A mutterer
Chilla Wilson (44)
My 2c is to get pocock back asap so he can smash anyone of the Aussie forwards who don't deliver at training.
New Zealand v Australia - Auckland - 23 August 2014
- Thread starter Hugh Jarse
- Start date
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JRoss
Stan Wickham (3)
True enough, disasterous choke, but then again that Aussie skipper had the help of Sir Russell Coutts, kiwi, who began his hugely successful America’s Cup career with Team New Zealand 22 years ago, was the CEO of defender Oracle Team USA with eight Kiwis onboard as crew. Just goes to show Kiwis and Ozzies can work together
Viking
Mark Ella (57)
I know, imagine the rugby team we will field when NZ becomes a state of Australia
15.Ben Smith,
14.Cory Jane,
13. Conrad Smith,
12. Ryan Crotty
11. Julian Savea,
10. Aaron Cruden,
9.Aaron Smith,
8. Kieran Read,
7. Richie McCaw (c),
6. Liam Messam,
5. Sam Whitelock,
4. Brodie Retallick,
3. Owen Franks,
2.Dane Coles,
1. Wyatt Crocket
Yep. Looks good!
KOB1987
Rod McCall (65)
Kiwis are reading a lot into one bad performance..yes we were bad, very bad, I don't dispute that but it hasn't been our norm of late..in contrast, they were very good. So if you get the top team in the world on a good night out versus a less fancied team on a bad night out, the result is potentially going to be a blow out..
so I hope articles like this:
http://www.foxsports.com.au/rugby/t...sloe-cup-belting/story-e6frf4qc-1227035917685
which includes comments such as:
“Australia can forget about any World Cup challenge next year, no matter what their ranking, unless they lose their powder puff pack."
come back to bite them on the fucking arse next year.
And given their record at World Cups it more than likely just fucking will.
so I hope articles like this:
http://www.foxsports.com.au/rugby/t...sloe-cup-belting/story-e6frf4qc-1227035917685
which includes comments such as:
“Australia can forget about any World Cup challenge next year, no matter what their ranking, unless they lose their powder puff pack."
come back to bite them on the fucking arse next year.
And given their record at World Cups it more than likely just fucking will.
KOB1987
Rod McCall (65)
Actually I made a change for you
Viking
Mark Ella (57)
When you look at that AB team, I think TPN/Moore would be the only possibilities for a starting spot. Falou over Jane probably too, maybe Slipper.. but that's a tough call.
No-one else, no fit or injured player, looks close to getting into that team.
aeneas
Tom Lawton (22)
I wouldn't believe anything that any NZ writer has had published which is an opinion piece this week. The sky is either falling completely or everything is awesome. Rattue and his ilk are just trying to generate clicks.
Actual NZ rugby supporters are well aware that the Wallabies are not too far away from knocking the AB's over and you have another shot this year.
KOB1987
Rod McCall (65)
fair call, and I'd have to concede that our media wouldn't be any different if the result was the other way around..
I have the utmost respect for the All Blacks, articles like that make my blood boil though..
It's hard to argue against, though.
We have to beat England and Wales ideally to top our group and have the best run to the finals.
England are building very nicely, and will be a tough pack to crack, and Wales have had a more than decent pack for some time.
McKenzie has to find some steel from the players he has, or the players he has yet to use / find in 12 months, because anything but a fully switched-on forward effort will get smacked by those teams, let alone anyone we might face if we make it out of the pool stage.
Sadly, at the moment, I'd say that comment is on the money.
But we have 12 months.
Slipper, Moore, TPN, Hooper, AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) and Folau would be our closest to making a combined Australia/NZ team.
I think Slipper and Folau would be the only two who would make the starting team currently.
If you took away the leadership side of things I think Hooper would oust McCaw. It won't be long before he's ahead of McCaw but that is clearly because Hooper is 22 and improving and McCaw is 33 and getting slower.
I think Slipper and Folau would be the only two who would make the starting team currently.
If you took away the leadership side of things I think Hooper would oust McCaw. It won't be long before he's ahead of McCaw but that is clearly because Hooper is 22 and improving and McCaw is 33 and getting slower.
KOB1987
Rod McCall (65)
You could do better than Crotty too..which isn't to say an Aussie should go there..
Viking
Mark Ella (57)
True. But still behind Nonu and SBW.
Worrying their team is so dominant across the board.
Viking
Mark Ella (57)
Agree about Hooper. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) would be behind Smith at 13. On current form not far off though. I couldn't see him considered as a winger would much rather Jane, Savea, B.Smith/Dagg.
wamberal
Phil Kearns (64)
Most serious judges rate Conrad Smith as an absolutely world-class centre.
More twists and turns in this thread than there are in Junior Rugby Development in Sydney.
Hooper vs Pocock, Americas Cup Sailing, ANZAC XV selection, Overseas Players, RWC15 Pool Games... ... ...
Time to move on from this thread perhaps?
Archive it right next to the Waratahs v Crusaders - Lancaster Park 2002 Thread.
Bring it out to scare the kids into doing their homework, or household chores.
Hooper vs Pocock, Americas Cup Sailing, ANZAC XV selection, Overseas Players, RWC15 Pool Games... ... ...
Time to move on from this thread perhaps?
Archive it right next to the Waratahs v Crusaders - Lancaster Park 2002 Thread.
Bring it out to scare the kids into doing their homework, or household chores.
KOB1987
Rod McCall (65)
In the context of Saturday night it's irrefutable..but to say it's a reflection of the norm and/or the future is not necessarily right.
I think our biggest problem has been our inability to nail down what our best XV is and then be able to select it. This has been a function of both injuries in key positions and some poor selection decisions, particularly in the Deans era..Link has shown he isn't blameless here either but hopefully he learns from that. Once we, like most NZers, are able to as a group recite what our best team is and then be able to field it, and by and large keep it, it will be a huge step in the right direction. And I have a feeling that process will start with the team that will be picked for next weekend.
Our other big pitfall is this nonsense when we have an injury of selecting the best available player and then rejigging the entire team to fit said player in. An excellent example of the right thing to do came on the weekend from the Kiwis..with Nonu out the temptation was there to field Fekitoa over Crotty, in pretty much all aspects he is a better player than Crotty..but he's an outside centre, not an inside centre..so they picked Crotty and left the rest undisrupted.
KOB1987
Rod McCall (65)
It's all good HJ, the Hooper v Pocock debate is continuing over in the Aus v SAF thread..
Bullrush
John Hipwell (52)
Without me?!? WTF???
Viking
Mark Ella (57)
Best in the World for the past decade. Over-taken that irish fella who wasn't at his best the last 5 years or so of playing.
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