RWC: All Blacks - France (24-09-2011, 15:30)

[JW.]

I would just like to point out that a couple of months ago it was being said that the front row game in France was of such a higher standard that seasoned All Blacks such as Neemia Tialata would get "Slaughtered" in the top 14. Surely the second string unit of such an advanced country should have made easy work of a mediocre scrummager like Franks regardless? Are you willing to admit you may have been wrong about Franks yet or nahh..
.

I sence sarcasm?

My opinion of Franks was that he was a good prop but I didn't rate him very highly as a scrummager that might have changed a bit but I still don't think he's a great scrummager. He's young so he might become one of the great NZ props, but at the moment there are still alot of props I'd rather have.

Btw when you tackle or grab onto someone in the air you are infringing and you should be penalised, Jane could have just jumped for the ball and barged into him no he jumped saw he couldn't get it and held onto Traille making Traille fall backwards which could have meant a serious injury. It wouldn't have changed a thing to the match but it was a penalty if not more IMO.

 

[ranger]

sy

I sence sarcasm?

My opinion of Franks was that he was a good prop but I didn't rate him very highly as a scrummager that might have changed a bit but I still don't think he's a great scrummager. He's young so he might become one of the great NZ props, but at the moment there are still alot of props I'd rather have.

such as?

 

[Saintjay]

Let's get a sence of perspective here. The AB's front row have not faced a really decent front 3 yet. No matter how you put it, a full strength French 3 would have given them problems and caused more trouble.

I think the best forward display so far has been the Irish who dominated the Australian scrum. New Zealand have not faced any one nearly as good yet.

The AB's don't have a great front three and the real tests only start now when they play better teams.

 

[JW.]

I sence sarcasm?

My opinion of Franks was that he was a good prop but I didn't rate him very highly as a scrummager that might have changed a bit but I still don't think he's a great scrummager. He's young so he might become one of the great NZ props, but at the moment there are still alot of props I'd rather have.

Btw when you tackle or grab onto someone in the air you are infringing and you should be penalised, Jane could have just jumped for the ball and barged into him no he jumped saw he couldn't get it and held onto Traille making Traille fall backwards which could have meant a serious injury. It wouldn't have changed a thing to the match but it was a penalty if not more IMO.

Nicolas Mas, Dan Cole, Matt Stevens, Martin Castrogiovanni, Brian Mujati, Juan Figallo. Thats just what popped up in my head might have missed a couple and some might not make the cut on current form.[h=1][/h]

 

[donmcdazzle]

Nicolas Mas, Dan Cole, Matt Stevens, Martin Castrogiovanni, Brian Mujati, Juan Figallo. Thats just what popped up in my head might have missed a couple and some might not make the cut on current form.[h=1][/h]

Be serious please.

Stevens is a smackhead, Mujati can hardly even catch a ball so please don't bring him into this. What happened to you English guys who were saying Tonga'uiha was the best prop in the world, dominates everyone in the Aviva etc? He isn't even starting, he's on the bench behind Tuamalolo (who plays in NZ). It has gone very quiet on the Tonga'uiha front since this so called dominance hasn't eventuated.

 

[JW.]

Be serious please.

You rate O.Franks over Cole and Stevens? We shall see in the final!!

 

[donmcdazzle]

You rate O.Franks over Cole and Stevens? We shall see in the final!!

Cole is a good player, I retracted that statement.. He is better than Stevens though. Franks is better round the park than any of the players you mentioned, before we even start talking about scrummaging ability.

Both teams have some serious challenges to negate before we can get to that battle but it would be a good final for sure.

 

[Saintjay]

Be serious please.

Stevens is a smackhead, Mujati can hardly even catch a ball so please don't bring him into this. What happened to you English guys who were saying Tonga'uiha was the best prop in the world, dominates everyone in the Aviva etc? He isn't even starting, he's on the bench behind Tuamalolo (who plays in NZ). It has gone very quiet on the Tonga'uiha front since this so called dominance hasn't eventuated.

Tonga'uiha is a good prop as for the best in the world. Erm no. I have never heard a Englishman say he is the best in the world.

Oh and for your information he went to school in New Zealand and was once an AB Tonga'uiha played for the New Zealand under 19 team in 2001. So he learnt to prop in New Zealand.

I still think that the true tests of the AB's front row is yet to come. We can all have better opinions then.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

You rate O.Franks over Cole and Stevens? We shall see in the final!!

You'll be up against Steenkamp and Du Plessis though so it has to wait a bit

 

[donmcdazzle]

Tonga'uiha is a good prop as for the best in the world. Erm no. I have never heard a Englishman say he is the best in the world.

Oh and for your information he went to school in New Zealand and was once an AB Tonga'uiha played for the New Zealand under 19 team in 2001. So he learnt to prop in New Zealand.

I still think that the true tests of the AB's front row is yet to come. We can all have better opinions then.

Those thieving Tongans how dare they snatch our players! I was exaggerating slightly but it was said by some he would dominate etc etc which hasn't happened.

 

[Saintjay]

Lol well said. He did have a great season for Northampton last year.

It is a shame you let him go, other wise you would have the most dominant prop in the world. Who makes all before him run in fear. He is in fact so good he can easily scrum on his own and only has the other prop and hooker there to bow down at his greatness

 

[TRF_Olyy]

You'll be up against Steenkamp and Du Plessis though so it has to wait a bit

As long as there's only one Du Plessis in the front row, we should do okay

The big pile of blamange in between the two will help us out immensely

 

[Mr.cyclopede]

agreed, that is not a penalty...
I liked the opening song just before the game.... BEP - i got a feeling.... that tonight's gonna be a good night

Desperate to confess it's from a French DJ.
I call that Hydraulic press made music, another sign of present level French creation spirit...

 

[smartcooky]

With SBW. There was that one stage in the 2nd half where AB's and weepu were under pressure at the scrum and the ball was messy. Ball was kicked up field, I think it was even SBW that kicked it and he sprinted after it and got himself a bit isolated. I thought to myself if he doesn't make this tackle he will have really screwed up but he made it and it was actually very impressive. French winger stepped and tried to sprint around him but SBW followed and tackled him, showed good speed.

I honestly have no reservations about SBW on the wing after these two games. I did have a couple before that. But positionally he's fine, defense he's fine - actually quite good. And on attack he's obviously been very good.

I went back on Sunday morning, and played back the whole test from the point SBW was subbed on, and watched him as much as the camera angle would allow. As far as I could tell...

1. He was never out of position
2. He ran good lines.
3. he backed up well
4. He missed one tackle (that I saw) and made two or three others
5. He offloaded a couple of times, one of which led directly to Dagg's second try
6. Recovered well (as you said) on the one occasion he got isolated

All up, I thought he played well, and covered well when he made a mistake.

I have read a lot of ******** on this forum in the last couple of weeks about him supposedly looking lost in the backline, not knowing where to stand and having to be directed where to run. I saw no sign of that on Saturday.

 

[Dizzy]

Let's get a sence of perspective here. The AB's front row have not faced a really decent front 3 yet. No matter how you put it, a full strength French 3 would have given them problems and caused more trouble.

I think the best forward display so far has been the Irish who dominated the Australian scrum. New Zealand have not faced any one nearly as good yet.

The AB's don't have a great front three and the real tests only start now when they play better teams.

Im sorry, are you talking about the same AB's that have to play against SA year in year out, then do end of year tours to the far North?.. You mean guys like Steenkamp, Bismark, Janie and Mtawarira??.. Then we come up north and this dominance isn't as great then as it is now.

Be serious please.

Stevens is a smackhead, Mujati can hardly even catch a ball so please don't bring him into this. What happened to you English guys who were saying Tonga'uiha was the best prop in the world, dominates everyone in the Aviva etc? He isn't even starting, he's on the bench behind Tuamalolo (who plays in NZ). It has gone very quiet on the Tonga'uiha front since this so called dominance hasn't eventuated.

I remember this clearly although I can't be bother searching the thread for any quotes, but it was said that Tongauiha was a god damn revelation and he alone would demolish the All Black scrum[not directly in those words]

Tonga'uiha is a good prop as for the best in the world. Erm no. I have never heard a Englishman say he is the best in the world.

Oh and for your information he went to school in New Zealand and was once an AB Tonga'uiha played for the New Zealand under 19 team in 2001. So he learnt to prop in New Zealand.

I still think that the true tests of the AB's front row is yet to come. We can all have better opinions then.

And even when that time comes, you still won't let up. I'll bet you all my vcash.

 

[TRF_Cymro]

I went back on Sunday morning, and played back the whole test from the point SBW was subbed on, and watched him as much as the camera angle would allow. As far as I could tell...

1. He was never out of position
2. He ran good lines.
3. he backed up well
4. He missed one tackle (that I saw) and made two or three others
5. He offloaded a couple of times, one of which led directly to Dagg's second try
6. Recovered well (as you said) on the one occasion he got isolated

All up, I thought he played well, and covered well when he made a mistake.

I have read a lot of ******** on this forum in the last couple of weeks about him supposedly looking lost in the backline, not knowing where to stand and having to be directed where to run. I saw no sign of that on Saturday.

Agree with all of this.

 

[psychic duck]

Be serious please.

Stevens is a smackhead, Mujati can hardly even catch a ball so please don't bring him into this. What happened to you English guys who were saying Tonga'uiha was the best prop in the world, dominates everyone in the Aviva etc? He isn't even starting, he's on the bench behind Tuamalolo (who plays in NZ). It has gone very quiet on the Tonga'uiha front since this so called dominance hasn't eventuated.

Tonga'uiha played on the bench against Canada because Isitolo Maka rotated the team (which proved to be a mistake), not because he was dropped

 

[Dizzy]

Tonga'uiha played on the bench against Canada because Isitolo Maka rotated the team (which proved to be a mistake), not because he was dropped

So you're saying that Tonga lost to Canada because Tongauiha didn't start?..

I rate Taumalolo higher than Tongauiha. Based on the fact that I watch him play regularly and I know what hes capable of, compared to only seeing Tongauiha a handful of times in the WC.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

So you're saying that Tonga lost to Canada because Tongauiha didn't start?...

Where'd you get that from? Way to put words in his mouth!

 

[Teh Mite]

Weyhey, inter-hemisphere willy waving! It took lone enough #predictabletrf