[2015 RWC] Warm Up Match: New Zealand vs Australia (15/08/2015)

[TRF_heineken]

Bledisloe Cup, Match 2

Venue: Eden Park, Auckland
Date: 15 August 2015
Time: 09:35 CAT (SA, GMT+2)​

 

[Kiwi_]

Disappointed Australia have benched their best players, I'm guessing it's only because they can't afford to risk injury. I really hope to see marked improvements in the breakdown, I some how feel if we win it will just mask our issues even further. No idea what's going on with the Woodcock selection, can someone please enlighten me? Yet to hear a reasonable excuse or reason for Tonys ongoing selection. Pleased Skudder is getting another start, disappointed Lima isn't getting another shot, I can only presume Hansen isn't interested in him and used him just to rest Carter, so he didn't have to travel to South Africa.

Glad SBW isn't playing, hope he doesn't make the plane.

Pleased Vito starts, smart having Kaino at lock cover, gives us more versatility in the loose forwards and gets rid of a weak player (Romano).

Hoping Carter, A.Smith and Savea find some form as they're 3 of our pinnacle players.

Expecting Poey to come on early in the 2nd half and really stick it to us, our bench will have to be ready.


I see there's an anti-boo-Quade-campaign. This guy is anti-sportsmanship, has an extra chromosome and has done nothing but bring it on himself with idiotic, dirty behaviour, should be booed out off the game.

 

[Kiwiwomble]

^^^^ and he's back!

you do realise Booing is cliche bad sportmanship

If he needs to be punished for being a dick then lets just put 50 point on the board and be done with it

 

[Mcfadden]

I would have brought Crockett in as well. TW alone wasn't responsible for the loss last week, but I do get the feeling Crockett is a bit more mobile, and tbh he can also slap on some punishing tackles. That doesn't really get talked about a lot, but he can be just as aggressive as Owen Franks. Woodcock might be a little better with tight play, less likely to get penalized (generally speaking) and these days is a safe option. Their playing stats aren't wildly different. Crockett is marginally better based on Super stats, but he's played like 4 more games so that's to be expected. If it were assessed in proportion to the amount of time played, Woodcock probably did a little better. Likewise, if you compare about 180 minutes between the two at international level in the last couple of years, again - not much separating them. I think Woody will have an important part to play in the World Cup. For every game? No. But a part none the less.

 

[nickdnz]

This is a really big test for a lot of players.

The three players which have the most to gain / lose from this have to be Nehe Milnder-Skudder, Victor Vito and Colin Slade.

This is Vito's one chance to make a push for selection (again playing at 6 instead of 8...). He was great on the EOYT last year and had a good Super Rugby season, but he hasn't always look brilliant in high pressure games for the Canes.

NMS needs to show last week wasn't a fluke, and then I think he has a spot sewn up (although Hansen seemed to like Naholo's efforts).

Slade is an interesting one. He's on the bench. and with the makeup of the team I wouldn't be surprised to see if Hansen is going to try him in the back three later in the game. Hansen has talked a lot about Slade as a utility, so I guess he's testing it out. A bad game could well see Sopoaga get his spot.

 

[General Tah]

We are in for a bad bad day.

 

[smartcooky]

^^^^ and he's back!

you do realise Booing is cliche bad sportmanship

If he needs to be punished for being a dick then lets just put 50 point on the board and be done with it

Well I, for one, hope the Eden Park crowd give him a torrid time. He's a dick and he has done nothing to earn the respect of kiwi rugby fans.

 

[Kiwi_]

^^^^ and he's back!

you do realise Booing is cliche bad sportmanship

If he needs to be punished for being a dick then lets just put 50 point on the board and be done with it

He's done everything he can to get that response from the crowd, no sympathy for the idiot.

 

[Kiwiwomble]

It's not about sympathy, you won't find any here, it's just about not being a dick in return...you kind of lose the high ground if you stoop to his level

 

[General Tah]

Meh never liked the bloke. But he is no different to a dozen other players who cross the line but get cheered. Except he probably isnt as talented

 

[Mcfadden]

Generally I agree that booing people is in poor jest. And if it was on the basis of having a rivalry with McCaw alone, then I would step up and say the crowd are just being a bunch of dicks. But the moment you go around kneeing people in the skull with a stupid grin on your face is when I stop having time for you.

 

[General Tah]

Generally I agree that booing people is in poor jest. And if it was on the basis of having a rivalry with McCaw alone, then I would step up and say the crowd are just being a bunch of dicks. But the moment you go around kneeing people in the skull with a stupid grin on your face is when I stop having time for you.

Mccaw has done that as well. Funnily enough in the prev test that quade did it.

 

[Mcfadden]

Mccaw has done that as well. Funnily enough in the prev test that quade did it.

I very, very much doubt that. Just to be clear, what year was this exactly? I'd be keen to see it. Not saying he's a saint or anything. Crosses the line all the time. But I've never recalled him doing that, or even coming close to doing it.

 

[General Tah]

I very, very much doubt that. What year was this exactly?

So your saying he has never done anything like it?

 

[Mcfadden]

Reacting to somebody holding him back?

Omg, how could he!? Not quite the same as dropping a knee is it?

 

[General Tah]

Reacting to somebody holding him back?

Omg, how could he!? Not quite the same as dropping a knee is it?

Dirty is as dirty does. Richie has had a talent for being a cheating, brilliant, but cheating ******* for over a decade.

The kiwis see the AB's as white knights who can do no wrong. The reality is they are just as bad as anyone else. At least we admit it.

 

[Mcfadden]

I'm not conflating the issues and saying he's a white knight. I'm sure he does cheat in a lot of ways, like many opensides. But dirty? And in the same vein as a knee? I personally don't believe so. He has his faults though, we agree there. Anyway, I won't bother creating another McCaw vs the world debate on the forum haha.

 

[TobesHodges]

Dirty is as dirty does. Richie has had a talent for being a cheating, brilliant, but cheating ******* for over a decade.

The kiwis see the AB's as white knights who can do no wrong. The reality is they are just as bad as anyone else. At least we admit it.

I actually think that bending the Rules of rugby is part of the game, I don't see it as "cheating". getting around rules in such a ridged game is a skill..

 

[goodNumber10]

I actually think that bending the Rules of rugby is part of the game, I don't see it as "cheating". getting around rules in such a ridged game is a skill..

i take issue with that mentality.

We castigate referee's for missing things yet applaud people for openly cheating under "it's part of the game", how does that work?

IMHO if you chose to play outside of the laws then you are a cheat. I mean it's not as if it's impossible to win by adhering to the laws, and if he cheats then you cheat then they cheat a little bit more - and worse it cascades down the game.

I think there needs to be a real push for fair play in the game, and it has to come from Coaches and players at the elite level.

 

[Amiga500]

i take issue with that mentality.

We castigate referee's for missing things yet applaud people for openly cheating under it's part of the game, how does that work?

Exactly - I pointed this out before.

We cannot expect standards to improve when we pat our own team on the back for being "street-wise" or "savvy" then deride the referee for missing the other team's "blatant cheating".