What to watch for in Bledisloe I
Looking forward to this match.
The phoney war against Tonga and Fiji is over and we can start to have a serious test match that has meaning and a prized trophy on the line.
Keen to see this All Black side step up and start to put together some consistent high quality performances.
Due to the Covid situation, we are in a position where we have talented players come through but really hard to say many are world class as they only played Aus and arg last year.
I am sure the set piece will go well but keen to see us lift our breakdown performance and carry on with our mauling against stronger, organised defence. On defence, I haven’t been very happy with ours for some time, so keen to see how our systems have developed and how Aus will test us.
Would like to see the ABs execute their game plan and exert true test match pressure on Aus at our spiritual home. If we do that I will be happy and the scoreline will take care of itself.
Looking forward to BBBR re-announce himself properly and looking to Papalii to have his breakout test match.
Enjoy the game chaps
Taking into account who is available/unavailable this would have to be the most balanced/best team Foster has selected to date, based mainly on the fact that Frizzell isn’t 6, Bridge isn’t 11, Jordie isn’t 14 and to a lesser extent he’s accepted Rieko is still our best 11.
Yep Ardie is at 8, but the other 2 loosie are big boys, Papalii has been killing it all season and Akira has been impressive when in black.
Not sold on Dmac at 15, but I still think that’s a 3 horse race between him and the 2x Barrett’s for that spot (but IMO it should be Jordan)
Agree with others, that having Mo’unga, DMac and 2x Barrett’s in the 22 is an overkill of 10/15s. Better of leaving one of Jordie/Dmac out and developing Tupaea.
@gunner said in All Blacks vs Wallabies Bledisloe 1 Eden Park 7th Aug:
Taking into account who is available/unavailable this would have to be the most balanced/best team Foster has selected to date, based mainly on the fact that Frizzell isn’t 6, Bridge isn’t 11, Jordie isn’t 14 and to a lesser extent he’s accepted Rieko is still our best 11.
Yep Ardie is at 8, but the other 2 loosie are big boys, Papalii has been killing it all season and Akira has been impressive when in black.
Not sold on Dmac at 15, but I still think that’s a 3 horse race between him and the 2x Barrett’s for that spot (but IMO it should be Jordan)
Agree with others, that having Mo’unga, DMac and 2x Barrett’s in the 22 is an overkill of 10/15s. Better of leaving one of Jordie/Dmac out and developing Tupaea.
it is kind of weird to have the smallest AB loose forward at 8 though, isn't it? I think I'd have to go back to Masoe/Rodders for any historical precedent..
@nostrildamus said in All Blacks vs Wallabies Bledisloe 1 Eden Park 7th Aug:
@gunner said in All Blacks vs Wallabies Bledisloe 1 Eden Park 7th Aug:
Taking into account who is available/unavailable this would have to be the most balanced/best team Foster has selected to date, based mainly on the fact that Frizzell isn’t 6, Bridge isn’t 11, Jordie isn’t 14 and to a lesser extent he’s accepted Rieko is still our best 11.
Yep Ardie is at 8, but the other 2 loosie are big boys, Papalii has been killing it all season and Akira has been impressive when in black.
Not sold on Dmac at 15, but I still think that’s a 3 horse race between him and the 2x Barrett’s for that spot (but IMO it should be Jordan)
Agree with others, that having Mo’unga, DMac and 2x Barrett’s in the 22 is an overkill of 10/15s. Better of leaving one of Jordie/Dmac out and developing Tupaea.
it is kind of weird to have the smallest AB loose forward at 8 though, isn't it? I think I'd have to go back to Masoe/Rodders for any historical precedent..
edit: apparently Rodney was 1.91m, strange, he didn't seem that tall to me..
@nostrildamus said in All Blacks vs Wallabies Bledisloe 1 Eden Park 7th Aug:
@gunner said in All Blacks vs Wallabies Bledisloe 1 Eden Park 7th Aug:
Taking into account who is available/unavailable this would have to be the most balanced/best team Foster has selected to date, based mainly on the fact that Frizzell isn’t 6, Bridge isn’t 11, Jordie isn’t 14 and to a lesser extent he’s accepted Rieko is still our best 11.
Yep Ardie is at 8, but the other 2 loosie are big boys, Papalii has been killing it all season and Akira has been impressive when in black.
Not sold on Dmac at 15, but I still think that’s a 3 horse race between him and the 2x Barrett’s for that spot (but IMO it should be Jordan)
Agree with others, that having Mo’unga, DMac and 2x Barrett’s in the 22 is an overkill of 10/15s. Better of leaving one of Jordie/Dmac out and developing Tupaea.
it is kind of weird to have the smallest AB loose forward at 8 though, isn't it? I think I'd have to go back to Masoe/Rodders for any historical precedent..
Yea but the way the game is played now, with a lot of roles being interchangeable, I don’t think it matters what number is on the jersey. That’s why Ardie at 8 isn’t such a big deal for me as it is for others.
Key role for an 8 in my opinion is the ability to carry hard off the back of the scrum, and that’s a big tick for Ardie.
@gunner yeah you have a good point there, his carrying in the last game was top-notch as well. Not sure he's a great lineout option but that is probably not much of a factor with Cody's recent throwing.
@gunner Ardie and DMac are the only current All Blacks i don't rate. DMac's run sideways until a gap opens up bit doesn't really work at test level. And Ardie doesn't make the meters he does at SR - and if he isn't making meters what's the point? He's not particularly adept at any of the other shit an 8 does. Not a lineout option.
They'll both probably bag hat tricks now..
@derpus said in All Blacks vs Wallabies Bledisloe 1 Eden Park 7th Aug:
He's not particularly adept at any of the other shit an 8 does. Not a lineout option.
Are you in the not watching rugby box along with m4l? It's an Aussie thing?
Intriguing to hear someone rates Bower and Weber though.
@derpus said in All Blacks vs Wallabies Bledisloe 1 Eden Park 7th Aug:
@gunner Ardie and DMac are the only current All Blacks i don't rate. DMac's run sideways until a gap opens up bit doesn't really work at test level. And Ardie doesn't make the meters he does at SR - and if he isn't making meters what's the point? He's not particularly adept at any of the other shit an 8 does. Not a lineout option.
They'll both probably bag hat tricks now..
DMac, yes agree about the running sideways.
Ardie and making metres, disagree.
Ardie and not being a lineout option, pretty sure I’ve seen him winning lineouts for the ABs, but just in case I’m wrong refer to my point about positions being interchangeable - not a big deal if one of your loosies isn’t a lineout option so long as the other 2 are…
For all the quibbling I'd back the Black pack to do the business. Bower/Ala'alatoa will be fine and Karl/Thor will be interesting. Akira/Adie is a pacy combo.
Only issue for me in backs is DMac/Reece together. If the Mustards kick badly we'll chop them up, but we are in theory vulnerable to high contestables, although Petaia is only taller oppo.
I hope they do. We really need to see some of the new guys emerge and start to stake a claim on the jersey through their performances.
I do hope we get to see us tested against a full strength Bok side this year. I think the pack especially need that challenge and confrontation. It’s the only way we can truly guage where we are at and where we need to improve - individually and collectively. 3o odd tests out from a World Cup is not a lot of time to rebuild a pack, especially when we are playing a completely different style of rugby in SRA and STT, where it doesn’t have the same type of challenges we would get from playing sides from other countries
@dagrubster said in All Blacks vs Wallabies Bledisloe 1 Eden Park 7th Aug:
Looking forward to this match.
The phoney war against Tonga and Fiji is over and we can start to have a serious test match that has meaning and a prized trophy on the line.
Keen to see this All Black side step up and start to put together some consistent high quality performances.
Due to the Covid sitiuation, we are in a position where we have talented players come through but really hard to say many are world class as they only played Aus and arg last year.
I am sure the set piece will go well but keen to see us lift our breakdown performance and carry on with our mauling against stronger, organised defence. On defence, I haven’t been very happy with ours for some time, so keen to see how our systems have developed and how Aus will test us.
Would like to see the ABs execute their gameplan and exert true test match pressure on Aus at our spiritual home. If we do that I will be happy and the scoreline will take care of itself.
Looking forward to BBBR re-announce himself properly and looking to Papalii to have his breakout test match.
Enjoy the game chaps?
Front paged
@bones said in All Blacks vs Wallabies Bledisloe 1 Eden Park 7th Aug:
@gunner yeah Ardie is definitely used in lineouts.
Quite often, too
@machpants said in All Blacks vs Wallabies Bledisloe 1 Eden Park 7th Aug:
So we’ve got a few trial rules
50/22 which I think menas if you kick it from your half and it bounces out inside their 22 you get the throw
A pre tackle binding one, only one person can bind?
Cleanout not allowed to drop weight on jackler or target lower limbs
red card 20 min
golden point
Anything else?
Largely bad ideas as far as I can tell.
A rule to encourage kicking instead of running? It might provide some variation from the blight of box-kicking at best - but the first two players I think of benefitting from a rule like this are the godawful attacking-ball ruining Sexton and O'Gara. What's the best case? More lineout maul drives, everybody's favourite form of attacking rugby?
Making the already messy ruck rulings more difficult to police.
Nobody wants golden point.
All of these rules tend to make the game slower. If you want to increase player safety, make the game fast and open, and reduce the substitutions. Everyone gets smaller because they have to be fitter, and people don't get hurt as much.
@reprobate said in All Blacks vs Wallabies Bledisloe 1 Eden Park 7th Aug:
@machpants said in All Blacks vs Wallabies Bledisloe 1 Eden Park 7th Aug:
So we’ve got a few trial rules
50/22 which I think menas if you kick it from your half and it bounces out inside their 22 you get the throw
A pre tackle binding one, only one person can bind?
Cleanout not allowed to drop weight on jackler or target lower limbs
red card 20 min
golden point
Anything else?Largely bad ideas as far as I can tell.
A rule to encourage kicking instead of running? It might provide some variation from the blight of box-kicking at best - but the first two players I think of benefitting from a rule like this are the godawful attacking-ball ruining Sexton and O'Gara. What's the best case? More lineout maul drives, everybody's favourite form of attacking rugby?
Making the already messy ruck rulings more difficult to police.
Nobody wants golden point.
All of these rules tend to make the game slower. If you want to increase player safety, make the game fast and open, and reduce the substitutions. Everyone gets smaller because they have to be fitter, and people don't get hurt as much.
It's actually to encourage running. On D you've got to cover the kick so have to leave men out of the defensive line.
@booboo I see the theory, but will believe the practice when i see it. if you have a half chance to run with a winger standing a bit deep, and a half chance to peel off 40m with a kick and get the lineout with a winger standing a bit shallow, then lots of people are going for the kick.
@kirwan said in All Blacks vs Wallabies Bledisloe 1 Eden Park 7th Aug:
Memory lane
He’d make a great centre if given a chance
@chris mouthy? by this do you mean they've been hitting the bottle too much because that certainly seems to be the case.
@chris said in All Blacks vs Wallabies Bledisloe 1 Eden Park 7th Aug:
Come on AB,s smash these Wallabies tonight.
They are just getting to mouthy,time to put them back in their place.
At least we haven’t seen any sheep ads in the lead up to this test.
@derpus said in All Blacks vs Wallabies Bledisloe 1 Eden Park 7th Aug:
@chris mouthy? by this do you mean they've been hitting the bottle too much because that certainly seems to be the case.
That too, just a lot of Pump about taking it to the AB'S Banter if its fired me up its good banter.Adds to the occasion better to be engaged than not.
@act-crusader said in All Blacks vs Wallabies Bledisloe 1 Eden Park 7th Aug:
@chris said in All Blacks vs Wallabies Bledisloe 1 Eden Park 7th Aug:
Come on AB,s smash these Wallabies tonight.
They are just getting to mouthy,time to put them back in their place.At least we haven’t seen any sheep ads in the lead up to this test.
No but heard a few, all old ones.
@chris said in All Blacks vs Wallabies Bledisloe 1 Eden Park 7th Aug:
Come on AB,s smash these Wallabies tonight.
They are just getting to mouthy,time to put them back in their place.
I think your are 20 years out of date for this sort of post. 
Hoping for a good game, been some good rugby lately, despite Rapidos depressing take on NZ Rugby.
@kirwan said in All Blacks vs Wallabies Bledisloe 1 Eden Park 7th Aug:
@chris said in All Blacks vs Wallabies Bledisloe 1 Eden Park 7th Aug:
Come on AB,s smash these Wallabies tonight.
They are just getting to mouthy,time to put them back in their place.I think your are 20 years out of date for this sort of post.
Hoping for a good game, been some good rugby lately, despite Rapidos depressing take on NZ Rugby.
Yeah I know,Just trying to fire up some supporters.Hoping for the old contests of not knowing who was going to win.
@chris said in All Blacks vs Wallabies Bledisloe 1 Eden Park 7th Aug:
@kirwan said in All Blacks vs Wallabies Bledisloe 1 Eden Park 7th Aug:
@chris said in All Blacks vs Wallabies Bledisloe 1 Eden Park 7th Aug:
Come on AB,s smash these Wallabies tonight.
They are just getting to mouthy,time to put them back in their place.I think your are 20 years out of date for this sort of post.
Hoping for a good game, been some good rugby lately, despite Rapidos depressing take on NZ Rugby.
Yeah I know,Just trying to fire up some supporters.Hoping for the old contests of not knowing who was going to win.
Sure, as long as the good guys win. 
@act-crusader said in All Blacks vs Wallabies Bledisloe 1 Eden Park 7th Aug:
@kirwan said in All Blacks vs Wallabies Bledisloe 1 Eden Park 7th Aug:
Memory lane
He’d make a great centre if given a chance
But..but...he played there at school!
@reprobate said in All Blacks vs Wallabies Bledisloe 1 Eden Park 7th Aug:
If you want to increase player safety, make the game fast and open, and reduce the substitutions.
I've seen a couple of people say this and it doesn't compute for me.
In my mind what that leads to is players being more prone to error (e.g. high tackles) as they're more tired, as well as bodies being more prone to injury.
@chris said in All Blacks vs Wallabies Bledisloe 1 Eden Park 7th Aug:
Come on AB,s smash these Wallabies tonight.
They are just getting to mouthy,time to put them back in their place.
@Chris is @Virgils alter ego
@tim said in All Blacks vs Wallabies Bledisloe 1 Eden Park 7th Aug:
It’s understood that the illness isn’t serious, but the All Blacks coaches have decided to play safe and go with Tuipulotu.
Patty T needs a big one if he gets on - he is nearing last chance saloon at test level, save for the fact that there aren't too many other compelling alternatives.
@frank said in All Blacks vs Wallabies Bledisloe 1 Eden Park 7th Aug:
@tim said in All Blacks vs Wallabies Bledisloe 1 Eden Park 7th Aug:
It’s understood that the illness isn’t serious, but the All Blacks coaches have decided to play safe and go with Tuipulotu.
Patty T needs a big one if he gets on - he is nearing last chance saloon at test level, save for the fact that there aren't too many other compelling alternatives.
I can't really think of a game where he's let us down from the bench. I have a couple of memories of him coming off the bench and stealing the next lineout though.
@tim said in All Blacks vs Wallabies Bledisloe 1 Eden Park 7th Aug:
It’s understood that the illness isn’t serious, but the All Blacks coaches have decided to play safe and go with Tuipulotu.
Scott is running around in the warm up in shorts and t-shirts, his mum won't be happy if he's got a sniffle
@nzzp said in All Blacks vs Wallabies Bledisloe 1 Eden Park 7th Aug:
Trains delayed due to muppets on the track.
Why are there muppets on the tracks FFS looking for dregs.