2023 RWC Buildup, Squads, Fixtures 'etc'

Wailin

Could you imagine how smug and arrogant you'd be had Ireland won a world cup?

Pete_Cavan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121302539#Comment_121302539

Ridiculous that PSdT isn't in team of the tournament, he's probably be player of the tournament for me. I'd also have Kriel ahead of Ringrose, he was excellent defensively and made some extremely important tackles.

No idea what Lawes did to justify inclusion there.

Podge_irl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121302539#Comment_121302539

I think only one SA player in the team of the year is pretty understandable, though only one in the team of the tournament feels a bit off.

Though I appreciate it's just a stats based thing.

ruggedguy

Hi lads - AB fan here, pretty gutted about the final but I thought they played as well as they could considering they were down a man for almost the entire match and still had a chance to snatch it until the final whistle. People tend to forget that being a man down will pretty much throw whatever game plan you had out the window. I’m not here to whinge about the ref/tmo, it is what it is and majority of the NZ public is looking forward to the new era of ABs under Scott Robinson

ruggedguy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121302539#Comment_121302539

I’m really suprise eztenben is not on that list. I’d have him over Retallick (he just started to come on late in the tournament)

ersatz

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121302808#Comment_121302808

Kriel and PSDT were my 2 standout players from the SA team, Kriel was everywhere and he made great calls in defence and attack and Du Toit is a machine, his speed and acceleration are frankly other worldly for a guy his size. Sheehan being in the team is an odd one for me also, he's had an incredible career in green so far but he wasn't up to his normal standards for me in the WC, and his darts were very spotty. That said, if he'd caught that ball and scored against NZ I'd probably feel differently.

bluedex

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121302864#Comment_121302864

Pretty much all 3 KO games involving the 4 top teams were similar in that regard, could have gone either way. They were literally a coin toss, a bounce of the ball, a key ref decision favouring one side. Shane Horgan made a good point at half time when he said he thought the extra man wouldn't make much difference for SA because of how they play, he was proved correct I thought.

I think SA and NZ can consider themselves reasonably lucky to be in the final, and SA to win it. But I think you'd have to say something similar if it was a France v Ireland final. Luck played a big part.

Dubinusa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121302556#Comment_121302556

Definitely smug!! Schwingggg

jacothelad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121302556#Comment_121302556

No. Tell us how you guys do it.......😉

aloooof

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121302864#Comment_121302864

Saw a stat doing the rounds that NZ had 9 cards, 3 of which were red in the previous 8 Tests. I think that ill-discipline eventually caught up with NZ in the end.

You'd imagine things will improve with Robertson tho. Fair bit of transition in the squad to manage tho.

ruggedguy

Yeah I was gutted for you guys (Ireland), being the number 1 team for the past two years and then get eliminated in the QF, it reminded me of the 2007 All Blacks (that was the worst I’ve ever felt). Don’t worry lads I truly believe Ireland time will come

And I understand what Horgan was saying BUT being a forward down for 70mins against a SA forward pack & bench…..I instantly had flashbacks of the beating we got in our last game against them. SA should’ve mauled/scrum NZ to death, the game should’ve never been this close

ruggedguy

Which always annoys me when People keep saying the ABs gets away with calls - we are one of the most penalised teams in the game lol it’s sad that every game I’m wondering not “if” but “who” is going to get a yellow/red card. This game is just too technical for its own good sometimes

can scott fix it? Who knows. Maybe he should implement what the springboks were doing by having a referee at their training camps (brilliant move btw)

eagle eye

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121302539#Comment_121302539

How the hell is Dupont in it?

Aaron Smith was head and shoulders above any other scrum-half.

Jacovs

After the semi final win people were asking for a public holiday, so the president sort of promised if we win the final he would look at it.

Now he declared 15 December a public holiday.

16 December is already a public holiday, but is on a saturday, so he just gave the friday before it.

Pete_Cavan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121303894#Comment_121303894

Yeah definitely. I thought Smith was holding NZ together at times on Saturday, never seems to make a bad decision.

pickarooney

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121303442#Comment_121303442

Why? His Crusaders sides aren't exactly squeaky clean.

Klunk_NZ

The women’s and men’s world cups have both been ultimately decided by Red cards. NZ coming out on the right side of one and not the other.

I didn’t understand the English dominated board claiming an orange card type of system somehow encouraged unsafe acts. The player was still gone from the match and disciplined and they were no more or less cards it the rugby championship under those rules than any other fixture. I seriously think that and less TMO intervention will improve the spectacle.

If not rugby can continue down the trajectory towards becoming a poor man’s NFL and cede the pace and action branding to rugby league.

Podge_irl

Rugby League is a complete and utter irrelevance everywhere but Australia.

Buer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121304206#Comment_121304206

Yeah, NZ rugby has discipline issues (Super Rugby generally does) that goes well beyond the influence of any single coach although the Crusaders certainly are amongst the better disciplined sides.

It's a cultural thing to an extent in Super Rugby, I feel. I posted at the time that there was a lot of dismissive commentary around some of the collisions in the Super Rugby playoffs. James Slipper shipping a head knock, looking very unsteady but reappearing magically when the Brumbies scrum was collapsing without him. I think it was Jeff Wilson commentating who was bemoaning any sanction against the tackler who swung an arm at Slipper's head. Then ALB absolutely demolished someone with a head collision in the final and only received a yellow for it. He was subsequently banned but he should have been red carded immediately.

Officiating is more lenient in Super Rugby, to my mind. NZ teams collected only 3 red cards in the entire Super Rugby season this year but 42 yellow cards. I'd be interested to see how many of those yellows were bunker reviews that stayed yellow. NZ received 3 red cards in their last 8 test matches for context. People have been saying it for some time that it will come back to bite them and it did in the worst way possible.

ruggedguy

Yeah true but It’s growing among the pacific nations though

aloooof

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121304206#Comment_121304206

I don’t necessarily mean with regards discipline (tho can see it reads that way)

Just think he’ll improve things in genera as I think he’s a better coach.

Buer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121305244#Comment_121305244

He might but he has a solid job on his hands. Losing Smith, Mo'unga and Barrett from the back line is massive.

And Frizzell, Coles, Laulala, Whitelock and Retallick from the forwards from the RWC final is another blow. Sam Cane and Cody Taylor are likely to be gone by the next RWC too.

Not sure that they have the depth coming through to replace such experience in such a short period of time. Their prop situation should be in a very good place come the next RWC given the age profile but you'd worry about the back five of their scrum and their halfbacks. They'll either need someone to come through at outhalf in a hurry or they'll be bringing Mo'unga straight back in when his three years in Japan are up.

AbusesToilets

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121305938#Comment_121305938

McKenzie will be fine at outhalf, he was brilliant this season.

Buer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121305994#Comment_121305994

Brilliant in the Super Rugby tournament is one thing. Doing it at top level test rugby is different. He was given a couple of shots at outhalf last summer and didn't take the opportunities at all.

It was notable that he wasn't brought on against us at all when NZ were just ahead and he was the very last sub to be brought on in the final from either team, getting only the last 5 minutes. I don't think there's much faith in him within NZ rugby relative to those that are moving on.

He has never really been trusted to start at outhalf for any sustained period or in a big test. I think Robertson will have to select him given the departure of Mo'unga and Barrett but I wouldn't be surprised if he looked to fast track one of the younger outhalves in NZ rugby too.

sydthebeat

with Barrett and mounga gone, DMCK is the only 10 left with any standing at all. As above, i dont think hes the controlling 10 that NZ need at the very highest level, but absolutely electric at all levels below that.

of the pretenders, Stephen Perofeta and Fergus Burke are probably the pick of the bunch.

Millar and Felefaga at highlanders will be vying for game time with rhys patchell, with, id imagine patchall be given the majority of the time. Kewara at the crusaders is still very green and behind burke. Trask will be behind DMCK. i dont rate Cameron of the hurricanes. Godfrey is more a 15 and Morgan is steady eddie.

Perofeta will be the starting 10 at the blues, and Burke will be the starting 10 at the Crusaders. Both will have the best chance to get into the AB squad alongside DMCK.

Klunk_NZ

we will find locks and loose forwards no issue. But things get very bare in the 9/10 channel.

I don’t rate Christie and Fakatava at all.

Dmack will be the placeholder until we find our next 10. Centres and wings still stacked. There’s plenty to work with but I’m not expecting to beat SA in the championship next year as we usually do.

pickarooney

Is Zarn Sullivan more likely to play 10 or 15 in the next couple of seasons?

sydthebeat

15 I would imagine.

He's listed as full back with the blues, and hadnt played outhalf until this season's NPC.

The blues have plenty of cover at 10 as it is

Jacovs

Rassie stepping in as Springbok head coach (did he ever really step out?) while they look for a replacement for Jacques Nienaber.

Is Eddie Jones not available? Heard he quit the Aussies.

Dubinusa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121310161#Comment_121310161

Eddie Jones will struggle to get a top appointment. He's become a farce.