I guess there was always going to be some fallout from their sheer capitulation last week versus the Lions.
Ross Thompson is a fairly tidy player IMO - when I saw him moving there I thought at the time it would be a challenge for Healy to stay ahead of him.
Poor Ben healys status at Edinburgh has fallen.
Hes starting for Edinburgh "A" versus bath tomorrow while the first team play the sharks with Ross Thompson starting and no real recognisable 10 on the bench (cameron scott has 1 cap for embra at 10)
They are in the AB xv selection, which is, in my opinion, much more interesting than this boring AB test side thats coming up here.
https://www.munsterrugby.ie/2024/10/08/all-blacks-xv-squad-named-for-the-2024-northern-tour/#:~:text=Munster%20will%20be%20welcoming%20the,Scott%20Robertson%20and%20Clayton%20McMillan.
Forwards (17)
Props Xavier Numia (25 / Hurricanes / Wellington) George Dyer (24/ Chiefs / Waikato) Saula Ma’u (24 / Highlanders / Otago) Marcel Renata (30 / Blues / Auckland) George Bower (32 / Crusaders / Otago)*
Hookers Brodie McAlister (27 / Crusaders / Canterbury) Kurt Eklund (32 / Blues / Bay of Plenty) Bradley Slater (26 / Chiefs / Taranaki)
Locks Josh Lord (23 / Chiefs / Taranaki)* Fabian Holland (21 / Highlanders / Otago) Isaia Walker-Leawere (27 / Hurricanes / Hawke’s Bay) Naitoa Ah Kuoi (25 / Chiefs / Bay of Plenty)
Loose Forwards Du’Plessis Kirifi (27 / Hurricanes / Wellington) Peter Lakai (21/ Hurricanes / Wellington) Hoskins Sotutu (26 / Blues / Counties Manukau)* Oliver Haig (22 / Highlanders / Otago) Christian Lio-Willie (26 / Crusaders / Otago)
Backs (12)
Halfbacks Noah Hotham (21 / Crusaders / Tasman)* Finlay Christie (29 / Blues / Tasman)*
First five-eighths Harry Plummer (26 / Blues / Auckland)* Josh Jacomb (23 / Chiefs / Taranaki)
Mid-fielders Quinn Tupaea (25 / Chiefs / Waikato)* Riley Higgins (22 / Hurricanes / Wellington) AJ Lam (26 / Blues / Auckland) Dallas McLeod (25 / Crusaders / Canterbury)*
Outside Backs Kiniviliame Naholo (25 / Hurricanes / Taranaki) Emoni Narawa (25 / Chiefs / Bay of Plenty)* Chay Fihaki (23 / Crusaders / Canterbury) Shaun Stevenson (27 / Chiefs / North Harbour)*
Interesting-ish All Blacks squad for the November series. Cam Roigard comes back in at 9, and some guys like Perofeta and Ruben Love have kept their places. David Havili probably a more surprising selection for me.
The guys who have missed out are Finlay Christie, Hoskins Sotutu (again) and someone like Harry Plummer and Noah Hotham who both made debuts relatively recently but miss out here.
They’ll both probably be in the All Black XV selection though.
There's an argument that a lot of the financial and schedule issues in the game are directly tied to the French. The Top 14 is such a dominant force, it really impacts everyone else massively
Indeed - I saw an article a while back that showed that outside of World Cups, DuPont has not played for France outside of Europe since his debut season which is incredible really.
Yeah, that’s it for me.
It is brilliant for the French how strong financially their game is, but there needs to be a bit of give and take here. Some unions are financially in relatively poor position.
It is very tough to sell these games out if it’s a largely second choice French side.
It’s not an inconsistent decision with what they’ve done in the past, and I know their hands are tied by the clubs to a certain extent, but it still feels a bit selfish and ****.
It's hardly surprising, it is standard MO for the French really at this point. But I think its a pretty worrying situation - the T14 is incredibly successful and well done to them, but it doesn't seem like it is something that can be replicated elsewhere and I worry about it somewhat cannibalising the international game.
Don’t think it’s been discussed on here- but supposed to be a lot of grumbling down South about France’s decision to not pick their strongest squad to tour NZ next summer during the Lions tour.
The French have said they won’t select players who play in the Top14 finals.
Not wholly inconsistent behaviour from the French who never seem to pick strong squads for summer tours, but I get why the Kiwis are frustrated.
NZ should respond by simply opting not to play the French in November windows for a few years.
I dare say after last year there have been panic buttons pressed all over Canterbury.
The only really have reihana and hoepa currently on the books as fly halves, now that burke is gone to sarries. I'm not sure if they made any effort to get mounga back from Japan, but I reckon razor likely made inquires from the higher level.
One year contract to be the senior fly half in the club screams "stop gap"
Strange enough move for them.
And that's confirmed today.
https://www.espn.co.uk/rugby/story/_/id/41599731/former-wallabies-star-james-oconnor-seals-super-rugby-deal-crusaders
https://www.planetrugby.com/news/ex-wallabies-star-set-for-shock-move-to-new-zealand-super-rugby-powerhouse-report#:~:text=The%20Crusaders%20are%20set%20to,2025%20Super%20Rugby%20Pacific%20season.
James o connor reportedly close to a move to the Crusaders.
Not sure hes the answer to their current woes.
@Lost Ormond point taken on threading
This shouldn't be in this thread(too often case on here thesedays... ) could these posts go to a new thread or the general rugby discussion mods?Problem with training refs in what way? How would you suggest training of officials change?What of law changes made in past 20 years haven't helped refs and what would you change to help refs make it a better game for all.
This shouldn't be in this thread(too often case on here thesedays... ) could these posts go to a new thread or the general rugby discussion mods?
Problem with training refs in what way? How would you suggest training of officials change?
What of law changes made in past 20 years haven't helped refs and what would you change to help refs make it a better game for all.
So my issue is I don't feel the work behind the scenes is sufficient to improve refs who have deficiencies in their game (and as I stated in my post - they're human. They all have deficiencies in some shape or form)
We see the WRU, SRU and IRFU and probably other unions have high performance ref managers, there is also a URC referee manager. I don't see this as a positive structure that will foster a lot of joined up thinking and working to the same hymn sheet. That's before you even consider World Rugbys refereeing department too.
Using Irish refs as an example. One of them refs a pro game. Both their union manager and the URC will be giving them feedback on that. How do you ensure that messaging is consistent? Back to the human element, corporate egos exist here, it happens in every industry. Clashes and difference of opinion are common. Having worked in high performance for a number of years I can tell you that the some egos in that world are very highly inflated as it is 😂 By one persons metrics a referee might have had a good game where as by another they might have had a bad one.
What we see is the same refs with the same flaws they've had for years. Refs with a bullish demeanour that leads to poor rapport with players, refs who flip flop on decisions. A big one is what I call "zone based refereeing" it's not an uncommon theory in referee analysis. Basically some refs are overly prone to making certain decisions or changing their interpretations based on where play is on the pitch. This is fixable. This is something that can be fed back and worked on. But in so many cases it just isn't
The point I make on World Rugby is that I think they started making changing and focusing in on certain rules of the game without seemingly realising that if you were to implement every rule in the game, the game would not happen. So at times they're arbitrarily going all in on some rules whilst ignoring others. And they'll be very hot on some rules for a few months and then just quietly ignore them again. Look at the crooked scrum feeds, look at the high tackles (there was a brief moment the last decade where head contact regardless of body position of either player was to be penalised), look at the punishment based solely on consequence not action, look at the deliberate knock ons interpretation. There are heaps of examples.
ITV have agreed a two year extension for the FTA rights to PRL (which according to one media outlet I saw recently they apparently aren’t paying a penny for)
As part of the deal they’ve reworked the highlights show as a Wednesday night (or, er morning in the case of the first episode!) magazine format. With Tick-Tockers apparently.
https://www.itv.com/rugby/articles/premiership-rugby-extends-free-to-air-deal-with-itv
Nah, killed them.
Dejavu?
Aussie get warned of a yellow after multiple offside infringements. NZ get warned after one offside infringement.
Karl Dixon trying his best to get NZ a penalty for that knock on there.
Also, Libbock didn't cause the team to miss like 30 tackles and give up a massive lead
The new guy Feinberg-Mngomezulu looks like he's the perfect blend between Libbock and Pollard.
Has all the attacking flair of Libbock, and looks like he's a more than capable kicker.
But SA need to find another decent kicker to have in the squad playing somewhere other than 10 to give them depth/cover.
The team who started on saturday, nobody else kicks as far as im aware. Of those who came on from the bench, Jaden Hendrikse has kicked before, but mainly during his u-20 time it seems. He was on the field when Libbok took that kick, but you wouldnt have him kick over Libbok, thats Libbok's job and wasnt the hardest kick. Having a less than part time kicker take the kick over a recognised kicker would severely damage the kicker mentally. But as it turned out having the recognised kicker take this particular kick ended up with the same result anyways.
Maybe Jaden's brother, Jordan, can come do the kicking, he slotted a 59 meter penalty after the final whistle to win the Currie Cup final for the Sharks saturday afternoon, against his former team. He goes between flyhalf, centre and full back, could be a useful addition to the squad and a kicking option.
Is there no one else who can reliably kick in the starters? SA would kill for another Montgomery slotting kicks for them. Libbock shouldn't be asked to kick given his inconsistencies.
Both games saw one team race out to a big early lead only to be hauled back.
New Zealand hung on , but SA got beaten (Libbock again showing that he should not be the front-line kicker).
That's multiple games now in this years competition following a similar pattern.
Not sure if it means anything , just unusual for it to happen so often in short order.
I didnt watch the game, went a bit heavy on the brandewyn and coke after the Currie Cup final, (how the **** do you throw away a win like that @ Lions?), so I didnt make it to the 23:00 kick off. Cant comment on any part of the game without having seen any of it, but I did see video of the missed kick at the end. Not much you can say about that. I think they went the wrong way around, shouldve played Libbok first and then Pollard off the bench, like they did twice in the world cup. If it comes down to a kick deciding the game then you have Pollard taking it, not Libbok. I dont see us losing again coming saturday at home, but anything is possible.
Maybe, kind of depends what team turns up. Amazing yesterday but Argentina are wildly inconsistent as well. They have seldom troubled us at the Aviva.
Argentina will be Irelands toughest opponent this Autumn.....
Brilliant from the Pumas, great atmosphere , love seeing this SA team on the wrong side
Ireland back to being the best team on planet earth again!
Pumas win!
