With a number of burning deadlines and a flu that has clearly taken courses in Bad Timing let me just give you the text of the email I received yesterday from my friend in Toulouse.
Oh Yes!!!
Merde
However, I still don't think Chris Rattue was right with his Comic Book Guy proclamation: Worst. All Blacks. Ever. And that referee just wasn't going to call offside or forwards passes for nothin'. Le sigh.
But hey, the Magic looked good.
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With respect Hadyn...
One day NZ rugby fans will be able to take a loss to the French without having a go at the ref.
Hopefully one day soon.
The All Blacks were way too bad to think about blaming the referee for that one. Against a not even very good French side.
Tracey Nelson's game stats are up.
They suggest lots of work from Thorn and Mealamu.
But why was Woodcock carting the ball up so much and Isaac Ross so little? I want my front-rowers hitting the rucks, not standing at first receiver.
The All Blacks were way too bad to think about blaming the referee for that one.
I am never above blaming the ref when he seemed to willfully ignore any rules at the breakdown. We were gleefully shouting "Don't worry, it's no holds barred!"
Though blaming him for being a sucky ref, not blaming him for losing
Hey, at least we're not peaking between World Cups.
Hey, at least we're not peaking between World Cups.
Knock on wood.
But why was Woodcock carting the ball up so much and Isaac Ross so little? I want my front-rowers hitting the rucks, not standing at first receiver.
I don't know why they persist with using him in that role either. I can't ever recall him making significant ground, sucking up a bunch of tacklers, or breaking through, in umpteen tests now. Just not his strength. Mealamu is much better if they're going to pick a front rower, surely. And Thorn is ideally suited for it.
Tracey Nelson's game stats are up.
They suggest lots of work from Thorn and Mealamu.
And backing up my claim that Thomson did a bit more than his fellow loosies, and didn't have a bad game. Why he never had a ball carry perplexes me though.
Can anyone remember [Hadyn, Megan or others] when there was the 5 forwards up on the wing? I'm trying to find it to clip it and post it.
I don't know why they persist with using him in that role either. I can't ever recall him making significant ground, sucking up a bunch of tacklers, or breaking through, in umpteen tests now.
I don't think that is the point. The point is to get the opposition halfback/1st five [and wing/centre if you can] trapped in the ruck, allowing you to have wings step around their forwards. The Chiefs did it to perfection a few times before Sivi was injured.
It doesn't work first time though - the pick and go where we went through 10 phases before spreading it wide was a good example. Although was that the one that led to the intercept?
Which - all things aside - is the only thing shadowing the performance. I didn't think the team was going to decisively win, but I thought it would be close and bar that one, final try to bump up the score, it was - even though the first 20 minutes didn't suggest it would be.
One day NZ rugby fans will be able to take a loss to the French without having a go at the ref.
Back to blaming the chef, then?
I just wish the All Blacks had shown a discernable game plan. The kicking was poor (Stephen Donald, if you do one more of those stupid "clever" kicks I'll fly down to Wellington this week and throttle you. No more!) and combinations were non-existent.
I was surprised how weak our scrum looked. And let's not even start with the tackling.
The ref wasn't great, but wasn't a major factor in the result. The French deserved to win.
On the positive side, the lineouts were okay. For once.
Every season the ABs seem to throw in one utterly inept performance. Last year it was in Australia. The year before that the World Cup quarterfinal. Let's hope Satuday was this season's.
The year before that the World Cup quarterfinal
Don't forget the spanking in Melbourne that year either.
And backing up my claim that Thomson did a bit more than his fellow loosies, and didn't have a bad game. Why he never had a ball carry perplexes me though.
My first sight of Thompson in the game was during an attacking ruck early on, where he was stood about three places out in the backline and watched as the French forwards blew over our men and secured posession. I don't doubt that he did a lot of work, but it would be nice for him to secure our posession before lining up to attack, ta.
I was impressed with Corey Jane, and Piri Weepu when he came on. Cowan seemed to be afraid to have a go around the fringes, and I'd think that if Brendon Leonard is fit this week Cowan is going to be out of the 22.
I am imagining that Kaino will come back to the blindside, Messam will stay put for lack of options, and Latimer will replace Thompson. Read on the bench as backup for 6/8, and god help us if Latimer gets injured.
I'm aware it's a slightly ridiculous peeve of mine, but C-O-R-Y, people, C-O-R-Y!
Point taken. :)
In the end, it really came down (points wise) to an intercept try. We could have pulled out a miracle to win but that didn't happen.
I'm not sure what I hate more, actually losing, or listening to everyone come down so hard after one loss. It is just one loss, to a good team with our team virtually a third strong outfit. You forget that last season we lost two games the whole season. We, as a country, really need to learn how to suck it up and take a loss.
We, as a country, really need to learn how to suck it up and take a loss.
Agreed. Rattue's fatwahs against Graeme Henry every time we lose a game are tiresome.
Thankfully the comments on PAS are relatively restrained. I was disappointed with the poor effort, but having more important things to worry about (like family) means the loss was soon put to the back of the mind on Sunday.
That said, the French were also without some top players, so the excuses being offered sound a bit hollow.
Nice to find out that the French are getting some better players for the second test and that their coach was upset by the performance.
I don't think that is the point. The point is to get the opposition halfback/1st five [and wing/centre if you can] trapped in the ruck, allowing you to have wings step around their forwards.
Yeah I get what the point of it is (see my sucking in tacklers), he's just not the man to do it. You want someone who busts through the first tackle or drags them along for a bit so the halfback or first five has to come in and help out. A big number 8 or lock who can hit it at pace.
What laws were they playing under on Saturday? I got the impression the All Blacks didn't adjust to playing a Northern Hemisphere team familiar with the tactics required by their set of rules.
The All Blacks are crippled with injuries, by my rough count ten first picks were not available. There was no leadership and lets face it, a player like Donald is little more than average player who main selection criteria is he the only other specialist first five in the entire professional game in this country. He wouldn't even get a look in better times.
So where is the new talent? Where is our much vaunted "depth"? For example, from Mourie through Jones to Kronfeld and onto McCaw there has always been a great number seven waiting his chance. The All Blacks are increasingly become a house of cards, remove one or two cards and the whole edifice collapses. They are increasingly resembling the Black Caps, where the selectors endless rotate journeymen in the desperate hope one might strike a bit of form on the day and a couple of class players allow them a semblance of respectability.
Everywhere in the world rugby is on a roll. Everywhere except here. Rugby in New Zealand is in crisis. It is the typical New Zealand disease - a featherbedding complacent monopoly in denial with no answers except to blame the customers leading to more and more disinterested disgruntled and just plain bored fans. In the past, the provincial championship & the Ranfurly shield was the breeding ground for great All Blacks who by the time they made their debuts in the black jersey had already been truly tested.
It's all become clear to me after reading this...
"... (The players) have had one game at it and they got a rude awakening," Hansen said.
See? It was all Rick Rude's fault.
The only answer is to put King Kurtis at blindside and Samoan Joe on the wing...hang on...
What laws were they playing under on Saturday? I got the impression the All Blacks didn't adjust to playing a Northern Hemisphere team familiar with the tactics required by their set of rules.
What rules? Who knows? One of the myriad combinations currently in use, but not the set used in the Super 14 for sure.
What rules? Who knows? One of the myriad combinations currently in use, but not the set used in the Super 14 for sure.
I'm not sure the coaches knew either - our players sure looked stumped when it came time to defend against a maul. Whoops.
What rules? Who knows? One of the myriad combinations currently in use, but not the set used in the Super 14 for sure.
Which has been the substance of my most consistent criticism of Southern Hemisphere rugby. Super14 makes makes test play and international competion more difficult.