Speaker by Various Artists

Duh. Didn't have discussion switched on till just now. Carry on then ...

Daniel Carter is being reported as saying he hasn't been able to practise with a match ball. Should we add this to the growing list of anxieties?

I thought the WHOLE POINT of an alternaitve strip (uniform) was to AVOID confusion, not generate it.

How on earth was the All Black's alternative strip more different than just plain black would have been from what the Scotts were wearing?

Did nobody think to hold them side by side before the game?

What a balls up...

Yep, My 3am eyes and wine soaked brain coupled with a 14" TV in the bedroom caused me to give up after the first try and go back to sleep.

Watched the 7am replay on the big TV in the lounge, and it was still ridiculously difficult to tell what the hell was going down, especially at the breakdown.

Yes can team management employ some kind of colour consultant? Jot down CONTRAST in the notebook, boss. Didn't the ABs have a red strip at one point? Doesn't the trainer have a bag of yellow bibs, perfect for a cockup like this?

A NZ vs Samoa/Tonga test played in the islands: in my lifetime hopefully, would love it. Hell, we OWE it. Maybe more of a chance in near future as banality of Super16/Tri-Nations sinks in further.

thanks for link too :)

Here's the optimists approach;

1. There's now a great chance for several players to shine against Romania and get into contention for the QF. I'm thinking of Aaron Mauger and Joe Rokocoko especially.

2. The first team regulars won't be too happy with that performance and many of them are going to have close to 2 weeks to dwell on it. Look for them to come out firing in the QF.

I didn't think it was an all round poor performance though the execution wasn't quite there. The front row had an excellent game and clearly Thorne can scrummage well enough at Lock if not jump. Bryon played well too as did Oliver - great in the tight particularly - and he can't be entirely responsible for the lineouts. Peter's point re Mauger I agree with although I like the pace of McAlister (he again missed an inside tackle however).

I completely agree with Alex's point above. NZ benefits immeasurably from Pacific talent - sure these guys are generally coached from a young age in NZ but there's got to be some way NZ can assist the Pacific Islands and in so doing also consolidate the southern hemisphere's hold on rugby (not least of all because it is an infinitely more attractive game).

Read the 'Your Views' section on the Herald site -- some of those people really need to pull themselves together.

5 out of 10, too many mistakes from players who are supposed to be the "best in the world". Hopefully this is their crap game otherwise we will all be in mourning for another 4 years ...

Total rubbish! If they play like that against SA or Australia, they will get hammered. When will Henry wake up and select the "A" team. He is slowly but surely run out of games to put the best All Blacks team on the field ...

Boring. Brainless. My earliest predicaments are been proven true! This team will not win the World Cup. And has anyone ever heard such a moronic speaker as Hansen?

"Earliest predicaments", heh. Yes, they lacked accuracy and at times composure. But the number of handling errors also needs to seen in relation to the fact that they had nearly all the ball. (Which became a problem in itself -- they couldn't create anything from broken play because there was hardly any broken play.)

But really ... that's the most we'eve ever beaten Scotland by in a World Cup, and for long stretches it looked like men against boys. And, of course, the other two teams with a chance of winning didn't exactly look golden either this weekend.

I wonder if what was really missing was Jerry Collins. I imagine he'd have had a bit to say if he'd been on the field.

I find it a bit concerning that the All Blacks really hit their straps and fired in the first part of that Italy game, and they've been at best average since. Round about now would be a good time to be peaking guys, we start playing real teams in a fortnight.

I think both Sivivatu and McAlister have probably played themselves out of the top 15. Rokocoko has been playing very well, and hasn't found the dropsies, unlike his cousin. McAlister hasn't shown enough for me to indicate why we'd want him rather than the experience and consistent performance that Mauger offers. Mauger doesn't make stupid kicks either.

My selection pick is at some point during the knockout is for Leonard to move up to top halfback. Byron did OK as starting halfback, but 3 minutes after Leonard had come on he ripped the ball out of a Scottish players arms in McCaw like style, leading to a try, and he brought more running and urgency to the game.

I still reckon we'll be alright when the pressure comes on - the last time the ABs PEAKED for a match, really, was the first and second Lions tests, and we all know what happened then. Similar things occurred in the recent French tests in France. They keep banging on about creating a legacy for this team, and the World Cup has to be the ultimate for them. I don't think they'll mess it up.

That said, I'd like to see Leonard and Mauger in the side, too. Definitely Mauger, along with Mils in the centre and Leon at the back.

Oh, and we've all got the wrong end of the stick on the jersey thing.

why won't richie lead the haka, what a wuss

On the second page of the Herald's report about the state of the silver jersey - there's this wee gem from Mr. Hansen, that makes me think someone's been watching FOTC!

"We believe there's rugby time and relaxation time," Hansen said. "I don't think you can ask people to be robots."

Two days off for the team - with partners....

It's business time!!

:-)

Read the 'Your Views' section on the Herald site -- some of those people really need to pull themselves together.

Quite. I had hoped we'd moved on since 1999 but obviously not. Idiots like Veitch et al don't help matters either

why won't richie lead the haka, what a wuss

you don't want Hayman leading it? He's awesome!

I said this on the Dropkicks last night (so it'll be a day to two before it hits teh internets): there is no such thing as an All Black A Team.

What there is, is a game plan. Each opponent gets a game plan formulated against them and then Graham Henry and his co-coaches decide which players best suit that game plan. This may stabilise a bit more during the knockout rounds but don't be surprised if Aton and Kevan swap seats a lot and the midfield changes too.

Re the 'your view's section in the herald . . it's best not to read them . . it is afterall the online equivilant of crap talk back aka newstalk ZB.

I said this on the Dropkicks last night (so it'll be a day to two before it hits teh internets): there is no such thing as an All Black A Team.

I know what you're getting at here Hayden, but I'm not sure I agree. With the exception of a few positions - in the midfield particularly - I think is a clear first and second choice player. Hooker and half-back it seems are automatic substitutes and I guess it depends on the type of game the ABs wish to play as to who starts. I also wonder whether the constant experimentation is having an impact on the overall continuity of play? NZ are clearly the best team in the tournament but our nearest competitors are capable of beating us on their day and it'll be missed or dropped passes that lets them in the game - two events make me nervous: Mortlock's intercept try off Spencer's ambitious skip pass and also Campo's no-look pass for Horan in 1991. In the final, will the combinations be there to minimise errors and the instinctive flowing rugby maximised - such as we saw in the Lions test as Richard mentions above?