• Welcome to the Green and Gold Rugby forums. As you can see we've upgraded the forums to new software. Your old logon details should work, just click the 'Login' button in the top right.

New Zealand Rugby Team Watch

zer0

Jim Lenehan (48)
"Digital technologies" will hopefully mean a NZR streaming platform of some sort that captures at least all national team matches. Ideally probably also Super Rugby and NPC too.
 

Dismal Pillock

Simon Poidevin (60)
fox-guarding-the-hen-house.jpg

"Trust me, everything will be fine,
what could possibly go wrong here....."
 

Dan54

Tim Horan (67)
Seems the figures I thought I heard on news were wrong, I thought it more, but if I listened properly I would of heard the 0ther bit has been left for NZ investors. I think that will be how they got it over line with players? Anyway I quite happy it's sorted.
 

Dismal Pillock

Simon Poidevin (60)
Umaga Jensen brothers could be such a point of difference in black compared to the zero-inroads midfield backs currently incumbent. Havili, ALB, Tupeaua are all "functional" and competent but are not going to tear you a new one

ps

The State of NZ Rugby
Locking Stocks in GIF Form:


giphy.gif
 

zer0

Jim Lenehan (48)
The most relevant thoughts on the All Blacks from a wide ranging interview of Wayne Smith by Mark Reason.

On the 10/12 selection:

"Yep, you do need continuity once you settle on the right people. I’d like to see someone like Anton Lienert-Brown given a chance for an extended period. What I like about Anton Lienert-Brown is he has a high skill level, high work rate, he off loads really well in the contact, keeps the ball alive. He’s smart in defence. He covers other people".

On ALB's unpredictable running lines:

"The answer is for players to work with him before or after training or on off days. You need to understand the idiosyncrasies. It’s like running off Sonny Bill. As soon as you understand that Sonny Bill’s right-handed – so when he offloads off to his right, it’s out the back and it’s flat; when he offloads to the left-hand side it’s still out of his right hand, but he pulls it back. So you need to be slightly deeper when you support on the inside and flat when you support on the outside. It’s the same with any player. You have to understand their talents and their idiosyncrasies and learn how to create a relationship with them.

I also like David Havili as a player. He’s highly skilled, he’s a good team man. I like the fact he was given some games. They seemed to chop and change there a bit. He was good in those early games. Then, I don’t know if the season was a bit long, but he went off a wee bit
".

On Jordie as a long term second-five:

"That’s difficult. One out of the box I reckon they could look at long term is Jordie Barrett as a 12. Particularly if they lower the tackle height which I think they will. It’s going to bring in the offload".

...

And when New Zealand won the World Under-20 Championship with Jordie, that’s where he played. Second-five. He starred with Canterbury and that’s where he played, second-five. I’d really like to see him given a go there. He’s nice and tall, he can get the offload away. He’s strong.

...

He’s one who could change the game a wee bit. His crossfield kicks are good. And the other thing is that at second-five often the decision is made for you when you get the ball. In some ways it’s an easier position to play
".

On Mo'unga as a first-five:

"I think in terms of Mo’unga, what I like about him for the Crusaders is that he seems to learn from the plays.

The Crusaders tend to play more on top of teams, so they play closer to the defence with people hitting holes. They tend to try to break the defence like that. So what I mean by Mo’unga learning from his plays is – you watch in the first half and the Crusaders will make a series of plays off setpiece and rucks. They might be up by a small score – and then just after halftime you’ll see them go bang, bang. And they put the game out of touch. I reckon it’s because Mo’unga has noticed frailty. When he’s run the blind side, he’ll pick up if the defence is weak off the side of the scrum and then you’ll see him later in the game run the blindside and give an inside ball to Jordan or someone like that and bang they’ll go through and score.
"

On Will Jordan:

"Potential superstar. He’s clearly smart. He has huge physical ability. He’s quick. What he hasn’t got yet (as a wing) is the ability to work around the scrumhalf. Those little plays when the nine arcs and he’s an option to the outside or he gets off his wing as a wrong-side runner i.e. he’s an option on the other side of the field. I’d like to see him used more in that role, sort of like Christian Cullen. I never thought I’d see another broken field runner like Christian Cullen but this kid could be.

Christian had five gears. He hardly ever used fifth gear but when he did. I’ve never seen a guy accelerate from top speed like he could
."

 

Dismal Pillock

Simon Poidevin (60)
The most relevant thoughts on the All Blacks from a wide ranging interview of Wayne Smith by Mark Reason.

On the 10/12 selection:

"Yep, you do need continuity once you settle on the right people. I’d like to see someone like Anton Lienert-Brown given a chance for an extended period. What I like about Anton Lienert-Brown is he has a high skill level, high work rate, he off loads really well in the contact, keeps the ball alive. He’s smart in defence. He covers other people".

On ALB's unpredictable running lines:

"The answer is for players to work with him before or after training or on off days. You need to understand the idiosyncrasies. It’s like running off Sonny Bill. As soon as you understand that Sonny Bill’s right-handed – so when he offloads off to his right, it’s out the back and it’s flat; when he offloads to the left-hand side it’s still out of his right hand, but he pulls it back. So you need to be slightly deeper when you support on the inside and flat when you support on the outside. It’s the same with any player. You have to understand their talents and their idiosyncrasies and learn how to create a relationship with them.

I also like David Havili as a player. He’s highly skilled, he’s a good team man. I like the fact he was given some games. They seemed to chop and change there a bit. He was good in those early games. Then, I don’t know if the season was a bit long, but he went off a wee bit
".

On Jordie as a long term second-five:

"That’s difficult. One out of the box I reckon they could look at long term is Jordie Barrett as a 12. Particularly if they lower the tackle height which I think they will. It’s going to bring in the offload".

...

And when New Zealand won the World Under-20 Championship with Jordie, that’s where he played. Second-five. He starred with Canterbury and that’s where he played, second-five. I’d really like to see him given a go there. He’s nice and tall, he can get the offload away. He’s strong.

...

He’s one who could change the game a wee bit. His crossfield kicks are good. And the other thing is that at second-five often the decision is made for you when you get the ball. In some ways it’s an easier position to play
".

On Mo'unga as a first-five:

"I think in terms of Mo’unga, what I like about him for the Crusaders is that he seems to learn from the plays.

The Crusaders tend to play more on top of teams, so they play closer to the defence with people hitting holes. They tend to try to break the defence like that. So what I mean by Mo’unga learning from his plays is – you watch in the first half and the Crusaders will make a series of plays off setpiece and rucks. They might be up by a small score – and then just after halftime you’ll see them go bang, bang. And they put the game out of touch. I reckon it’s because Mo’unga has noticed frailty. When he’s run the blind side, he’ll pick up if the defence is weak off the side of the scrum and then you’ll see him later in the game run the blindside and give an inside ball to Jordan or someone like that and bang they’ll go through and score.
"

On Will Jordan:

"Potential superstar. He’s clearly smart. He has huge physical ability. He’s quick. What he hasn’t got yet (as a wing) is the ability to work around the scrumhalf. Those little plays when the nine arcs and he’s an option to the outside or he gets off his wing as a wrong-side runner i.e. he’s an option on the other side of the field. I’d like to see him used more in that role, sort of like Christian Cullen. I never thought I’d see another broken field runner like Christian Cullen but this kid could be.

Christian had five gears. He hardly ever used fifth gear but when he did. I’ve never seen a guy accelerate from top speed like he could
."

Clueless Fozzie, frantically trying to learn
from anything Wayne Smith says:

giphy.gif
 

KiwiM

Trevor Allan (34)
I'd really like to see Canes play a midfield of Jordie 12 PUJ 13

It's hard as Jordie was brilliant for the Canes at fullback yesterday but PUJ seems to go better at 13 than 12 and Jordie has voiced that he would be keen to give 12 a go.
 

Dismal Pillock

Simon Poidevin (60)
I'd really like to see Canes play a midfield of Jordie 12 PUJ 13

It's hard as Jordie was brilliant for the Canes at fullback yesterday but PUJ seems to go better at 13 than 12 and Jordie has voiced that he would be keen to give 12 a go.
Surely he has to cos as well as Jordie went in black last season, Will Jordan at 15, in black, is written in the stars.
 

Dan54

Tim Horan (67)
Watching Pablo Matera on tv talking about being in Crusaders etc, was bloody good. Didn't realise he had only been to Chch twice each for a couple of days to play super. Lol said to his Mrs it's not like Paris (really? :D only a small town), said then the family got there and hesuddenly found he could go surfing, head up the mountains etc etc, he was almost bursting with how happy he seems to be. Good to hear.
Other thing I took notice of was when they asked him about training etc, he said after playing at Leicester, Jaguares, Stafe Francais he said training was similar, but thought a couple of things he found different from anywhere else was the rythmn of training, a lot done in less time, and the other one was detail of trainings, he couldn't believe little things he has been taught like slightly different ways to lift in lineouts, binding in scrums etc etc. The other big thing he says in NZ you don't train just to do everything, but to do everything a little better than you can do it, the push for incremental improvements was a focus. Seems a very happy man.
 

Dan54

Tim Horan (67)
Yeehaa, Blediloe is getting dropped to 2 tests a year, about bloody time!
And talk of a Maori ABs vs Ireland in July, I getting happier all the time.

 

Dismal Pillock

Simon Poidevin (60)
Samisoni Taukiaho surely in line to be starting hooker by the time RWC 2023 rolls around. A real point of difference physically and most importantly looks to have the mental where-with-all for the job.
 

Dismal Pillock

Simon Poidevin (60)
From an ABs point of view through 3 rounds

Arrow Up

Taukeiaho, Christie, Clarke, Cane, Will Jordan,

Arrow Down

Bridge, Fakatava, Ennor, Ofa T
Agree with all that. Wow, forgot Christie was in the All Blacks.....

OfaFFS. What a charmed career he's had. "Oh but he can play both sides". Is that why he never starts then? And virtually every time he comes on he gives away a numbskull penalty or two. Even after all these years. "But he can play both sides"......

The image of Brayden Ennor in the All Black centres, when you have the UMAGA JENSEN BROS CARVING UP ALL OVER THE SHOP, is going to give me a bloody hernia embolism in my nutsack corneas.
 

Dan54

Tim Horan (67)
Have to say I like when rugby unions get priorities right.
In Taranaki the club season is starting a month late to allow for proper preseason training and games with Covid making things awkward, but instead of just plaing later just having shorter comp.
Reasons , need time for rep seasom prep, and more importantly it would stuff up players from rural clubs as it would cut into calving!!
 

waiopehu oldboy

Stirling Mortlock (74)
a few timing/editing stuffups here but whateves:

Fucking genius, that, better than a lot of the recent Hitler Rants.

On the subject of The Professor, he's got a new short-term gig:


Hard to see them closing the gap exposed by England & France on the EOYT but at least NZR seem to have acknowledged that something's wrong & are trying to correct it.
 
Last edited:

Dismal Pillock

Simon Poidevin (60)
On the subject of The Professor, he's got a new short-term gig:

I'm sorry if this might come across as insensitive but you don't need one of the best technical minds in the rugby world in order to tell some fatties to lay off the fucken pringles for 10 minutes.

Last season those players were flat out FAT and unfit. Of course, due to political climate, nobody can just come out and say that.
 

Dan54

Tim Horan (67)
I'm sorry if this might come across as insensitive but you don't need one of the best technical minds in the rugby world in order to tell some fatties to lay off the fucken pringles for 10 minutes.

Last season those players were flat out FAT and unfit. Of course, due to political climate, nobody can just come out and say that.
Actually they have DP. One of most recurring things that has come from the team including the players is they weren't fit enough. Basically said what passes as fit in Farah Palmer Cup is not good enough against pro teams. Just about everything that has come out since tour has said same thing, fitness and speed of international game ws too much for them.
 
Top