Rugby Championship: South Africa - New Zealand (06/10/2012)

[Bluemoon]

The intensity of this game was unreal. Some of the hits in the first 10 minutes made me feel sick.

All Blacks are the kings of the counter attack though and no matter how far ahead you are, they are lethal!

 

[Isurus]

Loved this match. Felt like we were getting battered in the first 20 and I thought it was going to be a long day for the boys but with the leadership in this side I am always confident they can absorb all hell and still get the job done. Then we get the ball twice and put 12 points on the board .

Thought Conrad had a blinder today. He is no superstar but with the limited artillery he has he just seems to get the maximum return from every situation. His decsion making is as perfect as any player running around and his error rate is near non-existent. I watched the game on Sky Sports in UK with SA commentary and they mentioned that Conrad Smith has the winningest record of any All Black ever at over 90% (McCaw close behind at 89%+). I assume that means he has the winningest record of any international player from any country. That is some stat.

Well done boys, a thoroughly professional job. This was the big one, now the record for most wins in a row seems oh so close.

 

[smartcooky]

he is correct! The last yellow was by Josh Kronfelt!

Nope. Dagg was yellow carded against Ireland earlier this year

 

[Draggs]

Nope. Dagg was yellow carded against Ireland earlier this year

What was the last NZ red card? I honestly can't remember.

 

[TRF Mr Fish]

What was the last NZ red card? I honestly can't remember.

I don't recall ever seeing one... I think it's one of those extreme stats where only one or two ever have received one?

Probably wrong though...

 

[racingmetrofan]

SA seriously need to get there kicking sorted! The big difference between them and the ABs is that they don't have the set piece backline moved to pull of the back of scums, lineouts or off a ruck on the opposition try line! Having said that it can be taught, and now they have a coach that selects far better, they should only be on the up! It would be a massive task for anyone to beat the ABs this year given that they still have 99% of their world cup winning team!

 

[Big Ewis]

Congratulations AB's. Didn't think they could win every single game, but they did.
It's especially tough when it's your last game, and it was their toughest of the tournament - IN SA.
They robbed us of the World Cup but they got this one clean. Congrats, the best team in the world by an ample margin.

 

[smartcooky]

What was the last NZ red card? I honestly can't remember.

Only two NZ players have ever been sent off in the history of All Black Rugby.

1925: Cyril Brownlie (v England). The first player to ever be sent off in a test match

1967: Colin Meads (v Scotland)

Both were before the introduction of red cards

 

[Draggs]

Only two NZ players have ever been sent off in the history of All Black Rugby.

1925: Cyril Brownlie (v England). The first player to ever be sent off in a test match

1967: Colin Meads (v Scotland)

Both were before the introduction of red cards

Yeah, I had a feeling there weren't any actual 'red cards' handed out.

 

[LittleGuy]

Both NZ players sent off were actually for the same offence as well, Kicking an opponent, though Meads still vigourously defends his innocence.

 

[smartcooky]

All Blacks have been yellow carded 37 times since the introduction of penalty cards in 2000

32 players have been yellow carded (some more than once)

Here's the complete list;

Iceman - Josh Kronfeld is not on the list. He has never been yellow carded

 

[Sam Owen]

Thought Conrad had a blinder today. He is no superstar but with the limited artillery he has he just seems to get the maximum return from every situation. His decsion making is as perfect as any player running around and his error rate is near non-existent. I watched the game on Sky Sports in UK with SA commentary and they mentioned that Conrad Smith has the winningest record of any All Black ever at over 90% (McCaw close behind at 89%+). I assume that means he has the winningest record of any international player from any country. That is some stat.

First and foremost Conrad is a great centre but IMO he hasnt played as good as he has been in the past. Im sure he missed tackles last week against the Pumas and this morning against the Boks. I cant remember whom he missed last week but I only remember it because it was highly unusual.

 

[smartcooky]

First and foremost Conrad is a great centre but IMO he hasnt played as good as he has been in the past. Im sure he missed tackles last week against the Pumas and this morning against the Boks. I cant remember whom he missed last week but I only remember it because it was highly unusual.

NZ made 82 tackles and only missed 4 (95.3%) which gives a great indication of why they gave up territory (41% - 59%) possession (45% - 55%) including a lop-sided penalty count (4-12) and still only let in 1 try

Conrad made 3 tackles and missed none

The NZ players who missed tackles were

name - made/missed
Mealamu 2/1
Nonu 4/1
Carter 5/1
Ellison 1/1

McCaw topped the NZ tackle count with 14/0.
Read was second with 11/0

Last week against the pumas Conrad smith missed one tackle (4/1)

 

[Sam Owen]

Conrad made 3 tackles and missed none

No he missed one this morning. Ive watched it once though but yeah he missed one. It was in the second half near the sideline.

My point anyway was Isarus claimed Conrads error rate was non existant and I didnt agree.

*my line above cracks me up in review*

 

[William18]

NZ made 82 tackles and only missed 4 (95.3%) which gives a great indication of why they gave up territory (41% - 59%) possession (45% - 55%) including a lop-sided penalty count (4-12) and still only let in 1 try

Conrad made 3 tackles and missed none

The NZ players who missed tackles were

name - made/missed
Mealamu 2/1
Nonu 4/1
Carter 5/1
Ellison 1/1

McCaw topped the NZ tackle count with 14/0.
Read was second with 11/0

Last week against the pumas Conrad smith missed one tackle (4/1)

Trust scrum.com with much caution. It is also hard to determine what is and isn't a missed tackle.

 

[smartcooky]

Trust scrum.com with much caution. It is also hard to determine what is and isn't a missed tackle.

I have found them to me mostly accurate with their match stats.

But I agree, it his hard to say what warrants a missed tackle. Where one observer might see a missed tackle, another might see a line break.

I generally regard a missed tackle as one where the would-be tackler grasps the ball carrier but fails to bring him down AND he gets away.

If he's not brought down but a maul forms, that is not a missed tackle IMO

If the would be tackler gets a hand on but doesn't grasp the ball carrier, I don't call that a missed tackle either.

 

[admartian]

Love all the anti-All Blacks spouting their **** again.

Not seen a yellow in a while? Is that wishful, jabby-hyperbole or just stupidity and ignorance?

32-16

 

[Kiwiwomble]

Love all the anti-All Blacks spouting their **** again.

Not seen a yellow in a while? Is that wishful, jabby-hyperbole or just stupidity and ignorance?

32-16

What kind of hyperbole?

 

[Isurus]

I said "near non-existent" and obviously I'm not just talking made tackles made/missed but about option taking and accuracy in all aspects of play. Difficult to measure but if it could be I would be surprised if there was another player anywhere with an error count as low as Mr C. Smith.

 

[TRF_heineken]

What a day it was at the game yesterday!!

first had some beers when we arrived at the beertent outside with some old friends. went in to the stadium about 4pm.

then just sitting there looking at the people streaming in, unbelievable.

And to psyche us all up, they bring out Joost van der Westhuizen to do a lap of honour on a golf cart. All 80 000 people stood up and cheered him on.

The sound was ear-deaffening!! not once could I hear Allain Rolland's whistle throughout the game. We started so well and then just got swept away the second half. At one stage I thought it was the Bokke who were Jetlagged.

About the kicking. Is it too soon to bring back Morne Steyn? would he have been worse than Goosen and Elton?? When they were practising before the game, the only guy kicking the Balls over was Goosen. Elton missed 4 right in front of goal, and Lambie, he missed everything, slipped twice on a dry field and nearly took a supporter's head off with a wayward kick.

unhappy with the loss, but still an awesome experience. we only managed to leave the Stadium at 9pm. and then had to wait another 2 hours to get onto the road.

Congrats NZ!! that's now 16 wins in a row. Dead certain you'll surpass the 20 wins in a row mark, as you look unstoppable.

Hope the guys gets a good rest now before the NH tour. A lot of work to do still but yet again many positives to take out of the game, and some negative things to sort out. As good as we were last week against Australia, we were just as good, but only for the first 40 minutes. then we just became ungelled. I think the Nonu try was the catalyst to the NZ revival.