RugbyRebels

OK. Time to flush the dunny on France and move on.

What do we want out of this game? I reckon give all the dirties a run to get first game jitters out of the way. We need to see much more accuracy, and red zone ruthlessness.

There's every chance that we'll lose or draw with Italy so a big PD could be handy too.

You're all cheerful today. Mind, I feel I should point out that, if you lose to Italy, it's likely to be straight home regardless of points difference (as you'd have 2 losses to Italy's 1 and it's asking a lot for you to score 5 more bonus points (as the tie-break is head-to-head)), so you'll have to aim for the draw.

Puja

I’d like to see us be confident enough of securing our own ball in the rucks to recycle and build a phase or two before throwing a miracle pass.

I'd like to see Sam's Cane go through 80 without getting a yellow. And to see us not kick away when we are in the opposite half like some paint by numbers pretend artist.

morepork wrote: ↑Mon Sep 11, 2023 4:49 pm I'd like to see Sam's Cane go through 80 without getting a yellow. And to see us not kick away when we are in the opposite half like some paint by numbers pretend artist.

It’ll take Cane a couple of tests to get up to 80 straight minutes.

All change, as expected.

1. Ofa Tu’ungafasi (54)
2. Samisoni Taukei’aho (26)
3. Nepo Laulala (50)
4. Brodie Retallick (104)
5. Samuel Whitelock (147)
6. Luke Jacobson (16)
7. Dalton Papali’i (27)
8. Ardie Savea (c) (76)
9. Cam Roigard (2)
10. Damian McKenzie (42)
11. Leicester Fainga’anuku (4)
12. David Havili (26)
13. Anton Lienert-Brown (64)
14. Caleb Clarke (18)
15. Beauden Barrett (117)

16. Dane Coles (87)
17. Ethan de Groot (18)
18. Fletcher Newell (9)
19. Scott Barrett (63)
20. Tupou Vaa’i (23)
21. Aaron Smith (120)
22. Richie Mo’unga (50)
23. Rieko Ioane (64)

Namibia:
1 Jason Benade
2 Torsten van Jaarsveld
3 Johan Coetzee
4 Johan Retief
5 Tjiuee Uanivi
6 Wian Conradie
7 Prince Gaoseb
8 Richard Hardwick
9 Damian Stevens
10 Tiaan Swanepoel
11 Divan Rossouw
12 Le Roux Malan
13 Johan Deysel (c)
14 Gerswin Mouton
15 Cliven Loubser

16 Louis van der Westhuizen
17 Desiderius Sethie
18 Haitembu Shifuka
19 PJ Van Lill
20 Adriaan Booysen
21 Max Katjijeko
22 Jacques Theron
23 JC Greyling

It's hard to see the value in games like this, should the RWC pool sizes be reduced to 4?

J Dory wrote: ↑Wed Sep 13, 2023 10:07 pm It's hard to see the value in games like this, should the RWC pool sizes be reduced to 4?

It's valuable to the minnow - the amount of publicity and attention that they get from being in the RWC and facing the famous All Blacks is huge. I was really struck by a profile before the tournament that pointed out that the vast majority of the current Portuguese squad took up rugby because of the 2007 RWC.

Puja

I think Uruguay have made a point here, too. They've really stepped up since 2019.

Speaking of stepping up, Namibia will be looking to improve on their previous record v NZ:
RWC2019: All Blacks 71 v Namibia 9
RWC2015: All Blacks 58 v Namibia 14
Tour to SA, 1960: All Blacks 27 v South-West Africa 3*
Tour to SA, 1970: All Blacks 16 v South-West Africa 0*

*Uncapped tour match prior to Namibian independence

We really need to put Namibia to the sword and stamp our mark on this pool. I mean like 70 or 80 points to single digits. A scratchy win will only embolden our foes.

Beauden playing at 15 suggests he has quite a lot to prove to ensure he remains a first team pick. It feels like this is a big game for him personally.

canta_brian wrote: ↑Fri Sep 15, 2023 3:23 am Beauden playing at 15 suggests he has quite a lot to prove to ensure he remains a first team pick. It feels like this is a big game for him personally.

With an untested weapon at 9 and the loosest of all cannons at 10, Beaudy’s got some work to do, I expect.

And if it doesn’t click, the Richie and Reiko show can hopefully sort things out.

Lizard wrote: ↑Fri Sep 15, 2023 3:29 am

canta_brian wrote: ↑Fri Sep 15, 2023 3:23 am Beauden playing at 15 suggests he has quite a lot to prove to ensure he remains a first team pick. It feels like this is a big game for him personally.

With an untested weapon at 9 and the loosest of all cannons at 10, Beaudy’s got some work to do, I expect.

And if it doesn’t click, the Richie and Reiko show can hopefully sort things out.

Or they could switch Dmac and Beauds 10/15.

I’m just wondering if this is the beginning of the end for Barrett. Personally I think our backs would look sharper behind a pack that isn’t struggling to get front foot ball.

Well you would hope that Brodie, Ardie and Samisoni can get us on the front foot a bit. If so then maybe Roigard and D-Mac can blow it up. Italy won their 2nd half 35-0 despite some inaccuracies, so clearly Namibia cannot live with sustained pace.

Barrett is only 32. I think he would rather be wearing 10 but is a good team man.

Of course the ABs will hump poor old Namibia and look great again. But it won't prove much. McKenzie to wreak havoc.

Nice. Calmly through the phases, with both wings and Retallick handling early, until the inevitable.

And straight back to unforced errors. Bloody hell.

Just me here, huh?

Knock ons, penalties, missed tackles. Not the display we needed.

Fellas foot pointing the wrong way....got to smart

Lizard wrote: ↑Fri Sep 15, 2023 8:18 pm Just me here, huh?

Knock ons, penalties, missed tackles. Not the display we needed.

Was eating - but I don't think this is going to be a particularly interesting match to comment on.

Mostly it's going to be the race between the scoreboard and the clock.

Lizard wrote: ↑Fri Sep 15, 2023 3:29 am

canta_brian wrote: ↑Fri Sep 15, 2023 3:23 am Beauden playing at 15 suggests he has quite a lot to prove to ensure he remains a first team pick. It feels like this is a big game for him personally.

With an untested weapon at 9 and the loosest of all cannons at 10, Beaudy’s got some work to do, I expect.

And if it doesn’t click, the Richie and Reiko show can hopefully sort things out.

I like your 10.

Which Tyler wrote: ↑Fri Sep 15, 2023 8:30 pm

Lizard wrote: ↑Fri Sep 15, 2023 8:18 pm Just me here, huh?

Knock ons, penalties, missed tackles. Not the display we needed.

Was eating - but I don't think this is going to be a particularly interesting match to comment on.

Mostly it's going to be the race between the scoreboard and the clock.

Conditions starting to favour the clock.

Nice skills from ALB, but we look bizarrely disjointed on attack after a couple of phases.

Savea is curiously quiet, too.

Lizard wrote: ↑Fri Sep 15, 2023 8:40 pm Conditions starting to favour the clock.

And they draw level (unless he takes an age over the kick