@nostrildamus The ABs are going to have to play smart rugby. The TV coverage team and crowd are going to give Wales the advantage big time.
I thought TJP, DM, and Pat .T showed their experience and coped with the atmosphere well for the AB XV.
All Blacks XV
Match thread
Ireland A
Good to see a team coming out of NPC rugby playing so well. Can’t talk to quality of opposition.
Our NPC is still superb at developing players. No amount of school rugby and super academy squads make up for the broad rugby base it caters for, and the training ground it provides. Various commentators have had a crack at it but the NZRFU Board have kept it going - though I have to wonder if those that work for the Union care that much with the lack of marketing love it gets.
Yep was real good game. I think it pays to remember seems the Irish have been together even less then ABs, and seemed strange Farrell was also their coach as he must be more concentrating on test team. Rgardless pleased with how the team went!
@nostrildamus said in All Blacks XV vs Ireland A:
I'm way behind you all (thanks for link) near end of first half only but what a great game!
-Ireland A look nowhere near defensive quality of Ireland (but interestingly a lot of this team played against the Māori All Blacks https://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/ireland-a-braced-for-unofficial-series-decider-against-the-all-black-xv-42117829.html)
-DMac looks better than RM and BB so far (I surprise myself)
-Patrick having a v. good game but I haven't seen much of Dickson?
-MMT looks a good 6/8
-Jacobson doesn't look AB level (too many stupid decisions)
-also Ennor: still has a concentration problem and still stinks up the midfield (from what I could see RTS was good so far in first half?)
-Love looked too small to me at FB, looks more like a 10, but I read here he really comes into the game
-the wingers esp Stevenson are awesomeBut DMac really impresses me, he turned TJP's sloppy passes into magic (TJP's passes do have a plus side: gives me time to put the kettle on) and yeah if TJP can move like a bullet early out of the line in the Irish why can't his passes?
I've always maintained that McKenzie is not an international 15, but is just as good first-five as Mo'unga & Barrett when given the opportunity (which frustratingly hasn't been a lot under Foster).
McMillian always plays McKenzie at 10 in the last 30 minutes of Chiefs matches and McKenzie always makes a significant impact there which makes Gatland look terribly ineffective in comparison.
He's far more effective playing at 10 going forward. His size & physical attributes just aren't suitable for an international fullback in the modern-era.
If Mo'unga got injured, I'd happily start McKenzie ahead of Barrett, as McKenzie's proven to be a very intelligent game manager and distributor at first-five, and exhibits composure and game awareness skills potentially superior to that (of either Mo'unga & Barrett..) if enabled to continue developing those skills further at the top level... there is massive potential.
@kiwi_expat said in All Blacks XV vs Ireland A:
@nostrildamus said in All Blacks XV vs Ireland A:
I'm way behind you all (thanks for link) near end of first half only but what a great game!
-Ireland A look nowhere near defensive quality of Ireland (but interestingly a lot of this team played against the Māori All Blacks https://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/ireland-a-braced-for-unofficial-series-decider-against-the-all-black-xv-42117829.html)
-DMac looks better than RM and BB so far (I surprise myself)
-Patrick having a v. good game but I haven't seen much of Dickson?
-MMT looks a good 6/8
-Jacobson doesn't look AB level (too many stupid decisions)
-also Ennor: still has a concentration problem and still stinks up the midfield (from what I could see RTS was good so far in first half?)
-Love looked too small to me at FB, looks more like a 10, but I read here he really comes into the game
-the wingers esp Stevenson are awesomeBut DMac really impresses me, he turned TJP's sloppy passes into magic (TJP's passes do have a plus side: gives me time to put the kettle on) and yeah if TJP can move like a bullet early out of the line in the Irish why can't his passes?
I've always maintained that McKenzie is not an international 15, but is just as good first-five as Mo'unga & Barrett when given the opportunity (which frustratingly hasn't been a lot under Foster).
McMillian always plays McKenzie at 10 in the last 30 minutes of Chiefs matches and McKenzie always makes a significant impact there which makes Gatland look terribly ineffective in comparison.
He's far more effective playing at 10 going forward. His size & physical attributes just aren't suitable for an international fullback in the modern-era.
If Mo'unga got injured, I'd happily start McKenzie ahead of Barrett, as McKenzie's proven to be a very intelligent game manager and distributor at first-five, and potentially superior to that (of either Mo'unga & Barrett..) if enabled to continue developing his skills further at the top level... there is massive potential.
Yes at 10 against aggressive forwards DMac might still get manhandled, help up or otherwise isolated but I think that only happened once this match. He made good decisions, distributed well, kicked well, and didn't dither. I still wanted to smack the Irish commentator when he said DMac smirks on the conversions-that is a grin, you piston wristed gibbon!
Now I have finished the whole game:
whole team: good support, lines, and teamwork! Was that good coaching?!
Ennor is a winger (at most)
Still think Stevenson (and mostly Lam) played very well (reckon Stevenson is at least Lam's 1.92m height) and I like his industry, coming to help with attacking mauls etc
Ok Dominic Gardiner is a 6, great defensive work, Just liked his speed, lanky arms and thought that'd be wasted at 6.
Thought Nankivell played well when he came on.
Jacobson played better after the card, still looks like a 6/8 to me.
Seems to me this group of Irish forwards lacks a bit of the starch of the frontliners, took until the 50th min or so get some dominance.
What a good player TJP is for a halfback that doesn't pass very well.
DMac looked bloody good at 10.
He lacks size but would probably be similar to Mounga.
Slick passing game, excellent goal kicker.
He might be unlucky, because having three 1st five options would confuse Foster.
I do think we need to rein it in a little, much as I liked DMac's game, was hardly under pressure from a quick defence.
Enjoyed the game. Thought our starting front row were pretty good. Lots of activity and involvement. Nice to see Patty T full of running. Gardiner and MMT were excellent. Quite like how our backline formation worked. Had our 2nd 5 slightly deeper. Nice to see Ennor use that size in defence! Back 3 were excellent.
There were some calls in this game that seemed very questionable. I’m not sure who the ref was or what they were for (I had the sound down because of the commentary), but was this a ‘development’ ref?
@Dan54 said in All Blacks XV vs Ireland A:
I do think we need to rein it in a little, much as I liked DMac's game, was hardly under pressure from a quick defence.
true but it was mostly how he has cut down on his earlier headless chicken moments that impressed me. I agree the Irish A forwards didn't turn on much pressure until about 50 min in. Maybe this AB XV loose trio helped, they worked well.
@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks XV vs Ireland A:
Enjoyed the game. Thought our starting front row were pretty good. Lots of activity and involvement. Nice to see Patty T full of running. Gardiner and MMT were excellent. Quite like how our backline formation worked. Had our 2nd 5 slightly deeper. Nice to see Ennor use that size in defence! Back 3 were excellent.
There were some calls in this game that seemed very questionable. I’m not sure who the ref was or what they were for (I had the sound down because of the commentary), but was this a ‘development’ ref?
Matthew Carley
@Crucial said in All Blacks XV vs Ireland A:
@Winger said in All Blacks XV vs Ireland A:
Damian gets his big chance to see if he's got it as a 10
Verdict?
Looked pretty good to me (with a fairly easy ride)
Very good. After looking a bit average during the npc
So I kept reading it on the live scoring I had and now it's all over the YT highlights - what's with the Irish bizarre obsession with Stevenson being gigantic? He's really not.
@Bones said in All Blacks XV vs Ireland A:
So I kept reading it on the live scoring I had and now it's all over the YT highlights - what's with the Irish bizarre obsession with Stevenson being gigantic? He's really not.
about Lam size? Edit I guess Lam is taller but roughly the same bulk, Stevenson does have a long stride though-maybe makes him look bigger than he is
@Bones said in All Blacks XV vs Ireland A:
So I kept reading it on the live scoring I had and now it's all over the YT highlights - what's with the Irish bizarre obsession with Stevenson being gigantic? He's really not.
According to Wikipedia, he is 1.90 m tall and weighs 90 kg.
@cgrant said in All Blacks XV vs Ireland A:
@Bones said in All Blacks XV vs Ireland A:
So I kept reading it on the live scoring I had and now it's all over the YT highlights - what's with the Irish bizarre obsession with Stevenson being gigantic? He's really not.
According to Wikipedia, he is 1.90 m tall and weighs 90 kg.
I guess other than Stockdale the Irish like to have midgets on the wing but still, he's not even big, let alone huge/gigantic.
@cgrant said in All Blacks XV vs Ireland A:
@Bones said in All Blacks XV vs Ireland A:
So I kept reading it on the live scoring I had and now it's all over the YT highlights - what's with the Irish bizarre obsession with Stevenson being gigantic? He's really not.
According to Wikipedia, he is 1.90 m tall and weighs 90 kg.
Fark off. He's not that much of a string bean.
@akan004 said in All Blacks XV vs Ireland A:
Ffs how is that a yellow
YC every day and twice on Sunday
Came at speed, in from the side, and hit the man late
Take the patch off
NPC media guide has him at 1.91m and 100 kg.
All Blacks website NZ Maori profile has him at 1.93m and 95 kg.
Chiefs' squad page has him at 1.90m and 90 kg.
Don't be too confident in numbers you see on the internet ...
@No-Quarter said in All Blacks XV vs Ireland A:
That really was everything that is wrong with rugby now. Go back all the way to half way for a minor indiscretion and not only rub out the try, but YC the player just because. Would they have even checked it if we didn't score? Honestly how do they expect to attract new fans to the game with shit like that.
He called it live to the TMO way before the try was scored
Great refereeing
@MiketheSnow Wonder how many of these guys get called into the first team. Shaun Stevenson would surely fill the void of a speedy winger.
@SBW1 said in All Blacks XV vs Ireland A:
@MiketheSnow Wonder how many of these guys get called into the first team. Shaun Stevenson would surely fill the void of a speedy winger.
He had a great game, but that's not where the need is
@MiketheSnow said in All Blacks XV vs Ireland A:
@akan004 said in All Blacks XV vs Ireland A:
Ffs how is that a yellow
YC every day and twice on Sunday
Came at speed, in from the side, and hit the man late
Take the patch off
Even the one eyed Irish commentators didn't think it was a yellow but yeah, whatever. You do you.
@akan004 said in All Blacks XV vs Ireland A:
@MiketheSnow said in All Blacks XV vs Ireland A:
@akan004 said in All Blacks XV vs Ireland A:
Ffs how is that a yellow
YC every day and twice on Sunday
Came at speed, in from the side, and hit the man late
Take the patch off
Even the one eyed Irish commentators didn't think it was a yellow but yeah, whatever. You do you.
Always a problem when you view it through one eye
@Old-Samurai-Jack said in All Blacks XV vs Ireland A:
@akan004 Yellow or not, it was stupid. You put your fate in the hands of the officials.
Absolutely it was stupid. Doesn't mean it was a yellow though.
@MiketheSnow said in All Blacks XV vs Ireland A:
@No-Quarter said in All Blacks XV vs Ireland A:
That really was everything that is wrong with rugby now. Go back all the way to half way for a minor indiscretion and not only rub out the try, but YC the player just because. Would they have even checked it if we didn't score? Honestly how do they expect to attract new fans to the game with shit like that.
He called it live to the TMO way before the try was scored
Great refereeing
I agree with NQ. How do the players expect to attract young fans to the game with dumb shit like that and blaming the officials?
@Old-Samurai-Jack said in All Blacks XV vs Ireland A:
@akan004 Yellow or not, it was stupid. You put your fate in the hands of the officials.
As soon as it happened my immediate thought was “he’s going to get a yellow”. Now perhaps my mind has been programmed to think that because I have watched so much rugby from yesteryear to today that in todays world they will look at an incident long enough and find something to give out a card.
I think it’s a pretty useless debate today asking if something deserves a card (like we used to when cards were rare and head knocks and playing with a reckless abandon were commonplace).
Was it a very poor Irish side or was it poor because the AB XV made it look poor ? These Irish players are performing well each week for their respective provinces. Their forwards were expected to crush their NZ counterparts before the game started ... You can make a good side look poor when you put it under extreme pressure and this is what the AB XV did : competing in the LO, aggression in defence, counter rucking at each occasion, commitment at the breakdown with more than two players. This is unfortunately not the All Blacks do under Foster's direction.
@cgrant said in All Blacks XV vs Ireland A:
Was it a very poor Irish side or was it poor because the AB XV made it look poor ? These Irish players are performing well each week for their respective provinces. Their forwards were expected to crush their NZ counterparts before the game started ... You can make a good side look poor when you put it under extreme pressure and this is what the AB XV did : competing in the LO, aggression in defence, counter rucking at each occasion, commitment at the breakdown with more than two players. This is unfortunately not the All Blacks do under Foster's direction.
- someone here said they had less time to prepare than the AB XV?
- they were geared up for Foster-lite not Leon-Heavy?
- their forward depth is not that great?
- got on the back foot and didn't manage/have the firepower to get out of it?
Edit/add: Farrell didn't have much time to prepare them as his main game is tomorrow?
@Stargazer said in All Blacks XV vs Ireland A:
@nostrildamus I don't quite understand why you'd want to move a player who plays well at 6 to no. 8? Just keep him where he's playing well.
Like Kieran Reid?
@booboo said in All Blacks XV vs Ireland A:
@Stargazer said in All Blacks XV vs Ireland A:
@nostrildamus I don't quite understand why you'd want to move a player who plays well at 6 to no. 8? Just keep him where he's playing well.
Like Kieran Reid?
Who's that?
Watching back Shaun Stevenson had an outstanding game. Pleased he stayed with NZ Rugby rather than the Dolphins.
@MiketheSnow was it good refereeing though?
I mean let's say we took a further 8 or so phases, ireland turn it over, then Ireland had a continual half dozen phases and we get it back for multiple phases...possibly 5+ minutes, where do you draw the line to go back?
And if Ireland turned over and score does he still wind back the clock?