NZ Rugby Thread

[Ymx]

My gut is that they will say no, rules are rules, not for negotiation.

Although it’s a shame the guy (who is a huge talent and wasting) is forced to stay at home for yet another year. Because of the rule transition and bad timing.

Unless of course he doesn’t want to play in the ABs.

[Grandpa]

My gut is that they will say no, rules are rules, not for negotiation.

Although it’s a shame the guy (who is a huge talent and wasting) is forced to stay at home for yet another year. Because of the rule transition and bad timing.

Unless of course he doesn’t want to play in the ABs.

I wonder if they considered bringing him in for the EOYT just to experience the environment... and maybe throw him on for 2 minutes v USA... not getting involved. Just staying on his own try line away from the action.. but then at least he gets a cap in 2021... before the rule change?

[Grandpa]

Hope this works out - he's a rare talent.

I wonder what argument they will use? That he would have been picked this year, but for injury?

They should bend the rules for him because of his wonderful haircut.

Absolutely. This would encourage more innovative haircuts in the future..

[FalseBayFC]

I wonder what argument they will use? That he would have been picked this year, but for injury?

They should bend the rules for him because of his wonderful haircut.

Absolutely. This would encourage more innovative haircuts in the future..

He really is a fizzing great halfback. For that reason alone I hope he has to wait until the maximum period required. Although seeing Faf and his goldilocks up against Fakatava and his golden mop would be quality.

[Grandpa]

They should bend the rules for him because of his wonderful haircut.

Absolutely. This would encourage more innovative haircuts in the future..

He really is a fizzing great halfback. For that reason alone I hope he has to wait until the maximum period required. Although seeing Faf and his goldilocks up against Fakatava and his golden mop would be quality.

He should dye his hair "Faf blond" to cement the half back union...

[Ymx]

My gut is that they will say no, rules are rules, not for negotiation.

Although it’s a shame the guy (who is a huge talent and wasting) is forced to stay at home for yet another year. Because of the rule transition and bad timing.

Unless of course he doesn’t want to play in the ABs.

I wonder if they considered bringing him in for the EOYT just to experience the environment... and maybe throw him on for 2 minutes v USA... not getting involved. Just staying on his own try line away from the action.. but then at least he gets a cap in 2021... before the rule change?

I’d love that. Just put him on as fullback. And then he just hangs out behind the posts.

[Grandpa]

My gut is that they will say no, rules are rules, not for negotiation.

Although it’s a shame the guy (who is a huge talent and wasting) is forced to stay at home for yet another year. Because of the rule transition and bad timing.

Unless of course he doesn’t want to play in the ABs.

I wonder if they considered bringing him in for the EOYT just to experience the environment... and maybe throw him on for 2 minutes v USA... not getting involved. Just staying on his own try line away from the action.. but then at least he gets a cap in 2021... before the rule change?

I’d love that. Just put him on as fullback. And then he just hangs out behind the posts.

Maybe World Rugby warned them they couldn't "manufacture" a test cap, so didn't want to bring the game into disrepute... else I can't think why they didn't consider it...

[Enzedder]

Liam Squire has given up the battle to get back into the game. Damn, that was a talent that we could have done with over the last 2 years

https://www.planetrugby.com/former-all- ... gvPFqyy2kE

[Gumboot]

Liam Squire has given up the battle to get back into the game. Damn, that was a talent that we could have done with over the last 2 years

https://www.planetrugby.com/former-all- ... gvPFqyy2kE

Damn shame, he was a terrific player.

He was seen as the long-term option at blindside, replacing Jerome Kaino following the New Zealand legend’s international retirement after the 2015 World Cup...

[Grandpa]

Will this be the thread to use for the USA/Wales/Italy/Ireland and France matches?

[Ymx]

Well, I think the mid field was extremely poor. Neither shone. Ennor dropped more the d mac I think.

[Enzedder]

There wasn't any great interest from the players at all.

I think they just want to get home (probably have to stay in their bubble so cannot get out and about - must be a shit tour)

[Gumboot]

David Havili played one of the worst halves of rugby by an ABs midfielder I've seen in probably 10 years.

Everything he did was gash. He put his team under huge pressure when we were chasing the game. He clearly lacks the temperament and physical presence needed against our toughest foes.

His form has fallen off a cliff. I hope he never gets anywhere near our top XXIII ever again.

Too harsh?

[Gumboot]

Edit: should've probably mentioned Ennor's shit game last week as well, but at least he's unlikely to be vying for a place in the top team any time soon.

And now ALB's injured. Our midfield is a shambles.

[Enzedder]

Not unfair re Havili except to say that he was outside Perenara who was very poor again. I didn't think that Mo'unga did anything worth while either but once again - look who was inside of him


Congrats to your guys for their Heartland Championship win mate. Excellent effort.

[Gumboot]

Not unfair re Havili except to say that he was outside Perenara who was very poor again. I didn't think that Mo'unga did anything worth while either but once again - look who was inside of him


Congrats to your guys for their Heartland Championship win mate. Excellent effort.

Cheers mate, always nice to pocket some silverware. Not a vintage year, though.

Best of luck against the Mako next weekend. Losing both PPP and Segner won't have helped them.

[Gumboot]

Glad to see Foster calling out the backs for missing numerous opportunities against Ireland. Apart from Jordie, and to a lesser extent Will Jordan, our backline was a hot mess. Sure our pack didn't have a great day, but they still won enough pill for the backs to cash in with...if their skill execution hadn't been so horribly fucking poor.

Back to Will Jordan...why didn't he play to the whistle when a lot of players stopped thinking it was a knock on? Instead he stopped and held the ball up in a sort of wtf gesture, only for an Irish player to grab it and look to scoot away for an almost certain try (with everyone else standing still)...except the ref bent to the optics of all the stopped players and finally blew his whistle assuming he didn't see an infringement but everyone else did. Not what you want from a test referee, imho. Very strange passage of play, but I felt that Ireland was robbed by the ref...and Jordan would've looked very stupid indeed if the ref had let the play continue as he should have.

Edit: Have just watched the Will Jordan "knock on" incident again, and as the ref was approaching Jordan he was in fact signalling that the ball went backwards. Jordan was looking straight at him but still didn't move. Then the ref blows his whistle just as the Irish player is taking the ball out of Jordan's hand...

So shouldn't that be either: 1. no knock on, play on, Ireland race off with the ball; or 2. knock on, advantage Ireland, Ireland race off with the ball?

[Enzedder]

That would have been worse than the Reiko knock-on when diving for a try.

I sense a disturbance in the Force though, like 500,000 souls had to shut the fuck up about Mo'unga and Havili.

[Gumboot]

That would have been worse than the Reiko knock-on when diving for a try.

I sense a disturbance in the Force though, like 500,000 souls had to shut the fuck up about Mo'unga and Havili.

Glad someone understands how triggered I am over this. Just wish I could remember who I'm most pissed off with...sleep deprivation's a bitch.

And yes, every single Saderblack underperformed on the day. Coincidence? Hmmm...

[Grandpa]

I hardly blame the backs at all.. with 39% possession... Foster tries to blame the backs.. WTF!

NZ lost it up front.... the backs got messy ball... there was no platform from the forwards, so rarely were they getting the ball with any sort of momentum. Instead we expected them to conjure up magic from behind the gain line... yes they panicked at times... but then they still managed to stay within a score of Ireland for most of the game and were a marginal forward pass away from possible victory... not bad considering the forwards were decimated...

And this is becoming a bad habit over the last few years... being bullied up front by England, SA, Argentina and Ireland..

Earn the right to go wide... we saw it a little bit against Wales... but that's it...

Hope we see it against France...or will they never learn?

PS. That Will Jordan moment was bizarre....

[Gumboot]

It was a very poor performance and there's more than enough blame to go around. But I'm firmly of the view that the backs lost us that game, so agree with Foster and Moody in that respect. The possession and territory statistics are somewhat misleading as they don't tell the full story. We had enough ball for our backline to work with, and they failed to bend the line, or kicked it away, or threw and/or dropped some of the worst passes I've ever seen from an All Blacks team. The early injuries to Beauden and ALB didn't help, coz their replacements (esp Havili) were bloody useless. The pack was hardly blameless, but I pin that loss squarely on the backs.

[OomStruisbaai]

I have a lot of respect for NZ rugby.

There isn't something like a bad All Blacks team in my books.

[Enzedder]

Chiefs hooker Nathan Harris has called it a day citing ongoing issues with his ankle.

Thanks Nathan - you gave it your all.

[Gumboot]

Chiefs hooker Nathan Harris has called it a day citing ongoing issues with his ankle.

Thanks Nathan - you gave it your all.

That's a shame, I really liked him as a player.

Had shit luck with injuries. Blew his Achilles in only his second test and missed a couple of years iirc. Missed out on 2015 RWC squad selection as a result, allowing Codie Taylor to emerge as our third hooker, but he was still good enough to get more test time after Mealamu retired and when Coles was (frequently) injured..

[Kiwias]

Chiefs hooker Nathan Harris has called it a day citing ongoing issues with his ankle.

Thanks Nathan - you gave it your all.

He was a genuine hard-working player, making the most of his talents. Good on you, mate.

[Enzedder]

Taniela Moa (Tonga, Blues, Auckland) has died in a 'medical event' - far too young at 36

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/sup ... es-aged-36

[Niegs]

Taniela Moa (Tonga, Blues, Auckland) has died in a 'medical event' - far too young at 36

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/sup ... es-aged-36

Christ! I was a big fan of his. RIP, fella. I still bring him up from time to time, mentioning how he and Hola must have been the heaviest halfback pairing ever. :)

'medical event' is a weird one. If it's a private matter, why not simply say 'died' rather than something cryptic?

[Gumboot]

Taniela Moa (Tonga, Blues, Auckland) has died in a 'medical event' - far too young at 36

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/sup ... es-aged-36

RIP

[Enzedder]

Heartfelt love and sympathies to the wider Meads family following the recent passing of the much-loved Lady Verna Meads, wife of the late great Sir Colin Meads. King Country Rugby offers its sincerest condolences to the family as they grieve and honour Lady Verna - we remember her as one of us just as Pinetree was.

A really fantastic lady to talk with.

[Kiwias]

RIP to Taniela Moa and condolences to his family.

RIP to Dame Verna Pinetree.

[Gumboot]

Oh dear...

Rural Canterbury rugby club split over appointment of troubled ex All Black Zac Guildford as coach

At least two committee members of a rural Canterbury rugby club have resigned after troubled former All Black Zac Guildford was appointed as coach.

Guildford told Stuff on Wednesday he had been in talks with the Woodend Rugby Club to play or coach the Division One team, but said nothing had been confirmed.

A source has revealed members and some sponsors were upset Guildford had been approached to coach because the correct process had not been followed. The source said Guildford was announced as the senior coach at the weekend’s prize giving.

Leaked emails reveal a split within the club, with some committee members upset Guildford was hired without a vote at committee level. It’s understood at least two, including a sponsor, have subsequently resigned...

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/129 ... d-as-coach

[Guy Smiley]

I dunno whether it was AC or another poster who coined the nickname for him back in the day, Drunk Nudeforth.

Another club fails to follow their own due process and ends up in turmoil. Basic stuff, FFS.

[Gumboot]

I dunno whether it was AC or another poster who coined the nickname for him back in the day, Drunk Nudeforth.

Another club fails to follow their own due process and ends up in turmoil. Basic stuff, FFS.

It's bizarre, really. I'm all for giving someone a second chance, but how many second chances has this bloke been given now? And his most recent indiscretions suggest he still has a long way to go in winning back trust. What a mess.

[Guy Smiley]

Yeah... I don't wish ill on the guy but he seems to be a basket case.