Geekzone Rugby (Union) Discussion Thread

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#3279065 4-Sep-2024 20:17

I found this both interesting and entirely unsurprising. It’s not hard to see why South Africa don’t get many cards for high tackles and the other three teams do.

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#3279066 4-Sep-2024 20:20

You forgot to mention that it's because Robertson is as green as grass at this level 🤣

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#3279081 4-Sep-2024 22:46

tukapa1:

Apology accepted.

Hopefully, you feel better now.

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#3279100 4-Sep-2024 23:42

networkn:
tukapa1:

Apology accepted.

Hopefully, you feel better now.

Cough

GV27

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#3279122 5-Sep-2024 07:10

Quite through sheer numbers, I seem to be getting exposed to far more hot takes from SA fans about the result on the weekend on social media, and let me tell you, it seems the SA as at bad as winning graciously as we are at losing.

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#3279182 5-Sep-2024 09:15

As much fun as page after page of arguments are about exactly how experienced/inexperienced the ABs are, it might be time to listen to Princess Elsa on all that nonsense. Personally I'm much more focussed on the selection decisions for this weekend - which will be announced later today.

The bench strength seems to be the focus of a lot of people. Papali'i coming back will be one major help. Personally, I'd still start Cane and have Papali'i coming off the bench - but I guess there's an argument to do it round the other way. Either way is still a big positive.

Another big decision is the fullback/bench spot call. A while ago, I would have definitely said start Jordan at 15 and have Barrett bringing impact of the bench. I still think that's how I'm leaning, but we do need a really good kicking/exit game and Jordan is a bit untested at test level around that. However, some of Barrett's kicking was pretty average last week. I think Razor will probably still start Beauden at 15 though.

Lastly halfback. Will they swap TJ and Ratima? It would be a big call in terms of starting with such an inexperienced 9, but I think I'd do it. If TJ was on the bench, with Papali'i and Barrett, that would mean a huge lift in experience in the last 10 - 20 mins.

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#3279189 5-Sep-2024 09:57

GV27:

Quite through sheer numbers, I seem to be getting exposed to far more hot takes from SA fans about the result on the weekend on social media, and let me tell you, it seems the SA as at bad as winning graciously as we are at losing.

Yeah, it's been quite noticeable from 2019. Seems to be a post in my facebook feed most days about x days as world champions.

To be fair, they aren't that graceful at losing, et al Rassie being suspended for attacking referees and the sheer number of posts about refereeing decisions.

I do see the odd smattering of humility, but largely it's arrogance and hubris.

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#3279311 5-Sep-2024 15:38

Earbanean:

As much fun as page after page of arguments are about exactly how experienced/inexperienced the ABs are, it might be time to listen to Princess Elsa on all that nonsense. Personally I'm much more focussed on the selection decisions for this weekend - which will be announced later today.

The bench strength seems to be the focus of a lot of people. Papali'i coming back will be one major help. Personally, I'd still start Cane and have Papali'i coming off the bench - but I guess there's an argument to do it round the other way. Either way is still a big positive.

Another big decision is the fullback/bench spot call. A while ago, I would have definitely said start Jordan at 15 and have Barrett bringing impact of the bench. I still think that's how I'm leaning, but we do need a really good kicking/exit game and Jordan is a bit untested at test level around that. However, some of Barrett's kicking was pretty average last week. I think Razor will probably still start Beauden at 15 though.

Lastly halfback. Will they swap TJ and Ratima? It would be a big call in terms of starting with such an inexperienced 9, but I think I'd do it. If TJ was on the bench, with Papali'i and Barrett, that would mean a huge lift in experience in the last 10 - 20 mins.

Ollie Ritchie has reported that Blackadder and Caleb Clarke are both injured. It's two more games in a row than I expected out of Blackadder.

There's also rumours on socials that Beauden Barrett and Perenara will come off the bench. That feels a bit paniced.

I've got a nasty feeling we could lose this one by quite a lot. I really hope I'm wrong.

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#3279425 6-Sep-2024 08:17

Handle9:

Ollie Ritchie has reported that Blackadder and Caleb Clarke are both injured. It's two more games in a row than I expected out of Blackadder.

There's also rumours on socials that Beauden Barrett and Perenara will come off the bench. That feels a bit paniced.

I've got a nasty feeling we could lose this one by quite a lot. I really hope I'm wrong.

This is indeed what has panned out. Not sure moving the wrong players to the bench will suddenly make them the right players.

I would have cycled Blackadder out at this point anyway, he was bit of a ref magnet in the previous game. Barrett off the bench feels like a mistake, Peranara probably needs the game to have slowed down a bit to be effective, but I'm miffed as to why Cortez-Ratima is suddenly starting after not really having a good game off the bench. It's hard to see how he's clearly a preferrable option over Christie, who was benched on performance seemingly instantly and not revisited.

Jordan at fullback might make him more comfortable but we've now got Reece back into the fold, who is going to have to play the game of his season to be even close as effective as Clarke was. I'd rather have kept Jordan on the wing and Barrett at fullback.

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#3279480 6-Sep-2024 09:15

Christie isn’t in the squad so it’s not like they can go to him. IMO it’s not entirely coincidental that things fell apart after Perenara went off. It was actually the kind of game where Christie could have made a difference with his kicking game and defense around the fringes. The only other option was Hotham who it seems they don’t trust either. He and Bell were always strange selections. They’d have been better served by playing NPC in this part of the year. Taking them on the end of season tour would have been a better time to introduce them if they aren’t going to play them at all.

I would have started Barrett and put Papalii on the bench on a 6-2 bench. I really don’t understand what 3 backs on the bench achieves, especially when one of them was a winger. If your wings can’t play 80 minutes you’ve got the wrong wings. Whatever they do I hope they don’t try and move Reiko to the wing mid game. He’s not a winger anymore and it hasn’t worked when they’ve tried it. It’d be a different situation if there was an injury but it doesn’t make sense as a tactical sub.

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#3279830 8-Sep-2024 07:43

Hey Scott. 1998 called. They want their substitution plan back.

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#3279839 8-Sep-2024 08:55

Getting kind of predictable at this point.

Apparently we only lost five games in the Mitchell era, slated as one of the worst coaches in recent memory. We're up to three already.

Short notes:

Wingers awful. Talaea almost seemed more comfortable when he came in-field and was playing 13. Reece is just not improving, but I guess that hasn't been much an issue to date so I figure they'll stick with him and drop Talaea.

Bright point (there weren't many) was the higher number of turnovers won. We went from near none to heaps, and it was everyone, loosies, tight five, they were all in there. Given we were getting no service from Blackadder in this area and we can clearly manage without him, it makes you wonder if the penalties he gives away makes him more trouble than he's worth.

This still isn't it. Moving the wrong players around from the starting team to the bench doesn't change the fact you picked the wrong players. Some have come good (Taylor being an example) but given the players who got dropped altogether (Christie) or not even picked in the first place (Riccitelli, Sotutu) the decision to stick with some of the squad in the hope they'd come good (in many cases after a season and some tests of poor performances) was just wrong.

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#3279873 8-Sep-2024 11:28

Errors just keep costing us momentum. When was the last time we scored no tries in a match?

We have some nice attack structures and just don't finish. Agree both wingers were awful. Reece seems to have lost some of his spark and confidence.

Bad night for MacKenzie to have a shocker of two kicks (why didn't Jordie take the first?).

I just feel quite frustrated that things are just a bit off and it's costing us so much.

We had set peice parity across those two matches, that is a plus, our break down work was pretty good.

That yellow at the end made me want to throw my remote at the TV.

We could and should have won both those games, but both games were decided by a converted try or less in terms of points, to a team who is playing pretty well, at home.

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#3279876 8-Sep-2024 11:40

I would contest that SA are playing 'well' - they're doing OK but they hardly seem to massively on-top of their game. They gave away a lot at ruck time and their aerial game was hit and miss, which is unusual.

An on-song SA team would have wiped the floor with us. I feel like them having some wobbles has made things look better than they actually are.

Interestingly, Razor's win/loss percentage is now lower than Foster's.

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#3279929 8-Sep-2024 12:03

GV27:

I would contest that SA are playing 'well' - they're doing OK but they hardly seem to massively on-top of their game. They gave away a lot at ruck time and their aerial game was hit and miss, which is unusual.

An on-song SA team would have wiped the floor with us. I feel like them having some wobbles has made things look better than they actually are.

Interestingly, Razor's win/loss percentage is now lower than Foster's.

You'd be in the minority holding that opinion I think. Are they playing their absolute best? No, but no doubt they are in the top 3 teams in the world right now.

I don't think SA would have wiped the floor with us on-song, because if you are running that scenario, then we would need to be on song too, to compare, and then it's a much different situation. You can only play who you are presented with.

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