tukapa1: Rankings haven't been updated yet. Some time this week.

Strange, the rankings were updated as of today, and the last time was the 4th of July. 

But yes, if that 11th July ranking doesn't take into account the 9th of July game, then that might have an impact. 

As of today, SA have 90.61, NZ 89.72, France 89.24, and Ireland 87.25.

networkn:

So the world champs dropped a game to a team that had never won on SA soil yesterday as well. It goes to show much how closer the top 8 teams in the world are. 

 

Handle9:

 

South Africa played something close to their B team and still nearly won.

So? The week before they fielded a stronger team and nearly lost :)

We can justify a SA loss, but not a NZ one? 

I think for whatever reason, the spine of the team, the part that keeps us up when we face adversity, has somewhat eroded. It could be a lack of a talismanic leader like McCaw (I thought highly of Keiran but never felt he had the same leadership drive and qualities as McCaw), or the fact our confidence has been dinged a bit. We are fielding a vastly less experienced side than 3 years ago, and whilst our slide backward has been happening a while, it's going to take some time for things to rebuild if they ever can again. My biggest concern, and it's been a worry for a while (even in Hansens Era) , is that we don't adapt very well. For the longest time we had no real reason to change a game plan. We knew, if we ground down a team, we would win in the last 20 minutes. That advantage is gone, or our ability to grind down opponents is less now, so that last 20 minutes is often still a cage fight. 

afe66: We play badly, Ireland didn't, they won, end of story.

The takling of the player without the ball should have been a penalty try. Even the rediculous one eye nz commentators thought so.

They played better than we did, they deserved to win and did so. It's only a game. Let's be adult. Congrats Ireland.

Looking forward to next game.

No one is saying Ireland didn't deserve to win, of course they did, they only reason they didn't win by a lot more is because they don't really have the backs to hurt us - this current head coach & assistant are ruining the reputation of All Black rugby, their strategies & tactics are poor, also not selecting the right players etc... got to question their man management skills too, a coach has to be able to get the best out of each individual, don't see that happening either. 

I

networkn:

 

Handle9:

 

South Africa played something close to their B team and still nearly won.

 

So? The week before they fielded a stronger team and nearly lost :)

 

We can justify a SA loss, but not a NZ one? 

 

Taking a chance to move forward is a lot different to having the same problems go uncorrected for 5 years.

I'm sure they will take their learnings, get excited and move forward with nothing changed.

Handle9:

 

Taking a chance to move forward is a lot different to having the same problems go uncorrected for 5 years.

 

I'm sure they will take their learnings, get excited and move forward with nothing changed.

 

The ABs have blooded lots of new talent too, some due to necessity and some due to form. 

It's pretty hard to implement any new game strategy with as many cards in play as was shown on Saturday night. 

Kiwi fans are just so totally intolerant. It's depressing. Somehow they want to never lose, always win comfortably, they want to see new talent on the field, but want to play experienced players too. They want innovation, but without any risk.

networkn:

 

Handle9:

 

Taking a chance to move forward is a lot different to having the same problems go uncorrected for 5 years.

 

I'm sure they will take their learnings, get excited and move forward with nothing changed.

 

 

The ABs have blooded lots of new talent too, some due to necessity and some due to form. 

 

It's pretty hard to implement any new game strategy with as many cards in play as was shown on Saturday night. 

 

Kiwi fans are just so totally intolerant. It's depressing. Somehow they want to never lose, always win comfortably, they want to see new talent on the field, but want to play experienced players too. They want innovation, but without any risk.

 

What's depressing is the ABs are playing Badly far too often in the forwards, then all the pressure is applied to our backs because we are on the back foot too much, on those occasions our playmakers need to adjust & make good decisions as well etc.

ABs are the best team in the History of the game, so of course supporters are always going to expect them to play at a very high-level in every match.

Good to to see Sullivan starting at 13... surely we must have better 6's than plodder Prinsep.

Tue 12th July - 7.05pm {Wgtn, Sky Stadium}

MABs : 1. Ollie Norris, 2. Kurt Eklund, 3. Tyrel Lomax, 4. Manaaki Selby-Rickit, 5. Isaia Walker-Leawere, 6. Reed Prinsep, 7. Billy Harmon, 8. Cullen Grace, 9. TJ Perenara (co-c), 10. Josh Ioane, 11. Connor Garden-Bachop, 12. Alex Nankivell, 13. Bailyn Sullivan, 14. Shaun Stevenson, 15. Josh Moorby.

Reserves : 16. Leni Apisai, 17. Tamaiti Williams, 18. Marcel Renata, 19. Max Hicks, 20. Caleb Delany, 21. Brad Weber, (co-c) 22. Ruben Love, 23. Billy Proctor.

IRELAND : 1. Jeremy Loughman, 2. Niall Scannell, 3. Tom O’Toole, 4. Joe McCarthy, 5. Kieran Treadwell, 6. Cian Prendergast, 7. Nick Timoney, 8. Gavin Coombes, 9. Craig Casey, 10. Ciaran Frawley, 11. Jimmy O’Brien, 12. Stuart McCloskey, 13. Keith Earls (c), 14. Jordan Larmour, 15. Michael Lowry.

Reserves : 16. Rob Herring, 17. Ed Byrne, 18. Finlay Bealham, 19. Ryan Baird, 20. Jack Conan, 21. Conor Murray, 22. Joey Carbery, 23. Mack Hansen.

Good signs to see our U20's take the Pacifica competition out. We need our youth teams to be strong to cover the future. 

@handle9 so I have a question for you. You say it's same same same. 

My question is this, do we HAVE to win this 3rd test, or in your opinion, do we make changes to either our style of play, or the players on the field, to try something? 

Who do you select this week?

Handle9: It doesn’t really matter who they pick. Until there’s a real change in strategy the same things will keep on happening.

They gave up the chance for real change in 2020 and 2021. Now they are stuck with what they have.

What do you mean by gave up on the chance for real change (or are you talking coaches)? What change in strategy are you talking about (genuine question). 

A change in strategy to commit to an effective kick-chase game, modern attacking shape focussed on go forward rather than go wide and commitment to play in the right areas of the field. Instead we continue to play wide-wide 1 3 3 1 without players in motion or go forward ball. It's been worked out and the rest of the world knows how to beat it consistently.

There was the opportunity to move on from a number of older players as the primary starters was there but instead more of the same was the formula. Coles, Whitelock, Retalick, Moody etc can't stay on the field. Now we don't know who our best team is and don't have time to change it.