Reluctantly adding to the Rieko bash here, because I like the guy as player and it saddens me the way things are at the moment, but there was one moment on the weekend that summed up where is at. It was when the Argies fucked up a pass and the ball was bouncing along the ground. Rieko was there, he bent over to pick it up and spilled the ball forward. Opportunity missed. Rieko of old, or someone else on top of their game, would have either scooped the ball up and accelerated at the gap, or instinctively toed the ball on creating a kick chase situation. I just knew as I watched it unfold, that the chance would be blown.

For what it's worth, I can't imagine any AB back would have made gold out of that situation on the weekend. That's how down on mojo they are as a unit.

@Crazy-Horse a good observation, it does feel like the backline do not have confidence that they can implement whatever gameplan they are being asked to do, and it's impacting their confidence across the board which can lead to missed opportunities like that.

Will Jordan passed the ball last week though. You pessimistic bunch.

@Bones said in All Blacks v Springboks I:

Will Jordan passed the ball last week though. You pessimistic bunch.

we also look very staunch on the bus on the way in to the stadium.

@junior said in All Blacks v Springboks I:

This is primarily the result of how this and the last regime structured their backline attack and also the two blokes inside him who can’t pass for shit either.

Yeah, his lack of distribution skill is the fault of every coach and every player that has ever played inside him. Nothing to do with him at all............

Anton Lienert-Brown is probably the best distributing centre in NZ - just saying...

Will Cam Roigard be available?

@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks v Springboks I:

Anton Lienert-Brown is probably the best distributing centre in NZ - just saying...

When he's not in the bin?

@Frank said in All Blacks v Springboks I:

Will Cam Roigard be available?

Very doubtful

@canefan said in All Blacks v Springboks I:

@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks v Springboks I:

Anton Lienert-Brown is probably the best distributing centre in NZ - just saying...

When he's not in the bin?

See, none of our contenders are perfect, ALB can't stay on the field, Rieko can't pass and Proctor can't walk on water defend.

@Nepia said in All Blacks v Springboks I:

@canefan said in All Blacks v Springboks I:

@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks v Springboks I:

Anton Lienert-Brown is probably the best distributing centre in NZ - just saying...

When he's not in the bin?

See, none of our contenders are perfect, ALB can't stay on the field, Rieko can't pass and Proctor can't walk on water defend.

And Leicester is laughing

I thought Ennor's big improvements in super this year was his heads up play and handling. Carry on in that manner and he could get up to half a dozen games before being discarded because he didn't look to the manor born.

@Bones said in All Blacks v Springboks I:

I thought Ennor's big improvements in super this year was his heads up play and handling. Carry on in that manner and he could get up to half a dozen games before being discarded because he didn't look to the manor born.

Yeah, if we have to pick a Crusader centre it would be Ennor for me. I once described him as a poor man's Rieko, but he has looked an improved player the last couple of years.

As for big LF, when he left he couldn't pass for shit. Has that changed?

@Crazy-Horse said in All Blacks v Springboks I:

@Bones said in All Blacks v Springboks I:

I thought Ennor's big improvements in super this year was his heads up play and handling. Carry on in that manner and he could get up to half a dozen games before being discarded because he didn't look to the manor born.

Yeah, if we have to pick a Crusader centre it would be Ennor for me. I once described him as a poor man's Rieko, but he has looked an improved player the last couple of years.

As for big LF, when he left he couldn't pass for shit. Has that changed?

He'll fit right in then!

@Crazy-Horse thought he was looking quite rapid this year too.

@Crazy-Horse said in All Blacks v Springboks I:

As for big LF, when he left he couldn't pass for shit

Not a skill required for the ABs. No problem.

Yeah agreed on Ennor - thought he had by far his best season. I would welcome.him into the squad.

@reprobate said in All Blacks v Springboks I:

@taniwharugby said in All Blacks v Springboks I:

@KiwiMurph i wonder if the Boks will kick to us?

Well it's not like we didn't also miss an absolute shitload of tackles... making it a tough choice for them to run it or kick it.
Bit of a masterstroke really, they won't know what to do.

Boks missed a lot of tackles against the Aussies on the weekend as well - 30. In terms of overall tackle completion, their rate was lower than the ABs.

Both teams were guilty of a passive defensive line through decent periods. They took and made their kicks.

This points to another problem with that match - fat too much defending and in the wrong end of he park. It was taking its toll and put huge pressure on us for long periods.

Against the Boks if we can get down our end I think they are vulnerable defensively too.

@Frank said in All Blacks v Springboks I:

@junior said in All Blacks v Springboks I:

This is primarily the result of how this and the last regime structured their backline attack and also the two blokes inside him who can’t pass for shit either.

Yeah, his lack of distribution skill is the fault of every coach and every player that has ever played inside him. Nothing to do with him at all............

Way to take one sentence from my post, remove all context, and miss the point completely.

Skilful by @Frank!

Going to be interesting,

Before the Argie 2 game ,I honestly thought we might be on a upwards trajectory mainly due to the forwards , tight 5 in particular. Then we served up that pile of dog shit where it feels like any progress all came undone .

I suspect Rassie will target that tight 5 and holland in particular to see if he can find a chink and a barrage of high balls are coming our way , if we play the same back 3 I think we are in trouble.

If Clarke isn’t ready , I’d play love ( he’s 24 now if he’s not ready yet when is he ready ? ) at 15 Jordan at 14 , can narawa play 11 .? What is carter like under the high ball ?

Preston withdrawn from NPC.

Boks arrived nice and early been in NZ for almost 2 days already.

@booboo said in All Blacks v Springboks I:

Preston withdrawn from NPC.

Roigard not ready.

That's a worry. Not happy about needing a guy who has played what 3/4 of a super season, and looked to be struggling with the pressure off the bench in the final.

@Frank said in All Blacks v Springboks I:

@booboo said in All Blacks v Springboks I:

Preston withdrawn from NPC.

Roigard not ready.

Any word on Ratima's injury? Could be related to that too.

@canefan said in All Blacks v Springboks I:

@Nepia said in All Blacks v Springboks I:

@canefan said in All Blacks v Springboks I:

@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks v Springboks I:

Anton Lienert-Brown is probably the best distributing centre in NZ - just saying...

When he's not in the bin?

See, none of our contenders are perfect, ALB can't stay on the field, Rieko can't pass and Proctor can't walk on water defend.

And Leicester is laughing

@canefan said in All Blacks v Springboks I:

@Nepia said in All Blacks v Springboks I:

@canefan said in All Blacks v Springboks I:

@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks v Springboks I:

Anton Lienert-Brown is probably the best distributing centre in NZ - just saying...

When he's not in the bin?

See, none of our contenders are perfect, ALB can't stay on the field, Rieko can't pass and Proctor can't walk on water defend.

And Leicester is laughing

Leicester is an even worse defender than Proctor.

@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks v Springboks I:

Yeah agreed on Ennor - thought he had by far his best season. I would welcome.him into the squad.

He drops the ball cold in front of the line every season. He's a butterfly fingers.

@brodean said in All Blacks v Springboks I:

@canefan said in All Blacks v Springboks I:

@Nepia said in All Blacks v Springboks I:

@canefan said in All Blacks v Springboks I:

@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks v Springboks I:

Anton Lienert-Brown is probably the best distributing centre in NZ - just saying...

When he's not in the bin?

See, none of our contenders are perfect, ALB can't stay on the field, Rieko can't pass and Proctor can't walk on water defend.

And Leicester is laughing

@canefan said in All Blacks v Springboks I:

@Nepia said in All Blacks v Springboks I:

@canefan said in All Blacks v Springboks I:

@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks v Springboks I:

Anton Lienert-Brown is probably the best distributing centre in NZ - just saying...

When he's not in the bin?

See, none of our contenders are perfect, ALB can't stay on the field, Rieko can't pass and Proctor can't walk on water defend.

And Leicester is laughing

Leicester is an even worse defender than Proctor.

Amen, anyone who saw him in games in top 14 should tell you thst.
Then read his stats, really backs it up. Couple of games I saw, he didn't even look interested in tackling anyone who didn't rub directly at him.

@brodean said in All Blacks v Springboks I:

@canefan said in All Blacks v Springboks I:

@Nepia said in All Blacks v Springboks I:

@canefan said in All Blacks v Springboks I:

@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks v Springboks I:

Anton Lienert-Brown is probably the best distributing centre in NZ - just saying...

When he's not in the bin?

See, none of our contenders are perfect, ALB can't stay on the field, Rieko can't pass and Proctor can't walk on water defend.

And Leicester is laughing

@canefan said in All Blacks v Springboks I:

@Nepia said in All Blacks v Springboks I:

@canefan said in All Blacks v Springboks I:

@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks v Springboks I:

Anton Lienert-Brown is probably the best distributing centre in NZ - just saying...

When he's not in the bin?

See, none of our contenders are perfect, ALB can't stay on the field, Rieko can't pass and Proctor can't walk on water defend.

And Leicester is laughing

Leicester is an even worse defender than Proctor.

Someone has to step up otherwise Razor won't hesitate to pull the trigger for Leicester

@canefan said in All Blacks v Springboks I:

@brodean said in All Blacks v Springboks I:

@canefan said in All Blacks v Springboks I:

@Nepia said in All Blacks v Springboks I:

@canefan said in All Blacks v Springboks I:

@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks v Springboks I:

Anton Lienert-Brown is probably the best distributing centre in NZ - just saying...

When he's not in the bin?

See, none of our contenders are perfect, ALB can't stay on the field, Rieko can't pass and Proctor can't walk on water defend.

And Leicester is laughing

@canefan said in All Blacks v Springboks I:

@Nepia said in All Blacks v Springboks I:

@canefan said in All Blacks v Springboks I:

@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks v Springboks I:

Anton Lienert-Brown is probably the best distributing centre in NZ - just saying...

When he's not in the bin?

See, none of our contenders are perfect, ALB can't stay on the field, Rieko can't pass and Proctor can't walk on water defend.

And Leicester is laughing

Leicester is an even worse defender than Proctor.

Someone has to step up otherwise Razor won't hesitate to pull the trigger for Leicester

I think Razor is aware of this hence why he rarely selected him at center for the Crusaders. Rieko at 11 is most at risk.

@brodean said in All Blacks v Springboks I:

butterfly fingers

Upvote

Mo for centre, you heard it here first.

@Bones said in All Blacks v Springboks I:

Mo for centre, you heard it here first.

Curly at 2nd five

@booboo said in All Blacks v Springboks I:

Preston withdrawn from NPC.

I’d start him.

It will be the same team, I suspect, but with Christie starting and Preston on the bench.

@sparky said in All Blacks v Springboks I:

It will be the same team, I suspect, but with Christie starting and Preston on the bench.

That would be just what a high performing team would do.

@sparky said in All Blacks v Springboks I:

It will be the same team, I suspect, but with Christie starting and Preston on the bench.

So no change on the wings????

If we look at who HASN'T been released to NPC, and assume the rest (apart from Patty T) are in 23 we get:

Will Jordan, Sevu Reece, Billy Proctor, Jordie Barrett, Rieko Ioane, Beauden Barrett, Kyle Preston, Ardie Savea, Du Plessis Kirifi, Tupou Vaa'i, Fabian Holland, Scott Barrett (capt), Fletcher Newell, Codie Taylor, Ethan de Groot.

Reserves: Samisoni Taukei'aho, Tamaiti Williams, Pasilio Tosi, Simon Parker, Wallace Sititi, Finlay Christie, Quinn Tupaea, Damian McKenzie.