Bledisloe I: Will Australia Spy Another Defeat? (Probably, yes)

[cashead]

The first fixture of the opening round of the 2017 edition of the Rugby Championship is upon us, with the All Blacks returning to the scene of the crime - staying at the same hotel where the bug was found, and at the same stadium where they beat the shit out of the Wallabies.

The All Blacks team has been named. SBW will start at 12, despite the best efforts of an all-Aussie panel that tried to retroactively redefine SBW's 4-week ban, and Damian McKenzie starts at 15. In the forwards, Jerome Kaino will sit out this test, with Liam Squire at 6 in his place.


All Blacks
1. Joe Moody
2. Codie Taylor
3. Owen Franks
4. Brodie Retallick
5. Sam Whitelock
6. Liam Squire
7. Sam Cane
8. Kieran Read (C)
9. Aaron Smith
10. Beauden Barrett
11. Rieko Ioane
12. Sonny Bill Williams
13. Ryan Crotty
14. Ben Smith
15. Damian McKenzie

16. Nathan Harris
17. Wyatt Crockett
18. Ofa Tu'ungafasi
19. Luke Romano
20. Ardie Savea
21. TJ Perenara
22. Lima Sopoaga
23. Anton Lienert-Brown


Wallabies
1. Scott Sio
2. Stephen Moore
3. Allan Alaalatoa
4. Rory Arnold
5. Adam Coleman
6. Ned Hanigan
7. Michael Hooper (C)
8. Sean McMahon
9. Will Genia
10. Bernard Foley
11. Curtis Rona
12. Kurtley Beale
13. Samu Kerevi
14. Henry Speight
15. Israel Folau

16. Tatafu Polota-Nau
17. Tom Robertson
18. Sekope Kepu
19. Rob Simmons
20. Lopeti Timani
21. Nick Phipps
22. Reece Hodge
23. Tevita Kuridrani

[J Dory]

Will be interesting to see how McKenzie goes at 15, hope Sopoaga gets a run.

[J Dory]

I wonder if the selectors gave any thought to starting Perenara so he and Barrett could combine followed by Smith and Sopoaga to keep the Hurricanes and Highlanders halves combinations together.

[Spy]

McKenzie at 15 is an interesting selection, particularly as it entails shifting B Smith to the wing. I wonder if he's going to be the goalkicker?

[morepork]

We're going to need a proper 13 pretty soon. Liam Squire continues his education. Where's Jerome Jerome the metronome? I really wish Lowe would have opted to stick around.

[Spy]

We're going to need a proper 13 pretty soon. Liam Squire continues his education. Where's Jerome Jerome the metronome? I really wish Lowe would have opted to stick around.

Lienert-Brown had a good year last year.

Although the reports in the paper say "Kaino dropped", I'd be surprised if he doesn't return for the Bokke tests. I reckon they're expecting an easier ride for the forwards against Australia, hence giving Squire game time and experience.

[morepork]

This No.6 issue is shaping up to be an acute one in the bigger picture. Is Jordan Taufua likely to get a look in at all?

[rowan]

Predicting predictably comfortable wins for the Kiwis and Saffas - and a yellow card at some point for Silly Billy.

[Spy]

There's a right beating being dished out in Sydney. HT 6-40, 6 tries to none.

[canta_brian]

6 - 54 with 30 mins left.

[canta_brian]

Although as I type that Oz store a couple of trys. are NZ trying to keep Oz rugby alive as some kind of warped joke?

[Spy]

We're getting very sloppy. Missing tackles, pushing passes. 3 Australian converted tries in a row.

[Spy]

Ffs. Really not sure how that try got awarded, but it's 7 more to the Wallabies.

[Spy]

That's about as loose as tier 1 Test rugby gets. FT 34-54. 6 tries in each half, with the AB's scoring the first 8 and the Wallabies the last 4. Fair play to Australia -down 54-6 at about 50min it looked like they might be looking down the barrel of conceding 70 or 80, but the dominated the final half-hour of the game.

Great first half from NZ. I thought Crotty , A Smith and Retallick were particularly excellent. Bit of a shambles in the second half. I suppose the game was won, and changes were made. Feels churlish to complain about putting a record score on the Wallabies.

[rowan]

Predictably predictable, though I didn't bother to watch - mostly for that reason. This evening's result should be similar. Pumas might beat the Aussies in Argentina this year, however; judging by the state of things.

[cashead]

That's about as loose as tier 1 Test rugby gets. FT 34-54. 6 tries in each half, with the AB's scoring the first 8 and the Wallabies the last 4. Fair play to Australia -down 54-6 at about 50min it looked like they might be looking down the barrel of conceding 70 or 80, but the dominated the final half-hour of the game.

Great first half from NZ. I thought Crotty , A Smith and Retallick were particularly excellent. Bit of a shambles in the second half. I suppose the game was won, and changes were made. Feels churlish to complain about putting a record score on the Wallabies.

Yep, it looked like they loosened up due to the scoreboard and gave the Wallabies a sniff. They were never really in danger of losing the test by half-time, but still, it was pretty fucking annoying to see them fuck like that.

[zer0]

I've always been unsure of Read as captain since he stood in for a test against Argentina a few years ago now. Following on from the Lions series, this performance has done absolutely nothing to temper my doubts about his leadership abilities.

Whitelock would be a much better captain, I think. Just look at what he did with the Crusaders this year.

[cashead]

and a yellow card at some point for Silly Billy.

How'd this go?

I know you want to perpetuate this myth that SBW is some sort of ill-disciplined Bakkies Botha-esque penalty generating machine, but it is simply just that - a myth. His red card last month is an anomaly in an otherwise largely card-free test career, and the fact that it was 6 years between cards, even taking into account a stint with the Roosters, speaks for itself.

[rowan]

Do lighten up, Cashead. The comment was obviously tongue-in-cheek. & I'm not sure how much of an anomaly it was given he got sent off in the 2011 RWC final - the biggest stage in the game.

[morepork]

I second the Read concern at captain. Doesn't really seem to rally the machine as a ruthless focused unit like GOAT did. This would only be predicted to be accentuated by an increase in new faces and a decrease in experienced, swinging dicks.

[rowan]

Looks like Silly Billy came off second best in this exchange: http://www.rugbyrampage.co.nz/blog/did- ... last-night

[J Dory]

Entertaining test at least. The Aussies actually look pretty good on attack, lots of big fast strike runners. If they can shore up their defense a bit they could be a real threat.