France v All Blacks

[Lizard]

No J Barrett. No Retallick. No Frizell.

Who exactly is going to carry the ball for us?

The French are a bit understaffed, too, but I they’ll have an extra 80,000 on their side in the stands. I can’t see 2007 happening again.

Jaco Peyper has the whistle. Let’s hope he has a good one and we get the spectacle the occasion deserves.

[Eugene Wrayburn]

Do you feel like this game is important in terms of winning the cup? Do you care whether you get SA or Ireland or Scotland in the QF? Or is it just important as a Test match?

[Lizard]

Do you feel like this game is important in terms of winning the cup? Do you care whether you get SA or Ireland or Scotland in the QF? Or is it just important as a Test match?

First, all tests are important. The biggest damage the Foster era has done is that the All Blacks are now seen as just another team, beatable by any other team in the top rank. The sooner we start to rebuild from that the better.

Secondly, France at world cups is kind of a sore point. It would be very bad if the 2011 final was a blip and we can’t establish dominance in these fixtures.

Thirdly, regardless of who we get in a QF, losses in our 2 most recent hard games, followed by matches v Namibia, Italy and Uruguay, will be piss poor preparation.

So, winning v France is not important in terms of getting the most favourably specific QF opponent, but it is important in every other way.

[J Dory]

Important to get some mojo back IMO. QF will be tough regardless.

[morepork]

Two good, hard jobbings in a row will be difficult to come back from. We need to front up here. I really don't know how we can contain them. Alldritt, Danty, Dupont...they can front up and throw it about. We can't afford to be too structured, which leaves me nervous about Sam's Cane's leadership. I don't think we have an answer to them and I just hope there is enough left in the damn the torpedoes locker of a few individuals to make them nervous. Bench will be a massive factor.

[16th man]

Danty is out, and a massive miss for their defensive system.

[morepork]

Excellent

[Which Tyler]

Bonne chance les bleus!

[Banquo]

How was Scott Barrett cleared for this game??

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/66734422

[BaldiePete]

How was Scott Barrett cleared for this game??

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/66734422

No further sanction, with the red card being deemed sufficient punishment. I presume this was because he got a red for two yellows. The second yellow was reviewed in the bunker and determined to only be a yellow so it wasn’t upgraded to red. If he hadn’t had the first yellow he’d have been free to return to play after his 10 minutes on the naughty step. Very dodgy, I was very surprised the 2nd yellow wasn’t upgraded to a red.

[Lizard]

All Blacks match-day squad
Beauden Barrett
Will Jordan
Rieko Ioane
Anton Lienert-Brown
Mark Telea
Richie Mo'unga
Aaron Smith
Ardie Savea
Sam Cane (captain)
Dalton Papali'i
Scott Barrett
Sam Whitelock
Nepo Laulala
Codie Taylor
Ethan de Groot.


Replacements: Samisoni Taukei'aho, Ofa Tu’ungafasi, Fletcher Newell, Tupou Vaa'i, Luke Jacobson, Finlay Christie, David Havili, Leicester Fainga'anuku.

Not a bad XV, but no-one is worried about our flankers, especiaily Captain 60 Minutes. I hipe ALB hits the groubnd running. Bench looks thin.

[francoisfou]

With all the hype and build-up over the last few weeks, we’re 24 hours away from the match and the expectation among us French fans is at fever pitch, and a 3-0 win would be just great!

[morepork]

Don't say those things. Not now man. A single feckin drop goal would be....somewhat of a let down.

[Lizard]

Looks like Sky Sport has hired a fucking comedian in their scheduling team:
12:20 AM: Full replay of NZ v France RWC1999
2:20 AM: Full replay of NZ v France RWC2007

[canta_brian]

That is quite funny tbf

[canta_brian]

Do you feel like this game is important in terms of winning the cup? Do you care whether you get SA or Ireland or Scotland in the QF? Or is it just important as a Test match?

First, all tests are important. The biggest damage the Foster era has done is that the All Blacks are now seen as just another team, beatable by any other team in the top rank. The sooner we start to rebuild from that the better.

Secondly, France at world cups is kind of a sore point. It would be very bad if the 2011 final was a blip and we can’t establish dominance in these fixtures.

Thirdly, regardless of who we get in a QF, losses in our 2 most recent hard games, followed by matches v Namibia, Italy and Uruguay, will be piss poor preparation.

So, winning v France is not important in terms of getting the most favourably specific QF opponent, but it is important in every other way.

And we have never lost a pool match. Another record for Foster to break? His comments in the BBC piece talking about building to the quarters seems worrying

[16th man]

Do you feel like this game is important in terms of winning the cup? Do you care whether you get SA or Ireland or Scotland in the QF? Or is it just important as a Test match?

First, all tests are important. The biggest damage the Foster era has done is that the All Blacks are now seen as just another team, beatable by any other team in the top rank. The sooner we start to rebuild from that the better.

Secondly, France at world cups is kind of a sore point. It would be very bad if the 2011 final was a blip and we can’t establish dominance in these fixtures.

Thirdly, regardless of who we get in a QF, losses in our 2 most recent hard games, followed by matches v Namibia, Italy and Uruguay, will be piss poor preparation.

So, winning v France is not important in terms of getting the most favourably specific QF opponent, but it is important in every other way.

And we have never lost a pool match. Another record for Foster to break? His comments in the BBC piece talking about building to the quarters seems worrying

But, given the insanity that is that side of the draw, reasonably sensible?

[J Dory]

Can't win em all. We're still in this thing, would love to see NZ France final.

[francoisfou]

Can't win em all. We're still in this thing, would love to see NZ France final.

No, you wouldn't

[morepork]

Can't win em all. We're still in this thing, would love to see NZ France final.

No, you wouldn't

How very dare you.


Actually, the final we would deep in our hearts like to see is SA France. Power Vs. Power multiplied by X-factor = absorbing contest. ABs have neither scary power nor scary X-factor and I think are going to be plucky little triers in the knockout stages at this World Cup. Unfortunately. Such is life.

[Lizard]

Quarterfinalists, first team to lose to the Irish at that stage. Another record for Foster and his All Blacks In Name Only!

I think we’ve got First Loss To Italy before that.

[canta_brian]

Fucking Ian Foster, absolutely useless cunt. Should never have been appointed, and fired at least three times over now.

This isn’t a secret in NZ right? How come the suits have stuck with him so long?

[Puja]

Fucking Ian Foster, absolutely useless cunt. Should never have been appointed, and fired at least three times over now.

This isn’t a secret in NZ right? How come the suits have stuck with him so long?

A combination of old boys network and cOnTiNuItY.

The appointment process was an absolute farce - a formality designed to appoint Ian Foster into the Ian Foster-shaped hole left by Steve Hansen. Other, better, and more qualified candidates were overlooked or basically told the NZRU to eat shit because of it.

That plus the fact that Mark Robinson doesn't know what the fuck he's doing, and has all the ability to read the room that a literal potato has.

Could’ve been worse. You could've hired Gatland.

Puja

[canta_brian]

This isn’t a secret in NZ right? How come the suits have stuck with him so long?

A combination of old boys network and cOnTiNuItY.

The appointment process was an absolute farce - a formality designed to appoint Ian Foster into the Ian Foster-shaped hole left by Steve Hansen. Other, better, and more qualified candidates were overlooked or basically told the NZRU to eat shit because of it.

That plus the fact that Mark Robinson doesn't know what the fuck he's doing, and has all the ability to read the room that a literal potato has.

Could’ve been worse. You could've hired Gatland.

Puja

Gats got the job done against Fiji the other night. Superb display and Fiji never in it

[canta_brian]

Fucking Ian Foster, absolutely useless cunt. Should never have been appointed, and fired at least three times over now.

This isn’t a secret in NZ right? How come the suits have stuck with him so long?

A combination of old boys network and cOnTiNuItY.

The appointment process was an absolute farce - a formality designed to appoint Ian Foster into the Ian Foster-shaped hole left by Steve Hansen. Other, better, and more qualified candidates were overlooked or basically told the NZRU to eat shit because of it.

The NZRU preached continuity when they appointed Foster. When you look at other test-level teams, the coaches' ideas start to get worked out and they start eating shit in the results after 5 or 6 years. Case in point Eddie O'Sullivan, who had the Irish Golden Generation of O'Gara, O'Driscoll, O'Connell, O'Kelly, etc., and couldn't do a single fucking thing with them in the 2007 RWC, because his team had been worked out, and were clearly jaded big-time. Hell, Gordon Tietjens was at the top of the NZ 7s programme for 12 years, and his ideas and tactics had been worked out by 2015/2016, leading to a calamitous Olympics campaign in 2016. Laidlaw, after steadying the ship, had the good sense to fuck off after 5 years and try his hand at the full game with the Hurricanes. Basically, coaches and their ideas, unless they're able to keep reinventing themselves, will inevitably get worked out and struggle with results after 5 years or so, 6 tops.

Fundamentally, there hasn't been a significant change in ideology at the top for 20 years with the All Blacks In Name Only.

That plus the fact that Mark Robinson doesn't know what the fuck he's doing, and has all the ability to read the room that a literal potato has.

That sounds about right, and a recipe for disappointment