Tour to NZ 2022

[Oldschoolsocks]

South African team for tomorrow's game against NZ has a very familiar look. It should certainly give us a good benchmark as to what level NZ are in World terms:

https://www.espn.co.uk/rugby/lineups?ga ... gue=244293

Certainly looks to me as if Joe pointed the finger at the front five. Fascinating that no comment has been made whether concussion / injury played any part in second-row selection. When you're dropped in NZ, you're dropped.

If NZ win tomorrow, I will be very pleased. So, I suspect, will Faz

I believe Retallick has, what is known in medical circles, a fractured face or a mushed mush

[riocard911]

South African team for tomorrow's game against NZ has a very familiar look. It should certainly give us a good benchmark as to what level NZ are in World terms:

https://www.espn.co.uk/rugby/lineups?ga ... gue=244293

Certainly looks to me as if Joe pointed the finger at the front five. Fascinating that no comment has been made whether concussion / injury played any part in second-row selection. When you're dropped in NZ, you're dropped.

If NZ win tomorrow, I will be very pleased. So, I suspect, will Faz

C'mon NZ! Knock the Boks off their perch!!!

[dropkick]

South African team for tomorrow's game against NZ has a very familiar look. It should certainly give us a good benchmark as to what level NZ are in World terms:

https://www.espn.co.uk/rugby/lineups?ga ... gue=244293

Certainly looks to me as if Joe pointed the finger at the front five. Fascinating that no comment has been made whether concussion / injury played any part in second-row selection. When you're dropped in NZ, you're dropped.

If NZ win tomorrow, I will be very pleased. So, I suspect, will Faz

C'mon NZ! Knock the Boks off their perch!!!

I don't really mind but then I see articles like this (link below) and I find myself hoping for a NZ win.

https://www.sarugbymag.co.za/boks-throw ... t-ireland/

[jezzer]

Just rewatched the first test and Scott Barrett put on a masterclass of backrow shenanigans that would make McCaw (or Alan Quinlan) blush. Without him - and a display of lazy running reminiscent of PE class at first period - NZ would have struggled to contain us far more than they did in the final 50 mins.

If the RC gets reffed like the first test was, NZ will have a real shout. But if the ruck is reffed well i could see it being a long day for the Kiwis.

[cormac]

Faf de Klerk sparked out in the first minute. Boks have gone for a 6-2 bench split too.

[Ruckedtobits]

If NZ are to sack Foster, it's difficult to see how they can do so before the end of the Rugby Championship. They follow up their second game against S A by playing Argentina, home & away and then Australia, home & away by the end of September.

The All Black's XV, specifically come to Europe after a game in Canada at the end of October with a designated second-string who will play the Barbarians on November 12th, whilst the NZ Senior Squad will play games against Wales, Scotland & England in successive weekends.

So, if they are to appoint a new coaching group, the likelihood is they will do so at the end of September and give the new Head Coach a seven-week lead time with about 45 / 50 players to prepare to come to Europe via Canada.

After November, the calendar is vacant until next August when they are rumoured to have scheduled two warm-up games in preparation for meeting France in the first Pool game of RWC2023, followed by Namibia, Italy & Uruguay.

Not a lot of time for Razor Robinson to get a revised NZ team playing like Crusaders so maybe they'll offer the poisoned chalice to Joe to take them through to World Cup 2023?