Mighty Juniour Boks versus wee baby abs offocial match thread

 I'm not too pig-headed to admit that the Junior Boks completely outplayed the Junior ABs last night and unlike some poster(s) on this site, I'm not going to blame the ref.The ABs set piece was a shambles and the chief reason they could not get back in the game in the 2nd half.Just as NZ supporters are critical of Bok back play, I think NZ is equally guilty of not putting enough emphasis on set pieces. The AB scrum can usually hold it's own but lineout play in NZ in general has been atrocious in the last 15 years. We have been able to counter this obvious deficiency with sparkling back play but that isn't always going to work. Just look at how any SA team is nullified and clueless if the opposition is able to sack their rolling maul.So congrats to the Junior Boks on a fine win. Looks like NZ is going to miss out on the semis as Ireland only need a bonus point win to go through as the 4th team and if that's the case NZ will be embarrassingly shut out of the tou rnament they dominated in the early years!

 moolaa
I have always been serious when i saif NZ has the best backline players imaginable - but their forwards - and especially their tight 5 i just not good enough.  They have exceptional loosies as well.   
However, like happened yesterday - they can be neutralized by not getting good enough balls to play with and that is what happened yesterday.   They kept up well in the first half and giving given their all - but the NZ forwards just petered out in the second half.  
I am worried about the future of NZ rugby unless they start producing good forwards coming through junior level and really during the last three years there was o nly Ardie Savea that showed anything of value.  In the tight 5 there was nobody putting up their hands up to be counted.   It was not like that when players like Sam Whitelock started out in their junior years.
For the sake of NZ rugby they should start identifying players early and working on them to go through to higher level - otherwise a decade from now - no amount of backline talent will help NZ in world rugby and that would be a rel negative to the global game..