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[2013 TRC] Australia vs. New Zealand in Sydney (17/08/2013)

just a side note.

do the people who dismissed my suggestion that Ben Smith will be up for IRB player of the year this year still think the same way?

4 tests in, he was NZ's best player over all 3 tests against the french and scored a hat trick in this game... Surely right now he is the clear leading candidate from NZ.
 
Larksea said:
just a side note.

do the people who dismissed my suggestion that Ben Smith will be up for IRB player of the year this year still think the same way?

4 tests in, he was NZ's best player over all 3 tests against the french and scored a hat trick in this game... Surely right now he is the clear leading candidate from NZ.
Click to expand...
My faith has never wavered.
 
Larksea said:
just a side note.

do the people who dismissed my suggestion that Ben Smith will be up for IRB player of the year this year still think the same way?

4 tests in, he was NZ's best player over all 3 tests against the french and scored a hat trick in this game... Surely right now he is the clear leading candidate from NZ.
Click to expand...

Ben Smith is the man. IRB player of the year?..maybe a little too early to say and for me personally I havent seen too much of the NH players but if Leigh Halfpenny continues his good form, he should be considered.

Good to see him score a hat trick, he deserves some good spotlight. I dont think those tries showed how good of an attacker he really is though. Any of the wingers in the AB camp couldve scored those types of tries that he did. Not trying to take away the gloss from Ben. Im happy that he scored those 3 tries rather than Savea, only because Savea has been glorius in tryscoring already. Share the spotlight for someone like Ben who usually does a lot of good lead up to his teams attack.

Go you good thing Ben!
 
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hey speaking of injury up there, could anyone throw me a link with a nice, clear list of the Aussie injuries ? Would be fintistic !
 
yoe91 said:
hey speaking of injury up there, could anyone throw me a link with a nice, clear list of the Aussie injuries ? Would be fintistic !
Click to expand...

It's my understanding that the main concern is that their ego's and confidence have been dealt irreparable damage. :p

:p sorry I couldn't help it. only Aussie injuries I saw in the game were cuts to Hooper, Moore and Genia

personal changes would mostly be tactical/form, have to have serious question marks over Mogg at fullback who looked really uncomfortable and JoC on the wing. They may also be forced to start cooper and just hope he does fire. Because to win the bled now I understand they have to beat the All Blacks twice in New Zealand which will require something special it's not has not been done since 1949 when a weakened All Blacks played the wallabies at the same time another NZ team was touring South Africa so it shouldn't even count lol.

As the new Scrum laws bedded in during the game the AB's seemed to start to get a big edge, I can see that as another area that could change for the wallabies.
 
Larksea said:
It's my understanding that the main concern is that their ego's and confidence have been dealt irreparable damage. :p

:p sorry I couldn't help it. only Aussie injuries I saw in the game were cuts to Hooper, Moore and Genia

personal changes would mostly be tactical/form, have to have serious question marks over Mogg at fullback who looked really uncomfortable and JoC on the wing. They may also be forced to start cooper and just hope he does fire. Because to win the bled now I understand they have to beat the All Blacks twice in New Zealand which will require something special it's not has not been done since 1949 when a weakened All Blacks played the wallabies at the same time another NZ team was touring South Africa so it shouldn't even count lol.

As the new Scrum laws bedded in during the game the AB's seemed to start to get a big edge, I can see that as another area that could change for the wallabies.
Click to expand...
They need to get less anal about the put in. Plus the lack of a hit favoured AUS early, but as you said, the ABs got used to it and adjusted.
 
Sam Owen said:
Ben Smith is the man. IRB player of the year?..maybe a little too early to say and for me personally I haven't seen too much of the NH players but if Leigh Halfpenny continues his good form, he should be considered.

Good to see him score a hat trick, he deserves some good spotlight. I dont think those tries showed how good of an attacker he really is though. Any of the wingers in the AB camp couldve scored those types of tries that he did. Not trying to take away the gloss from Ben. Im happy that he scored those 3 tries rather than Savea, only because Savea has been glorius in tryscoring already. Share the spotlight for someone like Ben who usually does a lot of good lead up to his teams attack.

Go you good thing Ben!
Click to expand...

he made them look easy but we have seen wingers for the AB's screw enough of those up in recent times, I remember Jane bombing one from a SBW offload with a completely open line not too long ago. So far all the chances and half chances he is nailing perfectly.

long way to go no one can be sure who will win it yet. I just think so far he is the front runner in NZ for a Nomination.

Halfpenny was fantastic and critical to the Lions victory. Sure lions series dont happen often and that makes it special But the All Blacks thrashing of Aussie in Aussie puts that series into perspective I think and the reality is Halfpenny would struggle to make a game day 23 for the All Blacks. He will surely get a nomination but actually win it?
 
Larksea said:
he made them look easy but we have seen wingers for the AB's screw enough of those up in recent times, I remember Jane bombing one from a SBW offload with a completely open line not too long ago. So far all the chances and half chances he is nailing perfectly.

long way to go no one can be sure who will win it yet. I just think so far he is the front runner in NZ for a Nomination.

Halfpenny was fantastic and critical to the Lions victory. Sure lions series dont happen often and that makes it special But the All Blacks thrashing of Aussie in Aussie puts that series into perspective I think and the reality is Halfpenny would struggle to make a game day 23 for the All Blacks. He will surely get a nomination but actually win it?
Click to expand...


Didn't the Lions win the last test by more?

Lions >> Small Blacks, obvs.
 
Now everyone is starting to believe what we from the south have been saying for years, Ben Smith has major talent....just wish we could see him at 15, that is where he has really performed for the highlanders, he can spot a gap from 40m out and 20seconds before it opens!
 
Larksea said:
he made them look easy but we have seen wingers for the AB's screw enough of those up in recent times, I remember Jane bombing one from a SBW offload with a completely open line not too long ago. So far all the chances and half chances he is nailing perfectly.

long way to go no one can be sure who will win it yet. I just think so far he is the front runner in NZ for a Nomination.

Halfpenny was fantastic and critical to the Lions victory. Sure lions series dont happen often and that makes it special But the All Blacks thrashing of Aussie in Aussie puts that series into perspective I think and the reality is Halfpenny would struggle to make a game day 23 for the All Blacks. He will surely get a nomination but actually win it?
Click to expand...


Crucial player in Wales winning the 6 Nations, named player of the Championship, Man of the Tour for the Lions, as well as as having a great season for Cardiff as an individual player (all despite the fact the Blues are awful at the moment). I'd say that's more than enough credentials for him to win it!
 
Gutted about this game I expected a lot more from us, but we made mistakes and they turned those mistakes into points. The ABs do the simple stuff a lot better than us, catch-pass, ball retention, there's always a player on the shoulder of the man with the ball in support. There's probably more to it than that but it's just the way I see it.

Despite Mogg being great for the brumbies, I think starting him at 15 was a mistake. It would have been nice to see him start on the bench with Toomua and be injected into the game later on as Sio and Kuridrani were to get a feel for it.
 
Have to also praise Ben Smith. Am I right in saying he was out of favour only a few years ago, but his game has exploded in the last year or so and rightfully rewarded with selection in the ABs starting 15. The bloke is having no trouble justifying his spot either.
 
InsaneAsylum said:
Have to also praise Ben Smith. Am I right in saying he was out of favour only a few years ago, but his game has exploded in the last year or so and rightfully rewarded with selection in the ABs starting 15. The bloke is having no trouble justifying his spot either.
Click to expand...

wouldn't say he was ever out of favor or form. I think everyone knew his talent but he was stuck behind Toeava in the pecking order and in hindsight that was wrong but Toeava clocked up running meters and linebreaks in super rugby like nothing else, even then Ben Smith was only just behind him - but probably better at many other aspects of the game. in hindsight he should probably have been a regular for the all blacks since his debut in 2008.

if anything it shows just how hard it is to make the AB's

But he's here now and on a week to week basis over the course of this season he is basically the best player in the NZ game right now (partly helped by the fact McCaw has had a holiday and Carter had injury layoffs). He had one quiet game this season carrying an obvious hamstring injury and apart from that he's been... well it's hard to say because commentators have struggled to find new words for fantastic every time he touches the ball lol. And that's in a highlanders team that has been utter garbage. He's been the shining light made NZ form players list 10 times (more than any other player for any position) in the worst team in the competition http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/opinion/8957522/Toby-Robsons-Super-Rugby-Team-Talk

I know it's not everything but... halfpenny scored 1 try in the whole 6 nations and 0 tries in the Lions series? ben smith is on what? 5 trys in the 4 tests so far this season? and he doesn't just score them. He has an epic passing game and offload and errors are rare as teeth on hens. He is both one of the most electric and most accurate players in NZ.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqU6pLsvpR8

Halfpenny, great player and awesome goal kicker. but outside goal kicking Ben Smith is just a whole other level this season.
 
InsaneAsylum said:
Have to also praise Ben Smith. Am I right in saying he was out of favour only a few years ago, but his game has exploded in the last year or so and rightfully rewarded with selection in the ABs starting 15. The bloke is having no trouble justifying his spot either.
Click to expand...

I said a few weeks ago: "Ben Smith and Rene Ranger were the best NZ backs in the last Super Rugby".


Regards
 
Larksea said:
wouldn't say he was ever out of favor or form. I think everyone knew his talent but he was stuck behind Toeava in the pecking order and in hindsight that was wrong but Toeava clocked up running meters and linebreaks in super rugby like nothing else, even then Ben Smith was only just behind him - but probably better at many other aspects of the game. in hindsight he should probably have been a regular for the all blacks since his debut in 2008.

if anything it shows just how hard it is to make the AB's

But he's here now and on a week to week basis over the course of this season he is basically the best player in the NZ game right now (partly helped by the fact McCaw has had a holiday and Carter had injury layoffs). He had one quiet game this season carrying an obvious hamstring injury and apart from that he's been... well it's hard to say because commentators have struggled to find new words for fantastic every time he touches the ball lol. And that's in a highlanders team that has been utter garbage. He's been the shining light made NZ form players list 10 times (more than any other player for any position) in the worst team in the competition http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/opinion/8957522/Toby-Robsons-Super-Rugby-Team-Talk

I know it's not everything but... halfpenny scored 1 try in the whole 6 nations and 0 tries in the Lions series? ben smith is on what? 5 trys in the 4 tests so far this season? and he doesn't just score them. He has an epic passing game and offload and errors are rare as teeth on hens. He is both one of the most electric and most accurate players in NZ.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqU6pLsvpR8

Halfpenny, great player and awesome goal kicker. but outside goal kicking Ben Smith is just a whole other level this season.
Click to expand...

I'm actually a big fan of Ben Smith, been watching him closely for a while, so not saying he wouldn't deserve the accolade at all, just feel that you're being very harsh on Halfpenny.
If you're gonna compare the try records (which in no way show the whole story) why not everything else? Yes he only scored one, but what about all the ones he played a key part in during the build up? For example, his assists for Sexton and North were sublime. What about his flawless positional play, and in turn great kicking game, as well as being rock solid under everything kicked at him. His tackling record is also outstanding, and he is one of the most fearless players I've ever seen in that respect! You see, errors are very rare for Halfpenny too.
It seems to me like you're writing him off as 'just a goalkicker' and ignoring the fact that Halfpenny has (for quite a few seasons now) been quietly going about being one of the best players in Wales, Europe and the World. Much like Ben Smith has been doing in NZ this season.
When is the IRB player of the year even picked anyway, I thought it wasn't until after the AI's?
 
Let me put it this way, would not be surprised if either Halfpenny or Ben Smith won.

Both equally deserving for different reasons.
 

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