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All Black Watch - Week 3
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<blockquote data-quote="Darwin" data-source="post: 555717" data-attributes="member: 24910"><p>There is no denying Smith had a bad game against England. So did the rest of the team! If Weepu had started against England I don't think the result would have been any different. I do agree that the AB's game-plan was rather predictable last season, but that wasn't because of Smith. Indeed we often got away with a predictable game-plan because of Smith's brilliant passing - the opposition knew exactly what we had planned, but because we got the ball out so quickly they weren't able to stop us! One of the reasons the opposition teams were apparently 'poor' last season was the speed at which Smith delivered the ball to the backline.....</p><p></p><p>Smith does still need to work on varying his game, and his box-kicking is still a work in progress. Because he lacks the variation in his game he can struggle a bit when his forwards are on the back foot. Weepu may be <em>slightly</em> better in these sort of games, but why would the AB's pick a halfback on the assumption that our forward pack will be dominated? I could understand the Aussie picking a halfback like this, but we gain dominance or parity in 90% of games. In games like this there is no other halfback in the country I would rather have, as he brings a dimension to the All Blacks backline we haven't seen in years. I don't think there is any coincidence that our wings starter scoring tries again last season....</p><p></p><p>I think you are completely underestimating Smith. Not only is he the best passing halfback in the country (if not the world), he is a dangerous runner around the base, and a pretty reliable defender (despite his lack of size). I'm curious, what was so bad about his game versus the Cheetahs? I can't recall him making many (if any?) mistakes, his passing was accurate, and I don't recall him missing a tackle. He didn't make any breaks with ball in hand, but the Cheetahs were all over the Highlanders around the fringes. I thought it was a pretty solid display by Smith.</p><p></p><p>I don't rate Weepu at all - why you would want a halback that slows down any quick ball the forwards produce is beyond me. Both Kerr-Barlow and Perenara are phenomenally talented, while Andy Ellis is still playing good rugby for the Crusaders. Though he will never be a great All Black he actually did a good job for us in 2011 (he was easily the pick of our halfbacks that season).</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Darwin, post: 555717, member: 24910"] There is no denying Smith had a bad game against England. So did the rest of the team! If Weepu had started against England I don't think the result would have been any different. I do agree that the AB's game-plan was rather predictable last season, but that wasn't because of Smith. Indeed we often got away with a predictable game-plan because of Smith's brilliant passing - the opposition knew exactly what we had planned, but because we got the ball out so quickly they weren't able to stop us! One of the reasons the opposition teams were apparently 'poor' last season was the speed at which Smith delivered the ball to the backline..... Smith does still need to work on varying his game, and his box-kicking is still a work in progress. Because he lacks the variation in his game he can struggle a bit when his forwards are on the back foot. Weepu may be [I]slightly[/I] better in these sort of games, but why would the AB's pick a halfback on the assumption that our forward pack will be dominated? I could understand the Aussie picking a halfback like this, but we gain dominance or parity in 90% of games. In games like this there is no other halfback in the country I would rather have, as he brings a dimension to the All Blacks backline we haven't seen in years. I don't think there is any coincidence that our wings starter scoring tries again last season.... I think you are completely underestimating Smith. Not only is he the best passing halfback in the country (if not the world), he is a dangerous runner around the base, and a pretty reliable defender (despite his lack of size). I'm curious, what was so bad about his game versus the Cheetahs? I can't recall him making many (if any?) mistakes, his passing was accurate, and I don't recall him missing a tackle. He didn't make any breaks with ball in hand, but the Cheetahs were all over the Highlanders around the fringes. I thought it was a pretty solid display by Smith. I don't rate Weepu at all - why you would want a halback that slows down any quick ball the forwards produce is beyond me. Both Kerr-Barlow and Perenara are phenomenally talented, while Andy Ellis is still playing good rugby for the Crusaders. Though he will never be a great All Black he actually did a good job for us in 2011 (he was easily the pick of our halfbacks that season). [/QUOTE]
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