June International Test: New Zealand vs. Wales [1st Test] (11/06/2016)

[smartcooky]

Crotty isn't a 12 i would want in the Rugby championship TBH

Funny. He is one the first names I would be putting in the team sheet.

Crotty may not be flashy, but he is "Mr Reliable". You will be hard-pressed to come up with anything he did wrong tonight.

 

[Bada-Bing!]

Who else is there fit ATM that can come in for the second test @ 12?

although Crotty could prob do a job v Wales in the next couple of tests.

ABs could start Fekitoa at 12 and play Crotty at 13.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Funny. He is one the first names I would be putting in the team sheet.

Crotty may not be flashy, but he is "Mr Reliable". You will be hard-pressed to come up with anything he did wrong tonight.

For me he is a excellent club player but not what i think of when thinking of an All Black international 12.

won't do much wrong, but nothing special as well. Like a Smith extra lite.

 

[Ka_Mate]

Sam Canes development is becoming some what underwhelming. Still a fantastic wee player, but Ardie just offers so much quality go forward ball.

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

ABs could start Fekitoa at 12 and play Crotty at 13.

That would be pretty much an exact comply of Nonu-Smith. Would be interesting to see.

 

[dullonien]

I feel that Gats more often than not leaves it too late to make changes. The boys looked out on their feet, but it took a good 5-10min for the substitutes to appear.

It resulted in a knackered Owens messing up an attacking lineout or two which Imo was down to fatigue, and allowed our intensity to drop and for NZ to take control on the pitch and on the scoreboard. The Welsh replacements are then coming onto the pitch where players heads have dropped slightly, and Wales are chasing the game.

The subs need to come on before the guys on the field have dropped their intensity, not after. NZ did this, by drip feeding replacements from the 45th min.

 

[MojoPin]

Impressive first half from Wales, but there were a few individuals that let us down and the overall game plan seemed to go down the pan when the subs came on - instead of being refreshed we ended up looking even more tired. Sad to say it as I think he's a great player but Anscombe should not have come on at fullback - he's not got the defensive ability to be the last line of defence. He's a 10 - let's use him there or not at all. Would have rather had Scott Williams there and Ansckmbe replace Biggar (who for the most part had an excellent game). Congrats to NZ obviously!

 

[dullonien]

Impressive first half from Wales, but there were a few individuals that let us down and the overall game plan seemed to go down the pan when the subs came on - instead of being refreshed we ended up looking even more tired. Sad to say it as I think he's a great player but Anscombe should not have come on at fullback - he's not got the defensive ability to be the last line of defence. He's a 10 - let's use him there or not at all. Would have rather had Scott Williams there and Ansckmbe replace Biggar (who for the most part had an excellent game). Congrats to NZ obviously!

Agree there. I like Anscombe, but he's not a fullback. Scott Williams isn't either, and it's a waste of he doesn't come on at centre. Amos would be the logical choice to drop back to fullback, but who shifts to the wing?

It's a tough one. Williams needed to come off, he was spent, as was Jamie Roberts. Maybe it would be better to drop Biggar back to fullback, and for Anscombe to come on at 10?

 

[smartcooky]

For me he is a excellent club player but not what i think of when thinking of an All Black international 12.

won't do much wrong, but nothing special as well. Like a Smith extra lite.

Not unlike Conrad Smith at the beginning of his career!!

 

[Bluemoon]

Hopefully for a Welsh POV Davies @ Ospreys mean that AWJ can be even more looked after to keep him going just that bit more.

Yeah, I guess. I think the idea is to pair them together so that they are ready for Wales. I actually think Cardiff would have looked after Bradley better than the O's in terms of play time, but he obviously feels the O's are going to make more of a recovery next season and wants to be in Europe. I think Wales' fitness issue down to overplaying and injuries. The focus on player development is so important in Wales, particularly where football is doing very very well with the domestic game being where it is.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Not unlike Conrad Smith at the beginning of his career!!

Was smith 27 @ the beginning of his career?

 

[Groundhog]

My god that's awful defence. Every time Foley throws a screen pass England are in disarray. Lack of brains on show there.

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

My god that's awful defence. Every time Foley throws a screen pass England are in disarray. Lack of brains on show there.

Wrong thread mate

 

[Ka_Mate]

Can't say I agree with "scoreline flatters the ABs". 80 minute game and it's about being clinical, we also butchered a few other chances and had a fair try disallowed, bit confused about those comments

 

[nightmarehitter]

I was impressed by Wales, they bought a real great attitude to the game and it paid dividends in the first half for them. What they needed was better players coming off the bench, the All Blacks often have even better players offering greater impact off the bench and they swing games that way.

All Blacks I thought were very average to poor at times. It was their first game since the world cup and they looked really rusty at times. Sam Cane was invisible out there, Crotty underwhelming and Cruden really out of form. But they fought through the adversity and took control of the 2nd half of the game.

Ardie Savea will make a great All Black.

This first test represented Wales best chance of beating the All Blacks, I can only see much greater improvement from the new look ABS. Unfortunately it was a missed opportunity though Wales really did give a solid representation of themselves.

Finally, how poor a ref is Wayne Barnes, he overruled the video ref and his touchie on a pass that was not forward. This guy loves to find ways in All Blacks game to have his name in lights for the wrong reasons. What a plonker!

 

[austingtir]

^^ You worded it exactly right.

Ardie will make a great AB. Id be concerned about starting him against the likes of Australia in Australia or SA in SA for instance.

I actually still think Todd was the better option than Cane but whats done is done. Hopefully Cane can make Ardie work for that jersey. The worst thing that could happen is Cane is invisible and Ardie just gets it handed to him.

 

[austingtir]

Man just seen the replay of the Cruden Forward pass that Barnes overruled. What in the actual **** is this guy on??

He's so easily influenced by players and crowds its not even funny. About three or four welsh players were flapping their arms in the air all of them were in no position to know for sure. The replay clearly shows its fine the touchies says its fine yet he overruled it.

Time and again this guy makes monumental cock ups like this and he's still reffing.

 

[Regan]

Barnes is terrible. Sure all refs make mistakes/ miss things but going to the TMO, overruling the TMO and AR is another....the TMO has the best view as well. For Barnes to overrule it, he'd have to be 100% sure he was right. How you could be so sure when it's clealry not forward is beyond me. Just trying to find ways to make the ABs lose.

 

[SomeOke]

Perena try was pretty obviously a try, and I don't really see how someone could argue agaisnt that.
On the other hand Aaron smith holding on to the Welsh player to prevent him scoring in the first half should have been a penalty try IMO.

Completely agree with people saying Crotty is not up to the usual AB standard, saying he's reliable is using the same logic that kept Brad Barrit in the English side and Zane Kirchner in the SA side, I don't think it's unreasonable to expect something extra from an international especially an AB. Same goes for Sam Kane and Savea, no idea what's going on there other than the selectors being too stubborn to admit they were wrong.

As for the game itself it's really classic All Blacks, every time you think you have a chance they score three tries in the last 15 minutes . Can't see them losing a test to the Welsh or even coming as close as they did today. ABs are just to good.

 

[Ka_Mate]

Perena try was pretty obviously a try, and I don't really see how someone could argue agaisnt that.
On the other hand Aaron smith holding on to the Welsh player to prevent him scoring in the first half should have been a penalty try IMO.

Completely agree with people saying Crotty is not up to the usual AB standard, saying he's reliable is using the same logic that kept Brad Barrit in the English side and Zane Kirchner in the SA side, I don't think it's unreasonable to expect something extra from an international especially an AB. Same goes for Sam Kane and Savea, no idea what's going on there other than the selectors being too stubborn to admit they were wrong.

As for the game itself it's really classic All Blacks, every time you think you have a chance they score three tries in the last 15 minutes . Can't see them losing a test to the Welsh or even coming as close as they did today. ABs are just to good.

Crotty won't be much of a feature other than back up once Ngatai and SBW are available. As for it being a penalty try, no chance, both them were in a tangle and Smith didn't impede him THAT much that he was DEFINITELY going to score. It was a penalty at the MOST and that would have been VERY generous.