All Blacks clinch series against England

Christ/Sam Have a look at joe marler's comments on Planet Rugby http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,9817_9344908,00.html

Fair comments JimmyB, and I will not be surprised to see another close game, however I just get the feeling that England may suffer a bit of an emotional let down after that second Test. I mentioned that I felt they would target that 2nd Test as an opportunity to put their best side on the paddock and get a mental win over the All Blacks. Unfortunately they ran into probably 30 mins of white hot All Black Rugby and they could quite simply not go with them! I think this will have dented them and they might not quite get to the same heights of motivation that they have over the past two weeks. The reality of their game plan against the All Blacks is that it will be best served in a tournament like the RWC in a one off game when they can emotionally get up and also potentially surprise the All Blacks in a one off win. Good luck to them and they have certainly won the admiration of this All Black fan!

Hi Moaman, cheers mate. Don't get me wrong, I was a huge fan of Dagg, but he's not the best option for the ABs anymore IMO.

OB, sorry mate, I did reply to you but it seems to have got lost. I'll paraphrase: I might be being harsh on the forwards but it's because I expect a lot from them, I may have exaggerated a tad saying that it was a complete 180 though. Not sure about Manu at 12 because I don't think the wingers would ever see the ball, Burrell is better suited as he plays there for Northampton. So I'd lie to see Burrell and Manu together in the centres as I'm really not sold on Twelvetrees. In the long term, I'd like Wade and Yarde as the wings. Btw I think it was Wilson the TH who had a hack still the ball, must have been watching some of the WC.

JimmyB --welcome back btw----So you think Dagg has "had his day" at the ripe oldd age of -what--26? You are a hard man,mate.I expect to see him back and in the mix once he has had time to recover from the niggles.There is a lot of gas left in his tank mate.

Jimmy sorry- my post above was a reply to yours...forgot to cc to you and add ur name.

Can Tuilagi play 12 and leave Burrel at 13? I don't know if its fair to think the Eng forwards were passive - I think they certainly made the AB's work for every play in the first 40 and then perhaps, the aerobic levels got tested in the 3rd quarter before they came back again in the last qtr. I think the Eng forwards are really taking to passing the ball and kicking it too...was that the hooker who hoofed one down the paddock?? I do think the Eng side's first -up defence is first rate...IMO, in the first half, this was the key to preventing the AB's getting multi-phased quick ruck-ball and at one point, it looked to me like the ABs were playing single phase rugger because they were having trouble getting past the first defender. Made the AB forwards have to work harder to win the ruck and continue. It wasn't till that 3rd qtr, that Eng's defence started to miss a tackle or two and/or drop a pass that allowed the ABs to put on multi-phases or pounce on a drop pass and turn the Eng team around. Looking forward to a cracker again this weekend.....but tell SL, he can leave Tuilagi on the wing if he wants to continue experimenting with players and combinations....I really don't mind.

Conrad Smith broke his hand. That's a shame for the Hurricanes. He's been one of the All Blacks' best over the past two weeks.

OB, I'm not sure the passing game is an experiment as such, but I think it'll be pretty much as you were. The work ons for me would be the pack exerting themselves a bit more, I'd like to see them really take it to the ABs, they were a bit passive I felt, it was almost a complete 180 from game one. Also and as always, they need to be more clinical at finishing off their chances. The ABs are still the best in the business at turning a half chance into a seven pointer. Lancaster does have a bit of a dilemma IMO. He wants to play a playmaker at 12 but he also wants to play both Burrell and Tuilagi. Burrell has much better hands than Lancaster gives him credit for and I'd love to see Burrell at 12, Tuilagi at 13 and a flyer out wide. Twelvetrees doesn't do it for me at all I'm afraid.

yep, it showed the All Blacks only need to play 30 minuted of rugby to defeat the English.

Jimmy I called the English game plan all wrong. I figured SL had shown the passing game and would return to a 10man game for Rd 2....well, that didn't happen at all. Do you think he will continue his experimentation with the passing game or is he experimenting his selections knowing the game plan is OK, he just needs to find the right people to execute it??

"Sonny is an outstanding man, whose work ethic, ability and motivation are exceptional" Williams said. Lol, way to big yourself up Sonny. Or I'm presuming that that should have read, Umaga said.

Tbf, I thought they put it together pretty well on the weekend. I think the difference that Savea made was huge and B.Smith at full back, well he's just a very classy player isn't he?! For me, Dagg has had his day, he was epic in 2011, but he has been on a pretty steady decline since IMO and I think he might find it extremely hard to get back in the team. Once Piatau is back, I'd expect him to replace Jane, who I thought was one of the few weak links in the ABs. Those three together is a pretty formidable back three in anyone's book. Fwiw though, I still reckon that England will give a good account of themselves in the third test, they might not win, but I think it's going to be another close encounter...of the third kind...you might say. :)

By culture, I meant coaching culture. ANZAC coaches have generally always been innovative, hence why they are in demand around the world. Perhaps received wisdom in ANZAC coaches is to pass as flat as you can, get over the gain line quicker and pressure the outside channels ( which obviously makes a lot of sense). Now as we know, this can all happen very quickly and depending on the position of the referee and AR, passes that look flat but are actually a bit forward can easily be missed. Obviously most passes are not forward and of the odd ones that are, most are not picked up, so it's actually a good percentage play, because the advantage gained from throwing flat and sometimes forward passes often leads to tries. I never asserted that other nations don't throw forward passes, however I believe that NZ and Aus throw more than most and it may well be intrinsically linked to the speed and style of play. I don't think it's a coincidence that historically NZ and Australia are perceived as the benchmark in terms of the threat posed by their back lines. It's only a hypotheses of course.

The All Blacks lost aura has been found! Apparently Spain had it. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/world-cup/10899605/Spain-v-Holland-The-days-of-tiki-taka-may-not-be-over-but-the-aura-of-invincibility-has-gone-forever.html Oh wait, they've lost it now too. Where is that pesky aura now?

OJ And A Smith having trouble watching the ball exit from AB rucks.....looked to me like he was cluttered?? Concentrate on his own play first before dictating to everyone else. And lastly, I'm still wondering how he never saw Robshaw lining up the intercept off the lineout....maybe he thinks his passing game is the best and Robshaw won't even get near his pass....well hello!! That pass was a clanger. C'mon Azza - unclutter your mind and get with the program.....eyes on the ball and eyes on your opponents.

Sam, rise to it, your leg's being pulled. Or maybe not. How else can a record of 75% test wins in over 100 years be explained?

Hi Guys A really good explanation of the rule here http://www.theaftermatter.com/2012/05/physics-of-rugby-forward-passes-and.html Because the fastest Runner is around 2/3rd of the speed of the fastest pass. A ball passed backwards by a player at full speed will travel forward relative to the initial throw by 2/3rds of the sideways motion. A really simple example is a ball thrown directly backwards from the window of a car If the Car is travelling at 100kph, a ball is thrown directly backwards from the car at 50kph will actually travel forwards at 50kph over the ground (before slowing). The person throwing the ball has thrown it backwards, as the rule states however anyone else observing outside of the car sees it travel forward from where it was thrown.

Your use of the word spluttered is inaccurate and offensive. This is the second test of the season and the All Blacks continue to start slowly, granted. But this was a much better performance by both teams. England were excellent I thought and owned the first half although that half also contained the turning point where Smith, already excelling at the back made the tackle of the match on Tuilagi and gained the turnover to boot. Then we had three tries of high quality and some decent continuity from the substitutions before England managed to rein in the All Blacks' enterprise. In fact it appeared the All Blacks went off the boil once they gained the ascendeancy, something they will not want to do again as illustrated by Ashton's heroics at the end.

Great post Kuruki. Barrett made immediate inroads, although Cruden was better than last week. I would still have pulled Cruden after that kick though. Kaino must wear the 6 jersey, even without Read, and if that's the case I would go with Victor at 8. Messam was better in this game but he is just not delivering. Kaino was everywhere and will be even better from the blindside. I like the sound of Savea at 11 and Piutau at 14 with Smith at the back although the kicking coach will have to work with the group. Dagg's punt and general kicking game has been an integral part of this tean for some time. But that tackle and turnover (which was pivotal for mine) is hard to argue with. And dead-set mate. Brodie is fast becoming a legend. That kid has some ticker.