(2022 Rugby Championship - Round 4) - New Zealand v Argentina - 03/09/2022

[Jimbo]

Yeah, they can still do a good impression of the best team in the world* when they want.

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*minus their key player.

Haha Ireland are on form doing a wonderful impression of a team that could win a World Cup, assuming they can win a semi final, they also have to keep sexton fit, in all honestly contrary to the rankings I am unconvinced they are better than France, although not a lot in it.

 

[AngloScotsHybrid]

I thought it was a mistake playing Rieko Ioane at centre but he has really grown into the position and he was immense today.

 

[Tooting Carmen]

So the old order was restored with a bang!

 

[BiggusLaddus]

Haha Ireland are on form doing a wonderful impression of a team that could win a World Cup, assuming they can get to a semi final, they also have to keep sexton fit, in all honestly contrary to the rankings I am unconvinced they are better than France, although not a lot in it.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

Honestly what's it's going to take for Lavanini to be dropped, he's a liability
Penalty count vs positive contributions ratio is way off

Apparently most card, most reds and most yellows of any player ever... How he is still picked is staggering.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

I take back any suggestion the Pumas are the 6th best side in the world, although we could really do with somebody, anybody sticking their hands up for claim it.

 

[Umaga's Witness]

Pumas not anywhere near as good as previous week. Also shows that the conditions matter.

Best thing about this game was seeing rieko working with other players on attack. The combos still have a lot of improvement in them, but seeing rieko in the same page as other players has been rare. Seeing jordan and rieko trying to work together was especially exciting for the future. Given their pace, if they can form a good combo they will be lethal. But given both players are prone to making bad decisions, it's going to take work.


Also, lucky we didn't get a penalty try against us when Newell was carded for collapsing the maul . That means still no maul tries against us under Jason Ryan . He did it for 6 years with the crusaders; I wonder how long it will last in internationals .

 

[Al Bangor]

Man, was I wrong. AB's put the hammer down on the Pumas.

 

[Jer1cho]

Great game. All Blacks dominated everything. It's the most physical I have seen them in ages. They were smashing everything that moved and went forward with fierce determination. Samisoni was an absolute monster. Ioane was also very good. It seems everyone is just hot and cold this year lol. If Abs play like that no one will stop them. But they can't do it week in week out. Neither can the rest of the SH teams it seems.

 

[Kiwiwomble]

gotta love the irony. It was almost the same 15, apart from ofa who was suspended I think, that played and lost to argentina last time as the team who lost to the wallabies in the previous game. I disagreed with it then too. While I understand the rationale of giving another chance to a team who has learned lessons and is seeking revenge, you have to balance that against the extent to which the loss was due to the players not being good enough (at least at the point in time)

seriously, how can the same team play that well after playing so poorly last week...are they trolling us

Cane a real stand out too, i still debate if these world class performances ever 5-6 games are worth it

One ting that really, the pumas weren't rushing the defence as has been so effective against the AB's for years...maybe they left it all on the field last week and just didnlt have enough in the tank?

 

[Brigantine]

I take back any suggestion the Pumas are the 6th best side in the world

FWIW:

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Australia's 8th is its worst position in history. Rennie is completely defying all expectations in a bad way. Maybe Pumas are 6th best, but they are a very distant 6th if they are. I think they'll be back in 9th by the end of the year.

 

[Derpus]

Australia's 8th is its worst position in history. Rennie is completely defying all expectations in a bad way. Maybe Pumas are 6th best, but they are a very distant 6th if they are. I think they'll be back in 9th by the end of the year.

No one expects Australia to be better than ninth. Least of all Australians. That's why his job is under almost no pressure.

 

[saulan]

As much as I love the team rankings, I think people are reading a bit too much into them in terms of how bad a team is.

These aren't the days that the top 3 are going to undoubtedly beat the rest of the teams 98% of the time. This tournament has 3,4,6 and 8th and they're all even on win losses. The three match series between 1 and 4, 3 and 9, 6 and 7 and 5 and 8 were all competitive, 2-1 series. (I know I'm using current rankings vs then, but still holds relatively to the point).

It's just a pretty unprecedented time where anybody 1-9 could beat the other teams in those rankings, which in general is good for the game.