Bledisloe I: All Blacks vs Wallabies: MATCH THREAD: Oct 11

[Auckman]

Worst game I've seen from Mo'unga.

Well, apart from a couple of try-saving tackles on Daugunu, putting the idiot Ioane away for a try, bamboozling the Aussies and keeping the ABs in the game during the last few minutes, you could be right. But then it's a very high hurdle.

Hell hath no fury like a Beauden Barrett slut scorned.

You clearly have Mo'unga posters up in your toilet. I never said to drop him. Just that he had an off day; specifically, shite day. There were many others.

[Jimmy Smallsteps]

Well, apart from a couple of try-saving tackles on Daugunu, putting the idiot Ioane away for a try, bamboozling the Aussies and keeping the ABs in the game during the last few minutes, you could be right. But then it's a very high hurdle.

Hell hath no fury like a Beauden Barrett slut scorned.

You clearly have Mo'unga posters up in your toilet. I never said to drop him. Just that he had an off day; specifically, shite day. There were many others.

And you'd be wrong. One of the better performing backs.

[Lemoentjie]

Hahahaha Ioane what a poes

Serious question- does this NZ team have a massive fear of drop goals? Could have won that so easily. Instead they drew against one of the worst Australian teams ever, at home.

[Ted.]

Hell hath no fury like a Beauden Barrett slut scorned.

You clearly have Mo'unga posters up in your toilet. I never said to drop him. Just that he had an off day; specifically, shite day. There were many others.

And you'd be wrong. One of the better performing backs.

You're making a bit of a tit of yourself, Jimmy. I'm not sure if it's the slightly new name, but you have definitely taken a turn for the worse.

[Ted.]

The players ratings.

Damian McKenzie: Won a resaving ruck penalty just one metre from the All Blacks’ line after 21 minutes just as the Wallabies looked set to score, and initially attacked with confidence. However, costly mistakes started to creep in during the second half. 6

Jordie Barrett: Opened the scoring after nine minutes with a regulation finish and was handed the kicking tee in tough Wellington conditions. Still, he’s clearly not a test wing. 6

Rieko Ioane: Handed the Wallabies a huge ‘get out of jail’ card as he failed to ground the ball over the try line with no one near him, and was then sucked in too tight by the Wallabies’ attack for the visitors’ first try. Replaced after 56 minutes. 4

Jack Goodhue: Continues to search for his best form. Found it hard to inject himself into the game as the Wallabies won most of the collisions and ran the harder lines. 4

George Bridge: Struggled to contain new Wallabies wing Fliipo Daugunu as Dave Rennie’s side attacked frequently down the right-hand side. Set up Aaron Smith's try nicely. 5

Richie Mo’unga: Was pressured by the Wallabies defence, who often sent one man out of the defensive line at pace to target the No 10. Also overcooked one penalty that failed to find touch – a recurring bad habit in his game. 4

Aaron Smith: Brilliant second half try that highlighted his physical rejuvenation this year. Will be telling his grandkids about his fend on rival Nic White as showed pace and strength on his way to the line. However, was far less influential than White overall. 6

Ardie Savea: Rolled his sleeves up to produce a tough defensive shift on his home ground. Won a massive turnover in the last seconds on his own line as the Wallabies looked destined to win the game. 7

Sam Cane: A captain’s knock by the new skipper, and it needed to be as his side came under significant pressure from a very physical Wallabies team. Stood up when he needed to. 7

Shannon Frizell: Dropped an early pass but recovered with a lineout steal and some quick hands to set up Jordie Barrett’s opening try. Faded after that, and still has a lot to prove at test level. 4

Sam Whitelock: The most experienced lock on the paddock showed his terrific lineout skills in greasy second half conditions, but will know the pack must lift significantly next week. 6

Patrick Tuipulotu: Prodcued very little of the thunder we saw in Super Rugby Aotearoa, and was comprehensively outpointed by Matt Philip and Lukhan Salakaia-Loto. 4

Ofa Tuungafasi: Won one brave breakdown penalty in the second half, and scrum seemed to gain an ascendancy in the second half. Worked tirelessly in a beaten pack. 6

Codie Taylor: Limited involvement and replaced after 58 minutes. Lineout work was largely accurate but was bundled into touch with one of his few carries with the ball. 5

Joe Moody: Solid at scrum time but the All Blacks’ defensive frailties around the ruck were again on display. The All Blacks’ pack were largely outmuscled by a more aggressive side. 4

Reserves

Dane Coles: Veteran hooker couldn't change the momentum in the game as the All Blacks played into the wind in the second half. 5

Karl Tu’inukuafe: Gave away a crucial penalty at ruck time that put the Wallabies into a late lead, and also dropped a pass as the All Blacks tried to finish the job in injury time. 4

Tyrel Lomax: Late replacement for Nepo Laulala, and looked after his core duties well after coming on for Tuungafasi. 5

Tupou Vaa’i: Subbed on for the last five minutes only. N/R

Hoskins Sotutu: Saw about 14 minutes of action and made some strong carries as the All Blacks finally got some front-foot ball. 6

TJ Perenara: Couldn’t close the deal as the All Blacks looked disorganised in last few minutes when they could have set up a winning drop goal. 4

Anton Lienert-Brown: Replaced the out of sorts Ioane but couldn’t find the answer to the Wallabies’ aggressive line speed. 4

Caleb Clarke: Brought on after 68 minutes and his blockbusting runs showed he should have started. Huge impact. 7[/quote]

[Monkey Magic]

Anyone think Clarke did enough in his cameo at the end to get a start?

Jordie seemed very slow for a test winger.

Also not getting the amount of talk that the wallabies were useless, they did thrash the all blacks last year. Reading a stuff article saying 'they are easy beats no more you'd think a rugby journalist would at least pretend to be aware of recent meetings between the sides

[Jimmy Smallsteps]

You clearly have Mo'unga posters up in your toilet. I never said to drop him. Just that he had an off day; specifically, shite day. There were many others.

And you'd be wrong. One of the better performing backs.

You're making a bit of a tit of yourself, Jimmy. I'm not sure if it's the slightly new name, but you have definitely taken a turn for the worse.

He was 3/7 in the backline. "specifically shite day" is just inaccurate.

[Knoath]

Yep saw those ratings, thought they where too nice. For me Reiko, Damien, Richie gone

[Knoath]

Oh yea and Caleb has to be in

[Carter's Choice]

Yep saw those ratings, thought they where too nice. For me Reiko, Damien, Richie gone

Those ratings are simply ridiculous. Pure trolling. Were they written by Enzedder?

[sban052]

Is this really that far from the usual rubbish the all blacks serve up in game 1 of the year?

Negatives:
Reiko Ioane - the type of classless idiotic decision that should have him out of the side for a long while.
Inability to deal with a rush defence
The use of Jordie Barrett on the wing - hopefully will not happen again
The 9-10 partnership

Pros:
Defense for the majority of the game was pretty strong
Sam Cane proving his doubters (me included) wrong
Dave Rennie turning the Wallabies into a decent side again I've missed them, and we will need them to keep up when the Boks eventually leave.

All in all, its too early to pass judgement (other than Ioane). The team will come together better with time, despite the presence of Foster.

[Carter's Choice]

I'm expecting an improved effort at Eden Park.

The tactics were more worrying for me than the individual performances. We picked in form ball running players like Frizell, Tuipulotu, Tu'ungafasi, Moody and Savea, and then refused to use forward runners until the very end of the match. We kept shifting the ball left to right like a pendulum, but never earned the right to go wide by making metres through the middle.

We picked the two wingers who are great under the high ball, and then never used them except for two high kicks around the 60th minute. What's the point of having Jordie Barrett in the team if you aren't going to use the high ball? Can't blame Mo'unga for not using the cross kick as we had such little territory that he never got close enough to use that tactic.

Aaron Smith has a very shallow box kick, yet he persisted with using him to clear the ball from our defensive 22. This meant that the Aussie won the territory battle even when running into the wind. Aaron Smith does not have a long kick so why use him in this way? We had the longest kicker in NZ, Jordie Barrett, in the team but basically never used him to kick for territory.

[Monkey Magic]

Big problem foster has is lack of experience across his team. Thought Whitelock, cane and savea stood up but but there's not a lot of other really senior players in the side

[Slick]

From a neutral point of view I’ve only seen some very short highlights and some of the handling and moves were terrific.

That first NZ try was a thing of beauty and loved that move off the line out when the wing went flying through in the inside ball.

Not very helpful for this conversation but watched a couple of hours ago and still marvelling

[Auckman]

Those ratings pretty much back up my thesis for today.

I also thought Caleb Clarke was great when he came on but I didn't want to be accused of Blues bias. Strong surging runs like the waters over Niagra Falls.

[Carter's Choice]

The RWC semi final and now this debacle in three test matches. Ian Foster owns both performances. The lacks of a coherent game-plan or strategy is hugely concerning.

[Jimmy Smallsteps]

Yep saw those ratings, thought they where too nice. For me Reiko, Damien, Richie gone

Those ratings are simply ridiculous. Pure trolling. Were they written by Enzedder?

Paul Cully. Hurricanes tragic IIRC.

Even Marc Hinton, who I used to respect, is full of shit these days.

NZ rugby journalism is full of 20-30 something know nothings.

[FujiKiwi]

Seems to me like the continuing plan for the ABs is to “live off the scraps”. Kick it to the opposition, tackle all day and when a turnover comes, hope for points.

It’s worked now and then over the past five years, but backfires at crucial times, and I just wish the All Black coaches had some other game plan to try out.

[Steve]

I think the wallabies are going to get their arseholes caved in . The NZ players have been playing a higher standard of domestic footie during lockdown by a wide margin.

I could see the score getting away from the Aussies and with JOC at 10 i think it could get pretty aimless and ragged.

No Beale,Kerevi or Folau as a point of difference. No Petaia.

It looks very vanilla to me.

I was wrong about this.

[Ted.]

Anyone think Clarke did enough in his cameo at the end to get a start?

Jordie seemed very slow for a test winger.

Also not getting the amount of talk that the wallabies were useless, they did thrash the all blacks last year. Reading a stuff article saying 'they are easy beats no more you'd think a rugby journalist would at least pretend to be aware of recent meetings between the sides

Who's saying that?

[Steve]

It's very, very early in Foster's tenure, but I am deeply worried that he are seeing some of the selection folly that we saw in the last four years of Hansen's coaching stint, in particular that utility value is prioritised over form, ability and specialisation.

I agree. ALB must be pissed off that Reiko is in the midfield. Specialist players should always be in specialist positions. If you are going to have utility players they should be on the bench.

Not happy at all with this selection. I hope Fozzie doesn't spend the season chopping and changing his team. I think you pick your very best team and only make changes due to injury or loss of form. I thought the lesson was shown last year.

This selection doesn't bode well for the ABs. Lose the Bled and the knives will be out. The Wobs have nothing to lose and will be hungry.

Hard to know what to make of the Rieko selection. 13 has been the "thinking mans" position at test level which isn't a trait id associate with Rieko from my barstool.

Conrad Smith , Brian O Driscoll, Jonathan Davies, ALB. Rieko doesn't fit that mould for me.


He certainly has the physical attributes to absolutely carve up. For what its worth I still think he has the potential to be the best left winger in NZ.

I was right about this.

[Ted.]

And you'd be wrong. One of the better performing backs.

You're making a bit of a tit of yourself, Jimmy. I'm not sure if it's the slightly new name, but you have definitely taken a turn for the worse.

He was 3/7 in the backline. "specifically shite day" is just inaccurate.

I wasn't replying to your post, but talking generally.

[Jimmy Smallsteps]

TAB odds of Reiko Ioane embarrassing us all with his dickhead antics: $1.07

Nailed it.

[Steve]

Anyone think Clarke did enough in his cameo at the end to get a start?

Jordie seemed very slow for a test winger.

Also not getting the amount of talk that the wallabies were useless, they did thrash the all blacks last year. Reading a stuff article saying 'they are easy beats no more you'd think a rugby journalist would at least pretend to be aware of recent meetings between the sides

Who's saying that?

Hands up.... I thought they would be easy beats myself tbh. 16 points is about what i thought they'd score but I fancied nz to score about 40.

[Jimmy Smallsteps]

I think the wallabies are going to get their arseholes caved in . The NZ players have been playing a higher standard of domestic footie during lockdown by a wide margin.

I could see the score getting away from the Aussies and with JOC at 10 i think it could get pretty aimless and ragged.

No Beale,Kerevi or Folau as a point of difference. No Petaia.

It looks very vanilla to me.

I suspect you haven't been watching much Super Rugby AU, Steve.

O'Connor has matured into a very sound 10 who plays the percentages well, while vanilla is not a term I would use to describe the Fijian flyers on both wings.

Tappa tappa tappa!

[Steve]

I think the wallabies are going to get their arseholes caved in . The NZ players have been playing a higher standard of domestic footie during lockdown by a wide margin.

I could see the score getting away from the Aussies and with JOC at 10 i think it could get pretty aimless and ragged.

No Beale,Kerevi or Folau as a point of difference. No Petaia.

It looks very vanilla to me.

I suspect you haven't been watching much Super Rugby AU, Steve.

O'Connor has matured into a very sound 10 who plays the percentages well, while vanilla is not a term I would use to describe the Fijian flyers on both wings.

Tappa tappa tappa!

Don't Think JOC was up to much regardless, and he stood at 12 a lot to be fair.

And super rugby AU was and is shite.

[Jimmy Smallsteps]

I suspect you haven't been watching much Super Rugby AU, Steve.

O'Connor has matured into a very sound 10 who plays the percentages well, while vanilla is not a term I would use to describe the Fijian flyers on both wings.

Tappa tappa tappa!

Don't Think JOC was up to much regardless, and he stood at 12 a lot to be fair.

And super rugby AU was and is shite.

Obviously not that shite.

[Slarty FizzyO]

Paul Cully. Hurricanes tragic IIRC.

Even Marc Hinton, who I used to respect, is full of shit these days.

NZ rugby journalism is full of 30-70 something know nothings.

Fixed*

[Biffer]

The last twenty of that game was a great watch.

Although every single northern hemisphere side would have dropped the goal to win it, but neither NZ or Oz seemed to even consider it.

[Kiwias]

I love this piece from the Guardian play by play description.

Rieko Ioane you plonker! All the All Black centre had to do was put the ball on the ground and instead he decided to put in a superman dive and inches from the five points he lost possession and there was the faintest gap between fingers and ball at the crucial moment. Blimey.

[Raggs]

Just watched this through, didn't know the result. Amazing end to the game. Quick question though, was this a 1st XV for the ABs? After about 3 minutes I thought that the ABs were going to lose this. Still got the amazing skills, the great support lines in attack, but there was zero bite in the breakdown. Virtually every other game I've seen from the ABs previously, the breakdown was a place where opponents must have been flinching before every one, and only when that massive physicality was matched, did they begin to stand a chance at winning the game, this game saw almost none of that, except from Cane.

[PCPhil]

Looked a good game but seriously some of the comments on here. NZ have been best consistent side in Rugby for a long time but just on occasions, maybe, the opposition can match them? I know, not a sensible suggestion. Because you don’t win every game it doesn’t necessarily mean that when you don’t the ABs were 50% below potential while the other side played out of their skin.

Dare I say a bit of a Barcelona complex creeping in here.

[Ymx]

Looked a good game but seriously some of the comments on here. NZ have been best consistent side in Rugby for a long time but just on occasions, maybe, the opposition can match them? I know, not a sensible suggestion. Because you don’t win every game it doesn’t necessarily mean that when you don’t the ABs were 50% below potential while the other side played out of their skin.

Dare I say a bit of a Barcelona complex creeping in here.

Yeah yeah yeah.

It wasn’t good quality rugby by either side.

But mostly many of us kiwis pissed off by shit selections/game strategy. Especially with our new old coach.

[Wild Beef]

Having watched the highlights and catching the bits I missed, two comments come to mind.

The inability to set for a drop goal was disappointing but if you watch the final play, JB is unmarked with acres of space on the wing. I’m not convinced they made the wrong call.

I expected Ioane’s non-try to be far more showboat than it was. Seemed to be more a victim of being too casual. I was expecting a swan/swallow dive like some fella from England use to do (Chris Ashton?)

[Steve]

Watch Mo'unga here at 6 mins 15 onwards of the video. Rewind my time stamp a few seconds.

The clock is in the red and they are straight in front about 9 meters out. He unnecessarily ambles slowly into a ruck and essentially does nothing. Then he ambles back out and doesn't stand in the pocket as an obvious option. It was beyond his remit waddling into that ruck. He did everything other than what he should be doing. Nor did anyone else step into the pocket to be fair but why should they.


For me , a Sexton, Wilkinson, Farrell, Pollard demands that ball and takes the shot.

Cane is clapping and pointing to the pocket.

[Wild Beef]

Same clip shows Jordie running to space on the wing. 88:21. If the pass from the ruck wasn’t so shit then I reckon he was in.

Still, surprised the pocket wasn’t there as an option.

[Steve]

Same clip shows Jordie running to space on the wing. 88:21. If the pass from the ruck wasn’t so shit then I reckon he was in.

Still, surprised the pocket wasn’t there as an option.

Yeah Jordie is in acres, but it's such a handy drop goal. It's not sexton in Paris distance or a mitch hunt hail mary for the crusaders, its a little dink from 15 meters. A gimme.

[Steve]

Same clip shows Jordie running to space on the wing. 88:21. If the pass from the ruck wasn’t so shit then I reckon he was in.

Still, surprised the pocket wasn’t there as an option.

Yeah Jordie is in acres, but it's such a handy drop goal. It's not sexton in Paris distance or a mitch hunt hail mary for the crusaders, its a little dink from 15 meters. A gimme.

it's actually Bridge not Jordie on the touch line . Jordie cleans out the ruck where the ball is lost and aussie kick it out.

[Wang]

Bit of a kiwi juzz fust over here? Reminiscent of the SA freds in the other joint.

[Wild Beef]

You’re right, bridge is in space and Jordie is the one further in who had to dive for the ball and had no chance to pass.

Hard to tell on a cellphone!