AB's first loss in 15 games...

[Captn Wilko]

I am a big AB's fan, have actualy met a few of the players. And yet, I'm glad they lost against the Boks in game 8 of the tri-nations. I think a loss after a 15 game winning streak is great, the AB's need to get used to losing to be great. Anyone agree?

 

[An Tarbh]

Generally a defeat should serve to spur a team on but given their world cup record the All Blacks have enough motivation already.

 

[allblacksfreak]

It's still not right... I want em to WIN!! WIN!! WIN!! HUAHAHAHHA!!!!

 

[DonBilly]

Well the ABs were magnificent last year but not in 2006, this year the 3N Rugby is almost as crappy as the 6N's.

Otherwise the ABs defeat is a good news for the Boks in the short term but I don't see them that good.

The Wallabies are the teamù which has improved the most and which are promizing. Next year they should be able to compete with the ABs.

 

[Gay-Guy]

The AB defeat is good in the long run because this season they had some serious flaws to fix up.........but every game they won and nothing was being done about it.

1. Lineouts

2. Tactical kicking


This year the AB's sucked at these things. Carter was fantastic with his touch finders last year but now he kicks like a schoolboy. This also goes for every other back. NZ never kicked the ball down the paddock when they were ahead on the scoreboard and applied pressure on the opposition down the other end of the field. They often ran it from their own 22 when NOTHING was on and often paid the price. Aussie played superbly with their tactical kicking against the AB's this season and Pretorius notably did the same in the game over the weekend. Good kicking can keep a team that is not as good close to you. Remember Stpehen Bachop for Manu Samoa at the '91 RWC? The AB's should work field position more wisely, especially when they are ahead.

The lineouts for the AB's are honestly a mess. Jack, Eaton and Williams are good lineout jumpers and have already proven themselves.......so what the hell is going wrong with their systems if they can only win throws to MaCaw and Sooialo?????? Seems more of a system thing than a personnel one.

 

[AndyMcNabFAN]

GO BOKS!

 

[InsaneAsylum]

i think the all blacks always knew that they were going to lose sooner or later. There's no doubt they're a strong team, not an invincible team.

it was a humbling experience for nz media and the number of dellusional fans who live outside reality... making complaints to nzru isn't going to make them win

i heard wellington was a ghost town on saturday night

 

[kaftka]

I'm glad about the loss I have to say... Whats even better is that they don't play again for a few months... So come Northern tour, they'll still be sitting on the back of a loss. You learn more from a loss than a win, and whoever said it would be humbling... Damn right. Brings them back down to earth, and could be good in the long run.

 

[esoj]

Well the ABs were magnificent last year but not in 2006, this year the 3N Rugby is almost as crappy as the 6N's.

Otherwise the ABs defeat is a good news for the Boks in the short term but I don't see them that good.

The Wallabies are the teamù which has improved the most and which are promizing. Next year they should be able to compete with the ABs.
[/b]

I completely disagree. the abs have been the bench mark again they lost once in the tri-nations how is that not good. they have been wining with a bad lineout etc. the tri-nations may not have been spectacular this year but it is still light years ahead of the 6 nations. the wallabies have improved but still not enough to really compete with the abs. the abs still have improvement to make too and could go further ahead again.

in saying all of this though the loss is good for the abs and will give them something to work on. it is not all doom and gloom though and to win the tri-nationns so domiantly will give them a boost knowing they still have improvements to make.

 

[toup]

Yeah... it's similar to the way I'm happy that England is losing pretty much eveything since the 2003 Final... it's a great learning experience for us... :wah:

I am pretty sure NZ will bounce back from this even stronger, and I certainly wouldn't want to be the next team to face them - once they have worked out their lineouts and kicking in open play they WILL be pretty much invincible, with only themselves to blame if they choke in the World Cup.

 

[An Tarbh]

So a spanking for the welsh then.

 

[Captn Wilko]

The AB defeat is good in the long run because this season they had some serious flaws to fix up.........but every game they won and nothing was being done about it.

1. Lineouts

2. Tactical kicking


This year the AB's sucked at these things. Carter was fantastic with his touch finders last year but now he kicks like a schoolboy. This also goes for every other back. NZ never kicked the ball down the paddock when they were ahead on the scoreboard and applied pressure on the opposition down the other end of the field. They often ran it from their own 22 when NOTHING was on and often paid the price. Aussie played superbly with their tactical kicking against the AB's this season and Pretorius notably did the same in the game over the weekend. Good kicking can keep a team that is not as good close to you. Remember Stpehen Bachop for Manu Samoa at the '91 RWC? The AB's should work field position more wisely, especially when they are ahead.

The lineouts for the AB's are honestly a mess. Jack, Eaton and Williams are good lineout jumpers and have already proven themselves.......so what the hell is going wrong with their systems if they can only win throws to MaCaw and Sooialo?????? Seems more of a system thing than a personnel one.
[/b]

Aye, I agree 100%. They really should start working on those, a lot more...
Aussieland are improving greatly, and I think they will soon be the new AB's... With all the great players retiring for the AB's, and the shitty lineouts, and no kicking, my prediction is that they will end up 2nd or 3rd next RWC or 3N

 

[kick2touch]

What players in the current AB's are retiring in the foreseeable(sp?) future?
They all seem to be pretty young

 

[cwans]

Hopefully Rodney has played his last game thanks to that dismal performance. :cheers:

Joking aside, Kelleher should have gone to Europe with Marshal. He is **** poor this year for the amount of time we have seen him on the field, he is still not visible.

Wallabies will never win against ABs unless Gregan retires, Larkham retires, Latham retires, and Mortlock retires. Thats a whole lot of oldies you have in your backline, while still shining, they will be over the hill next year when world cup comes around.

Cptn Wilko go check on AB's ages before you start talking about 'retirements'.

Speaking of kicking not ONE country in the trinations kicked well this year. The kickathon we saw in both the OZ matches to date with Boks (not the 49 drubbing) are testaments to how inept Wallabies are at winning anything with any other tactics.

The only reason Wallabies played 'well' against ABs this year, or even came close, if because Henry wants his Regime of ABs playing dodgy football while the rotation is still on.

I don't like it, but it seems like ABs were under instruction to run no matter what from Wayne Smith. He sucks.

Come next year you will probably see ABs with a lot more structure, and conservative like the ENgland that won the world cup.

 

[Captn Wilko]

What players in the current AB's are retiring in the foreseeable(sp?) future?
They all seem to be pretty young
[/b]

Well, umaga's already gone, and I've heard rumors that R. Gear, McCaw, and J. Collins will be leaving at about the 08-09 RWC. I would really like to believe those rumors are not true, but what if they are?