Tupou Vaa’i addresses ‘the elephant in the room’ before Super Rugby decider

I think Ireland have the better back rowers by experience and proven ability. Club and test level. Granted their best player is at home injured, but he is (in)arguably the best #8 in the game. Back row has been a traditional strength with their last World Player of the year winner in 2022 an openside.

The Wikipedia entries can be way off. The Unions sort the medicals for their national team players and tend to be more accurate.

Wilson is listed on the Wallabies website as 196 cm (a shade over 6’ 5” and 115 kilos) and will likely be their starting #8. They’ve the further potential for bench options for Uru (197 cm & 115 kilos) and Hooper (199 cm & 122 kilos).

I expect a close game but early doors I expect the Lions (and the rest of us) to be rocked by the Wallabies physicality.

Like how your mother is inconsistent in selection because she is spoiled for choice?

Prior to the 2015 Rugby World Cup, Richie McCaw, the legendary All Blacks captain, took a sabbatical in early 2013 to manage accumulated injuries and prepare for the tournament. This break allowed him to recover and ensure he was in top condition for the World Cup defense. He had previously sustained a foot injury during the 2011 World Cup, which he played through, including the final.

Here's a more detailed look:

2011 World Cup:

McCaw played through a foot fracture during the latter stages of the 2011 tournament, including the final.

Sabbatical in 2013:

To manage the cumulative impact of years of intense rugby, McCaw took a sabbatical early in 2013. This break was specifically aimed at allowing his body to recover and prepare for the 2015 World Cup.

Focus on Recovery:

The sabbatical involved rest, rehabilitation, and a focus on getting his body back to peak condition for the 2015 campaign.

2015 Rugby World Cup:

McCaw captained the All Blacks to victory in the 2015 World Cup, his final international tournament before retirement.

Integral to the Team:

Despite some decline in physical sharpness due to age and injuries, McCaw remained a crucial part of the All Blacks' success in 2015

Google.

Like I said. His game time will be carefully managed.

The All Blacks managed McCaw and Carter very carefully leading to 2015. Same-same.

Offside is very specifically defined for other set pieces and structured situations (scrum, lineout, ruck, maul). Not sure why, but there is no kickoff-specific definition for offside in the Laws. So if offside exists during kickoff then it must be covered by a more general law.

There is an offside definition for Open Play, but there is a question of whether or not this is an Open Play situation. Prior to Open Play starting there is no offside. Part of the Open Play definition is that it is after the kickoff, but what does “after the kickoff” mean?

You can say that Open Play starts the moment that the ball is kicked, and it seems this is the assumption by many people. But a reasonable alternative reading is that the kickoff is not complete, and Open Play has not started, until the whole kickoff sequence is complete, including the ball going 10m, landing/being-caught in field, etc.

One reason that this is a credible interpretation is that there would be no need for Law 12.5 (that players on the kickers side must be behind the kicker) if Open Play starts when the ball is kicked. In that case players in front of the kicker would be instantly offside and subject to the usual offside rules and sanctions. Law 12.5 is only needed because there is no Open Play (and therefore no offside) until the kickoff sequence is completed.

My guess is that Rassie and team went through this in-depth, possibly with advice from WR, concluding that this is not an offside situation and is entirely governed by the Law 12.5 sanction. That sanction requires a scrum and provides no alternative choices for the opposition (such as would have been the case if they simply kicked it short, kicked it into touch etc).

Smarter folk than me can figure out whether the above interpretation is definitive, but it is certainly not obvious to me that Esterhuizen was offside. On balance I would suggest that the game was not in Open Play and that there were therefore no offside rules in place. In that case it all comes down to the Law 12.5 sanction of opposition scrum, for not being behind the kicker.

BTW - WR can fix this by simply adding that the opposition can have a choice of a retake or a scrum, as they can for other kickoff situations. Italy would have picked the retake, no doubt.

I don’t agree that Conan hasn’t looked on it physically, so far. He has been second fiddle at club and country to the best current #8 in the sport, but that’s no reflection on him. He still has the muscle memory of having played 199 mins of the last 240 min series.

Pollock doesn’t look close to 17st. His metrics vary quite wildly between club, country and lions. His U20 listing is from this year on the RFU website and has him a little over 6 FT and under 100 kilos (15st 7lbs) and seems to be more consistent. I don’t see how he would have added significant weight this year in-season.

Granted England won a RWC with a flanker who was barely 14 stone but it was a different sport back then.

The only grey on this is whether the referee deems the act deliberate. And on the spot, in real time, the referee could make the incorrect judgement call perhaps not seeing it as deliberate.

In hindsight I’m sure the referee would agree that it should have been a penalty as it was a deliberate infringement.

I actually think the boks messed up in that they probably intended to make it look less obvious. Like perhaps a grubber into Esterhuisen within the 10. That’s how it looked to me.

I also don’t understand why they didn’t just take the kick normally and just have Esterhuisen ahead of the kicker, instead of into his hands.

But anyway. Next time Manie just needs to drop the ball as he takes the kickoff (knock-on). Or kick the ball moer-toe, so it goes dead.

-Pollock has been fantastic, a breath of fresh air. Would love to see him in the tests before the pro game beats these instincts out of him

-With Noah out, Valetini in doubt, Skelton likely not fit, it is hard to see the WBs competing. Makes it worse that they are going with a debut 10 with Lynagh. A failure of planning for this cycle for sure, but this failure goes back 10+ years of squad and selection mismanagement after the 2015 RWC. How many coach changes and players chopped and changed has led to this.

I’d love to be wrong but don’t see the WBs firing a shot here unfortunately