I spent the first half wishing they would just play more conservatively. It felt like they were trying to score every time they touched the ball instead of building pressue through territory. Also we normally have weak first up opposition (Fiji, etc), this was a fired up French team who played good test rugby so the sharpness will come. It’s not doom & gloom until we’ve lost the Bled, 3N, & Novemeber test…….until then it was a blip on the radar.

There was one breakout move where I thought they passed to the wrong side. The move that ended with Toeava passing to a French player. If he’d taken the contact, we may have had enough support to score, but our entire style is predicated on 50/50 ball. We’re just not as sharp as we used to be.

Joe lacks a bit of pace these days, but made up for it with guile and running lines. Everyone expects wingers to do spectacular things, but there’s no space up the middle or out wide. They need to start breaking some tackles and offloading to guys who hit the ball from depth. The only problem with this is that the tackler will take the passer out of play and the guy tearing up the pitch will end up isolated.

One stage he got put in a small hole at top speed (by tuiava i think) and I said TRY to myself, he got hauled in in about 10m!
Perhaps just a quiet game last week, but would expect more input this week!

Dissapointed Henry & Co have gone with another somewhat patched together backrow! 6 and 7 i agree but where is the specialist 8? Need a bulky 8 like Luakai of Waldrom to bash it up me thinks.

I don’t know if McAllister is the answer, but before Smith was available I prefered him to Toeava as at least he’s proven himself in the past. There’s enough unknowns in there as it is. Kind’ve best of what’s available

McAlister may have been there, done that, but he’s not in any kind of Test match form.

Have you got the wing stats for this years S14 ? Happy to admit I’m wrong on this one as thinking about Masaga in the semi & final he probably needs another year under his belt b4 we feed him to the Boks & Wallabies.

Replacements: de Malmanche, Afoa, Evans, Read/Meesam, Cowan, McAllister/Toeava, ???

Not too hard to pick the team (bracketed = first choice/second choice), hell of a lot harder to coach them ! If you need experience why leave it on the bench, the bench is for impact.

Don’t agree with McAllister being Juniors material, he’s been there, done that, so work on him, he’s proven more in the past than Toeava.

Joe’s been too quiet, give someone hungry a chance.

Life’s easy from an armchair……

I didn’t expect them to drop Messam. I figured they’d tell him to pull his head in and play like a number eight and not an extra back. Dunno about Read at eight, but at least they recognised the value of a legit blindside.

The return of Conrad Smith is a huge boost provided he’s fit.

I can see the logic in starting Mealamu.

I haven’t seen whether they’ve named the side yet, so these are my own ideas:

NEW ZEALAND: Muliaina, Jane, Toeava, Nonu, Rokocoko, Donald, Cowan, Messam, Latimer, Kaino, Ross, Thorn, Tialata, Tialata, de Malmanche, Woodcock

Replacements: Mealamu, Afoa, Evans, Whitelock, Weepu, McAlister, Masaga

If Leonard, Williams or Smith are fit, they take the starting spots with Cowan dropped and Toeava and Ross moved to the bench. McAlister ought to be playing with the Juniors right now.

With the front row, I think they need to go with size and experience. You could argue that Mealamu should start with de Malmanche being used as an impact player, but I wouldn’t want to trust him with set pieces late in the game. So, I’d see if he could provide any spark at the beginning. I’d maybe give Crockett a run against Italy.

Weepu could probably start the game, but with the bench so thin on experience, I think he needs to stay put.

As for the centres, we’re well and truly f’ked. If Smith can’t play, I don’t see what choice they have other than to keep the same pairing. The only alternatives are McAlister and Nonu or Nonu and McAlister and I don’t think you can play them together. One has to be subbed for the other.

The back three are OK, but why not switch Rokocoko to his favoured side? Perhaps Jane kicks off his right foot? I think it’s too big a Test to give Masaga his first start.

It is the basis for continuing success. From 2005 NZ had the luxury of possessing quality strikepower that even if we were under pressure and conceding territory and possession we could score long range tries from turnovers or poorly directed kicks and the scoreline would blow out. NZ could afford to commit fewer players to the breakdown in attack, we had a strong scrum and could get away with committing a lot of unforced errors in pursuing the high tempo all attacking game.

Perhaps the class of 2009 believed they could play in a similar manner to Super 14 and had the talent to overcome their deficiencies. They know now that they don’t and they’ll need to return to basics, be patient and build pressure instead of looking for the miracle pass or kick over the top. Heaven forbid even work their way to kicking a drop goal to keep the scoreboard ticking over and force the French to take risks.

Your comment

“The forwards just need to work harder and together. They will have to rely on executing the basics well, applying concerted pressure and not an individual flash of brilliance.”

Is the basis for continued success for any team.

The Wallabies have not been doing this over the last 3 years, hopefully they will this year. My frustration with the wallabies is that the undercommit to the ruck by 1-2 players every time which results in disruptive slow ball which from time to time is pilfered by the oposition. To me this is a basic unacceptable mistake at test level.
How’s this for an idea, dock every forward $1000 per pilfered ruck ball and see the commitment and agresion change!

Having said that, Read’s not a bad option at 8, and the balance is better. Pleased Kaino is back, and Smith.

Toeava is a bit like Lauaki – has had a long time underperforming in the ABs. Having said that, I was supportive of his getting a start given the options after Kahui and Smith withdrew, on the basis of a much improved and excellent S14 in an underperforming unit. I’d start him again if Smith has not recovered and keep fingers crossed.

Muliaina
Jane
Smith
Nonu
Rocokoko
Donald
Cowan
Read
Latimer
Kaino
Ross
Thorn
Tialata
Mealamu
Woodcock

Reserves:
Toeava
McAlister
Weepu
Whitelock
Evans
Afoa
de Malmanche

Brad Thorn has the bulk but you can’t have two wide running locks, someone has to get in and do the tight work.

We don’t have the players that attracted the attention of defenders like McCaw and Collins so they’re going to have to hunt together as a pack and flood the breakdown with low body positions to drive forward. The single runner off the ruck isn’t going to work against gang tackling and the French tight forwards look to be bigger in their upper bodies than our blokes.

If the selectors look for another talismanic player to do the work of two men a la McCaw then we’ll be beaten up again. The forwards just need to work harder and together. They will have to rely on executing the basics well, applying concerted pressure and not an individual flash of brilliance.

We’re a fairly good chance to lose this one too I think…

Presume team is out today?

Well back to the slog the boss wants his laptop back