Sevu Reece damn near knocks himself out with a tackle on France 10.
Sevu Reece damn near knocks himself out with a tackle on France 10.
He's off, Dmac on. Not sure if it's HIA or permanent.
6 Minutes in, lots of kicking, little shape from either side. France for poles from halfway. Segons easily has the distance, 3-0 France.
Rieko blows a two on one. First bit of action in 15 minutes of utterly forgettable test rugby. Roigard now hits a gap and releases Jordie for the try. Which is promptly cancelled for a prior handling error. Looked like it went backward like the ref called it in play, but higher powers intervened.
France now scores the first try after a sweet bit of attacking. 13 beat his man to open the All Blacks up. 10-0
All Blacks now get Jordan away into the corner after some close up smashing and bashing. Beauden converts, 10-7 France.
Better play from the All Blacks now, Lio-Willie and Savea getting some intent going in the forward rumble. It's been pretty flat so far, someone will need to step up and get some fire going.
Vaa'i in now, All Blacks look like they're starting to shed some rust. 14-10 AB.
Penalty goal France, 14-13.
Another long period of close phase attack finally creates space for Jordie to get it down in the corner. Another fine conversion by Beauden, 21-13 half time. Lio-Willie probably the best for the ABs. Rieko? Is this the best New Zealand has to offer at 11? Total non-entity so far.
And Rieko promptly drops the kickoff, attacking scrum right away for France.
France scores through Villiere, number of phases after the scrum and the gap opens. Costly error to drop the kickoff as it turns out. 21-20 AB.
Jordan now finds a sliver of space through two Frenchies and scores after another range of phase attacks. Poor defense though. 28-20
Beauden seems to have changed his kicking style, short run up and very limited leg swing. Appears to be working, he's middling everything.
Big space for France 21, stopped just short but they're on the line. And try under the posts as they burrow over. AB defense split wide open there. 28-27
Anyone still maintaining this AB side is as good as any in the past needs their heads read, seriously. There is zero x-factor on display. There are no Ebens, Oxes, Marx, Kolbes, Arendses, Sachas in sight. They look bog ordinary against what is barely a test side. Early season, sure, but at the moment they can thank their lucky stars France didn't send the big boys.
The stupid grubber into the opposition's feet makes its appearance for the second time for the ABs.
Finally they stumble over as Proctor stretches to put it down from close. France is a yellow card down and looks like the try may be cancelled as there is brief separation between ball and player as he grounds it. Yes, no try.
Good try now for the ABs, Jordan in the corner. Well worked, but they're having to work for everything. Oh wait, they're checking something...again.
Bit of seemingly inconsequential contact from the decoy runner, I don't think it affected anything. No try, that's very harsh and not the right call as far as I am concerned.
Ref now gets in France 9's way forcing him to kick straight into touch as he couldn't pass, but play goes on.
Howzit Pakslae
Close game huh?
Lol the ABs really struggling here.
I'm glad that try was disallowed after the construction.
We we picking with one point in it?
Beautiful clearance by Poop
Last 10 minutes, one point in it.
Howzit Plummie. I thought that obstruction had zero impact, but water under the bridge.
Penalty ABs. Will they go for posts. Yep.
ABs taking 3 points to stretch the lead to 4 points with 6 minutes to go in the game...
Still get very annoyed when the attacking team hold the tackler in the ruck and then he gets blown for not rolling.
One can't do what is impossible.
No mistake from Beauden again, 31-27
Still get very annoyed when the attacking team hold the tackler in the ruck and then he gets blown for not rolling.
Yeah that's always dodgy.
France spill it hot on attack, that might have been their chance.
And with a scrum penalty inside their own 22 and 90 seconds to go.
Looks like the ABs win this one
Nz will just close it out with the old pick and do nothing. They scrape home 31-27.
Yep, ABs seal the deal 31-27
Happy with that result because a) the French lost and b) the ABs didn't look good
I do think NZ were unlucky with the cancelled tries - the handling error that was called in Jordie's first half try didn't seem to go forward at any point, and I already made my feelings about the potential obstruction clear. I think when you call back a try there should be absolutely no doubt whatsoever that you're making the right call. Both of those were dubious.
David Skippers 56 minutes ago
Japan fly-half Seungsin Lee.
Japan made an outstanding start to their two-Test series against Wales when they clinched a 24-19 triumph in their first clash in Kitakyushu on Saturday.
The result is a momentous one for the Brave Blossoms as it is only their second-ever win in 15 matches against Wales and their first triumph in this fixture since 2013.
Japan‘s head coach Eddie Jones, who also masterminded that win in Tokyo, will be delighted that his side managed to repeat that feat and will be full of confidence ahead of next weekend’s second Test in Kobe.
Meanwhile, Wales‘ horrific run at international level continues as they have now lost a record 18 Tests in a row and they only have themselves to blame for this defeat as they held a 19-7 lead at half-time.
Japan launched a stunning comeback in the second half, however, and were deserved winners in the end.
Both sides scored three tries apiece with Takuro Matsunaga, Ichigo Nakakusu and Halatoa Vailea crossing the whitewash for the home side while Seungsin Lee finished with nine-point contribution after succeeding with three conversions and a penalty.
For the visitors, Ben Thomas and Tom Rogers dotted down while they were also awarded a penalty try while Sam Costelow added a conversion.
Wales were fastest out of the blocks and opened the scoring as early as the fourth minute when Wales won possession at a lineout deep inside Brave Blossoms territory.
From the set-piece, Taulupe Faletau launched an attack and drew in a couple of defenders before offloading to the on-rushing Thomas, who crashed over for a deserved try.
Costelow added the extras before Japan struck back in the 16th minute when Matsunaga crossed for his five-pointer after excellent work from Kippei Ishida in the build-up.
Midway through the half, Wales extended their lead courtesy of a penalty try after Ichigo Nakakusu deliberately slapped the ball out of Adams’ hands close to Japan’s try-line and Nakakusu was also yellow carded for his indiscretion.
Two minutes later, Rogers got over for his try after finding himself in space down the left-hand touchline and showing the defence a clean pair of heels with a blistering run before dotting down.
The rest of the half was characterised by plenty of thrilling action but neither side managed to score further points until half-time.
The second half was a completely different story as the Brave Blossoms soon took control of proceedings and they were rewarded in the 59th minute when Nakakusu crossed in the left-hand corner.
Lee added the extras and slotted a penalty five minutes later which meant the match was evenly poised with Wales holding a slender 19-17 lead.
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Japan continued to attack as the half progressed and in the 70th minute they took the lead for the first time when Vailea crossed for his converted try off the back of a maul deep inside the visitors 22.
That gave the hosts the lead for the first time in the match and although Wales tried desperately to strike back in the game’s closing stages, it wasn’t to be as the Brave Blossoms held for a deserved victory.
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Japan: 15 Takuro Matsunaga, 14 Kippei Ishida, 13 Dylan Riley, 12 Shogo Nakano, 11 Malo Tuitama, 10 Seungsin Lee, 9 Shinobu Fujiwara, 8 Amato Fakatava, 7 Jack Cornelsen, 6 Michael Leitch (c), 5 Warner Deans, 4 Epineri Uluiviti, 3 Shuhei Takeuchi, 2 Mamoru Harada, 1 Yota Kamimori
Replacements: 16 Hayate Era, 17 Sena Kimura, 18 Keijiro Tamefusa, 19 Waisake Raratubua, 20 Ben Gunter, 21 Shuntaro Kitamura, 22 Ichigo Nakakusu, 23 Halatoa Vailea
Wales: 15 Blair Murray, 14 Tom Rogers, 13 Johnny Williams, 12 Ben Thomas, 11 Josh Adams, 10 Sam Costelow, 9 Kieran Hardy, 8 Taulupe Faletau, 7 Josh Macleod, 6 Alex Mann, 5 Teddy Williams, 4 Ben Carter, 3 Keiron Assiratti, 2 Dewi Lake, 1 Nicky Smith
Replacements: 16 Liam Belcher, 17 Gareth Thomas, 18 Archie Griffin, 19 James Ratti, 20 Aaron Wainwright, 21 Tommy Reffell, 22 Rhodri Williams, 23 Joe Roberts
Referee: Damian Schneider (UAR)
Assistant Referees: Karl Dickson (RFU), Luke Pearce (RFU)
TMO: Ian Tempest (RFU)
zxcvbn
French 15 very impressive…Nic Berry the most clueless ref around, he misses so much
Plum - is there anything between your ears?
I know your answer but really - What an idiot................. .
......
Oh, I tend to forget how sensitive the ABs are about their team and just how much losing to us in that final still stings.
It dented your national pride, I know.
But don't worry, you're still world
champion moral grandstanders.
...nobody can ever take that away from you ;)
Typical scratchy performance by the ABs in their first hit out for the year vs a spirited French B team. Was really worried until I saw the 2nd half of the Boks game! That settled my nerves a bit…
ABs also achieved the milestone of being the first team in history to attain 500 test wins.
Well done boys!!
Indeed, Moola
Rassie's comments after the game were that he's not sure some of his stalwarts are the best in position players.
There are very few of us that are actually sure who he thinks his best players are.
At least you guys have far more clarity in that regard.
EG we don't know who our best 9, 10, 12 or 13 are. We're not sure he prefers Fassi over Willemse at 15 either.
In the pack we know that Marx, Eben, Ox and Jasper are our best.
So, we're still unsure as to more than half of our players.
And it's al thanks to perpetual musical chairs. Everybody seems to praise it but I have feeling that the house of cards is gonna come crumbling down this year.
It's by design Plum...
Plum, has Rassie simply tried too many players in the last year and invited far too many to their camps? The Boks seem to have clouded their own situation in my opinion getting far too many involved. Naming 54 to go into a camp is plain ridiculous! Surely 35 is heaps giving you a full test squad plus 12 reserves to tinker with.
Exactly, Moola. It was musical chairs all of last year, and I bet his plan is the same for this year.
You look at the ABs in Carter's era. They played their best team against everybody all the time and when there was an injury they replaced the injured guy. Simple.
They knew who their best side was and they played that side as much as possible.
In the two games the Boks have played this year it's been two very different teams already and I bet that come the weekend it'll be yet a different side again.
For me, cohesion beats depth nine times out of ten. It doesn't help having a massive squad but you never really get them firing because nobody knows who'll be playing from week to week.
Last year, the Boks very nearly lost to the ABs, at home, for exactly that reason. This is supposedly the best Bok side in decades, and ABs were at a low, yet we just scraped past you guys. Oh the super dooper best Bok side in yonks lost to Argentina. The same side that just got thumped by England.
Take Moodie as an example. He came into the side, never missed a beat and took to test rugby easily. Now he's there, but so is Kriel who is for some crazy reason the captain. And then he brings Hooker in too. Excellent, we now have 3 x 13s with Am to come back as well. What's is the point?
Ou but Hooker can play wing. Okay, perfect...so is Hooker gonna get selected ahead of Mapimpi if Cheslin or Arendse go down? Of course not. So Hooker is basically there in as back up for back for up for back up for back for back up.
Oh but wait, Hooker will get a run against Georgia. But guess what, it's doesn't matter if Hooker scores twenty tries against Georgia because that won't change his place in the pecking order. SO WHY EVEN PLAY HIM THEN? He gains nothing from a single Bok practice match in an entire year. And also what a shit thing to do because his first cap is a nothing game against nobodies and he knows that he won't catch a sniff of any important minutes the rest of the year. It's a piss take. Same as he's been taking the piss out of Andre Esterhuizen for years now. Playing him against Portugal and pals but never ever playing him when it actually matters.
And all of this is why the Bok backs can't get the ball through the hands. They don't have the cohesion required at test level. Instead of picking his best side now and playing that side in these easy games, so they when the most difficult games come next month, the teams is firing. No, mix and match all the way to the last minute, because you don't intend on using the backs much anyway, and then smash and bash and hope to out muscle the ABs, France and Ireland.
So while Draad talks about all of this being by design, I can't see what the design is and I won't bother asking because I'll only get vague answers that don't nearly suffice.
I'm glad we have those two away fixtures against the ABs this year and then France and Ireland games after that. It's gonna be a massive wake-up call and I very much doubt we'll win any of those games unless we start picking our actual best side from now on and stop with the messing around.
TLDR: For heaven's sake, can we just pick our best team and play that team. If someone is injured or underperforms, be a man and replace them with the player you think is next in line and move the hell on.
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French will probably come at them hard, let's see what happens.