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Tri Nations 2009-2011
All Blacks vs Springboks, July 10th 2010
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<blockquote data-quote="Darwin" data-source="post: 328969" data-attributes="member: 24910"><p>Great game, really enjoyed it!</p><p></p><p>A number of standouts AB's for me. Up front Mealamu had a huge game - his work around the field was exceptional, and he has developed into a punishing defender in recent years. Most importantly his lineout throwing was accurate. Donnelly was also exceptional - I wasn't sure before the game who should be the second AB lock alongside Thorn, however Donnelly has certainly confirmed his spot now. Thorn, Kaino and Read also all stood out in both attack and defense - everyone in the forward pack seemed to do their jobs well.</p><p></p><p>Cowan had a poor game, though I'm sure being headbutted by a 120kg+ lock didn't help. I though Weepu added a lot when he came on which was a pleasant surprise, as I've not been impressed with him in the early tests. Nonu played well for a guy who hasn't played high level rugby for a while. Unlike a number of posters here I thought Rococoko had a very strong game - he was solid under the high ball, had a very high work rate, and though he didn't make any clean linebreaks he did look dangerous on a number of occasions. You get the feeleing it will only be a matter of time until he starts scoring tries on a regular basis for the AB's (assuming his injury is not too bad). Muliaina was exceptional at the back, especially considering he hasn't played much rugby this year.</p><p></p><p>There were few standouts for the Boks - though it is very difficult to standout when your team is on the back foot for the majority of the game. I thought Steenkamp played well - was solid enough in the scrums, and seemed to get around the field well. Matfield was solid, but I thought Louw and Spies were disappointing. I'm not surprised that Spies went missing in this game - I've often thought that he's the best number 8 in the world when his teams going forward, but struggles more than most when his team is going back. I'm expecting Louw to bounce back next week and have a good game (assuming he is selected) as he was very consistent in the Super 14. I was actually quite impressed by Burger - I've never been a big fan, but he was one of the few SA players that really stood up in this game.</p><p></p><p>It was hard to gauge the Boks backs in this game. Morne Steyn, Fourie and Habana were all solid, and I thought Olivier and de Villers were rather anonymous. I thought Kircher played quite well - he caught the high balls well, and was actually the Boks most dangerous runner when he actually ran. Unfortunately he predictably kicked it nearly every time he got the ball, with most of these kicks going slightly too far. He really needs to back himself and run it more, rather than giving the ball back to the AB's (though it really depends on whether his team-mates are getting back in support).</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Darwin, post: 328969, member: 24910"] Great game, really enjoyed it! A number of standouts AB's for me. Up front Mealamu had a huge game - his work around the field was exceptional, and he has developed into a punishing defender in recent years. Most importantly his lineout throwing was accurate. Donnelly was also exceptional - I wasn't sure before the game who should be the second AB lock alongside Thorn, however Donnelly has certainly confirmed his spot now. Thorn, Kaino and Read also all stood out in both attack and defense - everyone in the forward pack seemed to do their jobs well. Cowan had a poor game, though I'm sure being headbutted by a 120kg+ lock didn't help. I though Weepu added a lot when he came on which was a pleasant surprise, as I've not been impressed with him in the early tests. Nonu played well for a guy who hasn't played high level rugby for a while. Unlike a number of posters here I thought Rococoko had a very strong game - he was solid under the high ball, had a very high work rate, and though he didn't make any clean linebreaks he did look dangerous on a number of occasions. You get the feeleing it will only be a matter of time until he starts scoring tries on a regular basis for the AB's (assuming his injury is not too bad). Muliaina was exceptional at the back, especially considering he hasn't played much rugby this year. There were few standouts for the Boks - though it is very difficult to standout when your team is on the back foot for the majority of the game. I thought Steenkamp played well - was solid enough in the scrums, and seemed to get around the field well. Matfield was solid, but I thought Louw and Spies were disappointing. I'm not surprised that Spies went missing in this game - I've often thought that he's the best number 8 in the world when his teams going forward, but struggles more than most when his team is going back. I'm expecting Louw to bounce back next week and have a good game (assuming he is selected) as he was very consistent in the Super 14. I was actually quite impressed by Burger - I've never been a big fan, but he was one of the few SA players that really stood up in this game. It was hard to gauge the Boks backs in this game. Morne Steyn, Fourie and Habana were all solid, and I thought Olivier and de Villers were rather anonymous. I thought Kircher played quite well - he caught the high balls well, and was actually the Boks most dangerous runner when he actually ran. Unfortunately he predictably kicked it nearly every time he got the ball, with most of these kicks going slightly too far. He really needs to back himself and run it more, rather than giving the ball back to the AB's (though it really depends on whether his team-mates are getting back in support). [/QUOTE]
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All Blacks vs Springboks, July 10th 2010
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