Geekzone Rugby (Union) Discussion Thread

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#2786739 30-Sep-2021 07:17

This is very interesting and worth a read.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/sep/17/were-microchipped-mouthguards-the-key-to-harlequins-rugby-success

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#2786780 30-Sep-2021 09:01

Handle9: This is very interesting and worth a read.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/sep/17/were-microchipped-mouthguards-the-key-to-harlequins-rugby-success

Thanks, that was really interesting.

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#2786785 30-Sep-2021 09:11

So, I am a little torn about how the AB's should select this upcoming team today.

I'd love to have AB's complete a clean sweep this Rugby Championship. I'd like to see more or less the same team given a chance to build on the experience of last time, and try and right the wrongs of last time, including an under fire Bridge who I think is a great player, who's confidence would be likely dented by being dropped after last week. He certainly wasn't alone in a poor performance though and I feel the same way.

Having said that, we don't play SA much anymore, and I feel giving as many players exposure to the pressure that SA brings, would be valuable too.

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#2787064 30-Sep-2021 14:30

networkn:

So, I am a little torn about how the AB's should select this upcoming team today.

I'd love to have AB's complete a clean sweep this Rugby Championship. I'd like to see more or less the same team given a chance to build on the experience of last time, and try and right the wrongs of last time, including an under fire Bridge who I think is a great player, who's confidence would be likely dented by being dropped after last week. He certainly wasn't alone in a poor performance though and I feel the same way.

Having said that, we don't play SA much anymore, and I feel giving as many players exposure to the pressure that SA brings, would be valuable too.

Bridge has had hardly any rugby before he was back in the All Blacks. Think it might be a case of not enough prep games at Super level. His injury was quite bad so not sure if he will get back to the level before and definitely not in a few games.

It highlights one of the issues of being in a extended All blacks squad (even pre covid) and how the players don't get enough real game build up if coming back from injury or numbers 30+ in the squad.

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#2788487 3-Oct-2021 09:47

When I saw the result I was hoping to see some 65m kicks from francois steyn but it was super entertaining nonetheless

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#2788497 3-Oct-2021 10:16

I really enjoyed that game.

No team wins all the time and we were outplayed across all the stats and almost man for man across the park.

Thoroughly deserved win for the Boks. It was great to see them play some footy this week and they showed how dangerous they can be. Long may that continue.

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#2788759 3-Oct-2021 20:29

I also really enjoyed the game.

I am disappointed we couldn't finish the game without a penalty. We should be able to phase and recycle 3 times to wind a clock down, without giving away a penalty, especially when we didn't need to make the gain line.

The Boks really took it to us. They had a varied game plan and strategically kept us guessing what was coming next. Ardie is an outstanding player, but shouldn't be captain I don't think.

It's worrying that our lineout, breakdown, and general forwards play were pretty much second to the Boks effort most of the night. Not really sure what we can do about that realistically (though I think having Whitelock back will help the lineout), we don't have much better coming down the pipeline. Having said that, I think we will have learned a lot from these two matches.

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#2789773 5-Oct-2021 13:31

I thought the breakdown first 15 minutes of analysis was fairly on point this week.

I think despite being pretty frustrated at the error that cost us the game at the end, I am not as upset as some people seem to be that we lost. We have given some valuable experience to players, and right now I think that's probably more important to expose the players to these type of contests.

Yes, I'd like our lineout functioning, some of our decision-making to be better, and our forwards to be better in general, but we lost by 2 points, scored more tries, and had a fantastic contest that our guys will have learned from.

I also agree that SA must sort it's team management's behaviour out immediately. It's entirely unacceptable what Rassie did a month ago, and totally unacceptable that their head coach told a water boy to harass the sideline referee. I agree that he should have been sent from the field immediately. They should aslo have been fined a decent chunk of money.

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#2791302 7-Oct-2021 15:29

Auckland out of the NPC. No team is bigger than the game but with the big boys of Northern Rugby stuck at home, it's hard to see this year's title as having any legitimacy.

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#2797113 18-Oct-2021 14:24

RIP Sean Wainui apparently killed in a single-car accident in the Waikato this morning :(

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#2801072 25-Oct-2021 21:36

Well that wasn't as good as I'd hoped USA v AB's. What a sloppy display at times against almost no resistance. The continual throwing passes that weren't on and leaking two tries really left a bit of a bad taste in my mouth. I'd rather have seen 8 quality tries and excellent discipline and defense than 16 tries and 2 leaked with sloppy play.

There were some quality tries in there though, for sure.

Our bench didn't add too much in way of impact. I feel this is an area we need to work on, our bench seems to fairly often not be a seamless transition lately, we lose our structure and patterns rather than continuing on and being able to raise the pace.

I hope the US gets the 2031 RWC.

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#2801774 27-Oct-2021 08:48

I saw the intercept pass that Australia threw when they played Japan last weekend coming a mile off. I can't recall a time where I saw a team make the same mistake so many times in a season. It didn't cost them the match this time, but they *really* need to sort that.

Mo'unga or Barrett to start at 10 this week against Wales? I am quite torn on this. Usually, I'd say Mo'unga simply because he is a bit quicker and his kicking has been a bit better, and his footwork is electric, combined with more time in decent test matches is needed. On the other hand, Barrett played well during the Rugby Championship, and it will be his 100th test, something I can't seem them wanting him to do off the bench which is probably fair enough. The other option would be M10 B15, but they haven't played that combination recently. Jordie is the form 15 right now, though MacKenzie certainly made the most of the time and space the USA afforded him last weekend.

George Bridge looks off the pace. He has had a limited number of opportunities as play hasn't really gone his way, often getting the ball in a situation where all he can do with the space left, is take contact, therefore not allowing him many/any scoring opportunities, however, against the USA, there was space and he didn't seem to be able to hit top gear, I wonder if he continues to struggle with an injury that hasn't really been reported on? Bridges support play has been instrumental in a number of tries, but we do seem to gloss over that in favour of our wingers scoring. The selectors have continued to show faith in him, but I am not sure how much more we will see of him this year.

Those people who earlier had indicated it would be no big deal if our two first-choice hookers weren't available, should now be able to see that we have a pretty decent gulf between 2-and everyone else. It will close up somewhat, but to a man our hookers throwing this season has been pretty poor. Even balls that have been retrieved are often off target.

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#2805207 1-Nov-2021 11:45

One thing that I think Foster has done well with the AB's, is to make them settled and united. These are challenging times away from family, and whilst they are well paid, and getting to travel and there are many many benefits to being an All Black, it's still not easy being away from your family for such a long time, and I think the AB's look pretty cohesive.

Their game against a second choice Welsh team was a romp, but I think credit is still owed for some quite magical handling.

It was nice to see something emphatic in BB's 100th test, including the first and last try of the match. I can understand the Welsh feeling Barrett should have been carded for his incident. Initially I thought there was a small chance he could have caught it, but what I saw from different angles subsequently, means it was less of an intercept and more of swat at the ball, either by instinct, accident or intentionally. I am actually puzzled why it didn't end up yellow to be honest.

Another record under Foster is set to fall, which is most tries in an international season, if the AB's score 4 or more tries before the end of the year, something one would hope should be pretty achievable, given we are playing Italy next weekend.

If we can hold off Ireland and France, I think it could be said the AB's will have had a pretty reasonable season all things considered. Would I like the forwards to be more dominant, yep, for sure, but we won and lost against SA by a single point and most people seem to think their forwards were pretty good, we also weren't at full strength.

Laulala tackles at the absolute limit IMO. He is very lucky he wasn't given more than a yellow, and without mitigation that could easily have been red.

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#2805395 1-Nov-2021 14:32

One thing that is nice to see is depth in our loose forwards. We finally have some fairly abrasive hard running defensive loosies. Plenty of people putting their hands up. Ethan Blackadder looks the closest in my mind, to Kaino who is the last truly great 6 we have had. Ioane shows some great stuff, and of course Savea. We have reasonable depth at wing, and fullback. Half Back remains pretty thin.

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#2805405 1-Nov-2021 14:48

networkn: Half Back remains pretty thin.

So you aren’t happy with Perenara, Christie and Weber? And Smith and Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi still in NZ to name just current or recent AB No9s. Plus others that could probably play at international level.

Our thinnest stocks are probably at Lock.

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