@reprobate said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:
@kiwiinmelb said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:
@MN5 said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:
@kiwiinmelb said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:
@Billy-Webb said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:
@NTA said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:
Fist half thoughts:
Early on the ABs looked good if a little shaky under line speed pressure.
The first AB try was very nice. The intercept from Kolbe was a lack of eyes-up play by Proctor. Could have scored at the other end but the pace got to him.
Vaai is a dickhead. Not really a profound observation
maybe he should concentrate on pushing at scrums instead of clapping and laughing?
Wiesse is the avatar of rip and tear.
Boks scrum going great guns with 30 gone.
B Barrett looking ponderous and slow. He doesn't like heavy traffic. Failed to exit right before half-time which was a basic bitch error.
New Bok winger is bloody useful.
AB defensive line noticeably crooked. Pushing hard in the first 2 channels but lagging a bit wider.
AB Lineout at 35:50 - wtf happened??
Everyone playing as frantically as a virgin couple on their wedding night. With about as satisfying a result.
Lot of injuries and HIA.
Impression: Boks are ascendant but not finishing their opportunities. ABs are attacking from depth - too deep IMHO - but lacking a bit of subtlety; not much in the way of deception.
Bed time. Second half tomorrow.
Great overall insights as ever Nick.
The bolded bit is not so much because I feel you're wrong - too much - but more because on replay you have to admire how Cheslin pressured him to pass, with the intention of then trying for the intercept.
With all the talk of proctor coming in because he’s a distributing centre , he didn’t do the basics there and make the defender commit to him before he passed .
Proctor must be seriously running out of chances.
Past AB coaches jettisoned Laumape and Moala quicker than this.
I wasn’t intentionally having a crack at him but just saying it how I saw it , he fluffed his opportunity to show why he was brought in , instead of putting his winger in space he passed too early and allowed kolbie to go for the ball .
Kolbie loves to go the ball not the man , if he dummies at that moment, strong chance kolbie runs at the gap and comes up empty.
Exactly this. Kolbe does this all the damn time, and he is good at it.
Therefore, if Proctor had been prepared properly he would have been aware of that - unfortunately we can't know whether he was prepped and it was his mistake, or whether he wasn't and it is poor coaching.
Kolbe scored almost an identical try against the All Blacks in Wellington off an ALB pass years back which also lead to a Springbok victory. He's renowned for it so yes the ABs and Proctor himself should have been prepared for it. My issue here is that the coaching simply isn't good enough, especially in the backs. Holland and Ellison are both out of their depth and my question is how much longer can we afford to put up with it?
Proctor has been so consistent for the Canes and Wellington for the last three seasons and he just looks like a completely different player for the ABs, struggling to adapt to a gameplan that really doesn't suit him. He's mostly being used as a dummy runner and he's spending most of his time either blowing out rucks or chasing long kicks. He's been given very few opportunities in space due to our relentless kicking game, and I actually thought before that pass on Saturday, he was having his best test yet.
Razor needs to make some tough calls both within his coaching team, who he wants leading this team moving forward, and obviously the players on the paddock.
Against Aus I wouldn't mind seeing wholesale changes and the below team get a crack. I just think certain players would benefit from taking a seat for the next test before we blow their confidence entirely.
- Williams
- Taylor
- Newell
- Holland
- Va'ai
- Parker
- Lakai
- Sititi
- Roigard
- McKenzie
- Carter
- Tupaea
- Fainganuku
- Jordan
- Love
- Taukei'aho
- De Groot
- Lomax
- Barrett
- Savea
- Preston
- Barrett
- Barrett