The Rugby Championship 2018

[waiopehu oldboy]

I hope you lot get fucking pumped, no offence.

Statistically unlikely: AB haven't lost back-to-back since 2011 & since then have only lost 8/97.

 

[ACR]

Statistically unlikely: AB haven't lost back-to-back since 2011 & since then have only lost 8/97.

Pretty concerned that pack is gonna get mullered without lurch. Couple of those props are lacking. This could depend very much on whether BB goes god mode or horrendously stupid mode. A loss is frankly much more likely than previous years. Argentina are better, AB's are worse.

I'd love Dan to be right but I don't feel good about this one. Then again, the AB's could just as soon beat them by 30.. who knows.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

LWhitelock a late withdrawal with a tummy bug. ASavea starts at 8, Hemopo comes onto the bench.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Reynal having a good game then he shits the bed big time, how many goes at placing the ball on the line do you get? TMO got it right IMO.

 

[zer0]

What's happened to the Argentine scrum? Ta'avao is doing a number on them FFS. Also the current 10/15 combo is erotic.

 

[Dan54]

I will be happy with that! RC tied up, Bledisloe in bed, can experiment from now on if wanted! Mind you a few paid off today!

 

[Dismal Pillock]

take away the couple of tinpot tries and nz werent nothing to write home about. some stauch goalline d in first hour notwithstanding​

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felt like Ofa finally became an AB today​

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l0l NPC pack + Iron Will Cane + The Only Good Whitelock more than enough for Argies total brain liquefaction capitulatory set piece.​

 

[Dan54]

By geez what has happened to Puma's scrum? They were pretty poor I thought.

 

[Up the Guts]

Argentinian scrum has regressed so far, how did they get bossed by provincial journeymen like Perry and Ta'avao.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

^^^^^^^ esp considering that of the 13 AB forwards used only five (Taylor, Barrett, Whitelock, Cane & Savea) are IMO there if everyone's fit & available & two of those are on the bench.

EDIT: make that six & three, forgot to count Ofa.

 

[Derpus]

^^^^^^^ esp considering that of the 13 AB forwards used only five (Taylor, Barrett, Whitelock, Cane & Savea) are IMO there if everyone's fit & available & two of those are on the bench.

New Zealand thirds beat the next best ranked nation. Gunna waaaalk the RWC. As long as you remember that drop-goals exist.

Statistically unlikely: AB haven't lost back-to-back since 2011 & since then have only lost 8/97.

Correcto.

 

[Dismal Pillock]

RWC

10 Mounga​

11 Naholo​

12 Goodhue​

13 Rieko​

14 BFA​

15 BBarrett​

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Highlights are up:

 

[ACR]

Well I was wrong about that one. Not a bad performance all round. Not a fan of Luke Whitelock as a test 8 so that probably helped. Ofa also stepped up big time this game.

How was BB's tackle on El Complaino? What a hit but somehow that is now 'illegal', lol. Thought the refs were pretty much spot on most of this game though.

 

[Dan54]

Well I was wrong about that one. Not a bad performance all round. Not a fan of Luke Whitelock as a test 8 so that probably helped. Ofa also stepped up big time this game.

How was BB's tackle on El Complaino? What a hit but somehow that is now 'illegal', lol. Thought the refs were pretty much spot on most of this game though.

Actually ACR, I don't mind Flukey Luke, but I suspect Savea's performance may see him struggle to make too many more squads, especially in conjunction with Frizell who did a great defensive job, I suspect in a couple of years he will prove zer0 right and be a starting 8 rather than 6! Mounga certainly looked good coming on, he really looks to have a great future in black jersey, though I more than happy to see him come in slowly.

 

[PaarlBok]

Congrats to the All Black supporters for their team winning the RC.

However the Pretoria test will be massive. The Springbokke won't need a Cup to be motivated for this one.

 

[Dan54]

Congrats to the All Black supporters for their team winning the RC.

However the Pretoria test will be massive. The Springbokke won't need a Cup to be motivated for this one.

Paarl, there is no way any proper NZ rugby supporter would even think that the boks need a cup to be motivated for a test against the ABs, I pretty sure the reverse also applies! There will never be in my mind a more worthy foe on the rugby field for the ABs than the Bokke!

 

[zer0]

TBH I'd be much more accepting of Frizell if he was selected as a #8 instead of as yet another blindside. His talents are clearly in ball-running -- Hansen even says as much -- yet he's selected in the defensive role of blindside, but does a lot of (effective) carrying. Could probably say the same for Savea as well. Though that's more because of his performances in tests (good running, less effective at the breakdown) as opposed to the selection side of things. But instead of either of them, Hansen's preferred #8 backup is a Sam Cane light blindside in L.Whitelock who, as good a defender as he is, has the go-forward punch of a damp tampon. It's just odd. And those odd selection strategies (defensive #8's, offensive blindsides, fullbacks at first five etc...) are where many of my gripes reside. It all just seems as though they're trying to be too smart.

Plus Savea as the #8 backup opens to door for Todd.

EDIT: I saw it pointed out on Reddit that Savea ran for more metres in this one test than Whitelock did in the entire French series. So if you break that down into some basic stats you get the following:

Key: Min = minutes played; C = carries; MR = metres run; MR/C = average metres run per carry; CB = clean break; TMR = team metres run; MR% = players MR as a percent of team MR

Like I said, an absolute damp tampon on attack. We'd probably get better go-forward with Moody at the back of the scrum.

 

[KiwiM]

In my opinion Frizell should be in the running for the number 1 blindside spot. I thought he had a fine game yesterday, defensively staunch - think he topped the tackle count with 20 odd? As we saw in the Argie Nelson test he can certainly ball run. I've never been convinced by Squire - when the going gets tough he goes missing - plus he has nasty side to his game with late shots, cheap shots etc. Can't wait to see how Frizell squares up with the Boks this weekend - will be an excellent test of where he is at.

zer0 I agree about L Whitelock - he is surplus to requirements. I'd much rather a 3rd specialist 7 in the squad.

 

[Dan54]

To be fair, we never knew if Luke was surplus until yesterday, and perhaps one test is a bit quick to anoint Ardie as a bck up at test level, even if I do suspect it .