June International Tests: New Zealand vs. Samoa (16/06/2017)

[Caitlyn Jenner]

Ben smith didn't show up much in the highlights, how did he play?

Yea, as Fish said he had a very good game. Just a typical Ben Smith performance really... he wasn't in the thick of the action as much as others but basically all his contributions were very good ones.

 

[Kiwiwomble]

Sweet, and sopanga?

 

[TRF Mr Fish]

Sweet, and sopanga?

Looked a little jittery when he came on, though he mainly got the ball in unstructured play. Made one very good run to set up a try (again, from unstructured play). Didn't really do anything to indicate he should be selected ahead of Cruden (though didn't really have the opportunity to), but got a decent hit out regardless.

 

[galumay]

WOW! That was insane. A rusty AB's warming up for the Lions. Best Gatland rounds them up and puts them back on the plane!!

Maybe that is an over reaction, Samoa really tired in that last 20, the Lions defence will be stiffer. Still it was relentless.

Wobblies should probably get on the plane with the Lions! Cant see the Bledisloe changing hands this time round!!

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

A grin result for Samoa and for Tier 2 rugby generally. Nice highlights though.

 

[GoTheNaki]

Thought i would have woken up to more comments from Lions supporters... Maybe if the ABs only won by 15-20..

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Thought i would have woken up to more comments from Lions supporters... Maybe if the ABs only won by 15-20..

It was on at like 9am on a Friday, a lot of people would've been at work.

 

[GoTheNaki]

It was on at like 9am on a Friday, a lot of people would've been at work.

Ah.. It was so peaceful perhaps they should work saturday too .

But theyve had a whole 12 hours to catch up, still nothing.

 

[smartcooky]

These french refs are the pits. Clear knock on by savea missed among many other things both ways.

Not really... the knock on leading up to the 1st try was the only instance really where they were hard done by, other than that there was some dodgy reffing, but it definitely wen both ways. There's no way we can put Samoa 'giving up' down to the ref though... they didn't even give up imo, the intensity of the ABs play and the impact of the ABs bench was just too much for them to handle...

It wasn't a knock on (although it would have been prior to 2015)

If you watch the replay, you can see that the Samoan scrum-half (Kahn Fotoali'i) reaches in and knocks the ball out of Ardie Savea's hands. World Rugby issued a Law Clarification in 2015 regarding such occurrences. It was incorporated as a change to Law 12 in 2016.....

LAW 12: KNOCK ON OR THROW FORWARD

DEFINITION: KNOCK-ON
A knock-on occurs when a player loses possession of the ball and it goes forward, or when a player hits the ball forward with the hand or arm, or when the ball hits the hand or arm and goes forward, and the ball touches the ground or another player before the original player can catch it.
'Forward' means towards the opposing team's dead ball line.

If a player in tackling an opponent makes contact with the ball and the ball goes forward from the ball carrier's hands, that is a knock-on.

If a player rips the ball or deliberately knocks the ball from an opponent's hands and the ball goes forward from the ball carrier's hands, that is not a knock-on.

EXCEPTION
Charge down. If a player charges down the ball as an opponent kicks it, or immediately after the kick, it is not a knock-on even though the ball may travel forward.

The TMO would have seen that when he reviewed the try; its probably why he didn't make a "check, check" call to the referee.

 

[mania]

In Samoa's defence alot of the ABs points were scored by other samoans.
Samoan pride 4 life. heart of a warrior

 

[Penne Rara]

Ah.. It was so peaceful perhaps they should work saturday too .

But theyve had a whole 12 hours to catch up, still nothing.

I'm feeling a bit ashamed of myself... was actually at work but still watched the game on my phone last Friday.