Sports Rugby

[Matiunz]

All Blacks had opportunities to hit the lead with missed kicks at least. Mo’unga has been a huge loss in his kicking and playmaking

Mo’unga is definitely better than what we have but it’s also an area we haven’t been particularly strong since Dan Carter retired and doesn’t seem to be much coming through either

 

[Noitall]

Mo’unga is definitely better than what we have but it’s also an area we haven’t been particularly strong since Dan Carter retired and doesn’t seem to be much coming through either

The battle is a lot tougher for NZRU these days with not only the Warriors becoming a more popular destination, but nrl teams in general coming over picking at the pathways. McKenzie just doesn’t seem to be able to provide a consistent platform at first five. Don’t think there’s anyone close to Mo’unga in this country that can play first five to his standard at present and think it was a real mistake letting him walk when the cupboard was bare. Think NZ rugby really needs to reconsider its approach to overseas players not able to be selected

 

[hornbybrown]

If South Africa ever got serious about league look out!!
They are a nation of people built for it. Athletic monsters

 

[3rdstriker]

The whole country mourns whenever the Abs lose, imo it's good for the global game allows other countries to flourish like Ireland France and Argentina.
It will be awesome oneday when one of these win the cup,
Our stranglehold on the game has finally come to an end .
Hopefully penrith and Melbourne can loosen theirs on league too.

 

[Lord Gnome of Waiheke]

All Blacks had opportunities to hit the lead with missed kicks at least. Mo’unga has been a huge loss in his kicking and playmaking

The ABs can't complain about the ref this week - that SA sin binning for trying an intercept was laughable.

 

[Lord Gnome of Waiheke]

The whole country mourns whenever the Abs lose, imo it's good for the global game allows other countries to flourish like Ireland France and Argentina.
It will be awesome oneday when one of these win the cup,
Our stranglehold on the game has finally come to an end .
Hopefully penrith and Melbourne can loosen theirs on league too.

Maybe the whole country mourned 40 years ago but kids today just aren't into it - they follow NBA, EPL etc.

 

[Worried2Death]

The ABs can't complain about the ref this week - that SA sin binning for trying an intercept was laughable.

What is that rule, deliberate knock on's are a yellow card now?

 

[Bay39er]

What is that rule, deliberately knocking it on attempting an intercept is a yellow card now?

A player must not intentionally knock the ball forward with hand or arm. Sanction: Penalty.
It is not an intentional knock-on if, in the act of trying to catch the ball, the player knocks on provided that there was a reasonable expectation that the player could gain possession.

If an intentional ko stops a potential try then the sanction can be increased to a yellow card or penalty try or both

 

[Lord Gnome of Waiheke]

What is that rule, deliberate knock on's are a yellow card now?

yeah, you know its a bum call when even the biased kiwi commentators say so!

 

[Aman 2.0]

Has rugby always been like this? I remember being into it hard about 8-9 years ago and it was fun to watch as far as I can remember.

What I watched the other night was one of the most boring and uneventful spectacles I’ve ever seen.

Sure it might have been fun for the purist but it was just a bunch of blokes tacking a few hit ups and then then the ref calling a penalty or advantage until there’s a penalty.

That was the entire 80 mins.

 

[CWC]

All Blacks had opportunities to hit the lead with missed kicks at least. Mo’unga has been a huge loss in his kicking and playmaking

It's looking shaky for Razor they have to win 2:0 against this Aussie side flogged by Argentina, and the end of year tour they play Ireland, France, England and Italy, what a tough tour for a regime still finding their feet, lose 2 he'll be under a lot of pressure

The loss of 4-5 ultra senior players is taking a toll and Roigard with the long term injury made it worse. If they struggle for the rest of the year I guess they might payout Japan and rush Mo'unga back, he's Razor's conductor for the 7-peat....

Pundits and people don't like to pin it on 1 person but DMac is a known serial chocker, gave away a free kick when he took too long to take the clutch goal kick to extend the lead vs England, threw 1 of the 2 passes from halfway to in-goal and ending up conceding the match winner vs Argentina at home, hit the post yesterday followed by missing a sitter in front that would have given us the lead & put pressure on SA with 6-7min to go.....when the Chiefs were in hot form in 2021 and he was the best half at the time, he also managed to choke and miss half the kicks in the final, where Mo'unga went into beastmode as usual.

He's just not good enough as a starting 10 and he reminds of CHT, it was like watching the Warriors again when the playmaker kept on missing clutch kicks in front or passing the ball to in goal, in CHT's case no look pass to the touch judge

Like if your 10 has composure and nails key moments we would win 1 of those SA games, not lose to Argentina, and the conversation would be how to we push ahead of the world champions in Razor's second year...but now we're almost in a SOS mode

 

[watcher]

There are actuallu some good 1st 5s coming through. Not a Plummer fan but also Trask, Mczlutchie, Jacomb and Miller.

 

[Worried2Death]

yeah, you know its a bum call when even the biased kiwi commentators say so!

Tbf, what defender is going to watch a ball sail past for a match-winning try when he can just knock it down and take 10 in the bin? The rule just encourages penalties. The whole game the other night was 80 mins of playing for penalties, does my head in.

 

[Lord Gnome of Waiheke]

Tbf, what defender is going to watch a ball sail past for a match-winning try when he can just knock it down and take 10 in the bin? The rule just encourages penalties. The whole game the other night was 80 mins of playing for penalties, does my head in.

Yeah, and in this case even the biased kiwi commentators said he was obviously trying to catch it - and if he'd caught it it was a dead cert intercept try down the other end!

 

[Matiunz]

Yeah, and in this case even the biased kiwi commentators said he was obviously trying to catch it - and if he'd caught it it was a dead cert intercept try down the other end!

Interesting you think our commentators are biased, I often feel like muting the commentators as they go overboard sycophantic trying to talk up the opposition- particularly Justin Marshall.
As far as Union goes the Aus and Irish commentators are much worse, one of the funniest things I can remember is about a decade ago before Ireland had beaten us they were leading the whole game only for us to steal it 5 mins or so into injury time, you can hear the Irish commentators headset thrown across the room and slamming into a wall as he goes off.
The UK league commentators are probably the most biased out of any sport I’ve heard.

 

[chrisnz]

I put a bet on for brother he letting me keep 1k if it comes in so watching first union game in a decade maybe longer did that Clarke guy get a yellow card for a failed intercept??

 

[Tohu’s_Knees]

I loved both codes. But that was one of the lowest quality games I’ve seen in ages.

Both teams were meh

 

[peewee]

Very lucky win for the ABs

 

[Playdaball]

The ABs are looking shaky

 

[Wrighty]

Hi My first rugby union game I have watched in years. I gave up union in 2016 to switch to league.

That said can someone who follows the All Blacks please help me out

1) Why was Will Jordan playing fullback when he is primarily a wing? What is the story behind that.
2) why did the young half back Ratima start for 57 minutes. He really looked like a development project player. Perenara was ten thousand times better when he came on. Are succession planning and developing Ratima to take over the reins? What is the background there too?

Appreciate any answers from our people who watch union.