@mariner4life said in Italy vs All Blacks:

Put it this way, if we lose to Italy, then i want everyone sacked. Everyone.

And the squad has to stay in Italy. Citizenship revoked.

@taniwharugby said in Italy vs All Blacks:

has Fifita played 8, although could put Savea at 8....

I know it'd be raw, but put Read on the bench and start Papali'i, Savea and Fifita

whats the worst that could happen

Reuben Thorne is awarded a retrospective knighthood?

Relying on fitness towards the end to win is so Gordon Tietjens. Great for a while, even a long time. Eventually the opposing squads cotton on and it ends increasingly badly...

@snowy said in Has Hansen gone stale?:

@akan004 said in Has Hansen gone stale?:

We definitely want to avoid them in the quarters.

@Donsteppa 's "couches to hide behind" business would be fucking booming.

Investing in Harvey Norman shares as we speak.

@booboo said in Has Hansen gone stale?:

@donsteppa said in Has Hansen gone stale?:

The “we were holding something back” argument is always nice wishful thinking, but often bollocks.

I can’t easily remember the last time a team suddenly pulled off a triple scissors esque move for the first time ever in an RWC knockout game.

Tea Bag

One move in approx 56 RWC knockout games came to mind (excluding 3rd vs 4th playoffs. Accurate goal kicking wins it more often.

And first we’d have to kick accurately to the corner and not have our third choice hooker throwing

The “we were holding something back” argument is always nice wishful thinking, but often bollocks.

I can’t easily remember the last time a team suddenly pulled off a triple scissors esque move for the first time ever in an RWC knockout game.

If we were holding any cards close to our chest this weekend then we’ve been doing so for about 15 months. Perhaps we’ve been holding back having a kicking game that isn’t pedestrian/custard footed. Maybe some of our forwards won’t play in leaden shoes or won’t butter their fingers next year.

The hopeful comparisons with the 2015 pool games are all well and good, except this time they all had the Japan game off.

@snowy said in Has Hansen gone stale?:

@donsteppa I might still be a little angry. I'll be fine by March when the Blues start losing.

Never fear, an NZ rugby journalist will set you right...

@nepia said in Has Hansen gone stale?:

@donsteppa said in Has Hansen gone stale?:

@nepia said in Has Hansen gone stale?:

We missed an opportunity with Schmidt, we should have brought him back to coach the Blues and said to him succeed here and the ABs are yours. After all he's familiar with the Blues and some of his backline decisions heralded in the era of mediocrity.

Forget the Blues. Vern Cotter and Joe Schmidt will forever be the coaches named to take charge of an All Time Bay of Plenty Steamers squad. Schmidt is an absolute legend.

I don't think you quite got the tone of my post.

Cotter was the man in charge at BoP right?

I got the tone, but on a day of rugby bitterness it was too good a chance to remember 2004 and to angle for a return to Tauranga

Yep, Cotter was in charge and Schmidt the assistant.

@snowy said in Has Hansen gone stale?:

@donsteppa said in Has Hansen gone stale?:

Schmidt is an absolute legend.

And a traitorous prick.

Get rid of Hansen and get him on the right side then

@nepia said in Has Hansen gone stale?:

We missed an opportunity with Schmidt, we should have brought him back to coach the Blues and said to him succeed here and the ABs are yours. After all he's familiar with the Blues and some of his backline decisions heralded in the era of mediocrity.

Forget the Blues. Vern Cotter and Joe Schmidt will forever be the coaches named to take charge of an All Time Bay of Plenty Steamers squad. Schmidt is an absolute legend.