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Joined May 2019
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As we all know, the current Sydney COVID outbreak, its offspring outbreaks in other Australian states and New Zealand, and the varying responses of state and national governments have thrown the Rugby Championship schedule into chaos.
If you haven’t watched the Wales versus England Six Nations match from the weekend I suggest that you hunt it down.
It’s been the year of the ‘make do and mend’ – a holding pattern for international rugby.
There hasn’t been a lot of direct-quote reporting lately over future season structures – either globally or locally.
The virus has dealt a massive financial hit to the whole rugby world and seems to have put an end to Super Rugby as we knew it.
Super Rugby Aotearoa has been a fantastic success at home and abroad, with huge crowds at the ground and huge TV audiences, which must be thrilling the power brokers at Sky.
The Chiefs were the small-town, poor relation of Kiwi Super Rugby teams.
You may have read about last Thursday’s conference call between representatives of the world’s most powerful rugby unions.
That might sound like a stupid question, but it’s one that needs to be asked.
We all know that experienced teams win World Cups. Coaches plan their squads meticulously throughout the preceding years, building established combinations of players who are used Test rugby and used to each other.
He slimmed down for the sevens! I’m sure that he will be back next year.
Get your questions in for Issue 28 of Coach's Corner
Akira is fine in open games so keep him in the wider squad perhaps, but leave him out of the dogfight.
Get your questions in for Issue 28 of Coach's Corner
Good question SP. Australia managed to find space, we just kept on getting smashed in midfield. Obviously the size difference between Kerevi and Havili is a factor, but there was a lot more to it.
Get your questions in for Issue 28 of Coach's Corner
It’s a matter of balance BA. Hooper plays a vital role, then you complement him with a couple of bigger guys.
Get your questions in for Issue 28 of Coach's Corner
Cheers Oz. Very key players missing for both teams, although fewer for South Africa.
The Wrap: Tense, gripping clash of styles falls the All Blacks' way
The problem I have is that they are rigidly enforcing the changing lanes and totally ignoring the obstruction on the catcher. That’s totally unbalanced and favouring the anti rugby team with its interminable box kicking.
By the way, it’s pretty obvious that they aren’t misjudging the length of the kick, they are deliberately going past the landing point. They were doing it off every high kick.
The Boks and All Blacks should try again
I’d get rid of Akira before Savea. Savea made more tackles and carried better.
The Wrap: Tense, gripping clash of styles falls the All Blacks' way
Excellent post Ben. I think that we need Jacobson and Tupaea to improve our gainline performance on both sides of the ball against teams like South Africa.
The Wrap: Tense, gripping clash of styles falls the All Blacks' way
I remember that teams would deliberately game the system with front row injuries to force uncontested scrums. So now they aren’t allowed to replace the front rower in those circumstances. Similar creative thinking is required here.
The Wrap: Tense, gripping clash of styles falls the All Blacks' way
I thought that you were causing us problems just off the ruck too.
The Wrap: Tense, gripping clash of styles falls the All Blacks' way
He is… How ready he will be for a big test I have no idea!
The Wrap: Tense, gripping clash of styles falls the All Blacks' way
Good stuff Doc. Hats off to Jordie, just the custodian and goal kicker we need against the Boks.
The prince of pressure: Jordie Barrett does it again
Good point, I meant to mention that and forgot. Anyone able to list them?
The Wrap: Tense, gripping clash of styles falls the All Blacks' way
Well I hope that the birth goes well and he comes back well rested. If we can keep on winning without him it will be quite an achievement.
The Wrap: Tense, gripping clash of styles falls the All Blacks' way
Fair call as usual PK. I’m hoping that the pommy refs have a good chat this week. The other one is the better one, I hope he’s learnt from his mate’s mistakes.
The World Rugby thing is more medium term. They’ve actually made big strides in improving the game this year and it’s only the odd negative coach like Rassie and the Sarries bloke who are spoiling things. I’d like to think that they will have observed some of the anti rugby tactics and will instruct the refs to deal with them.
The Boks and All Blacks should try again
Next day first class delivery no longer guaranteed in England!
The Wrap: Tense, gripping clash of styles falls the All Blacks' way
Weber, ALB and Jacobson seem the most obvious changes, I wish that Smith was around!
The Wrap: Tense, gripping clash of styles falls the All Blacks' way
Well I agree with a lot of that, but this “worst performance in 15 years” claim is going way too far, and if you don’t think that the Springboks showed a lot more intensity and fight than the previous fortnight I’m not sure what you were watching.
Sure we were poor in so many ways, but despite missing half of the first choice fifteen from last year, including almost all of the key leaders and decision makers, we got the job done. Compare that to the capitulation against England in 2019 for instance. That makes nine wins in a row.
We will get better and I am encouraged.
The Boks and All Blacks should try again
Every high kick in the second half the chasing winger went past the ball to obstruct the catcher. Every stoppage there was an excuse for an elongated break.
I just hope that next week’s ref, and World Rugby, have taken note of this sort of stuff and have a plan to deal with it. It’s self evidently bad for our game.
The Boks and All Blacks should try again
At least Poulter won his singles!
The Wrap: Tense, gripping clash of styles falls the All Blacks' way
Cheers Geoff.
That may have been an awful performance in some ways, but I’m pretty happy. South Africa came at us with all they had and turned the match into what they wanted but we just about held it together for, I think, our superior fitness to tell in the last five or ten minutes. To achieve that while missing Coles, Whitelock, Cane, Jacobson, Smith, Mo’unga and ALB was an achievement for a pretty young team.
The Wrap: Tense, gripping clash of styles falls the All Blacks' way
Tupaea has an amazing knack of making ground in traffic, even off bad ball. He did it the one time he got the ball, I thought he was going to get smashed. I haven’t figured out how he does it maybe a subtle shift and strong thighs.
It simply doesn’t work when TJP starts. Still good off the bench though.
Boks coach bemoans 'bounce of the ball' as youngster's massive play secures All Blacks win
No way was that our worst performance in 15 years! Ok apart from Jordie we couldn’t catch a cold, but we held our discipline pretty well and got the job done. This against a big, fired up world champion team with a massive point to prove. Think about all the players missing. Compare to the RWC Semi Final for instance.
Boks coach bemoans 'bounce of the ball' as youngster's massive play secures All Blacks win
Coker, Jordie certainly enhanced his reputation! Perfect from the tee including the long range match winner. Very good under the high ball too. Beyond them, Tupaea did very well the only time he got the ball, and of course made the match winning play at 22yo. He’s done everything asked of him in black. Sotutu and Weber had good moments too.
But that’s about it. We buckled badly under pressure… But the good news is we didn’t fold.
Boks coach bemoans 'bounce of the ball' as youngster's massive play secures All Blacks win
That’s right Nick. We used to have such good balance e.g. Savea on one wing and Smith on the the other; Nonu and Conrad in the centres.
I know that he’s no Kerevi or Nonu, but I’ve been saying for months that Tupaea is very good in contact and makes a lot of breaks in heavy traffic, or if not breaks he will make ground. Look at the one time he got the ball on Saturday, on the back front with the tackler right on him. I’ve no idea how he did it, but even then he got past the bloke.
Akira was shown up once again when the going got tough, it was scary to see the All Black 6 going swiftly backwards with the ball in contact. And we were awful at the breakdown for too long. Blackadder desperately needs Jacobson to help him out.
Get your questions in for Issue 28 of Coach's Corner