the AB problems

the horrendous aussie team with their useless coach were a smokescreen for the AB problems,.... first and most important, the inability Hansen and co has shown to avoid the problems caused by a rushing defense,... it happened agaist the B&I Lions, it happened against Ireland and again yesterday,...

Aaron Smith was very slow and the forwards didn't close the breakdowns as they should,... letting de Klerk interrupt the attack at wish,... happened so many times
but the main problem here is that BB is completely nulified and with him the whole backline,... BB doesn't know how to face a rushing defense,... he has struggled each time he has faced one,... B&I Lions, Ireland, but also saders, chiefs and landers at Super Rugby level,... and now SA,... he's a FB and needs space and time (exactly as DMac),.... and when he's deprived of time and space he takes bad options,.... cannot control the game,... yesterday the AB got 75% possession and 80% territory,... forwards superiority (driving mauls, pick&goes, scrums),... but weren't able to control the game,...
Mo'unga is the only real nº10 and the only one who has proven can face and avoid rushing defenses,... play him at 10 and BB at FB against the argies

-Defensive issues.
Wayne Smith was a defensive genius,... since he left the AB are leaking too many tries,.... there's another genius looming in NZ and his name is Scott Robertson,... if things continue like this may be he should be called as an advisor once the 2019 SR is finished

-Players not performing.
there are a number of players who shouldn't be in the AB squad (and was predicted by many),... to begin with Jordie Barrett,... he's a very good prospect but has to learn still the job,... he should be playing NPC,... this season he has made nothing to deserve a spot in the squad,...

NMS is nowhere near his best form (before injuries),... before the injuries he was a very special player,... probably the one with more X-factor of the last years,... his ability to dribble defenders in a space of 1 square meter was second to none,... and this ability shadowed the many deficiencies he had in his game,... now he's a liability with no X-factor but many deficiencies like his defense, his positioning, his aerial skills,,... if he regains his X-factor he could battle for a starting spot but untill then (and no one knows if he's going to be able to do it or not) he should also be playing NPC,...

Sam Cane is completely out of form,... seems overweighted,... probably overbulked and now he's slow as hell,... seems similar to what happened to Julian Savea,... and meanwhile the best NZ openside was left out and had to go to Japan,...

to end this,... ALB had a horrible game,...... and he's probably more a 12,.... Jack Goodhue is the best nº13 in the country (and if he's not yet he'll be the best in the world),... and he should be playing there from now on

I've noticed a tendency for NZ to leave a gap between the ruck and the pillar defenders as big as 1.5 metre. 10-12 were exposed a few times by Australia. The Aussies didn't have the power game to really trouble the All Blacks any further. In the first test, NZ came out playing very directly off their forwards, punching up narrow, and the Wallabies folded with ease. From there on the Bledisloe contest was over. That and the horrendous defence of Beale. 

The All Black midfield are Average Joe's, and they along with Jordie Barrett were identified as weaknesses before this test match - albeit no one really believed the Boks had a chance to win.

I was starting to think the Boks would never have beaten the All Blacks again - given the last 2 years under Coetzee, and then Rassie losing the last 2 games on the trot.

Goodhue should certainly have started, and Crotty totally buggered up a certain try by taking contact instead of a basic pop pass into space to Goodhue-  the All Blacks would have won. Crotty reminds me of a South African centre with donkey blinkers. Goodhue should be getting experience for the World Cup, so that he is starting to get into his prime by that stage.

An ageing Nonu would be a better option than Crotty if it was world cup knock out match tomorrow. 

Jordie was the last line of defence, and he takes a quick lineout throw... This was silly. Surely if you take a quick lineout, you should have lots of players behind the ball. I expect he will be dropped for this, and make way for Mckenzie. 

Beuden Barrett is not a test level goal kicker, and he is a liability in close matches. The problem is that the other kicking options are not guaranteed starting positions. It might be best to settle on Mckenzie as the first choice 15 for the All Blacks, and give him the kicking tee.

While BB was vulnerable to the rush defence, he did get away 2 quick offloads from passes at his feet for Jordie to score, then later Ioanie. 

BB's line kicking was also good on penalties to setup lineout driving mauls.

The All Blacks were certainly the best team on the day (Like other days), but the Boks defensive effort was reminiscent of the best Bok teams. Rassie was right though, that the Boks were lucky as the All Blacks should have put the game away in the last 20 minutes. 

Not sure it was the game plan, and more just individual errors by the ABS. While the AllBlacks did struggle with the rush defence, most teams do. 

Sometimes players push the offside line, and the referee's interpretation here helps allot. To some refs, the Boks backline may have been offside more often- it is marginal but when the defending teams gets it right, it is hard for anyone to attack against it. 

There is a problem that nobody else has dealt with and that is Ben Smith,   He is a top class player and always was over the past five years.   However, he is getting on and may just last till next years  WC because he is such a clever player - but  he is getting on and his pace will not allow for him to play at wing for much longer. 

You are right Mike about Ben Smith BUT not because he is getting on in age but him, Sam Cane, Jullian Savea all got married didn't they and their wives good cooking made them rounded in the middle and gained afew more pounds = so for RWC 2019 we have devised a cunning plan for the players with the Theme "How to stay away from your wife's fine cooking."

Ouch - that may indeed be a problem!!!!!!!!!      Taking Cloudy as an example - the wives in NZ may indeed be too good at cooking.

...A good result for the All Blacks to expose the weaknesses in the team before the 2019 RWC without naming and shaming any players....the RC is a battle of attrition and rotation of players a necessary evil but can be hazardous as Hansen found out somewhat like Meyer did against Japan. -You play yr B team at yr peril...

A good game for SA in terms of finally winning on NZ soil after along drought...A good game also for SA  in terms of now gauranteeing the filling of stadium seats for the returning rematch ....

Thanks also must be given to the ABs for saving Rassies job...Erasmus himself admitting that he was close to being sacked... Good also that SA has now been given some hope after so many poor performances even if like Rassies says they got lucky..... Also happy for Kolisi to achieve as captain what so many of his predecessors have failed to achieve when he has been criticsed so negatively 

A good result for world rugby that one team does not always dominate other wise how boring would that be ...and a good result for the RC that there is no runaway winners as was predicted... 

Good result all round really...and i'm happy that NZ did'nt take the drop goal option because that's not how we roll...

Ben Smith still looked pretty handy in the pace division in that sprint setting up A Smith's try. Always good or beating a tackle or two as well. He still has plenty to offer as far as I am concerned.

Pakie over the last three years there was noticeable signs of regress and that can only be age-related,   He is already 32 years old and by next year will be 33.   That does play a role in performance.        

In defense of Bender it's not easy when you having to play wing and hold the fullbacks hand at the same time,,.he is there to help train the apprentice but hopefully Hansen cancels that apprenticeship ..

Yesterday's defensive effort from the Boks was a bit of what Kiwi teams have been doing for a long time now. IE being offside...or otherwise known as "playing on the edge of the law".

Exactly as I said a while ago, the approach of seeing how much one can do wrong before being caught is cheating. And its bad for the game. 

It's like saying that ball tempering in cricket is fine...as long as you don't get caught. 

You know what the rules are and your integrity should see you trying to follow those rules.

Walking offside when the ref's back is turned is not some wounderful skill to be admired by all.

Behaving that way is exactly what we should be teaching kids NOT to do.

Do what you must to win. But act outside the rules of the game and you're the bitch that doesn't deserve to be on the field. That's the lesson kids should be taught.

You know what this means, don't you Pakie? Benny is in the 30 club. As Mike rightly says, his racing days are over. 

If we had to have Jordie we could at least have him kick the goals .

The pressure from making your conversions alone would be a game changer,but the ABs are usually quick to adapt from losses and even the Lions rush defence last year wouldnt have been enough for them without a bit of help from 2 useless French refs.

The last 2 RWCs have had a couple of losses a year or so out so maybe its whats needed to give the young fellas an idea of how narsty losing is and to be avoided like the plague.

Bluebok

Fact is I wish we had the problems the NZ team has.  They have a multi-player solution to each position there may even be a minor problem in evidence.

This is one aspect where all should agree on.

There are in fact a few players where there may be minor problems and those are at flyhalf iro certain asects of the game -at full back and in the form of Jordie Barrett and Lienert-Brown.   But those are  minor problems.   My first choice center would always be Goodhue in any event. 

My thoughts are that we're over playing this from both sides, if NZ got all their kicks between the posts then we wouldn't be having the discussion.

Our win was an unexpected bonus because of this but the betterment of our play was that we are improving our mental approach and eliminated silly errors...our effort exceeded all expectations by sheer guts and fortitude...the coach's mission was to build and improve our game which we did with a bonus...that' was accomplished but we must not be deluded, we have not arrived but only starting...the real strength out of this is that a myth has been broken and that there is confidence and self-belief restored.

The AB's don't really have problems...they are still the best by a country mile...yeah as some have said here, a little adjustment, a tweak here and there maybe and a wake-up call perhaps but don't fool ourselves because nothing really has changed, believe me.

1. Beast, Kitshoff
2. Marx, Bongi 
3. Malherbe, Wilco
4. Eben, Snyman
5. Mostert, Steph
6. Kolisi, Louw
7. This is a problem 
8. Whiteley, Duane
9. Faf
10. Pollard, Jantjies Willemse 
11. Dyantyi, Nkosi
12. Esterhuizen
13. Am, Kriel
14. Mapimpi, Mapoe
15. Willie 

Augie is Ou Makkie saying wee Benny is over the Hill ?Nah !

Everyone gets up and goes their hardest against the ABs conversely the ABs have to try and be up always.

AO

Your description of resources is exactly where the problem lies. where the problem lies.   I would be relatively happy with the props and hooker - but from their onwards you have it all wrong:-

5  Should be De Jager or Du Toit.

6  Kolisi is a quota pick bringing very little to the game.   Louw - LMAO - he is not a loosies backside anymore - or perhaps he is.

7  We need a fetcher at 6 and a hard physical worker at 7.

8   Ever heard of Marcell Coetzee?  

9   OK - but there is an urgent need for back-ups

10  Jantjies - still LMAO

12  Esterhuizen - LMAO, LMAO, LMAO, LMAO

15  Willie needs a back-up

So your thinking is really pathetic because of prejudice .      

Jantjies is ahead of Willemse. 

Esteerhuizen is our only test worthy 12. Unless you wish to consider Frans. I'm personally willing to move on. 

Our biggest problem is 9 and 15. We can cope with the other positions. 

Prejudice? Who is denigrating the best performing 12 of the current season? You. Who is denigrating the 10 who setup that try? You. What did Willemse do? Mistake after mistake. He is talented, I can see that, but he is far too raw. He isn't anywhere near ready. Outside of these three (Pollard included) we don't have options. 

Wardad, Ben had a good tests. He was a handful all game. I'd have him in an instant. Was one of the better All Blacks on the night. However, Lügnerin has an aversion to anyone who isn't fresh out of primary school.