@kiwiinmelb "Nice guns, Sonny".

"Thanks, Jack - I like your hair".

@Siam said in Indian Cricket Tour of NZ 2020:

Wags out. Baby coming.

But don't worry Henry called up

Don't know why Mrs. Wags can't do this on her own - the delivery is bound to be short, or very short!

@mn5 said in All Blacks v Argentina - Nelson:

@mariner4life said in All Blacks v Argentina - Nelson:

Shit team in a shit location. lucky the Warriors are on

DO NOT diss Nelson you Queensland Bogan fluffybunny.

Ignore him, MN5.

What would a fucker who lives in Cairns know about locations? He's choosing to live in a swamp, inhabited by nasty, poisonous biting creatures - and that's just the people, don't get me started on the wildlife.

In fact, do. Go to the beach - get eaten by a crocodile. Go for a run - get bitten by a snake. Go for a shit - get bitten by a spider. Go anywhere and get bitten by dengue-ridden mosquitos or some other fucking insect largely unknown to science.

Go to the pub and be entertained by Tex Morton and his pet bantam, Stu - singing "Blue Bayou" - a song about living in a swamp.

In summary, he wouldn't know a good location if it bit him on the arse - and in Cairns it probably will!

Well done, lad!

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/other-sports/126150980/paul-coll-becomes-first-new-zealander-to-win-the-british-open-mens-squash-title

Biggest win by someone from Greymouth in a while.

Dave McKenzie won the Boston marathon, but he was from Runanga.

I'm on the Razor bandwagon.

I used to think that if you had the cattle then any vaguely competent coach could get them across the line - but, Rennie (and Smith) vs Foster and then Razor vs Toddy Blackadder convinced me I was thinking bullshit.

Instantaneous improvement to repeated victory.

I reckon under Fozzie we're getting similar results to what we'd be getting under Toddy. Decent people, competent coaches, trying their best - but, they just don't quite have the magic touch.

Razor may not be able to work his magic with the ABs post-2023 (see Rennie and the Wallabies), but I reckon we'd be silly not to give him the shot.

@No-Quarter said in All Blacks v England:

Jesus the criticism of the DG is a bit over the top, that got us a 19 point lead with 10 minutes to go. That is 100% NOT the reason we lost, it has absolutely nothing to do with it.

Yeah - when we're 16 points up with 10 to play I don't want our senior players wetting their pants about a three-try comeback. That should have been another un-needed nail in the coffin and we should be talking about how good it is that BB took the opportunity to get in some dropgoal practice in a big game.

Maybe it will yet serve us in good stead next year.

How have I never seen Pinky the Loving Cat before?

@sparky said in Savea goooone Skudder in:

@Crucial Selling Comics.

Worst Wing Ever!

Well, that was pretty exciting and given that I hate losing far more than I like winning, I'm remarkably sanguine about the result.

I think some of you guys are being pretty harsh on the execution. The Lions defence was extremely good - no weak links - and I think the ABs decided they needed some pieces of magic to score. Maybe a lack of patience at times, but the two tries we scored both had a fair degree of magic to them - especially the second one. Taking pop passes into a close defensive line and getting smashed isn't the best way of retaining the ball - but, it's also a good way of breaking the line. On another night we could have scored four or five tries - we certainly created opportunities - especially in the first half.

I haven't really seen a massive decline in Hansen's coaching - we just came up against a team chock full of talented players and with the depth to match and possibly better the advantage we usually get from the subs bench - particularly once we lost a few players.

On the final penalty, I guess Poite will give a Gallic shrug and say something like "Il n’est pas la bonne décision, mais c’est la belle décision."

Which means, "It is not the right decision, but it is the beautiful decision." At least that's what I typed into Babelfish to get that result!

Right now, the Crusaders have won the same number of games as the Australian teams combined.

@Bones You've been watching too much of the 2020 NPC Final!

(Mitch Hunt got carted off after 15 minutes and Dave and Tim O'Malley got us home).

@Bones Certainly hope so - it would suck.

I'm a bit concerned about our first fives post-RWC as well. I'd be surprised if Beaudy sticks around, DMac has just taken a sabbatical and RM is making noises.

I don't really want to have to test the Bryn Gatland theory.

@Bones An interesting point about Rieko - that I was going to make elsewhere - is that he's currently 25 and with a few work-ons.

Ma'a Nonu didn't even make the RWC in 2007 when he was 25, so even if this next one turns out not to be Rieko's World Cup there's a fair bit of promise for 2027 and 2031.

@Bones Havili is clearly a second five and Rieko is clearly a centre (as long as you don't ask Tana).

Tupaea is mainly a 2nd-five, though they've used him at centre. I don't really know where they would use ALB or Jack if everyone is available.

Overall, I reckon our depth for the coming World Cup is Ok.

If we get injuries - or, especially multiple injuries, in some positions we will be in deep trouble. But we've got cover in lots of places.

A concern is that our cover often relies on shifting our best player in one position to another - e.g. I think Jordie is our best 12 and 15.

Ideally, I think you need at least three players in each position - and two whom you're happy to start.

My assessment on that basis.

Loosehead - We're in good shape - de Groot or Moody can start. Bower or Tuúngafasi can come off the bench.

Hooker - Good shape - Sami or Codie can start - Coles, and at a pinch Aumua or even McAlister can come of the bench.

Tighthead - Hmmm - Lomax has been a revelation (lets hope it continues). Laulala, Newell and Tu'ungafasi are all a bit iffy - but, the latter two are probably OK on their day and Fletch should be better with another season.

Lock - Retallick, Whitelock and Barret are a good threesome - Vaaí and Lord still need development. I'm a bit concerned about what happens post World Cup.

Blindside - I'm a lot more positive than the average Ferner. I'm concerned that if Barrett is our 6 going forward he's also easily our best replacement lock. On the plus side, I reckon Frizell and Ioane are both better than the "Ioane-Wars" on here might lead you to believe. Watch Frizzell at the end of the England game again before you dispute this. Blackadder is good cover off the bench.

Openside - We'll likely be best served with Papalií, but Sam Cane will be sufficient and Blackadder again good bench cover or even starting at a pinch.

8 - Ardie is locked in here, but Sotutu is decent enough, Blackadder can cover from the bench - as can Akira, Shannon, Cullen Grace.

9. Smith....and then a lot of guys who are OK but not as good. We don't want Aaron getting injured.

10. Richie - and then quite a gap back to Beaudy and DMac. I'm quite a bit more positive about Richie than the Fern average.

11. Caleb, Sevu, Big Leicester - not really a position of strength. On their day, all these guys can win or lose you a match. Rieko is our best left wing.

Midfield - Jordie, Rieko, ALB, Goodhue, Havili, Tupaea - we only need four of these guys. Strengths and weaknesses in each.

14. Will "Team of the Year" Jordan (what did I tell y'all!) :), Telea, Reece. We're fine if we don't have to shift Will.

15. Jordie, Beaudy, Will, DMac, Steve - if we're playing Jordie at 12 this one's a bit of a concern. Not least because of all the cover connotations.

@mariner4life said in All Blacks depth 2022 & 2023:

@Mackerzzzz said in All Blacks depth 2022 & 2023:

So:
Squad depth:

1. De Groot, Bower, Ross, Hogman, Norris, Williams
2. Taukeiaho, Taylor, Aumua, Coles, McAllister, Ekland
3. Lomax, Newell, Tu'ungafasi, Taavao, Williams, Jager
4. Retallick, Vaii, Lord, Walker-Leawere, Gallagher, Holland
5. Whitelock, S Barrett, Vaii, Lord, Tuitupou, Dickson
6. S Barrett, Blackadder, A Ioane, Mikaele-Tu, Vaii, Frizzell
7. Papalii, Cane, Blackadder, Jacobson, Harmon, T Christie
8. Savea, Sotutu, Grace, Mikaele-Tu, Sowakula, Jacobson
9. Smith, Webber, F Christie, Fakatava, Ratima, ?? TTT?
10. R Mo'unga, B Barrett, Mckenzie, Perofeta, Gatland, ?? J Ioane?
11. Clarke, Reece, Fainga'anuku, Lam, Rayasi, Telea
12. J Barrett, Tupea, Lenert-Brown, RTS, Nankivell, Havili
13. R Ioane, Lenert-Brown, Goodhue, T Umaga-Jensen, B Sullivan, Ennor
14. Jordan, Telea, Reece, Fainga'anuku, Lam, Nareki
15. Jordan, J Barrett, B Barrett, Mckenzie, Perofeta, Z Sullivan

close man but there might be maybe 2 or 3 professional rugby players in NZ that you missed.

Joe Moody, probably first or second name on line 1!

@Dan54 Yes - the board signs off on everything. Then they go back to their day jobs and Robinson oversees the day-to-day implementation.

But, the CEO also makes recommendations to the board. He will recommend the process for appointing the next coach, he will oversee Lendrum's search (he'll almost certainly sit on whatever interview panel they come up with).

He and the chair of the Board will front the media.

His fingerprints will be on everything.

You can shoot the board into the sun alongside him, but if it all goes wrong he's the first guy on the chopping block.

@ploughboy said in Foster, Robertson etc:

@Chris-B said in Foster, Robertson etc:

@Dan54 Where does the buck stop!

AB coach is an absolutely critical decision for NZR - if you're telling me it's not in Robinson's purview, I'm saying bollocks. Was it him or Lendrum who was in South Africa?

Razor has hung around for 4 years waiting for another shot, so the idea he doesn't now want the job - bollocks to that as well.

He's completed a four year job interview that we've all been privy to - just lock him in!!!

the two best ways to be all blacks head coach is either to be an assistant coach for ABs or coach internationaly overseas.

Come on down, John Plumtree!

@Victor-Meldrew said in Foster, Robertson etc:

@Chris-B said in Foster, Robertson etc:

If Mark Robinson eventually lets Razor slip through our fingers by dithering on process he should be fired...into the fucking sun!

I'd prefer the AB Head Coach to be chosen on a number of factors, but definitely not on the basis of "If you don't give me the job, I'll go somewhere else".

Well, last time, all our other options already had.

Razor at least stuck around to contest the position - as he has again.

We need to take learnings from our 2019 shambles!

@Dan54 Where does the buck stop!

AB coach is an absolutely critical decision for NZR - if you're telling me it's not in Robinson's purview, I'm saying bollocks. Was it him or Lendrum who was in South Africa?

Razor has hung around for 4 years waiting for another shot, so the idea he doesn't now want the job - bollocks to that as well.

He's completed a four year job interview that we've all been privy to - just lock him in!!!