NZ vs Canada (Score Spoilers!)

[Lias]

Woohoo.

Just got home from the AB's vs canada.. Great game, we kicked their arse eh!

First blood was to us after about 3 minutes, but overall the first half was pretty close.. I think it was 19-13 at half time..

But damn we caned them in the second.. final score 64-13!

w00t w00t.

[Hitcher]

FFS, it's Canada. If we hadn't scored eight tries there would have been a Royal Commission of Inquiry.

[NighthawkNZ:Me]

Its not as if Canada is a Rugby nation is it... Its play them at Ice Hockey and see what the score is there...

[Colapop]

An analysis of the game by Col.
Before the game kicked off most people would have thought that the score would be horrendous and Canada would have offered little, if any, resistance at all. After just 1 minute those people would have been justified in thinking they were absolutely correct in their assumptions, although it took another 2 minutes before the AB's actually scored. Situation normal, the adoring public would see a carnival game develop and the hapless Canadians would just be along to provide comic relief!

This however, was not the case and the Canadians must be commended for taking the AB 'onslaught' to task and providing some stiff opposition for the first 40 minutes. 19-13 at half time between the number 1 team and the 13th (?) team in the world would suggest the supposed gap between the top 6 and the rest was merely fictitious rumour. The AB's seemed to play as individuals having trouble stringing together coherent phases that should have resulted in tries. I think the most disappointing thing was their security of the ball at the breakdown. Although there weren't many turnovers the ponderous delivery of the ball stunted their ability to give the outside backs the wanted space and time to get into top gear.

Graham Henry has spoken of "doing the right things right" unfortunately there was little evidence of this in the first half. This, from a team that has had 2 previous pre-season games under it's belt. The 'rotation' policy? Sorry, no, I'm still not convinced. There is depth but not in leadership. I actually like Rueben Thorne as a player - a good hard worker, but he lacks the leadership skill necessary at this level. The change in the way the team performed when Richie McCaw came on was evident.

All in all I gave Canada 7/10. Not lacking in effort or desire but application was sorely missed at times with some seriously poor defence in close that, even they, would have been disappointed with. Overall a performance they that can take heart from and be proud of.
The AB's on the other hand I gave a 5-6/10. Against an opposition that they should have totally dominated, while taking nothing away from the Canadians, they lacked the cohesion and pattern that should be expected from a team such as this. To wheel a heavily clichéd expression out again "there is plenty to work on." But that should come and we can only hope that the next game the team attends, they turn up to play from the word go until the final whistle.

[Hitcher]

Good summary, Col. There were several occasions where the AB's "attack" would have been easily rorted by quality opposition. Canada's try is a good example of a lack of intellectual rigour on the All Black's part. The "no-look" pass deserves a major spanking, as does that effete practice of running the depth of the in-goal area before dotting the ball down. One day somebody will get shouldered into the dead-ball area. It will probably be a World Cup semi-final and it will cost us the game.

A hit-out against better quality opposition this weekend may give us a better picture as to where the ABs are at. I actually hope they lose, as it may help deflate a few player egos before it's too late.

[yod]

26-13 at halftime folks, Hore crossed the line just at the 40 min mark from a ruck close to the canadian line
38-0 2nd half - a bit more as we were expecting

good d and good commitment from the canucks - i thought they'd wilt early in the 2nd half and we'd run away with it, and we did to some degree but they hung in there well

a bit surprised to see the wallabys hang in there so well with the boks too - they actually led for most of the game! but does it mean they're better than we anticipated or the boks are worse? a little of both i suspect...

[Lias]

Aye I was surprised how well the Canadians did, and I think the game was a prime example of why we should ignore that bloke who's suggested that the "tier 1" nations onlyplay each other.

Was also a surprisingly large number of canadian fans at the game.. alot of red and white on show.

[MisterD]

Aye I was surprised how well the Canadians did, and I think the game was a prime example of why we should ignore that bloke who's suggested that the "tier 1" nations onlyplay each other.

Just goes to show that it's actually pretty difficult to breakdown a well drilled defensive pattern if players put the tackles in. All that is hard work though, and inevitably the stonger team scores tries into the last 30 minutes of the match...

[Biff]

I'm waiting to see what kind of form the ABs are 'really' in next weekend, when they face a well drilled back line and a huge, agile pack.

I've already bought my tickets for the return leg back here in ChCh.