Bledisloe 2 - Wallabies vs All Blacks, Wellington, 27 August 2016

[Bullrush]

Pocock is just too damn small. What is he, 5"10? Turnovers, sure, but hopeless running impact, stumpy dwarfman lost in the lineout and almost zero short passing sense.

I reckon Aus best loosie combo would be

6 Fardy
7 Hooper
8 Higginbotham (at least he's a big nasty c**t who likes hurting people)

You got to be kidding.

Last week Pocock hit 39 break-downs and had 7 turn-overs. It will be interesting to see what the break-down stats are for this week cos from what I saw he was in a heap again.

Higginbotham?! Nasty?! He was useless against the ABs about 4yrs ago and I doubt much has changed. And he's more grub than nasty.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Unfortunately it's all about perception and that's just Hansen deliberately and pointedly adding to that perception, putting another nail in Stephen Moores coffin. It's getting close to an Al Baxter type situation and soon Cheiks will have little choice.
I actually think Moore was pretty hard done by.
In the his second interaction of the night Moore politely asked "sir was that close to a yellow card" after a deliberate and cynical infringement attacking the ABs line. No emotion, didn't carry on.
Poite responded "Stephen don't - if we need to talk I'm calling you"
I call bullshit
Moore has every right, and should ask that question. Its a repeated AB tactic when their line is under pressure and needs to be highlighted. It's not only the referee that can initiate a discussion.
That alone demonstrates Poite had preconceived ideas.
Poites player management should be called into question just as much as Moore.

Shags does have a point.
Regrettably.

 

[HoldingOn]

You got to be kidding.

Last week Pocock hit 39 break-downs and had 7 turn-overs. It will be interesting to see what the break-down stats are for this week cos from what I saw he was in a heap again.

Higginbotham?! Nasty?! He was useless against the ABs about 4yrs ago and I doubt much has changed. And he's more grub than nasty.

Who are you to argue with Dismal Pillock?

 

[Bullrush]

Who are you to argue with Dismal Pillock?

TBH - I am a bit frightened about what the reply, if any, will look like and if I'll ever be able to come back in this forum with any shred of pride or dignity once DP is finished

 

[HoldingOn]

TBH - I am a bit frightened about what the reply, if any, will look like and if I'll ever be able to come back in this forum with any shred of pride or dignity once DP is finished

I'm looking forward to the reply. He is probably busy cooking up something as we speak

 

[Gnostic]

The other thing about the Franks incident that's irritating more than anything is he's on our side of the maul!

I've just worked out that Poite is saying his eyes up up further. Franks goes "up here?" and moves hand higher, Poite says "yeah that it you got the Crim now?"

 

[formerflanker]

Clear evidence of hands attacking the face. Knuckles on the eyes. A choke hold to finish off with. All with the ref a mere two steps away and ample video footage yet SANZAR rules there were no incidents from the match that reached a red card threshold. Franks will be free to play for the remainder of the All Blacks' Rugby Championship campaign. If the ARU doesn't take this matter further, we all might as well give the whole thing away.
It is not up to the player to complain. His Rugby association must support him.

 

[tragic]

Shags does have a point.
Regrettably.

He does. But he's not making it to help us out.
It's all done with design to keep the pressure on and start the influence on Owens next week.
The point I was making is like our scrums a few years back we were not always at fault but the perception was always there. We started the problem and then it became a fait du complet
Moore tried really hard early on was was summarily dismissed.
Cheika had a fair point but Hansen is playing games shifting the focus back on to Moore
The ABs play the same marginal gains principle on and off the field.

 

[Pfitzy]

Moore tried really hard early on was was summarily dismissed.
Cheika had a fair point but Hansen is playing games shifting the focus back on to Moore

Two solutions present themselves: Moore hands over the reins to another skipper OR Moore goes into zip-lip mode. Only speaks to the ref when spoken to, and even then only says "Yes sir".

Let your shoulders do the talking. You're not soccer players.

Clear evidence of hands attacking the face. Knuckles on the eyes. A choke hold to finish off with. All with the ref a mere two steps away and ample video footage yet SANZAR rules there were no incidents from the match that reached a red card threshold. Franks will be free to play for the remainder of the All Blacks' Rugby Championship campaign. If the ARU doesn't take this matter further, we all might as well give the whole thing away.
It is not up to the player to complain. His Rugby association must support him.

 

[ShtinaTina]

I would be interested to hear how Poite's match review goes.
His dismissals of Moore & Hooper were low & rude.

 

[HoldingOn]

I would be interested to hear how Poite's match review goes.
His dismissals of Moore & Hooper were low & rude.

I expect we won't hear of Romain Poite again

 

[Pfitzy]

I would be interested to hear how Poite's match review goes.
His dismissals of Moore & Hooper were low & rude.

I would LOVE to get hold of the ref's audio from the game.

At one point I heard Moore asking when he could talk to the ref and I think Read said "go talk to yourself!"

Oh, sure... the ABs are fucking angels. Never niggle, never underhanded. Fucking whatever.

 

[Pfitzy]

I expect we won't hear of Romaine Poite again

I like your optimism, but you need to understand that the French are always represented on these panels, and not many of their guys are much better than Twoite.

 

[Quick Hands]

Maybe Douglas is worried he will be cited for attacking franks fingers with his eyelids.

Being serious, I think this is worth an explanation from Sanzar. Is the ruling that there was some eye work but it wasn't a red card offence? Or they just don't think that franks fingers were near the eyes? Or other?

Or SANZAAR judicial processes are again revealed to be a shambolic lottery.

 

[Pfitzy]

It didn't even get to the lottery part. That's the sad bit.

 

[Gnostic]

Two solutions present themselves: Moore hands over the reins to another skipper OR Moore goes into zip-lip mode. Only speaks to the ref when spoken to, and even then only says "Yes sir".



Let your shoulders do the talking. You're not soccer players.

Third solution is for Moore to have done a J. Eales. "No Sir, you will listen or I will lead my team off the park or we will deal with the issues like Franks directly since you will not."

 

[cyclopath]

I expect we won't hear of Romain Poite again

Are you kidding? That sort of purgatory is reserved for "errors" against the All Blacks, and accompanied by lickspittle apologies from directors of refereeing. Preferably called Paddy. This will not be a blip for World Rugby. I predicted last night Franks would not be cited, and I am not surprised to be correct, in this instance.

 

[Gnostic]

Are you kidding? That sort of purgatory is reserved for "errors" against the All Blacks, and accompanied by lickspittle apologies from directors of refereeing. Preferably called Paddy. This will not be a blip for World Rugby. I predicted last night Franks would not be cited, and I am not surprised to be correct, in this instance.

Unfortunately your right. Lets task Wil Skelton to go all Michael Brial on Franks at the next match then just to prove the theory, but he must do it better Michael was a bit ineffective.

 

[tragic]

You're not soccer players]

You got that right
If they were Douglas would have been rolling around in agony and temporarily blinded until franks was carded then he would have miraculously got his sight back and played on.

 

[Groucho]

Is there seriously no citing for the Douglas eye gouge? For crying out loud, it happened in front of the ref, both touchies, the video ref, and a million TV viewers.