Geekzone Rugby (Union) Discussion Thread

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Networkn
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#2586045 15-Oct-2020 20:42

Handle9:

Looks like George Bridge is out for the season with a pectoral injury. It's really unfortunate for him.

Wow, that sucks! For him and us!

Re Scotty Stevenson and his tweets, why pitch it as a win against NZR when it's actually both Unions that benefit from it? He really needs to stop with his anti NZR nonsense it's making him look silly. He doesn't need to be one sided, he could actually just report the information without the incessant slant he puts on it. I actually stopped following him a few weeks ago, it's tiresome.

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Handle9

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#2586051 15-Oct-2020 21:03

So if that's what Australia asked for as the price for moving the dates that's not a win?

What stories do you see where he has been wrong?

From what I've seen Stevenson has been consistently accurate with these types of stories and I like most of the rugby media he doesn't parrot the party line from NZR.

He was the first I saw to report the problems within SANZAAR, at the start of the year, and he was correct when he said the RPA were livid about the Pacific team.

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#2586061 15-Oct-2020 21:29

It's hardly a big win *over* NZR if they both benefit. It's the constant unncessary slant against NZR that becomes tiresome. He could just report the information impartially. I'm clearly not the only one who feels that way based on the comments.

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#2586069 15-Oct-2020 21:47

If it's not something that NZ had on the table it is a win for RA. If it's something that was already in the works that is a different story.

I agree that it's mutually beneficial, as a real trans-tasman competition would be. NZR hasn't seemed to interested in mutually beneficial solutions for super rugby.

tukapa1

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#2586100 16-Oct-2020 05:11

I agree with Handle9 - definitely a win for RA. NZRU had made it pretty clear the Super rugby replacement was their way or the highway and they've had to back down.

I don't think anybody is saying it's not going to be beneficial for the tournament. The NZ players will need some softer games if SR Aotearoa this year was anything to go by.

Reports out that SA have pulled out of the Rugby Championship a few hours ago.

Handle9

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#2586440 16-Oct-2020 21:51

Some interesting comments from Graham Henry.

https://www.rugby.com.au/News/2020/10/16/Bledisloe-Cup-Graham-Henry-says-Dave-Rennie-should-be-All-Blacks-coach-not-Ian-Foster?amp=1&__twitter_impression=true

Handle9

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#2586708 17-Oct-2020 18:54

Auckland gave Tasman a pasting today. Tasman don't seem as dominant this year despite having some excellent recruits.

Handle9

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#2587221 18-Oct-2020 20:03

It was a better All Black performance but it was far from convincing. The kick chase game was terrible and defense is a huge problem. It's really not up to the standard of the top international sides. Goodhues passing is still a problem, he really isn't convincing at 12, he seems a much better player at 13. Saying that he did make some very strong crash ball runs, including the one that Smith scored from.

There were some significant positives as well. Sam Cane was huge again, with Savea, Tuipolotu and Coles much better with the ball. Clarke was superb with the ball. Beauden Barrett made a massive difference. When it was tight he was the one who made the play, with Mo'unga again anonymous. Smiths try was a direct result of Barrett controlling the play.

When it opened up Mo'unga was much better than last week but he needs to find a way to contribute when it is tighter. He's still young in his international career and should get there but he's not there yet.

A better performance but there is a lot of work to do if we want to consistently beat the tougher Northern hemisphere sides or South Africa.

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#2587234 18-Oct-2020 21:12

Agree on kick chase, I was getting quite frustrated. It was a significantly better forwards performance than the week prior and probably for quite a few matches. Caleb Clarkes performance was barnstorming I'd agree. Goodhue's passing is normally excellent, it was a highlight of his first season with the AB's, but the last 2 games he has had some odd ones (probably because he is playing out of position and he looks far from comfortable there. I really don't get what the coaches want from that combination playing both players out of position). Sam Cane and Savea agreed both excellent, surely there can't be a critic left in NZ now?! Not sure what is up with Mo'unga he normally takes the line at least as much as Barrett, he doesn't seem to be playing his normal game, I am not sure if he has been told to try something different by the coaches, but he seems ... Unsure? It was a particularly amazing piece of defence to save that try though. The Australian heads dropped a bit after that. Accuracy was better but far from great.

It was obvious from the first collision, we had a point to prove. It was great to see us winning the collision. Getting schooled at scrum and maul time wasn't great. We had a lot of first-choice players not on the field and it seems like we are experimenting. With that in mind, that was a fairly impressive game all things considered.

Perenara is the only halfback I am aware of who can't pass really well, but the other stuff he brings is quite amazing. If we could create a 16th position for him on the field.. :)

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#2587317 19-Oct-2020 03:13

We assume great super rugby player = great international. It's just not the same. Test rugby is faster, the top defenses are much better and it's much much more physical. The athletes are bigger, stronger and faster so there is less space.

Mo'unga is very early in his career internationally. He's played about 20 tests but started maybe 10? It's a very different game from Super Rugby. One of the issues I think he has stepping up is a lot of his game is built on his ability to move laterally. When he has space he can dance around and make players look totally foolish but when it gets tighter he has to make much faster decisions and run straighter. It's going to be more difficult with the better defensive sides who will rush much better than Australia. He's also pretty small - he was brave in saving the Koroibete near try but also quite lucky - Koroibete totally bulldozed him but ALB pushed him back into Mo'unga on the ground. He got made to look very foolish in an open field play where the same thing happened.

This year there has so been much media nonsense talked about him being the best in the world - he's not even close. He'll could very well get there, he has some real strengths and is lightning with space but he's still early in his career. It'll take some time for him to be judged at that level.

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#2587712 19-Oct-2020 12:42

Handle9:

This year there has so been much media nonsense talked about him being the best in the world - he's not even close. He'll could very well get there, he has some real strengths and is lightning with space but he's still early in his career. It'll take some time for him to be judged at that level.

I certainly haven't seen much of that, and I'd be dismissive of that as well.

I am aware there is a difference in test rugby (as there is at all the other levels too, watching heartland Rugby and various levels above that is quite telling). He was instrumental in a couple of tries yesterday and in general, play was pretty solid, if not a little hesitant in some places. My overall gut feeling is that the coaches are asking him to play something different than his instincts are telling him too (which may be required in the game plan they are trying to execute).

Time will tell if he is one of the greats.

However, I do think you are being pretty harsh on the team in general. We have new coaches, lots of new players and second choice players in positions due to injury. I think they did really well, and I hope they get better as time goes on. The response from the AB's was what I'd hoped it would be. Physical, and proud.

I have never rated Scott MacLeod as defense coach for the AB's. We have had some great defensive efforts in his time in charge, but we were much better to my mind, under Wayne Smith. My feeling is that we have gone backwards in Scrum dominance as well. I had thought Mike Cron had left with Steve Hansen but I see he was made redundant this year due to Covid.

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#2587866 19-Oct-2020 16:53

In the first test 14 of the players were in the world cup squad. The exception was Mackenzie. There are new players and injuries every year for every team, there's nothing exceptional there. They played the same attacking and defensive pattern as the All Blacks have for the last few years.

I think it's entirely fair to have high expectations of the staff, the pitch for Foster was continuity and he isn't enacting change.

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#2589448 20-Oct-2020 17:09

Did Lachlan Boshier hit on Ian Fosters wife?

tukapa1

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#2589513 20-Oct-2020 20:19

It's a really weird decision.

Boshier can feel rightly peeved. Maybe the Wellington/Plumtree connection in that decision.

I know both Kirifi and Boshier and they're both top young men, but this is a kick in the teeth for Lachie.

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#2589586 20-Oct-2020 21:50

Handle9: Did Lachlan Boshier hit on Ian Fosters wife?

Or his daughter?

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