Geekzone Rugby (Union) Discussion Thread

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Mad Scientist
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#1664886 7-Nov-2016 11:22

networkn:

tdgeek:

I thought the last try was smart. An AB type try. The commentators were picking that they will keep the scrum and push over, but they showed flare, and surprised us.

We will win against Ireland in 2 weeks, but Im picking it will be close-ish. It isn't like we can pick holes in them, its about knowing they will play to win, show flare. Many lower sides play us to hold on. They don't pay to win they play to restrain us. Hold on as best we can, but IRE's attitude was we will play to win, and that pressure got results. We faced a team that took us by surprise, and I think that pressure was the issue, rather than us playing average. We were taken on. They had possession, and thats good om them, but also we couldn't find a way to get our share. So, next game, they will pay as hard, should be a great one. I reckon a 30-20 AB win will be a great result for IRE all things considered.

Do you think they would have won if we had even one of our 2 preferred locks and or hadn't lost our entire midfield?

I don't believe any of the teams in the RC played to contain us, yet we obtained 6 bonus point wins. Maybe Italy will try and limit us, but I expect another big scoreline there regardless.

Who is your pick of the best team of the last 50 years?

On another unrelated note, I believe the coaches need to have a serious conversation with Moody. He is exceptionally lucky he didn't get a red card for that. His discipline recently hasn't been near good enough, though I suspect that is because, like Dane Coles who went through a similar thing a few years ago, the Coaches have asked for more aggression from him.

couple of things

- athletes get better. who's the best sprinter of all time? Carl Lewis has 10 Olympic medals inc 9 golds vs Usain Bolt only 9 gold, but 3 are not individual golds. Usain bolt is better because his world records speak for themselves.

of course as time goes on the ABs get better. from their diet to psychologists to individualised training.

- would they have won if we didn't have injuries? would they have won if Moody was red carded as he should according to the laws of the game? [google sam warburton rugby world cup] (last time Aus had a game changing try disallowed because the laws were applied)

tdgeek

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#1664956 7-Nov-2016 12:57

networkn:

tdgeek:

I thought the last try was smart. An AB type try. The commentators were picking that they will keep the scrum and push over, but they showed flare, and surprised us.

We will win against Ireland in 2 weeks, but Im picking it will be close-ish. It isn't like we can pick holes in them, its about knowing they will play to win, show flare. Many lower sides play us to hold on. They don't pay to win they play to restrain us. Hold on as best we can, but IRE's attitude was we will play to win, and that pressure got results. We faced a team that took us by surprise, and I think that pressure was the issue, rather than us playing average. We were taken on. They had possession, and thats good om them, but also we couldn't find a way to get our share. So, next game, they will pay as hard, should be a great one. I reckon a 30-20 AB win will be a great result for IRE all things considered.

Do you think they would have won if we had even one of our 2 preferred locks and or hadn't lost our entire midfield?

I don't believe any of the teams in the RC played to contain us, yet we obtained 6 bonus point wins. Maybe Italy will try and limit us, but I expect another big scoreline there regardless.

Who is your pick of the best team of the last 50 years?

On another unrelated note, I believe the coaches need to have a serious conversation with Moody. He is exceptionally lucky he didn't get a red card for that. His discipline recently hasn't been near good enough, though I suspect that is because, like Dane Coles who went through a similar thing a few years ago, the Coaches have asked for more aggression from him.

Ireland won 40-29, not 6-3. To have 40 points scored by missing players and some position changes? so it should have been 40-12 to the AB's otherwise?

Commentators said over and over, when comparing how a lower ranked team like Ireland, and others , play against NZ, as they cant be serious about a win over the AB;s, so they tend to play containment. Hang on.

Not this team. What about the team prior to this, with Richie, Dan, when Jane and Smith C. etc were on song? How can this current team that has some old guard and new blood be that good, or better?

networkn

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#1670506 14-Nov-2016 10:16

Stunning classy move by the MAB laying that Jersey in front of the Munster players with AF on it.

Interesting game with Italy. Shocking how much possession they kicked away, and to be honest it was as much that as anything amazing by the AB's that saw the scoreline blow out like that. Not saying the AB's played badly, they certainly didn't on the whole. Some of those passes were sublime.

I remain unconvinced at DM, though he didn't have a bad game. I think the more senior players stepped up well, ID was really active. Not really that convinced on Nahalo and Malaki Fekitoa, I'll be surprised to see if he features in the AB's future much if Crotty and ALB and Moala are fit. Not to say he isn't a good enough player, but I don't really think he copes that well at test level. AC played OK. I didn't think he deserved man of the match, but /me shrugs.

To my mind our hooking looks amazing these days, DC and co look like backs! Our scrum doesn't look as dominant, but what a difference specialist locks make to the game for us.

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#1670511 14-Nov-2016 10:20

I am predicting a big blowout to the AB's against Ireland. 25+ points, possibly a fair bit more. This AB's group don't take well to losing and with more players fit and with renewed focus, I see Ireland getting a hiding, even taking into account home advantage. I hope they can do that, to set the record straight.

I sort of get the impression from what "isn't" being said, they are on a slow boil.

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#1674475 20-Nov-2016 11:52

Well, that was slightly painful to watch. If it weren't for our amazing defense there wouldn't be too much to write home about that was fantastic.

Our error rate and discipline looks decidedly average. We don't look half the team from a month ago in that regard. I do think the Irish got some pretty fortunate calls, however, that's the way sport is sometimes. Those complaining about the Barrett try should consider it was exceptionally likely if not given, would have been looked at for a penalty try for a high tackle.

It was hardly the hiding I expected us to hand out, but wow on defense. Aaron Smith looks out of sorts, I am hoping he can recover quickly. I was pleased the coaches left him on instead of hooking him, pulling him after a few mistakes would probably have dented his confidence. I also think our forwards didn't front like we have been earlier in the year, perhaps we are facing some real competition there.

Ben Smith looks unlikely to play next week, I am glad they didn't close up the injury.

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#1674514 20-Nov-2016 13:01

I don't expect anything fantastic from the All Blacks but I really enjoy it when they do something amazing. As you say, networkn, it was their defense that was amazing this time.

I thought the win was very solid. Apart from making some very good breaks, Irish players didn't look much like scoring a try.

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#1674517 20-Nov-2016 13:08

Hammerer:

I don't expect anything fantastic from the All Blacks but I really enjoy it when they do something amazing. As you say, networkn, it was their defense that was amazing this time.

I thought the win was very solid. Apart from making some very good breaks, Irish players didn't look much like scoring a try.

To some degree I think it's a matter of them not attacking as well, that made our defense look good (Not disputing the fact it was still very good).

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#1674705 20-Nov-2016 22:24

Man, Aaron Smith is getting some pretty heavy fire for his less than stellar last few outings. I find it pretty tough that a guy who has been the best for a number of years, has 2-3 average to poor games and is now demoted in peoples eyes. I think people need to give the guy a break and see how he goes.

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#1674777 21-Nov-2016 08:51

I am still left wondering how Sexton managed to stay on the field after his combination head-high, neck-roll tackle of Barrett in the attempt to prevent his try. It was every bit as bad as the one that caused Fekitoa to be yellow carded. Never mind whether the ball was grounded or not, because it may have been prevented by an illegal act. Penalty try and a yellow card. Also the number of neck rolls on the fringes of the ruck that went unpunished left me seething.
Smith's yellow card was a 50/50 call and certainly not deserved. The ball had exited the ruck, being behind any body part of an Irish player and sitting at the feet of the halfback. If anything it was may have been slightly mistimed, but not cynical.
As for the penalty count, the defensive team will always be penalised more, by virtue of trying to wrest the ball away.
I have to agree with Hansen, all they ask is that the rules be applied evenly.
And citing Sam Cane for his tackle on O'Brien when he spun and ducked into it, is ridiculous.

Because we are unaware of what's going on with Aaron Smith personally we have to trust that the management team know what they are doing. However, elite sport relies so much on confidence, that the position of run-on halfback may not be appropriate for someone with personal issues that is down on confidence.

What a difference having Whitelock and Retallick back made.

“We’ve arranged a society based on science and technology, in which nobody understands anything about science technology. Carl Sagan 1996

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#1674798 21-Nov-2016 09:58

Sacre Bleu! That away jersey is HORRIBLE.

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#1674799 21-Nov-2016 10:08

I am unsure why Cane is being cited, I wasn't convinced it was even a Penalty. He used arms, the guy was falling, seemed like nothing to me.

The Fekitoa one is considerably worse, definitely yellow, was surprised to think it may have reached Red.

I felt whilst the defense by the AB's was pretty staunch, the reactive defense, vs the normal structured defense left us with arms out which increased our chances of high tackles.

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#1674870 21-Nov-2016 11:15

networkn:

I am unsure why Cane is being cited, I wasn't convinced it was even a Penalty. He used arms, the guy was falling, seemed like nothing to me.

The Fekitoa one is considerably worse, definitely yellow, was surprised to think it may have reached Red.

I felt whilst the defense by the AB's was pretty staunch, the reactive defense, vs the normal structured defense left us with arms out which increased our chances of high tackles.

I can see why Fekitoa's tackle could reach the red card threshold. He didn't start on he shoulder and slip up, and he jumped at the player and connected the the neck + head, with considerable force.

Cane, not so much. When I watch it again, I don't see ahead clash, but the contact is shoulder on shoulder which slips up, he wrapped the left arm under the armpits, and the right arm would have wrapped but Henshaw slipping from his spin meant it slipped up off the player.

I initially thought it was head clash, but Canes head was tilted left away from the players face. If he reeled away with a shiner / bleeding I'd e more inclined to see it that way.

The Irish (fans) have said the high tackles stopped them scoring, If they weren't high, then they still don't score, They can only blame themselves for not getting a try during the 1/4 of the match where they were a man up.

The AB's need to dominate / attack the breakdown more so we don't need to defend so much, which pressures us into penalties.

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#1674875 21-Nov-2016 11:21

JonnyCam:

The AB's need to dominate / attack the breakdown more so we don't need to defend so much, which pressures us into penalties.

I 100% agree with THIS. I was going to comment the same way. I don't think our forwards have been that great recently, we have relied on super quick ball. I do think our game needs to adapt to teams that want to compete at the breakdown, an area we used to be much better at. I know it's a tactic to not compete, and if both teams aren't really competing it's fine, but against Ireland we should have competed, and a lot better. Ardie was trying, but ultimately not well enough (or at least not enough assistance).

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#1674878 21-Nov-2016 11:22

How embarrassing for Italty to beat SA. It was dumb to get rid of Meyer in my opinion, though I understand it was political because he wasn't complying with the quota system quickly enough. I know they had that loss to Japan at the RWC, but that was one out of the box. I wouldn't say they have been great, but certainly better last year than this one.

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#1674927 21-Nov-2016 12:28

Oops my mistake, Cane's tackle was onn Henshaw not O'Brien.

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