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'Gotta pull him' - The non-call by the All Blacks coaches that fans think left the comeback too late
A hard-fought 24-22 win by the Wallabies over the All Blacks in Brisbane put life into what remains of the Tri-Nations, with Dave Rennie coaching Australia to a first win over his home nation of New Zealand.
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Ian Foster’s team will rue a less-than-clinical performance in a wild match impacted by red and yellow cards on both sides. The Wallabies took their points on offer through Reece Hodge to build a slim 17-15 lead before a power cameo by Taniela Tupou secured a crucial try to lift Australia to a two-score buffer.
For the All Blacks, their attack pushed the Wallabies back at times but didn’t look like tearing the side apart despite playing against 14 men – and even 13 at one stage. Many fans weren’t impressed by the performance of halfback TJ Perenara, who received just his 17th start in the black jersey in Aaron Smith’s absence.
The Hurricanes halfback had a slew of handling errors and took questionable gambles such as a quick tap on his own 10-metre line followed by a territorial kick that gave Wallabies possession back in the first half. Aside from execution, many thought his overall speed was noticably slower than Aaron Smith which contributed to the All Blacks backs not firing.
Fans claimed he ‘should’ve been replaced at half time’, and that he ‘really hurt the ABs’, with another claiming the ‘drop off’ behind Aaron Smith is ‘huge’.
Perenara should be replaced after first half..too slow and useless https://t.co/Vood0OWoU6
— Aloi (@Aloi97866245) November 7, 2020
Get Perenara off pls, he’s been useless the whole game ????? #AUSvNZL
— TYRANT (@LucyF3r8) November 7, 2020
You can't say Perenara is our second best 9. Gotta pull him #AUSvNZ
— Mark Currie (@MarkCurrieNZ) November 7, 2020
https://twitter.com/Oxnard_nz/status/1325026441461858304
@Te_Nug is way way better than TJ, not even debatable #AUSvNZL
— engr. ?ríqqu? (@aguyeric) November 7, 2020
Perenara ?
I'd rather Aaron Smith any day#allblacks— SwerveNZ (@swervenz) November 7, 2020
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Silly quick tap by TJ Perenara. Turns the ball over to Wallabies after his team wins a penalty #AUSvNZL
— Leighton Koopman (@Leighton_K) November 7, 2020
Just a couple of observations. Perenara was dreadful the coach must have seen how poor he was so why keep him on? B Barrett is an average 1st 5 and Rieko Ioane has lost all his international playing ability. Akira's cameo looked very good.
— Simon Odlum (@simonodlum) November 7, 2020
https://twitter.com/elliottnz/status/1325043190739562498
Perenara. Smith at 9 today would have provided better direction and decision making. The drop off from him to rest is huge. Weber had 2.5 mins today and showed more structure in that than Perenara did in 77.5 mins. Perenara when on song is a fine player. But when he's off…oof
— Andrew Stoddart (@stodders79) November 7, 2020
Perenara was RUBBISH (again) when is this guy gonna be dropped from the 23 offered absolutely nothing his biggest contribution in a black jersey over the last few yrs is his haka
— NZ_JAKE (@_NZJAKE_) November 7, 2020
#AUSvNZL perenara is shatterd, aaron Smith should be on
— saidmadrid (@saidmadrid5) November 7, 2020
Despite a lacklustre performance, Perenara wasn’t substituted until Tupou crossed for his crucial try only three minutes from full time, leaving Chiefs halfback Brad Weber on the pine for nearly the entire match.
With test reserves often strategically used to provide impact late in games, many questioned why Weber had not been injected earlier, particularly when Perenara’s night was clearly not his best.
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With Weber on the pitch, the All Blacks rallied to score a late try through Tupou Vaa’i, thanks in part to Weber’s improved accuracy and speed around the ruck with less than 60 seconds to go in the game. It gave the All Blacks one final play to go the length of the field to win the game but was ultimately too little too late.
https://twitter.com/MwendaChris/status/1325027280293416960
Brad Weber has come on, and immediate impact. #AUSvNZL
— Hawke's Bay Magpies (@Magpies_Unoff) November 7, 2020
Brad Weber should have been brought on at half time #AUSvNZL
— Liam Harris ??????? (@LiamHarris10) November 7, 2020
Tbh @brad_weber9 did a terrific job in the last few minutes. Solid passes and turned the game over#allblacks #Wallabies #bradweber
— Darkunic0rn (@d4rkunic0rn) November 7, 2020
TJ is great but Webber should have been on earlier. #AUSvNZL
— Hamish Neal (@hamishneal) November 7, 2020
After the game, head coach Iane Foster claimed ‘a lot has changed in seven days’.
“It was a great example of test match rugby, I guess that is what we love about it, it throws games up like that after last week. A clear example of why you can never underestimate a team that’s hungry and really wants to succeed.
“Really, they controlled the game better than us and are presumed winners.”
Captain Sam Cane conceded that the side lacked accuracy and didn’t play ‘smart enough’ in the right areas of the field.
“When I think of the game as a whole, it just reminds me of test match rugby. It doesn’t matter if there is fifteen players on each side or it gets down to fourteen vs. fourteen, the game is based off building pressure, playing smart, intensity and accuracy.
“I didn’t think we were quite smart enough when we got down there, I thought we brought the intensity but lacked a bit of accuracy. Those are the things that hurt us.
Comments on RugbyPass
Results probably skewed by the fact that a few clubs have foreign fly halves in their 30s, but most teams have young English scrum halves. Results also likely to be skewed by the fact that many teams rely on centres and fullbacks to provide depth at 10, whereas they will need to stock a large number of specialist backup 9s.
1 Go to commentsI really get the sense that when all is said and done, the path of least resistance will end up being a merger of Wasps & Worcester that essentially kills the Worcester Warriors brand and sees Wasps permanently playing at Sixways. I’m not saying that’s what should happen or what I want to happen. I just think it’s the easiest rout to take and therefore, will be what happens. Wasps will definitely return to play first, and I suppose it all depends on if they can find support at Sixways. If people turn up and support Wasps in that community, at that ground, I bet they drop the Sevenoaks plan and just remain at Sixways. Under the radar but not totally unrelated, it looks as though London Irish are going to be brought back from the dead by a German consortium and look set to return, likely to the remade Championship. It’s set to have 12 clubs next season with 14 in 2025/26, what do you want to bet those extra 2 are Wasps and London Irish?
1 Go to commentsThe shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
1 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
8 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
56 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
8 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
61 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to comments