Right on! Gotta keep the delusion faith. I still believe that it's all because Aled's been beasting them in fitness and we're going to peak right when we need to. It's all the long game.
Puja
Who is this Aled chap?
Oh, you haven't heard? Let me tell you the good news about former Springboks fitness coach Aled Walters...
Puja
Secret Agent Walters as he's known in Welsh rugby circles.
Look. I’d bloody love it to, mate. Positionless rugby, mate. I’ve coached for 30 years and this Aussie team are the best team on the planet, mate. I’d bloody love to get one over on the English, mate. They’re arrogant, mate. When I left them they were the best positionless rugby team in the world, mate, and now we’re the best positionless rugby team in the world. Did I tell you I’ve been coaching for 30 years, mate.
Look. I’d bloody love it to, mate. Positionless rugby, mate. I’ve coached for 30 years and this Aussie team are the best team on the planet, mate. I’d bloody love to get one over on the English, mate. They’re arrogant, mate. When I left them they were the best positionless rugby team in the world, mate, and now we’re the best positionless rugby team in the world. Did I tell you I’ve been coaching for 30 years, mate.
Eddie, you expressed your disappointment in the week that you weren't playing the first-choice Springboks side. Is that a bit of relief now?
Look. I’d bloody love it to, mate. Positionless rugby, mate. I’ve coached for 30 years and this Aussie team are the best team on the planet, mate. I’d bloody love to get one over on the English, mate. They’re arrogant, mate. When I left them they were the best positionless rugby team in the world, mate, and now we’re the best positionless rugby team in the world. Did I tell you I’ve been coaching for 30 years, mate.
Ah... positionless rugby. Is there anything more beautiful than a side fluidly shifting between formations? You just love to see fresh ideas brought to the game. 1-3-3-1, 1-2-2-2-1, 1-3-2-1-2, 3-2-3, 1-2-3-4, 4-2-0-6-9, forwards passing the ball, backs clearing rucks, people wandering in and out of their pods as if they don't really know or care what is supposed to be happening. It's just great to watch.
To think we could have been playing like those late 10 minutes vs the All Blacks and instead we're watching Borthball.
Look. I’d bloody love it to, mate. Positionless rugby, mate. I’ve coached for 30 years and this Aussie team are the best team on the planet, mate. I’d bloody love to get one over on the English, mate. They’re arrogant, mate. When I left them they were the best positionless rugby team in the world, mate, and now we’re the best positionless rugby team in the world. Did I tell you I’ve been coaching for 30 years, mate.
Eddie, you expressed your disappointment in the week that you weren't playing the first-choice Springboks side. Is that a bit of relief now?
Look. That 6 - 1 is nothing, mate. I plan to go 7 - 1, mate, and the 1 is me. Bloody arrogant English, mate.
Look. I’d bloody love it to, mate. Positionless rugby, mate. I’ve coached for 30 years and this Aussie team are the best team on the planet, mate. I’d bloody love to get one over on the English, mate. They’re arrogant, mate. When I left them they were the best positionless rugby team in the world, mate, and now we’re the best positionless rugby team in the world. Did I tell you I’ve been coaching for 30 years, mate.
Eddie, you expressed your disappointment in the week that you weren't playing the first-choice Springboks side. Is that a bit of relief now?
Look. That 6 - 1 is nothing, mate. I plan to go 7 - 1, mate, and the 1 is me. Bloody arrogant English, mate.
The new trend is 7-2 on the bench - Ben Earl counts twice, cause he can play any position in the forwards and any position in the backs. He's been training at full-back so he gets his hands on the ball.
Oakboy wrote: ↑Fri Sep 08, 2023 11:32 am
I just hope we are not possessionless.
I just hope Itoje puts in a good, era defying fetching performance, gets subbed off at 40 for good behaviour and our Warsaw Radio Mast of a 6 gets promoted to second row
That's a bit deep for me. Are we going to do anything but kick possession away as usual?
In a nutshell, yes. Positive territory
It’s the only stat that really matters.
See, you're learning. Make sure you spend as much of the game in the opposition half as you can, doesn't matter if you turn the ball over every other phase and offer as much threat to the breakdown as a vegan does to the contents of a butchers shop.
He does attack space but he generally attacks it himself and the gets tackled having made only a few metres. He's then out the game and the attack then stumbles through two phases until he's back on his feet.
At this point on time Smith needs to be one of two playmakers at this level but we don't have one that naturally slots into the backline that can combine well with him.
Ah, I get it. You want Farrell at 12 with Smith at 10.
Got to have the Iceman in the team, natural leader etc etc
Will be overjoyed to be proved wrong but I’m very concerned how little tight carrying power we have in our pack now - only Chessum, George and Lawes (though not totally convinced) offer something here from XV Samuel Beckett has picked.
Felt it in RWC 2019 and it’s been borne out since that the All Blacks are no longer a great side. Only their 11 looked a threat against France ( who did play beautifully imo ) tonight , Ardie Savea looks to have overbulked to play a makeshift no.8 role and the Barrett’s have the same “just scene a ghost look” of Keir Starmer
jngf wrote: ↑Fri Sep 08, 2023 10:04 pm
Felt it in RWC 2019 and it’s been borne out since that the All Blacks are no longer a great side. Only their 11 looked a threat against France ( who did play beautifully imo ) tonight , Ardie Savea looks to have overbulked to play a makeshift no.8 role and the Barrett’s have the same “just scene a ghost look” of Keir Starmer
Their 11, Talea, looked good because Penaud waved him through repeatedly without putting a hand on him. No sure I would agree that France played beautifully - they looked well short of ideas/invention. Both teams disorganized and sloppy.
jngf wrote: ↑Fri Sep 08, 2023 10:04 pm
Felt it in RWC 2019 and it’s been borne out since that the All Blacks are no longer a great side. Only their 11 looked a threat against France ( who did play beautifully imo ) tonight , Ardie Savea looks to have overbulked to play a makeshift no.8 role and the Barrett’s have the same “just scene a ghost look” of Keir Starmer
Their 11, Talea, looked good because Penaud waved him through repeatedly
He did?!?!?!?
I thought France looked very good in the second half and they still have Danty to come back. I would’ve included Baille but his replacement was pretty bloody good.
Definitely the best performance of the RWC so far
jngf wrote: ↑Fri Sep 08, 2023 10:04 pm
Felt it in RWC 2019 and it’s been borne out since that the All Blacks are no longer a great side. Only their 11 looked a threat against France ( who did play beautifully imo ) tonight , Ardie Savea looks to have overbulked to play a makeshift no.8 role and the Barrett’s have the same “just scene a ghost look” of Keir Starmer
Their 11, Talea, looked good because Penaud waved him through repeatedly
He did?!?!?!?
I thought France looked very good in the second half and they still have Danty to come back. I would’ve included Baille but his replacement was pretty bloody good.
Definitely the best performance of the RWC so far
I thought Telea was very good at using his fend to get away from tackles and then had the footwork to make metres before being dragged down. Didn't understand NZ bringing him off. Was probably their most dangerous player.
Wardi at LH was it? He had a great game. Being able to rotate him and Baille later in the tournament will be incredible depth.
Not sure what to make of that game. Peyper lost it early in the second half and didn’t regain it. Telea’s second try had Jordan offside from Savea’s kick then Ioane clearly threw the ball 5 yards forward from a standing position. Atonio started losing scrums but Peyper penalised de Groot instead.
Entertaining stuff though. France superior tonight. Is there an official policy not to show replays of play now? Or is it an ITV thing?