no weaknesses
The French are good but they aren't 2015 ABs good, and they have key injuries
The Irish are good, but they lack points and if you nullify sexton the rest will fold
We beat the Boks pretty handsomely already this yearDoesn't fit the narrative
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@Kiwiwomble said in RWC: France v All Blacks:
@Billy-Tell not a dig at you because i think youre right in at least thats what they think....but god im sick of "experience" being used, is experience at not being good enough really better than the chance we'll strike gold with a player that steps up and plays above themselves when wearing a black jersey?
Like, Beaver?
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@No-Quarter said in RWC: France v All Blacks:
Fainga'anuku has some experience in the mid and could be used as a crash ball merchant to free up some space for Rieko. Maybe that's part of the plan with all these outside backs? As I just haven't been able to get my head around the squad makeup thus far.
me neither. do not understand it.
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@mariner4life said in RWC: France v All Blacks:
@reprobate said in RWC: France v All Blacks:
@mariner4life said in RWC: France v All Blacks:
The World XV is a bit different these days
The talent around is very even, and very spread. If people were asked to give the XV you would get a heap of different answers.
I'm not switching our 13, 11, or 14 with anyone. Sam Whitelock is still a very very good player. Aaron Smith is still the best 9 if you want a guy who gets the rucks fast and gets the ball well away from the breakdown super fast.
That's a 3rd of our team who would be in the conversation1 good forward and some good outside backs sounds a bit like early 2000s Hurricanes - except those outside backs were all best ever candidates, and they still finished 9th or so out of 12 teams...
Except that's not what I said is it?
God when did we become such scared bitches? You would think that every opposition team is full of the best players in the world (despite the impossibility of that statement) with no weaknesses
The French are good but they aren't 2015 ABs good, and they have key injuries
The Irish are good, but they lack points and if you nullify sexton the rest will fold
We beat the Boks pretty handsomely already this yearThe way I see it is the rugby we see over the next few weeks will be a different sport to that we have seen win the interim since the 2019 World Cup. It's a well trodden path at this stage. It's typically scoreboard advancing in increments of three, cagey affairs where the players and refs can be perceived to freeze big time depending on whose fans you talk to.
Wayne Barnes in 2007, Joubert in the Scotland v Australia game in 2015, Bryce Lawrence in 2011 (which ended his career), Joubert in 2011 final etc.
This New Zealand team does not have a body of work behind them that suggests they can come from behind against the big teams or grind out an arm wrestle and win by a score in the dying minutes like McCaws boys could. There was a mental steel to that vintage which I haven't seen in this crop.
For most of Fosters tenure the team has been all fur coat and no knickers. Flashes of brilliance with no cohesion, no discernible game plan to the amateur eye and headless chook stuff on the field in some of the defeats. It's one thing to lose. But lose like you know what you are doing out there. I also think Foster has got a lot wrong at the selection table and players like Cane and Beaudy have lived charmed lives. There is a lack of ruthlessness from the top down. Even Robinson dropped a bollock in not sacking Foster. The only time in recent memory the team showed (for want of a better phrase) "big dick energy" was when they ran over the top of the Springboks in NZ this year.
I can see us pumping some teams and taking a scalp or two but it will be harem scarem stuff with some Will Jordan or Telea magic getting us over the line.
I also think its fair to say the Aura is well and truly gone. We are the most carded team in the world since the 2017 Lions tour and Allblacks are routinely sent off for infringements that other teams (at times) seem to get away with. It's almost like a CV padder to ping them off the park. To show your "strength" as an official.
I also think rightly or wrongly the refs don't really "fear" Cane in the same way they were aware of McCaw's presence.
I think with McCaw in the team, the opening ten or so minutes in Twickenham against the Boks doesn't happen. It would have been sorted with the ref after the first ping of the whistle.
I also think we have been led a merry dance off the field in relation to ref/laws/citings/TMO chat and playing the media. We have been on a charm offensive throughout the social media age turning the other cheek after any perceived shafting. Other coaches (rightly or wrongly) use the build up to a test match to build a narrative, plant seeds and reflect on stuff that happened in the previous test. Rassie in the Lions tour, Eddie Jones etc. Sexton does it on the field at every ruck!
Foster should have been talking to media about Springboks getting tactically injured every time they have a player in the bin. Running the clock and acting the maggot. There are diplomatic ways to say it. Similarly he should have cried blue murder after Porter broke Retallicks orbital bone and only got a yellow after Ta'avao the week before. You need to kick up such a stink that they daren't do it to your team again. Its professional sport folks.
In spite of all of the above, by luck (through injury) rather than design, I think we can cobble together a superb 15 on any gameweek and fancy us to beat anyone in the tournament on any given day.
Can we do it 3 or 4 weeks on the spin is the question...
Man Still Haunted By 2007 Quarter-Final
