No separation I reckon. But fuck man, that's shit.
Barbarians
Match thread
All Blacks XV
@hikastags said in Barbarians v All Blacks XV:
Took 39min to score vs a team that's probably been drinking all week smh
Given the number of South Africans in the team, and facing a NZ side, I doubt they’ve been drinking.
Also, there are quite a few Bok hopefuls looking to push their claims to get into the full Bok squad.
@Tim said in Barbarians v All Blacks XV:
How the fuck can you call it back after the conversion? Fuck rugby is trying to kill itself. This is a babas game FFS.
Tend to agree, I can't see this sport ever being anything but niche, very tough entry point if you didn't already grow up watching it
@jimmyb said in Barbarians v All Blacks XV:
Whether it was a try or not, CT is a moron for that grounding
I guess it’ll be part of the learnings 
@stodders said in Barbarians v All Blacks XV:
@jimmyb said in Barbarians v All Blacks XV:
Whether it was a try or not, CT is a moron for that grounding
I guess it’ll be part of the learnings
Looking at these blokes, I’m not sure they have the mental capacity to learn any extra information
@jimmyb said in Barbarians v All Blacks XV:
@stodders said in Barbarians v All Blacks XV:
@jimmyb said in Barbarians v All Blacks XV:
Whether it was a try or not, CT is a moron for that grounding
I guess it’ll be part of the learnings
Looking at these blokes, I’m not sure they have the mental capacity to learn any extra information
As I asked earlier, is the the best of what NZ have to offer below the All Blacks?
Why did I go back from the pub early to watch this. Being an AB rugby supporter used to be fun. Wake me up when it’s 2015 again
@Bones said in Barbarians v All Blacks XV:
Roe is a genius. Best player on the park.
Was a bit of a handbrake for 37 minutes! A couple hospital passes in there for good keeping too!
@stodders said in Barbarians v All Blacks XV:
@jimmyb said in Barbarians v All Blacks XV:
Whether it was a try or not, CT is a moron for that grounding
I guess it’ll be part of the learnings
You mean he has been learning a LESSON!
Shalfoon would've been worth a place at lock? Darry would've been handy but got promoted due to Tuipulotu's injury.
Boshier is clearly not anywhere near this level. There are so many better players in NZ.
Riccitelli and Moananu are better hookers, but are both leaving NZ.
CLW is better than Flanders. Sotutu is injured.
Numia has been out of form this year. Fusitua is better.
Dyer doesn't seem to be up to this level.
@Bones said in Barbarians v All Blacks XV:
Boshier looks like a back in the forwards, must be the smallest. Great for a blindside.
The main lineout target. 
The AB XV are getting out-muscled in the forwards but have created some chances.
@ACT-Crusader said in Barbarians v All Blacks XV:
@Bones said in Barbarians v All Blacks XV:
Roe is a genius. Best player on the park.
Was a bit of a handbrake for 37 minutes! A couple hospital passes in there for good keeping too!
He was fucking awful, made me yearn for Christie. Think he threw a hospital for nearly every player on his side, in between throwing it at empty space, the ground and opposition players. That's when he wasn't flapping about miles away from the ball.
Call my crazy, but was this not predictable when 2/23 (both on the bench) are from the best NPC team and 0 from the second best? And then 21/23 are from NPC teams that can’t defend at a decent standard?
Also, what’s the game plan? What’s the structure? I get they haven’t been together long but that past two ABs XV teams have looked 1000% slicker
@jimmyb said in Barbarians v All Blacks XV:
Why did I go back from the pub early to watch this. Being an AB rugby supporter used to be fun. Wake me up when it’s 2015 again
In previous AB XV / NZ A teams we had starting lineups that were full of regular Super rugby starters and some ABs.
We have guys starting this game who barely start for their Super team and really in the ‘good NPC player’ class.
They may well be giving every one a run so some of the lesser players got a start in this one because the next two games look to be tougher.
@ACT-Crusader said in Barbarians v All Blacks XV:
@jimmyb said in Barbarians v All Blacks XV:
Why did I go back from the pub early to watch this. Being an AB rugby supporter used to be fun. Wake me up when it’s 2015 again
In previous AB XV / NZ A teams we had starting lineups that were full of regular Super rugby starters and some ABs.
We have guys starting this game who barely start for their Super team and really in the ‘good NPC player’ class.
They may well be giving every one a run so some of the lesser players got a start in this one because the next two games look to be tougher.
If JJ was under the impression this game was going to be easy, he’s an idiot.
@hikastags said in Barbarians v All Blacks XV:
Doesn't feel like there's many (or any) players in NZ atm that genuinely love smashing opposing players.
Seems everyone is so passive. Drives me nuts.
If Christie and CLW were out there…..
@hikastags said in Barbarians v All Blacks XV:
Doesn't feel like there's many (or any) players in NZ atm that genuinely love smashing opposing players.
Seems everyone is so passive. Drives me nuts.
Jona Nareki left at home I feel sick to my stomach
@ACT-Crusader Well they'd be a lot more effective than Flanders and Boshier!
Would like to see the BaaBaas bench forwards on. Vermaak, Venter, Wiese and specially Batho Hlekani should be a treat.
@Bones said in Barbarians v All Blacks XV:
Roe is a genius. Best player on the park.
Bones, your commentary is pure Fern genius :clapping_hands: :clapping_hands:
Painful though this game is, hopefully it is a brutal reminder to EVERYONE involved in NZ Rugby, that if you don't front up physically in the forwards in international rugby, then you're utterly buggered.
Picking midget Locks was suicide.
Not playing the Saffa Super regularly has been really detrimental to the general standard of our forwards.
@ACT-Crusader said in Barbarians v All Blacks XV:
@hikastags said in Barbarians v All Blacks XV:
Doesn't feel like there's many (or any) players in NZ atm that genuinely love smashing opposing players.
Seems everyone is so passive. Drives me nuts.
If Christie and CLW were out there…..
Zach Gallagher probably would've gone well also.
@jimmyb said in Barbarians v All Blacks XV:
@ACT-Crusader said in Barbarians v All Blacks XV:
@jimmyb said in Barbarians v All Blacks XV:
Why did I go back from the pub early to watch this. Being an AB rugby supporter used to be fun. Wake me up when it’s 2015 again
In previous AB XV / NZ A teams we had starting lineups that were full of regular Super rugby starters and some ABs.
We have guys starting this game who barely start for their Super team and really in the ‘good NPC player’ class.
They may well be giving every one a run so some of the lesser players got a start in this one because the next two games look to be tougher.
If JJ was under the impression this game was going to be easy, he’s an idiot.
I’m not implying that he (or the others involved in this squad) thought that this would be easy, but picking Roe ahead of the other two, plus JJ over Rivez tells me they never intended on picking their strongest team for this match and would prefer that to be against England A for example.
@hikastags said in Barbarians v All Blacks XV:
Doesn't feel like there's many (or any) players in NZ atm that genuinely love smashing opposing players.
Seems everyone is so passive. Drives me nuts.
We've gone in a little more from a decade from "Smash Em' Bro" to " Ohhh, you're not meant to hurt the opposition"
@ACT-Crusader said in Barbarians v All Blacks XV:
@jimmyb said in Barbarians v All Blacks XV:
@ACT-Crusader said in Barbarians v All Blacks XV:
@jimmyb said in Barbarians v All Blacks XV:
Why did I go back from the pub early to watch this. Being an AB rugby supporter used to be fun. Wake me up when it’s 2015 again
In previous AB XV / NZ A teams we had starting lineups that were full of regular Super rugby starters and some ABs.
We have guys starting this game who barely start for their Super team and really in the ‘good NPC player’ class.
They may well be giving every one a run so some of the lesser players got a start in this one because the next two games look to be tougher.
If JJ was under the impression this game was going to be easy, he’s an idiot.
I’m not implying that he (or the others involved in this squad) thought that this would be easy, but picking Roe ahead of the other two, plus JJ over Rivez tells me they never intended on picking their strongest team for this match and would prefer that to be against England A for example.
Fair, was more a comment directed at JJ than directly at your comment. But winning is winning. Picking thr top XV against England and South Africa B should have been a must
Give Robertson credit. The South Africa tour next year is obviously an identification of the desperate need to expose a large group of players to South African rugby
@WoodysRFC said in Barbarians v All Blacks XV:
Wonder how Kevin Pieterson feels about that white South African clapping and celebrating after that penalty?
Yeah how could that not be anyone's first thought.