Geekzone Rugby (Union) Discussion Thread

Forums › Sports › Geekzone Rugby (Union) Discussion Thread

1 | ... | 698 | 699 | 700 | 701 | 702 | 703 | 704 | 705 | 706 | 707 | 708 | ... | 725

Networkn
33380 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 15829

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3509452 8-Jul-2026 15:10

Australia played as well as I've seen them play in recent times esp in the first half.

I absolutely wouldn't write them off. Many parts of their game was better than ours including kicking.

eracode

Smpl Mnmlst
9584 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 6560

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3510477 11-Jul-2026 19:09

The ABs are scoring so frequently against Italy you might say they’re ’scoring at Will’. 😀

Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.

OnceBitten

622 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 19

#3510480 11-Jul-2026 19:48

It took about 25 minutes for the AB's to 'click'....they were still a bit rusty in parts and even in the 2nd half when they opened up a bit more they still made mistakes.... I'd start B Barrett at 15 next week with Dmac on the bench

tukapa1

786 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 257

ID Verified

#3510482 11-Jul-2026 20:03

It was a hard watch.

Positives were the first 10 after half time, and both debutantes Moorby and Segner. Both looked comfortable at this level against that opposition.

Congrats on Will Jordan for the record. Could end up extending that gap between him and Howlett considerably, although he is at that age where AB wingers tend to fall from grace and fade away

I think if anybody gave us a 30 point win at the start of season against an Italian team that had beaten both England and Scotland in the six nations we would have taken that happily.

Struggled with some of the refereeing at times, but I did like his desire to decisions without going upstairs. Might have benefited the ABs for that first try.

networkn

Networkn
33380 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 15829

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3510499 11-Jul-2026 23:36

That was awful. If this is what 'going in the right direction' looks like, no thanks.

How can we have been worse this week than last?!

If there is clarity, someone hasn't been giving that to the Forwards, who look confused often. Where s the mongrel and dominance?! Dominant Tackles? Set price dominance?

We would have gotten hammered by France (who looked formidable in the second half against Australia) , SA, Ireland, Australia and Argentina. Not sure we would have survived against Scotland.

We will need to improve massively not to lose our record at Eden Park against Ireland. Our defence is abysmal. How can Italy score against us with 13 men in the line?

Dingbatt

6832 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 3739

Lifetime subscriber

#3510507 12-Jul-2026 08:34

I think the NZ rugby public need to recognise that the “good old days” when New Zealand and South Africa were streets ahead of all other opposition are long gone. Any of the top ten teams are capable of winning if the stars align.

I have been impressed over the last couple of weeks with the genuine pace and flair shown by the N Hemisphere teams. None of the dour, forwards based grind. Having said that, I haven’t seen any of the England games 😏.

Now that I know the TMO can revisit any action that would result in a penalty, rather than only for a yellow card or the scoring of a try, I understand the interruptions, but believe it does detract from the game. I would prefer that a line is drawn under a try once the conversion is attempted, even if that means a pause while it is confirmed, like they do in League. If the on field ref says “good contest, play on” (or words to that effect) to then go back and revisit it minutes later seems a bit perverse. Maybe he would be better to say “play on, but review” as a cue that the TMO needs to check it?

Will Jordan is a master of being in the right place at the right time and in a way I’m glad to see him back on the wing and flourishing. When Love got yellow carded, which I believe was unjustified even if the Italian player hadn’t knocked it into him, then the ABs had the luxury of moving McKenzie to First Five and Jordan to Fullback/Wing.

A couple of players that made uncharacteristic mistakes were Taylor and Sititi, and I’m not sure about Proctor. Moorby and Sentner acquitted themselves well.

“We’ve arranged a society based on science and technology, in which nobody understands anything about science technology. Carl Sagan 1996

HP

Shop now for HP laptops and other devices (affiliate link).

networkn

Networkn
33380 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 15829

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3510708 12-Jul-2026 14:21

When you watch the Australian Forwards play, compared to ours they look positively nimble. Taniela Tupou is skipping sideways like he weights 30kg! They seem to run into contact in a way that separates two tackles and prevents the jackal. It's not to say they never get turned over, but it seems to make their clean faster and more effective.

Watching the post match interview with Ardie and Rennie, it was like watching Robertson give his interviews. "We need to be better" "We need to be more accurate" "We are creating lots and not finishing" "We aren't patient enough". It's all the same exact issues.

Dmac had a better game. Moorby created two nice tries, but was easily contained in the tackle. Pity Carter went off injured, I wanted to see more of him playing.

Jordie is our best player right now. Love looks OK, but only OK. He was exceptionally lucky that ball came out the way it did, otherwise that yellow would have stuck and probably should have.

A lot of these players are playing like they are still in super rugby mode.

networkn

Networkn
33380 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 15829

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3510865 13-Jul-2026 09:07

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/94tfMUT6rDs

World Rugby sets a trial in community rugby to lower the height of the tackle. There are going to be a lot of penalties and a lot more tries scored.

Presumably they have some scientific proof this will improve safety.

OnceBitten

622 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 19

#3510873 13-Jul-2026 09:37

I don't think Love is ready to face SA in a few weeks... he has been underwhelming in these 2 games and against the might of SA we will need experience at 10 and that's either Dmac or B Barrett... unless Love has a blinder against Ireland, he wouldn't be my first choice to start at no 10 against the Boks

I suspect after the Ireland game Rennie will make some 'tweaks' to the side and some extra players will be drafted into the squqad

networkn

Networkn
33380 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 15829

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3510986 13-Jul-2026 13:41

Ugh, Reiko's back from overseas and called in as injury cover. Can we please wrap all our centers in cotton wool?

Who knows though, maybe he is magically going to be great now despite not being able to be for years before?

networkn

Networkn
33380 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 15829

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3510987 13-Jul-2026 13:43

Some damning commentary from a couple of analysis bits over the weekend, of our attack and defence, basically saying that a staucher defence ala Boks or Ireland are likely to completely smother our current attack model and that there needs to be a second option around kicking well, if that is the case.

Maybe the coaches have this in hand, I certainly hope so, but I am worried.

Geekzone

Want to support Geekzone and browse the site without the ads? Subscribe to Geekzone now (monthly, annual and lifetime options).

MikeAqua

8734 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 4340

#3511050 13-Jul-2026 14:25

networkn:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/94tfMUT6rDs

World Rugby sets a trial in community rugby to lower the height of the tackle. There are going to be a lot of penalties and a lot more tries scored.

Presumably they have some scientific proof this will improve safety.

When I were lad ... we were taught to tackle low. IIRC correctly, shoulder to thigh, with the head behind or to the side of the ball carriers legs was seen as ideal. It puts the other guy on the ground every time (the Bear felling Lomu repeatedly was a good example), and it avoids head-head and head-shoulder collisions. Those are the nasty ones that have a high risk of concussion. In ball-n-all tackles, the tackler has a much higher body position and the risk of those nasty collisions increases.

I imagine that's what world rugby's rationale is. As an added bonus, freeing up ball carriers in tackles would allow more offloads, and more tries.

Mike

MikeAqua

8734 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 4340

#3511051 13-Jul-2026 14:30

Dingbatt:

I think the NZ rugby public need to recognise that the “good old days” when New Zealand and South Africa were streets ahead of all other opposition are long gone. Any of the top ten teams are capable of winning if the stars align.

I have been impressed over the last couple of weeks with the genuine pace and flair shown by the N Hemisphere teams. None of the dour, forwards based grind. Having said that, I haven’t seen any of the England games 😏.

Now that I know the TMO can revisit any action that would result in a penalty, rather than only for a yellow card or the scoring of a try, I understand the interruptions, but believe it does detract from the game. I would prefer that a line is drawn under a try once the conversion is attempted, even if that means a pause while it is confirmed, like they do in League. If the on field ref says “good contest, play on” (or words to that effect) to then go back and revisit it minutes later seems a bit perverse. Maybe he would be better to say “play on, but review” as a cue that the TMO needs to check it?

Will Jordan is a master of being in the right place at the right time and in a way I’m glad to see him back on the wing and flourishing. When Love got yellow carded, which I believe was unjustified even if the Italian player hadn’t knocked it into him, then the ABs had the luxury of moving McKenzie to First Five and Jordan to Fullback/Wing.

A couple of players that made uncharacteristic mistakes were Taylor and Sititi, and I’m not sure about Proctor. Moorby and Sentner acquitted themselves well.

TMO should speak when asked for input, or if they see deliberate foul play. Otherwise, TMO should shut the hell up.

Mike

OnceBitten

622 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 19

#3511052 13-Jul-2026 14:33

MikeAqua:

TMO should speak when asked for input, or if they see deliberate foul play. Otherwise, TMO should shut the hell up.

Unfortunately the rules were changed back in 2022, allowing the TMO to have much more input.... and in my opinion it was the TMO that ruined the RWC final against the AB's and SA

I agree the TMO shouldn't get involved unless asked by the ref, but now they can and it kind of ruins the game

JPNZ

1806 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 904

#3511166 14-Jul-2026 08:27

networkn:

Some damning commentary from a couple of analysis bits over the weekend, of our attack and defence, basically saying that a staucher defence ala Boks or Ireland are likely to completely smother our current attack model and that there needs to be a second option around kicking well, if that is the case.

Maybe the coaches have this in hand, I certainly hope so, but I am worried.

Over the last 6 years with Hanson/Fozzy/Razor etc we have ALWAYS struggled to unlock rush defense. England & South Africa being the main ones that always seem to give us grief. We do seem to be trying to play a more attacking style of play. Ireland play that quick rush defense to, so this weekend will be very interesting to me on how our "new" attack deals with the rush.

Panasonic 65GZ1000, Onkyo RZ730, Atmos 5.1.2, AppleTV 4K, Nest Mini's, PS5, PS3, MacbookPro, iPad Pro, Apple watch SE2, iPhone 15+

1 | ... | 698 | 699 | 700 | 701 | 702 | 703 | 704 | 705 | 706 | 707 | 708 | ... | 725