Scott Barrett had a great game.

This is a good Fijian side. Big men playing European rugby. The ABs kryptonite is not winning physical battle. Good test.

@hydro11 I think that mindset is endemic in our rugby. The high risk option or the players ( coaching tactics ) that take them are often rewarded at lower levels where you get more space. However test matches can sometimes be a grind, and we don’t seem to want to do the hard work ( play the % ) for long enough. Whether it be 2 or 3 more phases or playing it tight into the 60th or 70th minute. They have to learn how to do that especially if they are behind on the scoreboard after 20.

How did they leave Sam Cane on the bench last week. Dumbest selection of all time.

BBs cross kick in 2nd half was worst play of game

Forgot how much I love watching Northland play. Can’t wait for the rest of the season.

Those that talk negatively about NZ provincial rugby ( and individual teams ) don’t understand how great this competition continues to be for NZ rugby - the jewel in the crown. The talent on display is amazing.

But a bit tired of reading articles from hack journalists and listening to ex rugby players acting as commentators who don’t know the players from the opposition team and have no passion for the game they are watching. The comments about Northland before, and after the game on the radio and in print lack any insight into our team.

I guess that’s why this forum is great 😀.

This has been coming for some time. We keep being told that we can play rugby without the ball. Kicking it away. The Wallabies showed that keeping the ball in hand is what matters. Some of our tight forwards struggle with their hands. Tonight they lost the contact as well.

Read has been quality. Captains knock.

@Entertainer15 disagree. We lost it in the forwards an with poor tactical kicking. Their forwards created go forward, won their lineouts and they were tactically miles ahead.

Next World Cup will be more challenging.

Our Junior rugby teams have been beaten up recent years by sides with big forward packs. Development of our tight 5 depth and loose forwards that can win contact will be our challenge. We always have great footballers but size matters as the game gets tighter and defence dominates.

@Dan54 said in All Blacks v Ireland - 1st Test:

@Stag said in All Blacks v Ireland - 1st Test:

@African-Monkey 6 runs for 1 meter gained and 14 tackles is hardly earth shattering for an All Black 7 and captain.

really, 14 tackles and a good percentage of them dominant, chirst some of you probably need to learn about the game. it's not about stats, but who makes a difference on field and Cane surely does!

Stats are only part of it - running off the ball, cleaning, tough metres on your line, dominant tackles, straight running…lots of quality measures. Sometimes you can do all of that and the game doesn’t go your way. Other times you look like a star. That’s why the media ratings are always bollocks. They don’t know the game plan, they have to produce something to a deadline, they won’t have reviewed the game…still sells papers and we love it when our favourite player is lauded.

@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks v Ireland - 1st Test:

@Chris-B said in All Blacks v Ireland - 1st Test:

Having a few little oompa-loompas in the team, who will attract high shots from giant locks might be a valuable commodity!

DMac the saviour

Didn’t he get red carded?

@Toddy said in All Blacks v Ireland - 1st Test:

@kev said in All Blacks v Ireland - 1st Test:

@nzzp said in All Blacks v Ireland - 1st Test:

further to my Scott Barrett point, check this out - right at the end of the game

justaniceguy21  /  Jul 2

r/rugbyunion - Scott owes the NZ TV directors a beer. They saw exactly this and made the choice to hide it. Unbelievable

1,171 votes and 522 comments so far on Reddit

Again Shoulder to Shoulder. SB is making his move as soon as the player picks up the ball - both in a crouched position. If you were to replay every contact close the the line you would so a lot of this. It’s rugby.

I think Red Barrett was saved by the Irish dude ducking his head. Ducking his head to avoid the shoulder that is. He could've taken one for his team and had Red Barrett sent off and sitting on the sidelines for a few weeks.

Your right, if he hadn’t ducked then I think Scott would have had an issue. He was early and in from the side. Still stuff to work on for him.

@Nepia said in All Blacks v Ireland - 1st Test:

@kev I don't even believe your shoulder to shoulder claim based on that footage, as @chris-b states we need to see more footage.

I'm not going to G&GR it because I'm too lazy, but if you pause it at 20 seconds it's shoulder hitting head.

It’s a graze, then the shoulder hits the shoulder and the guy goes backward.

So understand all the points about risk with head contact. You can see the ABs have worked really hard - everyone crouching, arms low, trying to do the right thing.

What Scott Barrett gets criticised for quite rightly is when he has got it wrong. But the thing that makes him good is he looking to be dominant and putting himself in situations to do so.Just in this situation, I think close to the line it’s incredibly tough - lots of shoulder to shoulder stuff.

Away from the line, in general tackle situations with guys with time, generally up right and moving with a lot more momentum then fair call.

@Nepia said in All Blacks v Ireland - 1st Test:

That is just dumb as fuck. For a start he was coming from the side, some refs might ping him for that, there was no chance of getting the ball so don't take the risk, and he led with his head and shoulder to a guy crouched down.

He is early and comes from side. So clear penalty - that’s a matter of timing.

The guy crouched down is like every other close to the line situation. If you want to get into a dominant position with tackle, when defending close to the line with players leaving maul in low positions or diving in, then it’s all about initiating and winning the contact. That’s just rugby.

@Chris-B said in All Blacks v Ireland - 1st Test:

@kev I'd want to see other angles, but the first contact looks to me like Scott gets him in the back of the head?

Only a graze if that. Clearly contact is solidly shoulder to shoulder. You are not going to win contact on the line without hitting hard with the shoulder. No doubt it’s risky if the ball carrier is bent with head down. But in that situation getting shoulder to shoulder contact is the way to win the contact.

@nzzp said in All Blacks v Ireland - 1st Test:

further to my Scott Barrett point, check this out - right at the end of the game

justaniceguy21  /  Jul 2

r/rugbyunion - Scott owes the NZ TV directors a beer. They saw exactly this and made the choice to hide it. Unbelievable

1,171 votes and 522 comments so far on Reddit

Again Shoulder to Shoulder. SB is making his move as soon as the player picks up the ball - both in a crouched position. If you were to replay every contact close the the line you would so a lot of this. It’s rugby.

@taniwharugby said in All Blacks v Ireland - 1st Test:

@chimoaus I haven't seen the whole game only catching snippets at a function, but saw that scrum mentioned early in his peice...for me it was good from NZ but it looked more that Ireland overcomplicated and overcrowded that short side, which worked against whatever move they had, making it simple for us to defend.

On the pen on Ryan re Smith moving the ball, every single 9 does that, and is a bug bear of mine.

So often they will fuck around moving it into ideal passing or kicking position, have hands on it for seconds before passing it, often while organising a screen of blockers if they are kicking.

The binding of players in maul situations creates room for the holding of players in. Just up to every individual to keep themselves in the game. So good use of laws I would think?

Like to see a better kicking game from 1st but thought our forwards won the set pieces and carried well.

@Machpants said in All Blacks v Ireland - 1st Test:

@kev said in All Blacks v Ireland - 1st Test:

@Machpants said in All Blacks v Ireland - 1st Test:

@kev said in All Blacks v Ireland - 1st Test:

@Machpants said in All Blacks v Ireland - 1st Test:

@Frank said in All Blacks v Ireland - 1st Test:

Leicester F has been solid as fuck.

PGS not so much

Too early. Let him finish.

Every time he's touched the ball he's fucked up

What was that?

25% is not a pass mark

He dropped his first pass. Fine after that.