Just watching the buildup of the Bok vs All Blacks. Listening to JK, Jeff Wilson and Justin Marshall they talk like the All Blacks are invincible, the arrogance is disgusting.

The loss of Mick Byrne in the setup is starting to show. With the loss of test experienced players an raft of new faces the All Blacks now lack composure and patience. Those were the qualities that held their heads above everyone else for near a decade now.
While this current All Blacks team arguably has some of the most brilliant attacking players we have ever seen in one team, they are currently playing a style of rugby to advanced for the stage they are currently at. Test rugby has never been a place where numerous full attack minded players could be put together and thrive in one side, there has always been a need for a balance. This All Black side was out of balance. SBW, McKenzie, B Barrett three guys who like to throw caution to the wind, but also have a tendency of trying to hard to fast.
Hansen and co need to find a balance between the team they have selected and the game plan they are pushing. We are turning the ball over far to often and forcing 50/50 passes. The skill level is not there yet with this group. Acknowledge it and adjust the gameplan.
When was the last time the All Blacks executed a solid exit play that didn’t include running it or putting up an attacking bomb? When was the last time B Barrett found touch anywhere near halfway from inside the 22? this team seems incapable of understanding when to play your hand and when to play clever rugby. It’s all out attack with no composure and no game management. Maybe that’s the negative side of having B Barrett as your first five (lets not raise the goal kicking).
This is an All Blacks squad in rebuild mode. They need to be rebuilding the game plan at the same time. So much youth and enthusiasm has been let to get out of control by a coaching staff hell bent on playing at speed, regardless of opposition or weather.
The All Blacks are still winning, but the manner isn’t impressing me.
The lack of quality scrummaging props in NZ is about to be shown up on the end of year tour. We will be heading North with only one real international class prop and the rest will be unproven rookies.
Interesting times ahead, i have no doubt about the quality of the squad, i just doubt the game plan for the stage they are at right now.

because we don’t want every marginal call sent up stairs. Just because a try was scored soon after doesn’t make that forward pass anymore important then the other 10+ marginal passes that were left to play on.

If there is anyone here with the channels to get a question through to the referee boss…

I would love to have his opinion on a few decision i have seen over the past few months, where a referee has awarded a try. That tells us he has seen the ball grounded on the line(because why else would he award a try) then we see the decision questioned and taken upstairs. What then happens is the third ref says he can’t see a grounding and the try is not awarded. My question is, why was the try initially awarded by the ref if he has not seen the ball on the ground? and if he has why is he being over ruled by someone who simply can’t see the position of the ball.
This situation happened tonight. It also happened in one of the Super semi matches where a rolling maul was driven over the line and the ref awarded the try only to have it questioned by the touchy and then ruled out because there was no vision of the ball being grounded, once again, the ref must have seen it on the ground to award it in the first place right??

Disgusting corruption from the Northern hemisphere officials. The French touch judge has influenced his French counterpart to effectively rob the All Blacks of a series in an absolute farcical situation i have never witnessed before.
An offside in that situation has been a penalty every time in the last century, how does it become a scrum suddenly 90 seconds out from full time in a series decider? Accidental? he reached out and actually caught the ball, he had it in his bloody hands. Disgusting.

Sean Obrien sighted for red card offence. Will be out next weekend along with SBW i’m guessing.

Pitty the Lions don’t. Sean O’Brien swinging arm directly to the head of Naholo with force and not even a penalty. Luckily an Australian official sighted him after the match and deemed it to be a red card offence. he will not be playing next weekend, pitty the reff didn’t officiate the Lions to the same standard as everyone else.

Red card didn’t help but the All Blacks imo still should have won that game. Barrett leaving to many points out on the paddock was one area. The All Blacks have turned into a side who kick the ball far to often on attack, we are now what we used to berate other teams for being.
Aaron Cruden blew the All Blacks best chance to at least secure a draw when he kicked across field in the last few minutes to nobody, they were starting to get some momentum.
I’d love to hear the explanation in the difference between Sonny bills red card shoulder to the head and the Lions players swinging arm to the head of Naholo that retired him from the match. one was a red one didn’t get a mention.

Not sure Hansen got the memo on the weather forecast. Imo the All Blacks would have a better balance for wet weather rugby with Cruden at 10 Barret at 15 and Dagg on the wing. I can see Connor Murray picking out Naholo all night in the wet and i hope his confidence is high and he swallows the first few otherwise it could be a long night.

Yeah that’s initially where i would have liked to see him but i think he might be better off concentrating on securing a jersey on the left wing for the next few years, there is alot of competition in the midfield with Lienart brown, J Barrett, Aso, Laumape, Goodhue all young potential midfielders. Most of the wing competition for the All Blacks is on the other side. I still think he has things to develop in his game before he would be a genuine test centre. The 11 jersey is his for the taking, especially for the WC. Jack Goodhue looks like he might be the next Conrad Smith of NZ rugby in the next few years. i’m tipping him to be right in the mix.

For me Savea doesn’t have the same ability to skin a man one on one like Ioane. Savea is more a pure finisher, Ioane just has a little bit more to offer in terms of skill set and pace. Savea played well against Samoa but for me Reiko is ready to take the mantle and he is most surely going to be the left winger at the next world cup, so i don’t see any real plus going back to Savea to be honest.

I’d prefer a look to the future now, throw the young boys in the deep end and blood them in the best arena possible. 11. Ioane 14. Dagg 15. J Barrett.

Great test. Lions played some great rugby but couldn’t quite finish their opportunities. All Blacks done some great work in the tight especially holding the ball and making the Lions tackle up the middle.
Cane, Rettalick, SBW carried strong for the Abs. Ben Te’o was outstanding on attack and D.
Reiko should have done enough to keep Savea out next week.
I hope the All Blacks put Ben Smith on ice for the rest of this tour, i will be incredibly disappointed if he plays next week after suffering from numerous head complaints in the past months.
Next week Anton in for Crotty, Ngani on the bench.
I’m hoping Jordie Barret starts at 15 and they leave Dagg on the wing.

He is becoming a real rock on D and strong carries over the advantage line. Ardie has a job taking that 7 jersey away from Cane, this is test rugby.

I’d like to thank him, the Lions have been getting away with slowing the breakdown ball and not clearly releasing the player since they got here. Well done reff.

Incredibly disappointing so far from the Maori. They lack passion, aggression around the ruck and lack the balls to have a go ball in hand. If they don;t have a complete 180 attitude change at halftime they will lose this one.

Good to see the skill level stay high without becoming a messy circus of offloads and speculative passes when things opened up.
Thought the impact off the bench was outstanding. The Barrett boys look like they were ejaculated as All Blacks from minute one.
Very pleasing game for the midfield combo, a very interesting decision to be made when Crotty returns. I would go Crotty/ALB for the first Lions test with SBW on the bench however i wouldn’t question the same combination being chosen again. A tight test may expose of few of those errors from SBW though.
Loving the composure and glue like nature of having Dagg/B Smith in that back three, i really don’t feel confident seeing Naholo/Savea in the same lineup in big tests.
Thought Ardie was really good, so was Cane. Interesting to hear Hansens comments about Ardie not being a true number 8, i think that shows Hansen has a set style of player he wants to fit into side at any given position. I mean if Ardie is playing really well at number 8 why isn’t he considered a good number 8?
Rettalick would be the first player i picked in my side even ahead of Barrett.
I thought TJP looked world class he really is in some kind of form and he is genuinely close to taking that starting jumper. I like the combo of him off the bench for now though, i really wanna see Smith get rid of those brain farts that have crept into his game of late.
Can’t see this side losing to the Lions but it will be interesting to see how we can deal with the Lions rush d and how deep they can take it before the cracks appear if at all.

The BIL defencive pressure is nothing new, the All Blacks will be expecting it and it simply gives attacking options in other areas. The Crusaders poor performance all round in that game made it look like it was an impenetrable wall, the All Blacks quality in attack will be much better then what the Crusaders dished up. Let’s see if it looks like that late into the second half when the All Blacks lift another gear and often make a tight game look otherwise on the scoreboard.

Brilliant job Colin Cooper. He has nailed it.

Highlanders lineout + Hames who has lifted for these guys in the past
Chiefs 8,9
Chiefs 9,10,12,15
There should be no excuses from the Maori about not having played together. If the scrum can sort itself out then we are in for a brilliant game. If the Lions allow that backline to get any space, it”s game over.

Stand up Tei Walden, Jackson Hemopo and Kane Hammington three young fringe players who played absolutely outstanding tonight. What a game, Well Done Highlanders and hard luck to the Lions, doesn’t get closer then that.

Well done Lions they played with speed and intensity and shut down the Crusaders across the park.

Mo’unga was very poor, he should have been pulled with 30 to go not 5. All he done was kick the ball away and shovel to players under pressure, he really took a backward step from being in the conversation for higher honors. The Lions defencive pressure was great for 80 minutes however i felt the ref was letting them get well ahead of the line while he was pinging the Crusaders for doing the same.
The Crusaders had the dominant scrum however the penalty count would have you thinking otherwise, there was a few dubious decisions in that area, however you need to adjust to the ref no matter how poor his decision making is. The All Blacks will be content with how their tight five went in the scrums.
All in all i think the Lions showed they are a force to be reckoned with and will be ready to explode into the All Blacks come first test. let’s hope the All Blacks can come together quickly.
Connor Murray was outstanding his accurate box kicking killed the Crusaders all night.
Highlanders will have to play out of their skin without their All Blacks.

The Lions have arrived.

If you need an explanation about all the wrong calls that he made in that game you simply need to watch more rugby and learn the rules. I’m not going to explain them to you.

All the buildup all the hype all the excitement only to have the game ruined so far by a completely incompetent and whistle happy referee. It amazes me that even on the field administrators and pen pushers can still influence the spectacle by the referees they appoint. Lets hope the ref misplaces his whistle in the second half.