Nicely, Comfortable Monday my G&GR Homies. What an enormous weekend of rugby. A lot to speak about. The Rugby Championship, the Pacific Nations Cup. Wall-to-wall top quality rugby.
Let’s check out the video games, after which the Rugby Championship ladder. So log onto your ‘puter, get comfy, seize a giant cup of you understand what ☕, and let’s get it on.
New Zealand 31 defeated Australia 28
In the event you haven’t already completed so, be sure to learn Hoss’s post-match evaluation/stay feed of the sport right here. And vote on the Wallaby gamers.
One other sport of two distinctly and diametrically opposed halves for each groups. After the primary quarter-hour, I used to be prepared to show the sport off and stroll away and run a heat bathtub, placed on The Doorways, mild some candles, and slit my wrists. It was miserable. The Wallabies defence was passive, slipping off tackles and exhibiting nearly no defensive construction in any respect. Right here’s a stat for you: 11 missed tackles within the first 15 min. However then one thing occurred and the sport modified.
It appeared like NZ was going to run a practice on the hapless Wallabies, however then the Kiwis developed a case of Wallabyitis. It was amusing, but additionally sadly disturbing to observe; New Zealand is now turning into remarkably fragile within the second half. An attention-grabbing stat (sure, I’m turning into the stats man), NZ in opposition to Australia, Argentina, and South Africa are 104-46 up in factors for and in opposition to within the first half, and down 38-79 within the second. WTF! That’s not the All Blacks I’ve watched for many years.
The Wallabies nonetheless have severe issues with their restarts. Their lineout was fairly common at finest, successful solely 12 of 16. Dropped balls, silly offloads, and full failure to safe their breakdown ball enabled NZ to show over at will within the first half. This enabled the All Blacks to sprint away to a considerable lead within the first half. The second half was a unique story and the Wobs have been capable of get again into it, and NZ almost dealt themselves out of it. What a flip of occasions!
It’ll be attention-grabbing to see the participant votes for the Wobs. For my two bobs’ price Harry Wilson (in addition to a silly offload) had an ideal captain’s knock. Fraser McReight had a superb sport, and Huge Bobby V appeared fairly good too. For as soon as our bench gamers made the starters look common, significantly Langi Gleeson, LSL, and Tate McDermott. For me, Tate and LSL go into the beginning 15 subsequent week. Gamers who didn’t crown themselves in glory included Nic White (extra about that later), and Marika Koroboite. Each had Barrys for various causes and shouldn’t be within the squad subsequent week. The ‘Rocks and Diamonds’ gamers have been Tom Wright (no surprises there), Andrew ‘Ginger Ninja’ Kellaway and Hunter Paisami. They’d some good moments and a few actually unhealthy moments. However they weren’t on their pat malone there.
The actual constructive is that once they have been 21 -0 down the Wallabies didn’t drop their bundle and roll over. They stayed within the sport and fought arduous. They went inside inches of successful. However, alas, it wasn’t to be. However there are some constructive indicators there for Joe Schmidt to work with. They need to take some confidence from that efficiency, however they may also should be reasonable. The Kiwis blew it out of their backsides within the second half. I don’t know what number of tries they blew in that sport, and if at the least two of those they blew within the first half had caught, it would’ve been a completely totally different story. That is in all probability extra for KARL to talk to, however the Kiwis are having some severe points. And we have been fortunate sufficient to play them on a nasty day.
The Wallabies have quite a bit to work on, and I imply quite a bit. The primary 25 minutes resembled the second half in opposition to Argentina two weeks in the past. There’s an issue right here, I don’t know if it’s structural or attitudinal. However there is a matter. Hopefully, the second half offers St Joe with some constructing blocks.
I do need to point out the refereeing. And earlier than I say what I’m going to say, the adjudicating didn’t have an effect on the result of the sport. The referee was constant each methods, however persistently unhealthy. There have been some perplexing choices, and what occurred on the breakdown was only a whole shambles, arms on the bottom in every single place, gamers sealing off, coming in from the edges. Only a canine’s breakfast. Australia didn’t do something to assist themselves on that entrance, however when Soiled Harry Wilson requested a couple of questions, I assumed he was properly inside his rights to take action. On this Rugby Championship we appear to have one week of fine officiating after which one week of unhealthy. What have been your ideas G&GRs?
Argentina 29 defeated South Africa 28
In the event you haven’t already, do your self a favour and take a look at Sully’s nice match evaluation right here.
I’m not going to do a play-by-play evaluation, however this definitely was a sport price watching. South Africa got here out arduous and have been two tries up, and like within the Wallabies v ABs sport, this appeared prefer it was going to be a one-sided beat down. However then the Argies got here again, and got here again arduous. It was an ideal sport to observe.
The Argentinian crowd was going apeshit, it will’ve been deafening. It was additionally enjoyable watching Rassie within the teaching field within the final 10 minutes. It appeared like he was both going to have a coronary heart assault, a stroke, or doubtlessly each. It’s important to love his ardour.
Nicely completed to Argentina! They confirmed resilience and dedication and performed some sensible rugby at instances. The South Africans had their probabilities, however let themselves down. A victory would have sealed the Rugby Championship for them, however it goes to the ultimate spherical, and what a cracker of a match that’s going to be.
The Pacific Nations Cup 2024
Fiji 41 defeated Japan 17
The Flying Fijians got here house with a moist sail in Osaka from 10-10 at oranges to win the Pacific Nations Cup last 41-17 on Saturday. Fiji floor down the all the time energetic Japanese with brute energy and pace, bagging 5 tries (plus two disallowed) for a record-breaking sixth PNC title, and the primary since 2018.
In contrast to the same old Fijian outings, in addition to their assault being sensible their defence was completely rock stable. “We simply needed to keep in there, work arduous to set ourselves up within the second half by sustaining good strain in that first half,” Mick Byrne mentioned.
The sport began with a blistering tempo, after which Japan centre Dylan Riley nailed a magic 5 pointer by tearing an attractive line off the again of a play inside three defenders to slam down a meat pie. His counterpart Inia Tabuavou tried to comply with go well with, however a knock-on within the buildup had the strive dominated out. Nevertheless, Fiji stored plugging away and levelled the rating when Harumichi Tatekawa’s useful little grubber kick bounced off Eroni Mawi, and winger Vuate Karawalevu blitzed the sphere to choose up the ball and banged it down. After that, each groups head off to the sheds for oranges.
The Bula Boys began the second half properly, after which after a mind snap Mamoru Harada, Japan’s hooker, was given a pleasant chunk of cheddar 🧀. Fiji’s dynamic younger 10 Caleb Muntz, hand his hand in all the pieces. He had a strive disallowed however his penalty kick put Fiji into the entrance, after which they by no means appeared again. The Fijians, seizing the entrance, gained momentum and their piggies actually began to place the squeeze on the Japanese.
With tries to Ponepati Loganimasi and Albert Tuisue the Fijians powered forward. They crossed twice extra via Karawalevu and Loganimasi for his second. These tries have been ably assisted by Caleb Muntz who was 6 from 6 from the tee. Japan ran in a comfort strive, however alas it was too little too late, with Fiji taking the choccies. Nicely completed Fiji!
Samoa 18 defeated USA 13
Manu Samoa has downed the USA Eagles in an 18-13 victory to stitch up third place within the Pacific Nations Cup. Though they’re the brand new children on the rugby block, it was the USA Eagles that got here out of the gates at a blistering tempo to seize a 10-0 lead. Demonstrating a very stable attacking sport, the US put themselves in an ideal discipline place to seize a penalty to take a 3-0 lead.
Manu Samoa tried an adventurous cross-field kick to Theo McFarland, however it didn’t fairly go to plan when USA’s Toby Fricker flew like an Eagle and grabbed the ball, turned on the afterburners to bolt away, and scored. The primary half then deteriorated to an error-riddled sport, as each groups had difficulties in placing any passage of play collectively.
The dealing with errors and poor execution continued aplenty, not permitting both workforce to do something not to mention rating. Samoa, via Rodney Iona dragged the USA lead again to 10-6 earlier than oranges. The Eaglues lead didn’t final lengthy into the second half as Samoa scored an ideal strive via Iakopo Petelo-Mapu taking the lead for the primary time within the sport.
A number of backwards and forwards ensued, with each groups making an attempt arduous to dominate the opposite. Nevertheless, it was Samoa who managed to attain the successful strive with lower than 2 minutes on the clock to take the choccies.
The Rugby Championship Ladder
So the Championship isn’t over and goes all the way down to the ultimate spherical. Whereas it’s over for NZ and Australia there’s pleasure nonetheless on the road. However the sport between the FISMs and the Dutch Filth Farmers is the place the outcomes will relaxation. And after this spherical, I can’t look ahead to each matches.
Previous Man Shouting at Clouds
My ‘Shouting at Clouds’ is geared toward one particular person!
Nic White, you’ve been an ideal warrior for our nation, so I say this with the utmost respect, “shut the fuck up!” Australia has lengthy had an issue with getting the pea blower offside, we have been famend for it. I hoped below this generational change that we’d forge a respectful relationship with those that adjudicate our sport. However Nic Whites’s keep on was disappointing, unprofessional, and disrespectful. Time he sat out for a couple of video games. There was nothing that he did that made him indispensable. However he actually pissed off the referee. And that does us no favours, none in any respect!
Anyway, sufficient of this previous man ranting and raving. Over to you G&GRs. Have at it.