Autumn Rugby Internationals 2021

[gawkrodger]

Fucking hell. Allez les bleu!

Think I wet my pants. That Ntamack break!!!!!!!!!!

 

[flypanam]

Fucking hell. Allez les bleu!

Think I wet my pants. That Ntamack break!!!!!!!!!!

Have to wonder if the long hangover of the McCaw and Carter (and Thorne, Woodcock, Read et al) is finally over. They don’t seem to have anyone who can push them to get better. Their still the AB still the best but they haven’t been this human since 2011.

 

[fucthest8]

Fucking hell. Allez les bleu!

Think I wet my pants. That Ntamack break!!!!!!!!!!

Fantastic match and yes, the balls on him to run it out from behind his own line, fucking hell!

 

[Balbi]

Have to wonder if the long hangover of the McCaw and Carter (and Thorne, Woodcock, Read et al) is finally over. They don’t seem to have anyone who can push them to get better. Their still the AB still the best but they haven’t been this human since 2011.

Playing 2010's rugby in the 2020's aren't we?

Retallick and Whitelock are on the wane now, and it'll be interesting to see which locks we pick to replace them - they're giants, but they're not as mobile as modern locks need to be now. For all the talk of Sam Cane being the heir to Richie, he's not - that's Ardie Savea who's a far more consistent player who should have had a longer run at #7 but for them trying to jam Cane in there. The front row as well, it's not contributing what it needs to in terms of ball in hand.

Basically there's a lot of issues that require player replacements, but there's a lot of jiggery-fuckery going on trying to get all the "best players" into the team without it making the best team.

Mo'unga is good at Super Rugby level but keeps brain-fading at Test level, Jordie Barrett has a tendency to go missing/do something a bit dumb mid game, Rieko Ioane's conversion to a centre so they can fit Reece, Bridge etc in the side only makes sense if all those players fire up at the right time - and it's not happened. Beauden coming back will be good for the side, but he cannot kick consistently and Aaron Smith cannot go on forever - I like Weber, Perenara and the red rocket Finn Christie - but they need more time at 9 to get comfortable.

They're the best, maybe? I think the Irish, English, Saffas and French are on an equal footing with them now - because they've evolved their game in the past 5 or 6 years and the All Blacks haven't.

The decline, imo, began in 2017 when Wayne Smith stepped down from the coaching staff. Immense coach, much more than Foster who nobody seems to rate in New Zealand.

Likely replacement is Razor Robertson from Canterbury, who managed to transition the McCaw/Carter to the younger generation and will need to do it for the ABs.

 

[flypanam]

Playing 2010's rugby in the 2020's aren't we?

Retallick and Whitelock are on the wane now, and it'll be interesting to see which locks we pick to replace them - they're giants, but they're not as mobile as modern locks need to be now. For all the talk of Sam Cane being the heir to Richie, he's not - that's Ardie Savea who's a far more consistent player who should have had a longer run at #7 but for them trying to jam Cane in there. The front row as well, it's not contributing what it needs to in terms of ball in hand.

Basically there's a lot of issues that require player replacements, but there's a lot of jiggery-fuckery going on trying to get all the "best players" into the team without it making the best team.

Mo'unga is good at Super Rugby level but keeps brain-fading at Test level, Jordie Barrett has a tendency to go missing/do something a bit dumb mid game, Rieko Ioane's conversion to a centre so they can fit Reece, Bridge etc in the side only makes sense if all those players fire up at the right time - and it's not happened. Beauden coming back will be good for the side, but he cannot kick consistently and Aaron Smith cannot go on forever - I like Weber, Perenara and the red rocket Finn Christie - but they need more time at 9 to get comfortable.

They're the best, maybe? I think the Irish, English, Saffas and French are on an equal footing with them now - because they've evolved their game in the past 5 or 6 years and the All Blacks haven't.

The decline, imo, began in 2017 when Wayne Smith stepped down from the coaching staff. Immense coach, much more than Foster who nobody seems to rate in New Zealand.

Likely replacement is Razor Robertson from Canterbury, who managed to transition the McCaw/Carter to the younger generation and will need to do it for the ABs.

Great post, fucking foster was a liability at the chiefs when I was in Hamilton…long May he reign!

I’d dispute that Sevea is anything like McCaw, I don’t think anyone in the world fears him n the same way they feared McCaw. Nor amount his team mates would he have the same Mana.

I’m sure Razor would bring some structure and method to the team, but I think it’s a deeper problem with the fact that after a golden age instead of a smith your producing a kellerher, instead of a Tana or Maa you have a Mauger great players but not a level above anyone else.

 

[Balbi]

Oh, aye, Ardie is not the same player as Richie - but in terms of who's the better player right now, Cane's in the dust.

We've got some interesting players coming through, your Caleb Clarke's and that - but it does seem that there's been a bit of a talent pipeline block which means a lot of players didn't get game time when they were younger, and are now suddenly being thrown into it in their mid-twenties without much Test experience, and that's being shown up by other sides who've been a bit more consistent about bringing young players in - particularly in the forwards imo.

Since Carter left, Beauden was the heir apparent - but then he suddenly wasn't and there's the Mo'unga/Barrett dual 10's idea, but also Jordie Barrett at full back. It seems like there's not a first-choice for the 10 roles, and them running Smith up from NZ to play at 9 indicates they're not convinced on TJ or Weber there either.

Foster doesn't seem to have a plan for the team, just rely on some brilliance from the backs and chug about a bit up front. Dollar store Hansen stuff.