The Rugby Thread

[Irishnev]

Them having a solid warm up match last week has to have helped. But yeah not the expected contest.

I wasn’t over confident but felt we could win, the mist annoying thing is that there weren’t great. We were so **** it was easy for them

Back to NZ being our bogey team again

[Buzzo]

[ame]https://twitter.com/ciantracey1/status/1855015123129118872[/ame]

[Buzzo]

Them having a solid warm up match last week has to have helped. But yeah not the expected contest.

[Irishnev]

NZ much sharper and better set piece than Ireland - we’ve been rusty as **** and down by 10 with 10 to go

[Buzzo]

Interesting. I’ve definitely been to a few games that have been ruined as a spectacle because of a red card. Sometimes that has been absolutely fine by me. Sometimes not.

[ame]https://twitter.com/rugbyontnt/status/1847246019156680914[/ame]

[Angryred]

https://www.dublinlive.ie/news/dublin-news/dublin-fire-brigade-rescue-after-30081937

WTF were they thinking?

[Buzzo]

Edinburgh shipped 48 points IN THE FIRST HALF yesterday. Something fundamentally wrong within the setup.

[Irishnev]

It's hard to say if it strengthened the team with so many players already experiencing foreign conditions in Europe and Japan. It definitely weakened Super Rugby. I sometimes watch SR games now and it is played like almost like rugby league. The speed of the game looks like it's in fast forward. Which is something of an asset of it's own but doesn't necessarily prepare players for the grinding toil of test rugby and lacks a little variety. As a traditionalist, I strongly opposed the move but clearly there's no real harm done.

I do think that NZ would have a scary player pool if they started selecting players from abroad. They should probably look into doing it sooner rather than later.

In terms of the backline performance and attacking in general (look at du Toit!), Tony Brown looks really good, hopefully they can keep a good balance. I only see it getting better over time. You can sometimes see ideas which haven't been executed yet. Will be scary if they click.

In terms of inside centre, de Allende isn't really easily replaceable as he doesn't have a typical skillset. Am and Esterhuizen are short term options but are only slightly younger. Am also looks much weaker there than 13 (something I have mentioned I thought would be a good idea a few years ago).

The obvious candidate for me is Damian Willemse who has played a lot there. Especially with other really good options at fullback. Jordan Hendrikse, who played at fly half against Wales is also a potentially good option.

I was lucky to see De Allende play a lot when he was at Munster, he’s some player and will be hard to replace

[Zapater]

It's hard to say if it strengthened the team with so many players already experiencing foreign conditions in Europe and Japan. It definitely weakened Super Rugby. I sometimes watch SR games now and it is played like almost like rugby league. The speed of the game looks like it's in fast forward. Which is something of an asset of it's own but doesn't necessarily prepare players for the grinding toil of test rugby and lacks a little variety. As a traditionalist, I strongly opposed the move but clearly there's no real harm done.

I do think that NZ would have a scary player pool if they started selecting players from abroad. They should probably look into doing it sooner rather than later.

In terms of the backline performance and attacking in general (look at du Toit!), Tony Brown looks really good, hopefully they can keep a good balance. I only see it getting better over time. You can sometimes see ideas which haven't been executed yet. Will be scary if they click.

In terms of inside centre, de Allende isn't really easily replaceable as he doesn't have a typical skillset. Am and Esterhuizen are short term options but are only slightly younger. Am also looks much weaker there than 13 (something I have mentioned I thought would be a good idea a few years ago).

The obvious candidate for me is Damian Willemse who has played a lot there. Especially with other really good options at fullback. Jordan Hendrikse, who played at fly half against Wales is also a potentially good option.

[Buzzo]

Show me your medals Buzzo

I take reflected glory from Glasgow last season. Edinburgh are ****e. Got in great positions on both games and totally blew it.

[Irishnev]

Needless to say the Italians are improving eh Nev?

Show me your medals Buzzo

[Buzzo]

**** about and find out.

[ame]https://twitter.com/andygoode10/status/1840455408005288077[/ame]

[Buzzo]

Needless to say the Italians are improving eh Nev?

[Buzzo]

I think the South African teams being in the URC has massively improved the URC. I watched the Edin and Glasgow games over the weekend - Edin away at Stormers and the quality of the South African teams, the depth is incredible.

I also watched Bath v Leicester (a quiet weekend). I think the levels in the URC is now ahead of the Gallagher prem and the exposure all teams are having to more almost test level matches has improved them.

[Irishnev]

Really pleasing Rugby Championship campaign. It's rare to win it and almost doing a clean sweep makes it sweeter. New Zealand and Australia will be stronger next year, so retaining it will be far from a given. Argentina are really good and if they can get their traditional strengths firing consistently (set piece), they'll be borderline unplayable.

Great season so far. Especially when blooding young or inexperienced players. Louw, Sacha, Fassi, Nortje and Steenekamp look the real deal. Moerat and Dixon still have plenty to prove.

2024 results:

Wales: 41 - 13 W
Ireland: 27 - 20 W
Ireland: 24 - 25 L
Portugal: 64 - 21 W
Australia: 7 - 33 W
Australia: 12 - 30 W
New Zealand: 31 - 27 W
New Zealand: 18 - 12 W
Argentina: 29 - 28 L
Argentina: 48 - 7 W

You'd take that, only losing two games by one point each. One with the drop right at the end and the other missing a very kickable penalty. On another day, the other game against Ireland and both against the ABs could have gone the other way, so not too much to complain about.

Scotland, England and Wales to wrap it up, would back us to finish strong but you never know. Would've loved a 'decider' against Ireland at the Aviva after the Durban game, oh well.

Let me start with a question - do you think moving to the URC has been a good thing? I think you guys not bring in super rugby has been detrimental to NZ in particular

For me, ye guys are the best in the world and that’s been proven v recently! When we’ve our first 20 players fit and firing then we can give you a good game but your depth is ridiculous. You are now blooding some really exciting youngsters in the back line and that’s pretty terrifying. If you add that skill set behind the dominant set piece/pack then you’ll be unstoppable

That’s not to say your current back line isn’t also brilliant but there is some real talent behind them. One position is 12 - who is next after De Allende?