@victor-meldrew said in All Blacks vs USA:

@bones said in All Blacks vs USA:

@victor-meldrew said in All Blacks vs USA:

@bones said in All Blacks vs USA:

@crucial said in All Blacks vs USA:

@bones said in All Blacks vs USA:

@crucial said in All Blacks vs USA:

I know we have a bit of a laugh giving Bridge stick but seriously if he can’t make any ground in a game like this it is time that the selectors took note.

He's not even on the field?

Not that you’d notice anyway

What if you can't defend your wing against a team of this calibre and a winger who's a nobody?

You're a Scotland supporter?

In another dimension I might be understanding this.

Oblique reference to the USA beating Scotland a few years back.

And their winger being better than Bridge/Jordan?

Christie and Tupaea can be very happy with their games. Perenara not so much. All the players constantly trying no look passes to the back and so many of them going wrong was a bit annoying, but understandable, due to the crap opposition. Good to see Whitelock and Cane back, but Cane looked very underdone.

@bones said in All Blacks vs USA:

Perenara is awful.

He’s done aye, his passing is a shambles. Only reason he looks half good is his support play.

@canes4life said in All Blacks vs USA:

@bones said in All Blacks vs USA:

Perenara is awful.

He’s done aye, his passing is a shambles. Only reason he looks half good is his support play.

Always there eh, but that just means more opportunities to fuck it up.

Half Back is such an area for weakness for the ABs. Smith is superb and Weber is solid. But the rest are poor. Every top division English, Welsh and French club side seems to have a better half back than the two the ABs had today.

Even beating up on the special ed class at PE, DMac and TJP manage to look shit.

I hope we got a bunch of cash for this opportunity to grow the game. Americans love supporting losers.

Thoroughly enjoyed that and have not read the posts. Great advert for rugby. The emotion in the buildup and the colourful crowd really added something. Fantastic refereeing meant we got to see skillsets and how the game should be played. And the USA really lifted in second half and will benefit greatly from the outing. Only downer was the AB subs. Starting props and Christie were fantastic. McKenzie showed his amazing creative spark and must have endeared himself to the crowd. The workrate of Vaii and Tupaea was huge. And I kept seeing big defensive hits from Jacobson. Jordan was always a threat and Ennor showed promise. Wonderful to see so many skills displayed.

Very difficult to learn from these games but QT is a legit second five, he goes straight, gets metres, and links well, DH just doesn't have the same punch for me. Ball from ruck to RM seemed quick and fluid with Finlay, looked like a dogs breakfast when TJ came on. Lots to like about Ennor as well, has to be an option at wing over Bridge you would think. Starting forwards all played well and set a great platform. Overall, a good training run for the boys.

Why are there so many Sam Cane haters on social media? Like man he comes back from injury and plays a minimal role for sure but the man's not put a foot wrong as AB's captain. People see last year and think he's a shit captain when in reality, you can only deal the hand you're dealt. Foster continues his selection of average fringe players and people blame Cane. Casual rugby watchers at their finest.

@yeetyaah ha, I've come to the realise many of those people on SM are casual fans with a very superficial knowledge of the game.

@yeetyaah The casual fan sees Ardie making a good run and automatically thinks he's better than Cane as a 7 while ignoring all other facets of the position. Many fail to recognise that Cane was probably the best AB last year.

Eh now someone's telling me Papali'i is better than peak Cane. No hate for Paps as I really like him but that's a molten take. Recency bias I suppose.

@akan004 said in All Blacks vs USA:

@yeetyaah The casual fan sees Ardie making a good run and automatically thinks he's better than Cane as a 7 while ignoring all other facets of the position. Many fail to recognise that Cane was probably the best AB last year.

It's the number of turnovers Savea makes with the opposition 10m away from the try line, for me.

Well, I hope the sponsor money was worth it; a 90-point flogging and 2 tries conceded by an AB team that looked like it could care less about structure, and more about entertaining themselves. It was loose when the USA were still waking up in the first half, then The Dickhead Brigade came on in Coles and TJP and it just got stupid.

Feel a bit for the USA - the fitness and cohesion was clearly second-rate, and tho they stuck at it, and a couple of their guys were impressive (7, 9 and 13 particularly) there just wasn't enough across the board to hold the opposition. Include their Euro stars and maybe they hold the ABs to 80. Doubt it tho.

That kid playing 12 for the ABs is impressive. One of the few out there who looked like he gave a shit about doing his job rather than just constantly trying to offload and make some fancy bullshit up on the spot.

Got to be concerned at the USA's intention to host RWC when their biggest game of the year isn't even played in a regulation stadium. That field was marked 5m outside the NFL paint, which makes it only about 60m wide. How are they going to provide the preferred 70m width and 100m length with 6m ingoals - and a 5m margin around all that - by the time 2027 rolls around?

Towards the end there Ennor had a gallop down the edge and looked very strong in his carry. He has the size and power to bash across the advantage line if necessary when given a wind up run.
From a jog or static he is fairly average.

@crucial said in All Blacks vs USA:

Towards the end there Ennor had a gallop down the edge and looked very strong in his carry. He has the size and power to bash across the advantage line if necessary when given a wind up run.
From a jog or static he is fairly average.

Still better than Bridge...

@akan004 said in All Blacks vs USA:

@yeetyaah The casual fan sees Ardie making a good run and automatically thinks he's better than Cane as a 7 while ignoring all other facets of the position. Many fail to recognise that Cane was probably the best AB last year.

They are both totally different 7s, equally as good in my opinion and have strengths in different areas.

You’re also being a little ignorant in saying all Ardie does is a make a couple of good runs. If you’ve watched him over the last three years he’s done a lot more than that. He was hands down NZs best player in 2019.

Cane has to show some form for me before being selected in the big games, but for anyone writing him off that seems a little stupid aswell.

@canes4life said in All Blacks vs USA:

@akan004 said in All Blacks vs USA:

@yeetyaah The casual fan sees Ardie making a good run and automatically thinks he's better than Cane as a 7 while ignoring all other facets of the position. Many fail to recognise that Cane was probably the best AB last year.

Cane has to show some form for me before being selected in the big games, but for anyone writing him off that seems a little stupid aswell.

100% agree, he's just come back from injury. The whole argument stemmed from someone saying "I speak for everyone when I say Whitelock should be our permanent captain." I was like nah bro you don't speak for me. Then it went from there. Kinda hilarious, I told him it was recency bias and he said I was "Making up phrases." Bruh, Google is your friend.

OK, can someone explain the hairstyle atrocity adopted by so many of the All Blacks - Mo’unga and Tupea and Havili among them? They’re all sporting this curly perm at the back of their heads. Like an ‘80s mullet but teased into tight curls. My avatar Earle Kirton is spinning in his grave.

@canes4life I rate Ardie highly. Was simply trying to make a point as to why the casual fans don't rate Cane, it's because they don't see him making the flashy runs that a player like Ardie does.

You misunderstood my post.