My very early All Blacks World Cup squad
Happy New Year, everybody! After a refreshing Christmas I’m ready to start thinking about rugby again, how about you? We’re now halfway through the…
Join The Roar
Become a member to join in Australia's biggest sporting debate, submit articles, receive updates straight to your inbox and keep up with your favourite teams and authors.
Oops! You must provide an email address to create a Roar account
When using Facebook to create or log in to an account, you need to grant The Roar permission to see your email address
By joining The Roar you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions
Login and get Roaring
Oops! You must provide an email address to create a Roar account
When using Facebook to create or log in to an account, you need to grant The Roar permission to see your email address
Roar Rookie
Joined May 2019
22.1k
Views
12
Published
6.2k
Comments
Published
Comments
Happy New Year, everybody! After a refreshing Christmas I’m ready to start thinking about rugby again, how about you? We’re now halfway through the…
As we all know, the current Sydney COVID outbreak, its offspring outbreaks in other Australian states and New Zealand, and the varying responses of…
If you haven’t watched the Wales versus England Six Nations match from the weekend I suggest that you hunt it down. It was full…
It’s been the year of the 'make do and mend' - a holding pattern for international rugby. The Six Nations was eventually completed, but…
There hasn’t been a lot of direct-quote reporting lately over future season structures – either globally or locally. However in England, France, South Africa…
The virus has dealt a massive financial hit to the whole rugby world and seems to have put an end to Super Rugby as…
Super Rugby Aotearoa has been a fantastic success at home and abroad, with huge crowds at the ground and huge TV audiences, which must…
The Chiefs were the small-town, poor relation of Kiwi Super Rugby teams. We had made the play-offs just twice in the 16 years of…
You may have read about last Thursday’s conference call between representatives of the world’s most powerful rugby unions. The big headline being reported by…
Time for some light relief from Aussie rugby politics. I’ve borrowed a bit from Brett McKay’s recent Super Rugby Championship XVs idea but turned…
That might sound like a stupid question, but it's one that needs to be asked. If the people with power in the game at…
We all know that experienced teams win World Cups. Coaches plan their squads meticulously throughout the preceding years, building established combinations of players who…
Hi PK, yes Eddie has been short sighted in that area. It doesn’t have to be a really big carrier, just someone who runs the right lines and acts like an inside centre. At least Foster had the sense to develop Tupaea even though he’s not that big and nobody was touting him.
The Wrap: No global Nations Championship but the southern hemisphere sweeps Round 1 all the same
Farrell needs to be put in his place Geoff. He needs to be the second pair of eyes, not the first. Although I do like how Lawes was made captain.
The Wrap: No global Nations Championship but the southern hemisphere sweeps Round 1 all the same
Don’t worry, I have been doing just that!
ANALYSIS: 'As good a quarter in Foster's reign' powers All Blacks to big win and lets coach breathe easier
And Hairy Hill
The Wrap: No global Nations Championship but the southern hemisphere sweeps Round 1 all the same
In 2012 Ireland were thrashed in match 1 and were only beaten by a wobbly last minute Carter drop goal. And that was a better All Black team playing an interior Ireland team.
The Wrap: No global Nations Championship but the southern hemisphere sweeps Round 1 all the same
At Harlequins he calls the shots and has a proper inside centre as a bail out option. With England he has a control freak 12 who wants to play first five.
The Wrap: No global Nations Championship but the southern hemisphere sweeps Round 1 all the same
Last Kingdom extra?
The Wrap: No global Nations Championship but the southern hemisphere sweeps Round 1 all the same
😂 😂 😂
Rennie to look at Swain 'challenge', Jones claims ref 'evened up' red card - Everything Dave and Eddie said post match
Good point. Frizzell might be an option too if he’s been playing.
ANALYSIS: 'As good a quarter in Foster's reign' powers All Blacks to big win and lets coach breathe easier
The level of ignorance in NZ rugby on some things is amazing. On Stuff Cane gets a 6 and by far the most popular comments are bagging him. Do our journalists and fans understand the game at all?
ANALYSIS: 'As good a quarter in Foster's reign' powers All Blacks to big win and lets coach breathe easier
I was wrong on Bower so I’ll happily join your club!
ANALYSIS: 'As good a quarter in Foster's reign' powers All Blacks to big win and lets coach breathe easier
Staffers really are struggling at first five now that Pollard has gone downhill.
ANALYSIS: 'As good a quarter in Foster's reign' powers All Blacks to big win and lets coach breathe easier
Unfortunately Moa we don’t have a proper 6 in the squad! I thought that Scooter’s size was what the pack has been crying out for at 6. If he’s suspended I’d rather go for the hard working Vaa’i than the flashy Akira.
The only front rower I’d even consider changing was Taylor after Samisoni upped the work rate so effectively. How on earth did he have time for thirteen tackles?
ANALYSIS: 'As good a quarter in Foster's reign' powers All Blacks to big win and lets coach breathe easier
They weren’t better than the Chiefs last year. They lost to them in the one that mattered. The one they won the Chiefs rested their entire team for the final. They were nowhere near as resilient and didn’t win 14 in a row last year either.
ANALYSIS: 'As good a quarter in Foster's reign' powers All Blacks to big win and lets coach breathe easier
Play on is better than being sent off!
Swain sent for headbutt as Stan crew debate 'ridiculous' officiating approach to baiting
I have plenty of times. Often the ref doesn’t know about the injury when the decision is made.
Rennie to look at Swain 'challenge', Jones claims ref 'evened up' red card - Everything Dave and Eddie said post match
🥊 🥊 🥊 🥊
Rennie to look at Swain 'challenge', Jones claims ref 'evened up' red card - Everything Dave and Eddie said post match
Also a game when the opposition lost their first five in the warm up, fullback and tighthead early on, and had at tighthead someone who usually plays loosehead.
Rennie to look at Swain 'challenge', Jones claims ref 'evened up' red card - Everything Dave and Eddie said post match
There was also the “this is the first time since 2019 we’ve had most of the squad together” nonsense before the match, to try to excuse the many poor performances in recent years. It’s embarrassing.
Rennie to look at Swain 'challenge', Jones claims ref 'evened up' red card - Everything Dave and Eddie said post match
The Blues were much better than previous years, so much more resilient, which is a Schmidt trademark.
As I said we can only speculate, but the All Blacks were also much more Schmidt like than in previous years.
ANALYSIS: 'As good a quarter in Foster's reign' powers All Blacks to big win and lets coach breathe easier
Sheesh, it was hardly the sort of performance to warrant wholesale changes. I’d say that it was a good platform to build on. Sub Havili for Tupaea for instance and you lose that ability and willingness to truck the ball up when his halves were in trouble and be everywhere in defence. We need him for the balance of the team.
ANALYSIS: 'As good a quarter in Foster's reign' powers All Blacks to big win and lets coach breathe easier
What people forget is that Barrett played well against England. The absence of Cane was the problem, obviously he was far from absent last night!
ANALYSIS: 'As good a quarter in Foster's reign' powers All Blacks to big win and lets coach breathe easier
We can only speculate how much was down to Schmidt too
ANALYSIS: 'As good a quarter in Foster's reign' powers All Blacks to big win and lets coach breathe easier
That really is a strange main talking point for a review of the whole match.
REACTION: 'Red all day' - 'Sickening' Scott Barrett hit under microscope after ABs sweep aside Irish side missing Sexton
I wonder whether the legendary scrum doctor Mike Cron has healed our scrum.
The Wrap: No global Nations Championship but the southern hemisphere sweeps Round 1 all the same