I'm upset and pissed off that we lost, but nothing like 95 99 03 07. I think this feels different because

• Back to back means we sleep well, no matter what, the monkey is well and truly off our back

• that was a hell of an English performance. We could have got up, but would have been something special. In the past, we've bene beaten by teams that are really not on the same level, dodgy reffing, food poisoning, or choking.

• We knew this wasn't a vintage side. Losing 6 all time greats after 2015, a lot of people thought we'd be lucky to be a 50/50 chance going into the tourney. A year ago we got showed where we were - last week aside, that's pretty much where we were This wasn't a great side, it was a decent outfit with some very good players in it. Perth, Chicago, Dublin, Lions 2+3 --> we're ahead, but only just

• England really put out something special. They arced up, and we just couldn't lift to match them. Getting owned all over the park does happen sometimes, and if it does you have to cop it.

Still frustrated, but not as angry or upset as I have been. Here's to the future, thanks to Shag for the good times, and roll on the rest of the knockouts

Edit: this is also the cycle where we have seen how badly the player drain has hurt us. Piutau, Luatua, Faumauina, Vito - just a few who would have made a difference

Well, so we coughed one up at home. I know there is a lot of wailing and gnashign of teeth - mainly to be fair in the media - but this wasn't anything to get too upset about I reckon.

The Bokke brought a good physical game, and were fully committed. That said, we ripped them apart, scored 6 tries, and made the game look easy at times. It was our farking defence and decision making that really cost us that win; goalkicking could have burgled it, but fark me, 6 tries and you lose?

BBBR is our critical player. What a sensation - you only really see quite how dominant he is in every part of the game when he's gone. Don't forget the much vaunted Canterbury talent identification system passed him over, so he wombled off to the North.

Anyhoo, I really enjoyed the test. A great contest, and nothing in it right to the end. And, as I said, you'd say the ABs played pretty poorly at times, well below their standards, and the Boks played pretty well as well as they can. Result: we lose.

Things I liked

• Dyanti running around people. What an offensive weapon
• Physical commitment around the paddock
• Beaudy's wee pass up to his brother for the early try. What hands - that's worth 5 of the points he left out there
• Refs who let the game go -- while there's an argument for pedantic whistling, it's a much better watch with open running rugby
• Josh Goodhue's impact coming on. That guy is doing all he can to push for a long career in black. Remember - he's the same age as ALB; shows the real youth kicking around the team
• Ben Smith. At 32. Fark me, just made so many metres, so many good decisions. Awesome.
• Teams that don't act like muppets to each other, and will have a beer afterwards. It's what Rugby's about - I'm biased, but you don't have to be a bunch of wazzers to win at the top level (looking at you, Australia)

Things I didn't like so much

• Goalkicking (obvs)
• JB's fast throw to bounce somewhere near some Bokke. Reminded me of Billy Slater's biff back into the field of play in the League RWC Final. You only do that if you don't respect your opponents deeply, and think you'll win no matter what. I don't think he'll do that again soon
• Some of the offside calls (from teh couch anyway) -- very relaxed
• Looooooong advantage. I'm old school for this, but with modern defences that just don't fall apart, I reckon it's 2-3 phases and then back for the penalty. Otherwise you just burn time and don't actually advance the game
• Losing
• Not having good 6 cover on the bench for when Liam gets injured.

Thoroughly good game, disappointing result, but I wasn't gutted - just a bit flat. Still slept like a baby, and I really think we're on the right track with this side.

@Snowy said in Coronavirus - Overall:

@Catogrande said in Coronavirus - Overall:

@R-L said in Coronavirus - Overall:

@Catogrande why?

There are three certainties in life my Father told me.
Death.
Taxes.
Nurses.

You could try a hospital? They hang out there, although your timing isn't great.

'if coronavirus doesn't take you out, can I instead?'

@Bovidae said in Refuge for the positive.....:

@Chris said in Refuge for the positive.....:

The coaches are my concern I think the players are in confusion in what we are trying to achieve.
You think with Hansens experience he will strip the game plan back and give the players positive direction to get some confidence in them.
If that happens we spank the wallabies and win the WC.

To put a positive spin on the current situation, that was the talk in the leadup to the 2015 RWC where the ABs weren't impressive in the pool games. We later found out what was happening behind the scenes with inter-squad games etc.

KEEPING OUR POWDER DRY!

Righto, a belated match report.

I left early, with 20 to go. My mate decided he'd rather walk down Sandringham road than watch that bunch of overpaid munters try to play any more. I can handle losing, but stuffed if I'm going to sit there and watch supposed professionals just look hopeless and disorganised.

The team is a shambles. THere are occasions where the defensive line sets, and they look good, but it is a flash of mediocrity in a sea of shambles. Honestly, I'm shaking my head at the state of this so called team. We just look disorganised, disconnected, directionless and dire.

I got a coffee at half time. It's a metaphor for the whole organised - three people trying to serve coffee, looking surprised that people came to get a hot drink on a cold night, and serving so slowly that it took nearly 10 minutes - with no queue. Honestly, those staff would cost $60 per hour, and they can't be making any money. Shambolic and poorly trained - just like the Blues.

Righto, so proper comments. In no particular order:

• Pulu must pass faster off the ruck. Slowish passes just let defences line us up.

• Three years in and we still ahve no discernable game plan. Fair play, JK didn't have one either, but I'm buggered if I know what we're trying to do.

• Maul defence and offence is the worst in the comp I think. It was like watching me trying to dunk - no matter how optimisitic I am, I'm still a white guy, and I'm not tall enough or atheletic enough to slam one down. Every single time we kicked to the corner, we coughed it up. Insane. Optimistic, but insane.

• Refs don't help us, but they aren't why we're losing. I just don't know what the hell is an offense in rugby any more - tipping players is OK now? Running a maul ove rthe line and collapsing it - with Rebesl in from the side? That's no try, and no worries maaaate.

• Perofeta is a problem, but not the problem. Our problems start up front and don't stop until you get to 15. When the hell we got a powder puff forward pack that can't play set pieces, I don't know. Fark me it's frustrating. We not only have no rugby intelligence, we don't seem to have any muscle either.

• Akira looks tired and maybe a bit out of condition. If I were him I'd be seriously considering playing somewhere else to get better coaching.

• We just lost to a team taht i couldn't honestly identify more than one or two players. At home. Where we haven't won all year. In a ground that just got redeveloped, and yet isn't fit for purpose. FML.

• Weak weak tackling at times lets in tries. It's embarassing for professionals.

Look, I sound bitter, but deep down I'm optimistic about life. When we start winning games it's going to be so sweet - and if we can keep talent for a few years, a decent coach could build a team here. BUT I don't think that's Tana, and I don't think that's the current board.

I'm out. Frustrated, cracked a bottle of aussie shiraz - it's not as bitter as I am tonight

@Darren said in Next AB captain?:

No question it will be Whitelock.

Absolutely. Luke's a solid player.

@nzzp said in All Blacks v Springboks:

Thoroughly good game, disappointing result, but I wasn't gutted - just a bit flat. Still slept like a baby, and I really think we're on the right track with this side.

Also, things I don't like: Justin Farking Marshall. That fella needs to get a lawbook sometime,and talk to some referees. Honestly, most times he opens his mouth he is flat out wrong.

Poor commentators lead to misinformation being widely spread in the casual rugby watching public. This is not good for the game, because (wider) it's always hometown bullshit. Example today in the Ferald: missed refs call costs All Blacks game. It's that shit - we lost because of our defence; blaming the ref gets you where the Wallabies are now; not owning their issues.

Morning after thoughts from watching from the best seats in the house yesterday, albeit a little damp

SBW was outstanding. Ran really well, but contributed massively on defence. He is such a physical specimen, skillset good, you can see why the TWM want him in their squad. Played his way onto the plane - and convinced a heap of people who doubted the selectors ongoing faith in him.

Kicking game was simply magnificent. Only a couple of poorly executed kicks, but we generally found space and kicked really well. Kudos to the lads for that, turned round their big wingers and made them look ordinary.

Defence just went to antoher level. Noticeable aggression and was like running into walls a ttimes. Good to see, the physicality wasn' tthere last week. Nic White got covered well, once his running wasn't a surprise, it didn't work. Big shout outs to KR and SBW in this area.

Handling was exceptional. Focussed and intense; it was cold and wet out there - as wet as I've got at Eden Park in the last 10-15 years. Some downpours were that classic big auckland raindrops, that just saturate. Field held up well.

Scrum dominant from the seats we were in. Both Cheika and Hansen spoke about it in the pressers - looks like we figured out what they were doing to us last week, and came up with a fix (by the sound of it, setting close to the opposition to eliminate any semblence of a hit). Good, but needs to be dealt with on the field for the RWC.

Wings - both played well. I think Bridge was better than Reece with positioning and skills work. Some nervy moments when both he and Beaudy were going for the same high ball, but calls got sorted and they didn't stuff up. Attack went as well as you saw.

ALB continues to impress me. Needs a bigger bopper at 12 I reckon, but what a talent.

Crowd was in fine voice. Plenty of voice, plenty of vocal support. Our reputation as a library is probably not deserved any more... we're not shy of getting stuck in now. Would have felt pretty hostile. 3 minutes to go Aussies were leaving, and the whole north stand stood up and farewelled them. Quality.

Refereeing. Well, it's a tough game to referee, but there are real issues with consistency and quality of refs at the international level. Forget the YC, the offsides and side entries to the ruck just frustrate me week after week for both sides. It's a lottery, sometimes you get pinged, sometimes we don't. One time in the scond half with the ABs exiting inside their 22, the entire Wallaby defensive line was halfway up the ruck and no farks were given by the entire refereeing team. Ya just wonder... if it's a chargedown try, they'll review and disallow - otherwise it's just 'whatevs, play on'.

The other one that exploded my head was the blatant horror call on the restart not going 10. FFS Jaco, if they play at it then it doesn't matter how far it goes. There is no place on earth where that's a scrum restart, just a horror application of the laws. It's up there with 'we have a deal', without (thankfully) the impact.

Anyway, great night to be out, proud and delighted for teh ABs and supporters, roll on the RWC.

Tinned tomatoes and chickpeas.

No problem saying 'we don't want them'. But, you don't then get to say 'our kids go to bed hungry'. Hungry is hungry - even chickpeas are food if you're hungry. It's like my kids saying ' I'm bored, there's nothing to do'. Of course there isn't you entitled brats, people don't exist to cater to your every whim.

This rant sponsored by Panhead's XPA, savouries and chips. FTW.

@hydro11 said in Coronavirus - New Zealand:

I query how much better level 3 is for most businesses. Take McDonalds. They can open a drive through but can probably only have like 4 staff at one time? Retail can do online shopping only. People can't travel or move about.

The goal should be to get to level 2 ASAP. Going to level 3 on Thursday is not necessarily the best way to do it.

I see L3 very differently, as a fundamentally different state for business operation. L4 is 'you can't open'. L3 is 'if you can innovate your way to a safe working environment, go for it'.

Even if the business can get to 50% of previous activity, that's an incredible difference compared to L4 where there is zero activity.
Financially, a business running (say) 20% profits on typical turnover (at 50% revenue and 10% cost reduction) effectively foregoes a future month of profit each month of operation. Painful, but you'd bet on being able to get out of it, and do better down the line. At L4, that would be 4 future months of future profit lost each month.

That doesn't even consider the sense of being able to control your own destiny and actually do something meaningful about the effects of C19. Sitting at home watching cash reserves dwindle while not being able to go out and do anything about it is soul destroying.

Edit: What's annoying me is the lack of understanding of small businesses. For individuals personally, L3 is basically L4 with takeaways and online shopping. For businesses, it is such a step change from being told 'loser- you can't trade', or 'winner - you can trade'. For trade, replace with 'survive'. Once rules and principles are clear, it allows people to find ways of complying that haven't been contemplated by central thinkers.

All backs for me this week - 9, 11, 14

Forwards good, but those lads stood out for me

That was very very fortunate for Auckland... Ruru just got there to the right place, right time.

Was Ruru taken out early? He stepped and got cleaned out at the same time

@Tim said in Auckland v Manawatu:

What a run from Adams.

was yelling at the TV. I love the chance of a fat man try, and that would ahve been epic.

@Tim full marks for bravery, not so much for execution

me oh my I enjoyed that maul, yes I did.

Also, Hickey got smashed

I just heard a ref call penalty advantage over.

I am shocked people, shocked. Unbelivable.

@mariner4life I thought the rule was pretty clear, but @Stargazer doesn't seem to agree.

Looked very very flat ... Gregan and Genia level flat

@shark said in Hawke's Bay v Canterbury:

@Stargazer I'm fully aware of the rule. It's an argument / justification which will simply never wash with me though and therefore IMHO that try shouldn't have been allowed.

How far forward should a ball be allowed to drift due to physics? How can it be determined if this is au naturale or deliberate / careless? For mine, the best way to rule on this is that anything forward is forward, simple as that.

So, to be clear, you think the examples in the video below (passing backwards relative to motion to a player behind) should be illegal?

I'm down with the interpretation of 'backwards out of the hands' -- but it's the implications that make my brain hurt. If you're running backwards with the ball, and you throw it to another player running forward (like fullback/wing interchange), should that be ruled a forward pass? It's 'forward' relative to the motion. Common sense says to be legal, it should EITHER be backwards in absolute space (ie relative to teh ground), or backwards relative to the motion towards the goal line (ie relative to the player -- backwards out of the hands). EDIT: but that isn't what the laws say - they are silent and ambiguous (like most Rugby Laws, let's be honest)

Either way, let's keep Wayne Barnes out of this discussion

@canefan said in NZ Politics:

Universities might be next

Universities already hard hit. I have heard they are actively looking at selling land to shore up income, due to lack of overseas enrolments. Seriously people, it's tough out there, and it's only the start of the downturn. Things will get much worse before they get better.

@Godder said in Cannabis debate:

I have other reasons too, but I think the cumulative harm to society is larger from prohibition than legalisation, particularly as the societal harm from usage increases is likely to be minimal compared to the decrease in harm from a 100% decrease in criminal convictions.

spot on fella,