Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

What Patrick Tuipulotu made of his latest All Blacks player rating

Jason Ryan says the coaches have been thrilled with the impact of bench players like Patrick Tuipulotu (Photo by Craig Mercer/MB Media/Getty Images)

Player ratings are a frequent fixture for big Tests for most publications online but rarely are they publically critiqued by the players they seek to analyse. However, Patrick Tuipulotu got the opportunity to do just that recently upon returning from the All Blacks‘ Autumn Nations Series tour.

ADVERTISEMENT

Appearing on The Play On Sport Show, the big lock was read one New Zealand journalist’s analysis, and ultimate rating, of his five-Test tour to end 2024.

Unknowingly, Tuipulotu predicted his rating when reading the podcast host Marc Peard’s expression.

Video Spacer
Video Spacer

“What is it? Have they hit me with a six or something?” He laughed.

Peard explained the ratings were for the All Blacks Northern Tour specifically and appeared in the New Zealand publication Stuff.

“It says ‘Patrick Tuipulotu. Captained the team against Japan, started the tour finale against Italy, and used as a sub in the other three games.

“Able to disrupt opposition line-out throws. Made a real impact against England with his carries. Must have been relieved that his fumble when England goal kicker George Ford hit the upright late in the game in London didn’t actually lead to a defeat’. He’s given you a six out of 10.”

The rating came as a surprise to the lock, who responded with a big grin on his face.

“A six?! Oh,” Tuipulotu laughed. “That’s a bit harsh I think.

ADVERTISEMENT

“Yeah, he’s got some valid points there. That fumble, reliving that moment, that was very hard… After the game, I was relieved we won. But, imagine if we didn’t, I would have been the most hated man in New Zealand.”

Related

The podcasters were much more complimentary of Tuipulotu’s performances, going on to humorously give the journalist a six out of 10 rating for his analysis.

“We can do the talking on your behalf,” Peard said. “I feel like your ball carrying has just gone up and up and yeah, the line-out work, crazy. Six out of 10, it feels like he’s really honed in on that goalkick.”

Co-host Brook Ruscoe offered a rating of his own, which was agreed upon by Peard.

“I’m giving you eight Patty. Actually, an 8.6. Came on, changed the game, broke through the line like Marc said. it would have been the 10, but you butted the ball on. Outside of that, I thought you were bloody exceptional on that tour. Bloody exceptional.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Ruscoe asked what was going through Tuipulotu’s mind when George Ford took the drop goal for the final play of the game while New Zealand were just two points up on the scoreboard.

“Well, even leading up to that, you think about moments, and for me, I do imagine what happens if it does come off the post; just catch it and run. But after that game, I got a random Instagram message asking if you caught it, and said “mark”, were you thinking about that option? And to be honest, I wasn’t. So there’s that option.

“Catch that off the post, call the mark, tap it, give it to Beauden (Barrett) or someone else to kick it down. If it happens again, now I know what to do.”

 

ADVERTISEMENT

Boks Office | Episode 39 | The Investec Champions Cup is back

Argentina v France | HSBC SVNS Hong Kong 2025 | Men's Match Highlights

New Zealand v Australia | HSBC SVNS Hong Kong 2025 | Women's Match Highlights

Tokyo Sungoliath vs Shizuoka BlueRevs | Japan Rugby League One 2024/25 | Full Match Replay

Reds vs Force | Super Rugby W 2025 | Full Match Replay

The Rise of Kenya | The Report

New Zealand in Hong Kong | Brady Rush | Sevens Wonders | Episode 4

The Fixture: How This Rugby Rivalry Has Lasted 59 Years

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

J
JW 2 hours ago
Why Les Kiss and Stuart Lancaster can lead Australia to glory

It is now 22 years since Michael Lewis published his groundbreaking treatise on winning against the odds

I’ve never bothered looking at it, though I have seen a move with Clint as a scout/producer. I’ve always just figured it was basic stuff for the age of statistics, is that right?

Following the Moneyball credo, the tailor has to cut his cloth to the material available

This is actually a great example of what I’m thinking of. This concept has abosolutely nothing to do with Moneyball, it is simple being able to realise how skillsets tie together and which ones are really revelant.


It sounds to me now like “moneyball” was just a necessity, it was like scienctest needing to come up with some random experiment to make all the other world scholars believe that Earth was round. The American sporting scene is very unique, I can totally imagine one of it’s problems is rich old owners not wanting to move with the times and understand how the game has changed. Some sort of mesiah was needed to convert the faithful.


While I’m at this point in the article I have to say, now the NRL is a sport were one would stand up and pay attention to the moneyball phenom. Like baseball, it’s a sport of hundreds of identical repetitions, and very easy to data point out.

the tailor has to cut his cloth to the material available and look to get ahead of an unfair game in the areas it has always been strong: predictive intelligence and rugby ‘smarts’

Actually while I’m still here, Opta Expected Points analysis is the one new tool I have found interesting in the age of data. Seen how the random plays out as either likely, or unlikely, in the data’s (and algorithms) has actually married very closely to how I saw a lot of contests pan out.


Engaging return article Nick. I wonder, how much of money ball is about strategy as apposed to picks, those young fella’s got ahead originally because they were picking players that played their way right? Often all you here about is in regards to players, quick phase ruck ball, one out or straight up, would be were I’d imagine the best gains are going to be for a data driven leap using an AI model of how to structure your phases. Then moving to tactically for each opposition.

114 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ Clermont's comeback gathers pace as fallen European heavyweights plot path to redemption Clermont's comeback gathers pace as fallen European heavyweights plot path to redemption
Search