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'Lost his spark': All Blacks' Crusader contingent under spotlight
The All Blacks third defeat to Ireland over the last five years was a thoroughly deserved 29-20 victory, forcing the visitors into a heavy defensive workload that ultimately couldn’t prevent the home side from taking ascendency.
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In the first half the hosts had a try to Tadhg Furlong rubbed out that would have given them a 10-3 lead after ex-pat wing James Lowe opened the scoring with a try in the corner. Ireland persisted with kicking to the corner and did so again on the stroke of halftime but another possession went begging.
The All Blacks held on to a 10-5 halftime lead but had less than 30 per cent possession and territory as wave after wave of attack pushed them to the brink.
The second half was all Ireland as they stormed right back into the lead less than five minutes after the restart. Their attack rolled the All Blacks down to the five metre line before hooker Ronan Kelleher crashed over, before flanker Caelan Doris scored again five minutes later.
They never relinquished the lead after that, keeping the All Blacks at arm’s length despite a brilliant try to Will Jordan.
The nature of the loss, where the All Blacks were unquestionably outclassed and struggled to find answers, put a spotlight on the selections that Foster has persisted with, notably a large swathe of Crusaders like Codie Taylor, David Havili, Richie Mo’unga and Sevu Reece.
Starting first five Beauden Barrett was forced from the field midway through the first half, giving Richie Mo’unga the chance to run the game early.
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All Blacks fans’ thought that the Crusaders playmaker had ‘lost his spark’ and once again ‘failed under pressure’ against a top tier one international team. Once Barrett left the field, the All Blacks ‘never looked right’.
A few points for AB’s moving forward; 1. Coles needs to start at hooker. 2. Havili doesn’t deserve a spot on the squad. 3. Mo’unga has lost his spark and struggles against top tier nations. 4.All Blacks have no answer for a rush defence #IREvNZL
— Scott (@misjifNZ) November 13, 2021
#IREvNZL I can understand the desire to use Mo’unga more at 10 but against tier 1 internationals he just seems to fail under the pressure a bit. Also will never understand why Foster chooses to bring on reserves so late into the game, does he not understand they need time to work
— shweeb (@tomtheshweeb) November 13, 2021
Superb from Ireland – Doris, Ringrose and Lowe outstanding. Strange from NZ, never looked right once Barrett left the field. Big win for Farrell #IREvNZL
— fpl_dwigt (@fpl_dwigt) November 13, 2021
It’s clear who’s the best 10 in New Zealand, Mounga had no idea out there. In fact Havili was the one playing like a 10 kulaMatch
— Dr Swatyupens (@_Tamba_T) November 13, 2021
These are the games when we need the likes of Mounga to take over but he was nowhere to be seen. Perenara? It’s time cuz to hang up the boots. Blackadder needed the next train back to Christchurch I reckon.
— Big One (@BigOne73737482) November 13, 2021
Couldn’t agree more about the point regarding Mo’unga seemingly shirking first receiver duties to a lost Havilii. Plenty of other problems but that was one of the more frustrating ones. https://t.co/H0pCOUECn7
— Nick Goodall (@NickGoodall_CL) November 13, 2021
We’ll be lucky to win anything with him. Havili, Reece, Mounga etc shown up yet again when it gets tough. Christie our best player under high ball and snappiest doesn’t get a minute while TJ is exhausted & losing the plot in the last 10. He’s diluting a legacy.
— Stinky Jim (@StinkInk) November 13, 2021
I thought a lot of his decision-making was off, he gave away a big penalty in our own half at a crucial time in the game. I am more concerned about Mo’unga going missing in every big game we play though…
— ROCA (@roca0409) November 13, 2021
All Blacks head coach Ian Foster hailed the grit of his side’s defensive performance, ‘hanging in there’ against an Ireland side that played ‘incredibly well’.
“I thought Ireland thoroughly deserved their win. It was a game they came out and played incredibly well, held the ball for long periods.
“I thought we did really, really well with our defence in terms of hanging in there and frustrating them.
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“The fact that we took our first two opportunities to score, in quite a clinical way, meant that we were hanging in the game. We were in quite a nice position on the back of frustrating them a little bit.
“I was really impressed with them [Ireland] today. I thought they played a high tempo game that kept us chasing, and when it really mattered in the end we just didn’t quite have the composure.”
“Very similar to many other Irish-All Black games I’ve been involved with.”
Comments on RugbyPass
An on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
10 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusades , you can keep going.
1 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
24 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
24 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
24 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
24 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
10 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
10 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
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