Geekzone Rugby (Union) Discussion Thread

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#3415138 15-Sep-2025 13:47

GV27:

There's no need to try and throw blame at a 'rabid media' when you can't win a lineout on your own tryline. I don't think there's any world in which the NZ rugby public should accept that kind of rugby as 'a new normal'.

Why not? Because we used to be the world's best doesn't cut it. The AB's have had this "aura" in world rugby for far too long. We are not and will not be the world's best in the next 5 to 10 years. Rugby is dying in this country and we just don't produce world class talent anymore.

Arguably Ardie Savea is the only NZ player in the last 2 years I would put in a world XV. We were rightfully quite terrible across the park on Saturday. The thing most people forget is, they are close to the best team we have. If we don't lose the Bledisloe this year its definitely going to happen soon.

Bring on the future when we celebrate having a winning record greater than 50%

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#3415182 15-Sep-2025 15:11

I thought there was a good chance we might lose in Welly, but I thought it would be close and never saw the complete capitulation coming. It's really hard to know what the way forward is. For the most part, other than injuries, there weren't any obvious players not selected, who should have been. When fit, Taylor and Roigard are must-have starters, and I'd start Clarke for aerial skills at the very least. But other than that, I don't think we really don't have much more cattle.

It appears maybe more to be around leadership, on the field and from the coaches. Personally I'd give the captaincy to Savea, but I don't think there is any chance of that happening any time soon though. S Barrett would play better again without the burden. I'd possibly start Fabian Holland and move Barrett to the bench until his form is back.

I think Mo'unga will be our World Cup 10 unless something miraculous happens. The backline looked great in the first half, going backdoor and around the rush D. So why did Beauden start doing those stupid chip kicks with the D-line still compressed and space still out wide? Did someone (who?) tell him to do that at halftime? Other than that (and our ongoing high ball issues), I thought the backs were actually OK this week and not the problem - on attack anyway.

It was more the forwards and the tackling - and the bench, that were the problem. No idea what to do about the scrum. We had pretty much our best tight forwards playing, other than Taylor and Tuipulotu. I still think McAlister will be a good hooker. His throwing is usually a strength, but doing it under that sort of pressure for the first time is something they have to go through. Much like kickers.

GV27

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#3415250 15-Sep-2025 20:14

JPNZ:

Why not? Because we used to be the world's best doesn't cut it. The AB's have had this "aura" in world rugby for far too long. We are not and will not be the world's best in the next 5 to 10 years. Rugby is dying in this country and we just don't produce world class talent anymore.

I don't think it's that complex.I just genuinely think we do not drill on the basics enough to drive the game to the point where the other team runs out of steam anymore.

It's harder to make tackles if you're making far more of them than the opposition. Likewise if you start not taking the high ball seriously, guess what you're going to get a lot more of.

There's no need for auras or vibes or anything else. Hold onto the ball. Get the lineouts right. Drill the scrums and set pieces. Have an extra 10%in the tank when the other team are kaput. It's not a complex recipe.

There's middle ground being being sole-crushingly invincible to the point you're gods amongst mortals or just not executing almost any of the core skills of the game at all.

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#3415941 18-Sep-2025 15:21

It's seriously a problem that Jorja Miller is out of the Semi against Canada. She is our most elusive player. Sorensen-McGee is also very good, but SM tends to feed off Jorja in phase play.

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#3416181 19-Sep-2025 10:47

While it is a problem, if the injury is such that a longer recovery will mean she is available for the inevitable final against England, that may be to our advantage.

England look pretty unstoppable at the moment, unless the French can pull off a miracle (like NZ did at the last World Cup). Regardless of who England meet, I believe they are destined to be the champions this time. They probably feel they were robbed last time.

Canada and NZ much more evenly matched. I hope Holmes has her accurate kicking boots on.

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#3416186 19-Sep-2025 10:57

Dingbatt:

While it is a problem, if the injury is such that a longer recovery will mean she is available for the inevitable final against England, that may be to our advantage.

England look pretty unstoppable at the moment, unless the French can pull off a miracle (like NZ did at the last World Cup). Regardless of who England meet, I believe they are destined to be the champions this time. They probably feel they were robbed last time.

Canada and NZ much more evenly matched. I hope Holmes has her accurate kicking boots on.

I can't wait to see how NZ handle Canada. I have a reasonable degree of confidence, though Canada will want this just as much.

I agree England look pretty tough, they are quite a physical group. I wouldn't say we were lucky to win last time, but we did have a few unexpected things go in our favour. I think we might have been in trouble if the match had lasted another 10 minutes.

I think NZ's game is different enough that if we end up in the final we have a better chance of winning against Eng than Canada, who's game is fairly similar to Englands but England's physicality is a level above perhaps. I get the feeling our chances of winning are tied to whether we can get the ball enough and get wide enough fast enough.

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#3416348 19-Sep-2025 13:19

https://yankeedoodlerugby.substack.com/p/the-rout-of-razor?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=cdy0z&triedRedirect=true

Probably one of the best bits of plain English analysis I've seen done in a sports match.

Squidge is very popular but honestly, he's exhausting. This is a much more straight forward way to explain it.

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#3416541 20-Sep-2025 08:54

networkn:

I can't wait to see how NZ handle Canada. I have a reasonable degree of confidence, though Canada will want this just as much.

NZ were never really in it. Canada started with such intensity they essentially blew NZ off the park. There was a spell in the second half where a fight back was possible and the gap narrowed to 12(?) points. But Canada regained the ascendancy.

You can’t win a game when you drop that much ball and give away that many penalties.

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#3416702 20-Sep-2025 14:02

Not quite, for the Black Ferns. The effort and care was there, just too many mistakes.

The issue was accuracy. If passes had stuck, if tackles had been made, the scoreline likely would have looked quite different.

We struggled with their line speed, but did create plenty out wide to have the last pass not go to hand or stay there. Canada deserved winners. Refereeing was pretty onesided, but that's what happens when one team has go forward. There were some dissapointing moments, but not enough to call it the difference. Canada absolutely should have been carded, but it would have come too late.

We absolutely missed Jorga Miller, though a number of other players really stood up.

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#3416781 20-Sep-2025 17:59

Not quite, Black Ferns.

It was a pretty onbrand performance for them right now. Fast, but errors are common and were particularly costly under the relentless line speed of Canada.

If a few more of those passes had stuck, it would have been much closer.

Refereeing favoured Canada quite heavily in my view, Canada should have had a player in the bin, though it wouldn't have changed the result given the game was gone by the time it would have been due. The more dominant you are the more favour you curry I guess, though there were a couple of shockers.

I hope we can get up for Australia. If England win the final, the top 3 would finish according to their ranking.

Some players really stood up this tournament including the Kaipo Olsen-Baker who looked like she was ruled out after the first test.

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#3417078 21-Sep-2025 15:08

France could have won that game quite easily against England in the second RWC Semi.

They were so passive at the breakdown, were so late to get cleaners to the rucks and their passing was just not fast/accurate enough. They lost the gain line frequently just on passes that weren't crisp enough.

Again, England got away with plenty, but France really have themselves to blame. A shame. It would have been great for our women to have a crack at England.

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#3419259 27-Sep-2025 17:03

Didn't know Eroni Clarke could sing. That was stunning.

Sometimes I use big words I don't always fully understand in an effort to make myself sound more photosynthesis.

GV27

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#3419296 27-Sep-2025 21:17

Auckland players making the difference.

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#3419299 27-Sep-2025 22:14

GV27:

Auckland players making the difference.

🤣

Both Clarke and Tuipolutu played well.

That was not a convincing performance. I feel for James O'Connor as those couple of mistakes he made potentially cost the Wallabies that test, especially the two kicks to touch that didn't go out. The Wallabies will be a different team once they figure out how to start well. I thought they were hard done by in some calls from the ref tonight as well. I can't remember them getting any 50/50's.

Wasn't it nice to be taking some high kicks with confidence?

Tonight showed why Scott Barrett should be sitting in the back room for a while until he can try and get some form back. He is (at best) the fourth best lock in NZ right now. Probably fifth when you factor in Sam Darry. I wouldn't be surprised if he wasn't injured but Robertson used that as an excuse for sitting him out.

Front rowers are sorted, locks are looking in a good place, loosies are looking good. Nice to have Roigard back. It drops away a bit to second choice, but give Ratima some time and he will come good.

First five is still a problem with a view to 2027, but DMac went alright tonight when he came on. Mounga isn't the answer, he's always been average at test level. Couldn't for the life of me figure out why Tupaea went to the wing. Thought Jordan would go to the wing, Jordie to fullback and Tupaea into the midfield.

Proctor coming on slowly. Will be good to see him get a bit more time to settle there. Hopefully Reikos days are over. Carter going well, looking for work and playing stronger than his frame looks. Hopefully we never see Reece back in black. He has been declining for the last two seasons and has been poor.

Also good to see Jordan showing some ticker under the high ball and not just looking for the flashy stuff.

I think the AB's were a little lucky tonight and bring on Perth. Should be a goodie.

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#3419323 28-Sep-2025 11:22

GV27:

Auckland players making ~~the~~ a difference.

FTFY

There is no doubt Clarke and Tuipulotu made positive contributions. But so did Roigard and Taylor.

Roigard and Ratima are ahead of the rest at halfback.

Barrett’s goal kicking is a bit of a concern. I wonder how long he played on with that injury?

The ABs kept getting penalised for the same thing at the breakdown and they didn’t adjust to the referee’s interpretation. It let the Wallabies back into the game. In the second half it was the Wallabies that didn’t learn from penalty after penalty allowing the ABs to inch ahead.

Just finished watching the finals of the RWC. No one was going to beat England. The flair of the Sevens players made a difference for all the teams, but no one could match England’s forward power.

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