Tim, I didn’t think it was possible but I think you, an Englishman have managed to get South Africans and kiwi’s to love this game even more than the unhealthy levels we loved it at prior to finding you.
hes not smith and being himself is a solid player and option, despite outstanding n possibly player of the day level tonite, there were a few times where he and ALB took the over carry option. He already went well with Jordie in super except in semis n we know that the chiefs(ALB n co dominated them , only to be outclassed by Rico n co n super finals)
Proctor's an awesome talent and is definitely going to be part of the A.B'z going forward, but to compare him to the great Conrad Smith after 1 game vs a leaky Fijian defence is a tad delusional 😂😂 Maybe wait till Proctor faces better defensive teams before we make comparisons 😂😂
Kiwi fan here. I think we still haven't unlocked our best centre combination yet, with this squad. Barrett and Proctor is a obvious one, as they know each from the Hurricanes. It's also which one can handle the rush defence.
I feel like the refs have eased up abit, World Cup final was the worst representation of how we want our game to be portrayed to the world, cards for ridiculous things so hopefully the refs aren’t so card heavy anymore.
I love the All Blacks, incredible sportsman and our respected competitors (South African), but I have to say that I am so excited to see Fiji being able to play a top team like the All Blacks, they can only learn and grow having such incredible competition. I absolutely loved them in the World Cup, what a great team, play with such heart and they can only grow. Very exciting having some great newer countries (though they have been playing for 130 years I believe, they became a competitive team at the World cup last year) joining us on the Rugby stage!! I am also excited to see them grow 😀
I’m confident Proctor will become the new starting 13 by the time we play SA this year. And Fletcher Newell, he is going to hold that no.3 jersey for a long time. What a scrummaging weapon that kid is.
Rieko seems to be a protected player. He was average for the Blues all season, and continues that into the black jersey. Sooner he's dropped and told he's wing cover the better.
Ratima failed a HIA but hopefully will be available for the start of the Rugby Championship, but the other good news was Hotham playing really well on debut.
@@broadside1944broke the line multiple times, had crisp intentional passes, tackled, jackled, set up two tries and almost got one of his own and didn't do anything that cost us all on debut for much longer than anyone thought he would have to play....go have a nap grandad, Hotham was class
Did Scott Barret do anything other than drop yet more kickoffs(5 drops from 3 games now) and give away yet another intentional off the ball foul play penalty?
Well jealous Tim, those Bok AB games are going to be epic! ABs tracking nicely, competition for places is always good, loved Ardie leading the Haka, a warrior, and thrilled for Billy P, had a great game. Keep up the good work mate
Got to hand it to Razor and his coaching team - picked the right time to introduce new blood in key positions. The pleasing thing to see is they fronted up and did not disappoint. That will create competition and build depth. Next test Argentina. Bring it on !
I think the biggest issue that the ABs had last year was that they didn’t get as much impact from the bench, but it feels this bench is going to win them some games in the future by golly
I absolutely love watching New Zealand play in the USA. Chicago 2016, Washington DC 2022, San Diego 2024. I believe they are now working on an exhibition game with Australia to be played in Las Vegas next year 💪
he is a solid player and option, despite outstanding n possibly player of the day level tonite, there were a few times where he and ALB took the over carry option. He already went well with Jordie in super except in semis n we know that the chiefs(ALB n co dominated them , only to be outclassed by Rico n co n super finals)
I’ve always loved Billy Procter. A genuine 13. I get so frustrated with players played out of their position…even though the Barret and Iouane now play 12 and 13 in their clubs
Barrett was a 12 before being moved out to fullback… that is his best position imho… and Ioane was a world class winger I think that’s his best position
I remember when Caleb Clarke first broke on the scene I thought whoa! NZ has found the new Jonah Lomu! But that initial impression soon faded. I’m certainly not back to thinking about him in the same breath as Lomu, but his recent form shows what potential he still has, though he’s still maybe on AB’s next best winger as long as Telea is around.
Based on performances so far, if i was razor id be in a conundrum about Reiko. A class player that was most effective on the wing, but wants to play center. On current evidence both Procter and ALB look in better form for that position.
Clarke has come a long way from last year and has worked on a lot of his skills (defence and line running). In my opinion I feel he is a more of all round player and should start heading into TRC.
Clarke has a few advantages. His kick chase is excellent, something which we did not have enough of against England. He can knock holes across the advantage line, something needed against Englands rush defence. His in and out move in the try he did not score was pure classic winger play. He is the perfect balance against the style of other wingers. If he can get better especially with some one like Proctor inside him we could see something special develop.
A lot of focus tends to be on potential backline changes but actually, what was most interesting was the back five of the pack, which I feel is an area still in doubt for NZ. Some fans are calling for Savea to go to the open side, although we have seen little evidence that this is happening. As such, NZ have been picking bigger open-sides - this time Blackadder who has previously played Blindside. He did OK, although I’m not sure whether he will be in the starting team yet. It was also notable that Jacobson, who is equally versatile, was a target jumper at the tail of the lineout. This may also give him some selling points that he could challenge for a starting spot. Both Vaa’i and later Darry actually looked pretty good in the line out and around the field but the question is whether they would be physical enough against the Springboks. When Sititi came on for Savea he looked fully in control and influential - which gives some credence that a 6-2 split may be a worthwhile tactic if it gets more loose forwards like this in the game.
Ah the old argument of Ardie to seven. It’s depends how they structure the combination. The style at the moment is a big burley seven who makes a lot of tackles in the style of Caine and Papalii. A blocker, enforcer and ball carrier at six and and a faster almost in the style of the old seven at eight. Putting Ardie at seven means he would be making a lot of tackles and sitting at the bottom of a lot of rucks and may negate his other gifts.
Blackadder is clearly the best 7 in NZ. (he was the link man to the backline in the Fiji game and was part of the reason the backs looked so good imo). Papali'i is the best tackler i put him at blindside because Finau isnt performing.
The Fiji defensive system was very different to the English so made it easier for AB’s midfield to shine. Having said that, they still needed to beat the man and create space which was impressive throughout most of the game. Developing these new midfield combinations in the rugby championship must be the way forward.
great summary Tim, Caleb was one best wings with reece n narawa in super rugby n I missed him vs England. He n Proctor(the doctoc) were outstanding tonite n in super. great to see tamati, tosi n satiti(wish there was room for satutu too). ABs are treking equal with Oz new kiwi Oz coach at 3 n 0.Bring on the TRC.
Great review. Agree with 100% of your points in regards to this match. Looking forward to the TRC commencing in a few weeks' time & your takes on the ensuing matches. Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts...
Even Jordy has underperformed for the last 3 years at 12. ALB was outstanding at getting over the gain line. In my opinion they should build on ALB and Proctor who are 2 genuine centres with the perfect mix of defense and attacking X factor. Reiko back to wing and Jordy back to bench.
Billy Procter and ALB had outstanding first halves especially and will give the selectors some real food for thought . I would like to see Procter start at center and move Ioane to the wing for the ABs next game . Potentially very exciting
First of all, it wasn't England's defence we were facing so excitement should be tempered. Proctor has looked good all year and his Super Rugby centre partner IS Jordie, therefore we could see a swap for the Argentina Test matches at least. All 6 of the newbies did well. Ratima was just a concussion so it's just protocols for a couple of weeks, so will be available for RC. Hotham looked good, I think Christie just dropped another slot in the halfback rankings. Still scrappy, but for a new set up, and playing roster, feeling pretty confident of some serious improvements over the next 12-24 months
The ABS centre's has been an issue over recent years. My issue is not having genuine centre's and having part time centre's filling in. ABS Teams are stronger when we have genuine centre's are playing e.g. Conrad Smith, Ma'a Nonu. Centre is a specialist position in attack n defence, can't understand how we can't fill in the position with full time genuine centre's. Let's pick genuine centre's for the next test!!
I hope New Zealand aren't pressured to peak too soon. They have a massive schedule ahead. Haven't beaten France recently. The interesting aspect is, NZ can play two different games with Jodie & Reeks, and a different game with ALB & Billy
Kick off reception was horrible 2nd week in a row.... playing to much to pattern instead of eyes up.. many times hit the short flat runner at traffic, When there was acres of space if the right pass was chosen. ALB gave good go forward in midfield, Proctor is classy. Hotham looks a prospect for the future. Good to see Blackadder get through. Has been so unlucky with injuries.
I was at Snapdragon to what the game. An exhibition really as Fiji made no impact on an exciting YOUNG AB team!! These exhibition style games are huge moneymaker’s- 33k+ fans at more than $100 a ticket plus tv and merch. The AB merch sold out and the booth lady said it was about a million dollars worth!! One amusing aside- Springbok fans came to wrong game as they were wearing their jerseys etc and were roundly booed by the 32950 Kiwi fans!! All good natured. You sho
Centres and Locks are our (NZ's) current issue but it's looking like these areas are being addressed. We have depth across the entire park and we'll only get better IMHO. Christie has been superseded by others and Reiko is on the outer now due to form.
A NEW A.B ERA UNDER A NEW COACH N STAFF.....So far its 3 wins from 3 games, ARGENTINA N AUSTRALIA "Should" be a WIN expected. However S.A and the End of year Tour to the Northern Hemisphere is our main STAMP games to see how far we are compare to the big 5 in this new era This is why the All Black's have "DEPTH" in players to choose from, its getting and picking the "RIGHT" players that needs to be ACCURATE in picking for the positions. RAZOR and his Staff for me are the right people to put the ALMIGHTY ALL BLACKS back at the top and winning games towards the next RWC in Australia and beyond, but taking it game by game ❤👊🇳🇿👊❤
Yeah good points on the TV coverage. You notice when they play in territories not used to rugby. Felt a bit amateurish. They probably should have brought some experienced operators in. Very interesting about Proctor, not sure what will happen there. I'd like to see Clarke play in the Rugby Championship. The game style probably suited McKenzie, SA will be the test, if he can play under that pressure.
@@michaelrooks4030 Really? The fact that they're able to play fast, attacking rugby against a team like NZ shows just how far they've come. If they tried that in the past, they'd have been monstered.
I was at the ABs vs Sprinboks in AKL when ABs put 50 on them and gave away no points. ABs can get a lot better, not sure about other teams but only as I dont know their potential.
Semi radradra I reckon would've been more impactful in the midfield. It was frustrating that Fiji didn't exploit him getting pill more cause when he got pill and carried we saw glimpses of what he can do. Hard luck tho Fiji.
As a Kiwi living in Canada, I totally agree with your comments on the tv camera work. North Americans don’t understand the game and there camera work is awful… if they what to sell the game here…World Rugby is going to have to sort out their North American broadcasters out
You forgot to mention Fiji beat England at Twickernham last year. Jordie Barrett and Billy Proctor are a very strong combination for the Hurricanes.. what about the debut for young Noah Hotham who had to come on before half time after Cortez was injured? The All Blacks have good competition in the front row, and have identified a promising young lock. 👍🏽💯🔥
He's played far better than telea(all year) who teams are starting to realise is never in position for kicks and defends like a wet paper bag. Everyone(like Eggchaser here) loves telea's sideways backwards prancing he does before he loses or doesn't release the ball tho.
I enjoy his play, even moreso this year... What elevates him imo is how he took criticism for the past couple years and seems to have worked his arse off in the off season. Great attitude!
From a kiwi, Great game and some real positives to take. Will Jordan to come back adds to the depth in wing/fullback. Like you mentioned scrum-halves have terrible luck with injury. I can't wait for the Rugby Championship.
Havilli (12) and Proctor (13) will compliment each other well too. Leonard Brown (12) and Barrett (13). Rico @ wing please if he is not playing with either Havilli/ALB/Proctor at inside center.
Reiko, started with immense potential at 13. But he just never got better. He does all the off the ball stuff really well but (having played wing at provincial level, so this is an area I watch carefully) I would hate to play outside him. I used to say that about ALB but something’s changed. The professor once said that people should,learn to follow ALB, no one seemed to able to do that, then along came Proctor or is it Razor and Co,s influence?
I think that Clarke proved what we suspected, that he is now more effective than Telea. Brown had a very good game, too. The newbie forwards looked good, a bit more mongrel perhaps, but our lineout and maul still need work , and DMac's box kicks still ineffective; which begs the question; do we really have the best coaches?
The AB's are definitely lacking retaining the ball in the ruck and Their number 7's have almost had no ruck turnovers in their 3 outings. That's a huge problem.. Ps I think ALB has to be considered as a starter.
Daulton did well at the breakdown against England he put so much pressure on England and made his tackles felt. Blackadder is not aa 7 more a 6 he never pressured fiji and by gosh he missed a lot of tackles. Keep playing Daulton he will go from strength to strength he just needs a run of tests.
All our debutants are awesome. And with ramtima, roigard and noah from nowhere, our hb is now stacked. Sititi is a star and we have the best scrum. Bring it. Will jordan to return. Just our lineouts lacking retallik type height. And our centre lacks punch and dmac kicking not the worlds best. But good with ball in hand. But under razor, good guidance hopefully. A team can be made.
Reiko's been copping it a bit here in NZ, and Billy Proctor's performance hasn't helped that, but... England really tested the All Blacks - like Fiji can't - and I think Reiko will be able to show his class against Argentina.
NZ has got some very good young halfbacks.Ratima and Hotham are very good. Speed of pass is very important for the All Blacks.Christie and Perenara passing is not good enough. Start ALB and Proctor against Argentina.Clarke has been good all season long. Tele’a is very good player.I think he might of lost some pace.Clarke is definitely quicker.
The “same page” cohesion looked less like a new style and just more of the old in the first two tests against England. No discernible innovation in the gameplan as yet. The midfield did distribute and carry better, but they didn’t have the rush defence to contend with, which makes the difference moot. ALB was the standout in creating front foot ball after the collision. Clarke has improved his defence and got involved with good angles. He offers more out wide as a power winger than Telea. DMac looked better and his goal kicking is becoming very consistent, which we’ve lacked in the last six years. Still kicking aimlessly when playing for territory, which B Barrett should cover as first receiver when pressure is on. Ratima provides better service and options than Christie, and should jump up the ranks. Jacobsen provided the other target we need in the line out and was excellent around the ruck. Blackadder coughed up the ball running away from support and getting isolated too often early on and doesn’t look a 7 in cohesion with the other loosies. Va’ai was very good in the breakdown and in loose play, providing plenty of front foot ball. S Barrett still indulging in play off the ball in costly instances. The tight five looked very good and you can see a ”bomb squad” developing for the Bok tests. Lots of depth there. There is still a lack of cohesion and understanding of roles around the defensive line under pressure in our own 22. You often see lead, flat footed forwards in the attack line slowing down the distribution without causing confusing pictures for the opposition defence (see what Ireland did to the Boks), but then they are not filling out the close quarters on defence, leaving backs to scramble to fill holes and leave space for cross field kicks out wide. We’ve been caught out by this in all three tests. Defensive and attack coaches have to step up and sort that out. Finally, after seven years of moaning about countering the rush defence the ABs are not seeing the advantage of joining the party. They let Fiji have space to run both cross field and straight far too often. This is where the three big bodies in the loosies costs us. The second channel is where you see DMac making far too many tackles to close down opposition motion. Again, that’s when you want to see mobile forwards in the line, rather than as second and third receivers on attack. Even at 47-5 it was a mixed performance and leaves a lot of doubt leading into the Rugby Championship. Argentina will be well drilled as we saw against France and can capitalise on the weaknesses above. Who will Razor pick to start next time? I think it’ll be conservative and he’ll go to players he knows better. He’s talked openly and frequently so far, which Kiwis find refreshing, but the onfield performances haven’t matched the rhetoric so far. Jury remains out. I suspect after the Capetown match we’ll have our first real idea of how it’s all going.
Blackadder was disappointing. Jordie looked mentally fatigued when he came on. Well, he played like that anyway. He looked a yard off the pace. ALB had a field day playing in his natural position of 2nd-5 where he's so good at running the inside channel. Proctor is a natural centre whose instinct is to pass the ball and set up his wingers, even when he made linebreaks. He won't let the black jersey down but he's no Conrad Smith or Bruce Robertson.
Proctor had a good night given the opportunity to utilize his full range and hard running which is what an international 13 should do however the Abs backline generally had the license to use the time and space to their advantage but against a brickwall ie England. SA Ireland France then the space is narrowed considerably good win tho
It was nice to see the ball being spun along the backline. The loosies played well. Cody is not the best hooker anymore. Ratima is now number 2 behind Roigard I reckon. Centres were great. Sorry Reiko
@@khankake9576Christie is ordinary. The passing from the deck of the two half backs last night was noticeably faster. Really important when we face the rush defences to come.
Centre, well Proctor, Barrett and ALB great in the position, Reiko is great but not necessarily a great centre, I can't think of another country which has the problem of what to with a talent like Reiko who is being outplayed in his position, because if you look to move him back to wing, who do you drop? Jordan, Telea, Reese, Clarke? not likely. I know how much you love DMac but I'm still not convinced, his decision making can be at times suspect, especially in his kicking game, in my opinion he's a little like Carlos Spencer, flashy, talented but ultimately couldn't make that last step up against the very best teams.or temper his own style to fit the needs of the game he was playing and the team he was playing with. It's a worry that his best performances are not against South Africa, England, France and Ireland.
Rieko might find himself as the odd man out down the track. Loved the ALB/Proctor combo but cant see ALB starting, only because Jordie is vice captain. Once Jordan's fit and back at 15 then ALB and Beaudy would be great in resuming their bench roles. Hoping Clarke cements the starting gig and that Narawa gets a proper shot to stake his claim as well
Great review and to the point no glossing over it big room for improvement - Cody ? could be replaced and also at 10 should dmac need a rest than we are looking for a fly half as bodie will be receiving a pension come rugby wc but I thought blackadder reminded me he’s all knees n elbows and Clark for Reece hnmmmm I am a Uk based kiwi so I too go up at 4am with 35 minutes played cheers eggy
Blackadder was our best loose forward if youre going on actual workrate. Ardie was solid and had a couple of bursts in typical beastmode fashion but for that entire 80 ethan was a defensive powerhouse. He didnt really let anyone get the better of him and was so quick to just go atraight over people
He missed 4 tackles from 11 - defensive powerhouse? If he's the best loose forward the others must have been rubbish. Leave your bias at home and evaluate honestly.
@@subbie5498 lol. We dominated a team that others struggled a little more to put away. Both teams played well. I see a trend of saffas , irish English all saying we are missing xyz players. Everyone is. Abs are looking likely to come good . Positive motion
That's our playstyle, it's not just like this against Fiji, Italy and other tier 2 nations aswell. We just always put close to 50 against tier 2 teams even when they are competitive against pretty much every other nation
Fiji were without a few of their star players but, yeah, the AB's are starting to look a little bit more cohesive although for some reason this week's issue seemed to be catching the ball at re-starts.
Jordie Barrett plays with Ioane at Club Level with the Hurricanes. Could be huge as a combination. And the wingers.... considering Will Jordan is still out for the moment..
NZ have so many options… Roigard to return, Roigard starts. Jordan to return, Beauden or Jordan at 15? Clarke or Telea? Rieko or Proctor? Sititi to 8? Ardie to his preferred position at 7? Btw Add Friszel and Mounga next year.
I thought we (NZ) looked pretty ordinary. Savea is like Superman. A.L-Brown played brilliantly as did Proctor. D.Mac looked vulnerable. A lot of players coming back for the rugby champs tho. Would love to see the bosses allow Mounga to play. Player of the day goes to the venue, and the people of San Diego for a brilliant spectacle.
Razor has Huge expectations from the NZ public to, either maintain or up what is already the highest winning percentage of any team in any sport in the world. Which must make him a little nervous, and probably part of the reason he is easing into his coaching tenure with the All Blacks. I think this teamAll Blacks/including coaching staff have at least two gears they can ratchet up. I don't think they are playing to their highest ability or with the confidence to do outrageous moves to: several score rapid fire tries; or completely turn a game against a Peer team around with one amazing play after another, at this stage, but it's only a matter of time. Go the AB's.
I don't think you can put too much emphasis on our win, you will see a totally different game when we play South Africa, Aussy, or the Lions. it will be a much more even game and will be bloody tough for the ABs. then you will see them dig-in hard.
Good comments. I thing ALB and Proctor ate a better bet than Jordie and Reiko. I would like to see Reiko back on the wing. You didn't discuss the forwards outside of Ardie Savea.
Proctor so great... But Anton Lienert-Brown wrecked him in this game, just as he has all midfielders, all year, in every single measurable metric. Other than playing Jordie as a kicking option this midfield is much better.
At the moment the All Blacks are the best team and I can’t see the Boks winning a game against them. They are good at the break down and the backline very good. Mckenzie and Barret very dangerous.
NZ have never given "man of the match" because it's a team sport. Some other broadcasters do man of the match and make the choice by the 75th minute which is ridiculous. My impression is that some broadcaster just picks their favourite without data... choosing a recognized star rather than the best performer.
Billy Proctor feeds the wingers better Jordy Barrett is over rated Satiti is just waiting to be unleashed Tosi is impact Narawa needs to be outside Proctor Will Jordan, Taukieaho and Roigard will just make this team even more lethal
jordy isn't overated at all. His carrying is strong tackling is amazing. Kicks well and he is hard working like a forward at the breakdown. I don't know why people are on his case he performed strong against England considering the slack ball from 9 and 10. Would like to see both ALB and Proctor given a chance outside him though as I see that as exciting
Fiji could've been better if not for flimsy defense and breakdown issues which NZ gladly exploited. US though were great hosts for this game, just need to keep building more on and off the field for 2031.
