[2014 Mid-Year Tests] New Zealand vs England (2nd Test)

[Captain Robshaw]

Re-watching the 2nd test and it's clear to me the difference in the decision making by the ABs is first class. England players ATM don't have that instinct to make the right decisions in the crucial moments. Some examples:

1. 36 ignoring a 2 man overlap on the left to pass inside to Wood??!!! To rub salt into the wound his poorly executed pass is next to impossible to pick up, as it's thrown to round Wood's ankles. From there Rettalick picks it up and from there the AB players pass it quickly and efficiently right to left through the hands. Cruden exploits a gap between Wilson and Morgan, who get caught in the outside channel and sets up Savea, who in turn passes to Bin Smuth for the try. Just so, so simple and the AB players are on the same wavelength. England could have done the same, but for poor decision making.

2. The real turning point for me is Tuilagi's run at the end of the first half. Again poor decision by both Tuilagi and Brown to not run together. Tuilagi should have run towards the goal posts to fix BS A and Brown should have run a better support line instead of running away from Tuilagi, so he had an option to pass to. Credit to BS for the tackle and turnover, but a real chance blown to score a converted try and lead 17-3 at halftime, instead of giving away a penalty and going in 10-6 up. It would have changed the momentum of the match completely.

The counter attacking from the ABs is just so good and England just can't compete when this combined with excellent decision making under pressure. For me, this is the small, but big difference between the two. England can compete on equal terms or better the ABs when it comes to scrum, line outs, mauls and at disrupting at the breakdown. But it is those small margins, of decision making of all the players, which make the ABs a great side and England a only good one.

Completely agree with this. Sums up the difference between the sides completely.

 

[Tony Manx]

My only comments are that the ref and other officials have a split second and no replay (unless they go to the TMO - not something I would want to see for every incident) to make their decisions and they will all make mistakes and/or we will all have different opinions, with the benefit of endless replays and consideration, on whether they were right or wrong in those split second decisions. However, when the decision has been made, that is it and the score is what it is no matter what we feel about it!

New Zealand were by far the better team, they know it, the English team know it, we know it and whether it was by one point, 11 points or 111 points is surely irrelevant as they just were!!

The only thing remaining after any match is for the official panel to assess the level of competence of the referee and determine what to do about it if it falls short! I can assure you no amount of comment here will be taken into account for that!

I repeat the same comments..........................!!

 

[smartcooky]

My actual point there is that the approach work in that Brown try is what i'm interested and it was excellent and ultimately given so technically it WAS a try - all the England try's were well constructed

Also important to remember the great defensive work done by Aaron Smith & Cory Jane in successfully holding Brown up, only to have their efforts undone by a cockeyed TMO decisison.

 

[smartcooky]

There was certainly one by Owen Franks in the first half that even the Kiwi commentators said was forward, I.e. franks hands were pointing forward
I also agree with Kiwi fans here that the English second try was not a try. It never touched the grass because Brown's hand clearly held it up and there was no evidence that any tip of the ball touched the ground before hand and he was then rolled on his back by Jane. Also it was bizarre beforehand when Robshaw placed the ball on the ground after a ruck, and the ref told AB players not to touch it (it was out and should be a 50:50 ball) then Robshaw pulls the ball back into the ruck. Surely that's a knock on??

I think all fans on both sides want is consistency in the decisions.

Cory Jane's hand was under the tip, so no way could that have touched the ground

 

[TheSaffycen]

Last week, many English posters were complaining about how Fekitoa didn't get a YC in a near-identical situation. If Fekitoa's was a YC then so was Farrell's; if Farrell's wasn't as YC, then nor was Fekitoa's. They can't have it both ways.

But New Zealand had it both ways.............

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

But New Zealand had it both ways.............

This. On top of that we got a yellow in that game too. I'm sorry but NZ can't complain about reffing so far this tour. Yes you've had dubious calls against you (Brown try) but ultimately you've been the better off in reffing decisions in 2 games now. Considering how both these games have gone NZs way, it is really us English who should be filling up the forums whining about the ref yet most of the complaints are by NZ posters.

 

[TheSaffycen]

This. On top of that we got a yellow in that game too. I'm sorry but NZ can't complain about reffing so far this tour. Yes you've had dubious calls against you (Brown try) but ultimately you've been the better off in reffing decisions in 2 games now. Considering how both these games have gone NZs way, it is really us English who should be filling up the forums whining about the ref yet most of the complaints are by NZ posters.

Really no one should moan about refs. At the end of the day it's sport, if people can't understand that things go both ways and refs are just human then really they shouldn't watch sport.

Just too add i'm not saying that you are one of those people i'm just saying about people in general.

 

[Big Ewis]

Why hello big general sweeping statement, I think sometimes you need to think before you type.

sorry Sir...

 

[austingtir]

Man I would of thought you England supporters would of run out of straws to clutch at by now... obviously not. LOL.

I'll be sure to bring some along to hand out in the game 3 thread.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

and I'm sure everyone else will be there, ignoring you for the cheap WUM that you are

 

[dasNdanger]

Sooo...there was a nude rugby match in Dunedin, and then a streaker was violently tackled at this match, right?

Geez...I gotta get meself to the land of nekkid kiwis.


das

 

[nzlizard]

and I'm sure everyone else will be there, ignoring you for the cheap WUM that you are

Whats a WUM?

 

[LittleGuy]

Whats a WUM?

Wind up machine(or man)

 

[TRF Mr Fish]

Can we close this thread? It's very frustrating looking at the 'latest posts' column and not knowing which thread is being posted in.

The game is done and dusted, NZ had a relatively comfortable victory (I don't think the result was really in doubt after they got ahead), though England's fight back was commendable, if not left a bit late.

The second try should not have been awarded, but that doesn't take away from the fact that England constructed it well, and is still a good indication of what they are capable of.

Ben Smith was the man of the match, Farrell probably didn't deserve to be yellow carded, it was a great game to watch.

End of

 

[LittleGuy]

Can we close this thread? It's very frustrating looking at the 'latest posts' column and not knowing which thread is being posted in.

The game is done and dusted, NZ had a relatively comfortable victory (I don't think the result was really in doubt after they got ahead), though England's fight back was commendable, if not left a bit late.

The second try should not have been awarded, but that doesn't take away from the fact that England constructed it well, and is still a good indication of what they are capable of.

Ben Smith was the man of the match, Farrell probably didn't deserve to be yellow carded, it was a great game to watch.

End of

I was just considering this very thing, we've had to deal with like 4-5 reports out of this thread already.

This is everyone's final warning, please refrain from the ad hominems and trolling or we will have to close it, another game is coming up anyway I suggest we move on to that one.

 

[goodNumber10]

lol! seriously, people are reporting each other? That's possibly the saddest thing i've read on here since i joined.

It's like East Berlin in the 70's.

I'd love to know what is considered reportable in this thread.

People should just use the block button if they don't like someone.

 

[Maverick1987]

lol! seriously, people are reporting each other? That's possibly the saddest thing i've read on here since i joined.

It's like East Berlin in the 70's.

I'd love to know what is considered reportable in this thread.

People should just use the block button if they don't like someone.

I'm reporting this comment .................

 

[goodNumber10]

ssssshhh! don't joke about these things, the Stasi are gathering evidence on us.....

*puts tinfoil on head*

 

[ratsapprentice]

People should just use the block button if they don't like someone.

Not really.

Blocking people isn't really the done thing.

Either someone is genuinely trolling - in which case they should be banned - or you should just use your mystical powers of self control and ignore them.

 

[goodNumber10]

this thread is in serious danger of derailing, but what's the point in having a block option if you don't use it?

I guess it's personal preference really, some people just trigger annoyance and clash, so imho much better to just block them and be done with it, i've got two in my ignore list neither are people i think should be banned they are just people i can't connect with........ *blocks Rats *