Crickey - apparently now Preston is injured! Sevu covering 9 might not be as far fetched as you think!!!

SumnerBoy:

 

Crickey - apparently now Preston is injured! Sevu covering 9 might not be as far fetched as you think!!!

 

Aaron Smith...

The last time I was this 'nervous' about a test match was the last time we were beaten handily by Australia in a Bledisloe match and we had to defend our Bledisloe and our record at Eden Park. 

I wanted to win the RWC, and was disappointed around some elements of that loss, but overall, thought we got as close as possible to winning and didn't win and so wasn't that upset. 

I am less worried about the record than I am about the inevitable meltdown that will occur where we all pile on the coach(es) and claim the sky is falling if we get beaten by a better (or one with less injuries) team on the day.

I hope we play well, I hope the parts of our game that was lacking from the Argentina match like our set piece are resolved and that the match isn't determined by a questionable officials decision. 

In recent years, the thing missing from many of our matches, has been our mental strength. The biggest thing about our golden period with our unicorn players, was our ability to not lose confidence or faith, and the ability to 'find a way'.  This seems to have been mostly force of will from players like Richie McCaw, and I don't think we have had it at the same level since he left. Kieran Read had a very different management style, and I feel we lost a step in that regard when he took over. 

Under McCaw, it felt like no deficit or scoreline, or injury, or circumstance, would batter the belief, that could find a way.

Obviously, winning leads to confidence, and it's hard to get that when you aren't winning, but it's the area we are weakest in right now. 

I'll just be happy if we can play without giving away senseless penalties and dropping the ball.

With the leadership comments above, it reminds me of why those teams (including with Kieran Read at the helm) were so good - when the officials started pinging the team, they changed their tactics in response. This team just keeps doing dumb things. Can't beat these teams with 13-14 players.

trig42:

 

I'll just be happy if we can play without giving away senseless penalties and dropping the ball.

 

With the leadership comments above, it reminds me of why those teams (including with Kieran Read at the helm) were so good - when the officials started pinging the team, they changed their tactics in response. This team just keeps doing dumb things. Can't beat these teams with 13-14 players.

 

Agree with your sentiment. I'd like to see a performance low on discipline issues, reasonable in skills and high in intensity. If we lose to a better team on the day, it will be disappointing, but we are still building. 

It's a strong team, given the injury problem realities.  I had thought they'd start Holland and have Parker on the bench, but this looks good.  Parker has the workrate of a Blackadder with the size of a Barrett.  (BTW Blackadder out injured again...).  There's a serious punch off the bench with Williams, Lomax, Holland and Kirifi. 

The backs are fairly predictable - once they said Clarke was out another week.  When he's fit again it'll be interesting.  Not sure Narawa is the long term right wing, but there's no one else at the mo and he has his chance to shine on the biggest stage.  If he takes this opportunity it could be his jersey.  It'll be interesting to see where they use Faingaʻanuku - and when.  Not sure why Tupaea is on the bench when he's really a 12 specialist and Barrett will play 80 mins unless injured.

I think Finau and Reece may have played their last tests.  The latest in a long line of good Super players that didn't take the step up to test footy.  

Phew. That's a relief. That should keep the Anti-Robertson Brigade happy for a couple of days. 

That was probably the best performance under Robertson, and there are signs we understand our game plan is, and how to execute it. 

Unfortunate for Narawa. Reiko was barely visible, but to his credit, if he showed up once, he couldn't have provided a more clutch moment to show his defensive nous.

Being chased down by Eben Etzabeth pretty much ends the he's fast' argument for keeping him. It's not the first time this year he has been chased down by a forward. 

I've been pretty dark on Christie, but to be fair to him, he has backed up his prior match, which for me was his best in black, with a better performance a week later. If he plays like this consistently, I don't mind him as our 3rd or 4th choice half-back if our other choices aren't available. 

Every time I think Savea has reached his peak, he shows something else. He's quite incredible, and will rightly go down in history as one of our very best ever. 

What really matters now, is winning in Wellington to show we are capable of back to back performances, and to help us cement the winning mentality we need to be a championship side. 

Our maul defence is comfortably the best in the world. The boks barely moved a couple of meters at most in almost every opportunity they had. We look really well organised and practiced. It was amusing to see Rassie try their midfield maul again, and for us to know it was coming and get a turn over as a result. I don't think it's a dead duck, they are working toward something.

Dmac was pretty much the only one decent under the high ball Saturday night. One assumes they are working on it, I wonder why guys like Jordan who are normally so assured, are struggling? I thought Dmac had a pretty decent game. To give him his credit, he is very brave.

Enjoyed the game. The weather had its say, and both teams handling suffered.

Through my AB's eyes, I thought the ref had a good game - he wasn't too obtrusive, and I didn't feel the whistle interrupted the game. I see the Bok fans are blowing up (and I guess, had the boot been on the other foot, some ABs fans would be as well). I thought the Yellow was fair, they'd been trying to disrupt fast ball all game and he did it in a really stupid place.

They'll come out strong next weekend - hoping for another tough but fair game.

Ps. Glad their stupid midfield 'lineout' was defused so effectively as well.

I went to the game and what a night.  Such a great all round event - even before the result.  The Boks made some uncharacteristic errors.  Maybe that's the weight of the occasion having an effect, along with a bit of the weather.  They'll be better this week and won't have the Eden Park Hoodoo to worry about.  However, the great thing is the ABs also have loads of scope to be better.  Our scrums and high ball catching both need considerable improvement.  

Two enforced selection changes this week - and probably no other changes?  Not sure how Aumua's tracking, but guess Bell will come into the squad, with Taukei'aho starting and McAlister on the bench.  I didn't see how Clarke went for Auckland, but I'd think he'd come in.  Maybe he goes straight into the 11 jersey.  Then the question is whether they move Ioane to 14, or maybe take a punt on Carter?  They might be tempted to leave Jordan on the wing and start DMac at 15, but I hope they don't.

Related to the game but that was probably the most magnificent performance of the 2 National Anthems I have ever heard. Absolutely stunning.

I was surprised to near Jeff McTainsh commentating on Saturday evening and wondered if it was part of the Grant Nisbett/Tony Johnson succession plan, but apparently, it was all very sudden. Kudos for him, executing it well enough, most people would not have even know it wasn't all well prepared and part of the plan.

I do enjoy JM's commentary and have often thought he would be a great next main caller. 

networkn:

 

I was surprised to near Jeff McTainsh commentating on Saturday evening and wondered if it was part of the Grant Nisbett/Tony Johnson succession plan, but apparently, it was all very sudden. Kudos for him, executing it well enough, most people would not have even know it wasn't all well prepared and part of the plan.

 

I do enjoy JM's commentary and have often thought he would be a great next main caller. 

 

I thought he did really well.  Except he got one thing wrong a few times, which is one of my pet (very pedantic) gripes.  He referred to PSTD as the Bok openside and to van Staden as their blindside.  An international commentator really should be aware that SA wear the opposite numbers for these positions to what we do.

Earbanean:

 

I thought he did really well.  Except he got one thing wrong a few times, which is one of my pet (very pedantic) gripes.  He referred to PSTD as the Bok openside and to van Staden as their blindside.  An international commentator really should be aware that SA wear the opposite numbers for these positions to what we do.

 

To be fair, given the regular preparation he might have caught that, however, I'd say I watch a fair amount of SA play, and I've never noticed that particularly, it's probably not (that) common knowledge?

Hopefully, enough time has passed this won't be seen as a spoiler, however: 

Holy Moly the Black Ferns gave a thunderous hiding to Ireland. They clearly had a major point to make, and boy did they.  Holding Ireland scoreless and scoring again at the end even after the game was well and truly won, shows intent and grit I'm super proud of. 

Sorensen McGee is incredible. Renee Holmes kicking from the T would put most of our goal kickers to shame. 

networkn:

 

Earbanean:

 

I thought he did really well.  Except he got one thing wrong a few times, which is one of my pet (very pedantic) gripes.  He referred to PSTD as the Bok openside and to van Staden as their blindside.  An international commentator really should be aware that SA wear the opposite numbers for these positions to what we do.

 

 

To be fair, given the regular preparation he might have caught that, however, I'd say I watch a fair amount of SA play, and I've never noticed that particularly, it's probably not (that) common knowledge?

 

Yeah, I did say "very pedantic" of myself.  If you'd noticed the famous Francois Pienaar No. 6 jersey that Mandela wore, he was their openside.