@Bones said in Japan XV v All Blacks XV:

@nostrildamus said in Japan XV v All Blacks XV:

I would have swapped some of the bench (eg Harmon) for some of the starters.

I think that's generally the idea of the bench, yeah

I would have had them start instead smarty pants.

Is he a mate of ioane? What bollox

How's the depth? Not bad eh.

@Canes4life said in Japan XV v All Blacks XV:

Should we be really worried that both McDonald and Holland are in the ABs coaching setup next year.

Isn't that the alternative AB coaching team in the other box?

Good victory for the NZ XV given the conditions and the new combinations
Took the lads a while to deal with the line speed,glad we had some experienced heads out there making good decisions when it counted

I noted that both Bell and Dyer are part of the squad. Jager injured again?

Ah Kuoi was my MOTM.

@Bones said in Japan XV v All Blacks XV:

How's the depth? Not bad eh.

Massive improvement in the 2nd half, althoooouuugh it was only Japan XV.

@Machpants said in Japan XV v All Blacks XV:

@kev said in Japan XV v All Blacks XV:

@Canes4life said in Japan XV v All Blacks XV:

@Tim may aswell start him. Weber is leaving so better to give Fakatava a shot. Lovely try.

Weber’s box kicks were very average.

I think they averaged about 7m

He kicked into the wind, Fakatava with the wind (which was massive). Still, Fakatava had a much better game than Weber, helped by more secure ruck ball, also.

@Bovidae said in Japan XV v All Blacks XV:

I noted that both Bell and Dyer are part of the squad. Jager injured again?

Ah Kuoi was my MOTM.

Nanai.Seturo for me, only back who basically did nothing wrong and a lot of things right

@Tordah said in Japan XV v All Blacks XV:

Massive improvement in the 2nd half, althoooouuugh it was only Japan XV.

With half the top side isn't it? And the top coaches.

@Tordah IMO Sullivan was better than Nanai-Seturo.

Loved Fakatava doing his peak Aaron Smith impression.,,

Thought the lads played fairly well. Do you know how friggen hot it is tonight? The only movement should be to reach for a drink. Luckily though, it could have been worst. Mildish summer so far.
Au Koi was immense and the play/ball follows Billy Harmon all the time. Has a Hooper-like ability to be involved all the time.

Who was the official MotM (if there was one)?

Dumb question maybe ... was this on Stan? ... or otherwise available on the left of the Ta$man?

Watching the replay with one eye while doing something else and just saw that Zarn isn't the only Sullivan with a massive boot. Huge kick from Bailyn a few minutes before Nankivell's try.

@Stargazer It helps if you remove the eye patch.
....

@African-Monkey said in Japan XV v All Blacks XV:

He may have no pace anymore, but man Goodhue still has beautiful hands.

As @Victor-Meldrew observed recently, imagine him with Rieko's pace and you have the prince of centres.

@Bovidae said in Japan XV v All Blacks XV:

I noted that both Bell and Dyer are part of the squad. Jager injured again?

Ah Kuoi was my MOTM.

Missed that. Was that on AB XV Twitter?

@booboo said in Japan XV v All Blacks XV:

Dumb question maybe ... was this on Stan? ... or otherwise available on the left of the Ta$man?

No. Highlights om YouTube.

Fuck playing rugby in that. It was a fucking fluffybunny if a day here, hot and muggy and I think felt much more than 29 (my app says we got a bit above 30).

@KiwiMurph said in Japan XV v All Blacks XV:

@booboo said in Japan XV v All Blacks XV:

Dumb question maybe ... was this on Stan? ... or otherwise available on the left of the Ta$man?

No. Highlights om YouTube.

Thanks KM

@booboo said in Japan XV v All Blacks XV:

@KiwiMurph said in Japan XV v All Blacks XV:

@booboo said in Japan XV v All Blacks XV:

Dumb question maybe ... was this on Stan? ... or otherwise available on the left of the Ta$man?

No. Highlights om YouTube.

Thanks KM

I also found full match on YT (well by found I mean it auto started after I watched the highlights.)

@booboo said in Japan XV v All Blacks XV:

Dumb question maybe ... was this on Stan? ... or otherwise available on the left of the Ta$man?

@pakman

I noticed Bell in the changing room at HT and both on the field after the match. You can also see them in the team photo at the end.

Full game with NZ commentary posted on ABs YouTube channel.

@pakman said in Japan XV v All Blacks XV:

@African-Monkey said in Japan XV v All Blacks XV:

He may have no pace anymore, but man Goodhue still has beautiful hands.

As @Victor-Meldrew observed recently, imagine him with Rieko's pace and you have the prince of centres.

The prince of centres throwing in a nothing grubber after being put into space down the left hand side, instead of looking to link up, would have had me stabbing him to death with the spikey bits on his crown.

From the earlier comments, I was expecting an horror show. Nothing like that. Of course, the AB XV looked a bit rusty at times but we must remember that it is a makeshift team, with just a few days of training in its bag. Weber was not that bad. I still rank him above Christie. I like what I saw of Goodhue. He is lacking speed but he has the best hands in NZ rugby.

@pakman said in Japan XV v All Blacks XV:

@Bovidae said in Japan XV v All Blacks XV:

I noted that both Bell and Dyer are part of the squad. Jager injured again?

Ah Kuoi was my MOTM.

Missed that. Was that on AB XV Twitter?

That is good spotting! Mafileo went to Argentina with ABs so maybe back up?

@Bones said in Japan XV v All Blacks XV:

@pakman said in Japan XV v All Blacks XV:

@African-Monkey said in Japan XV v All Blacks XV:

He may have no pace anymore, but man Goodhue still has beautiful hands.

As @Victor-Meldrew observed recently, imagine him with Rieko's pace and you have the prince of centres.

The prince of centres throwing in a nothing grubber after being put into space down the left hand side, instead of looking to link up, would have had me stabbing him to death with the spikey bits on his crown.

The PofC was a superb grubberer!