Tasman look strong but can their losses handle All Blacks duty?
Forty-five points against Bay of Plenty, but they still coughed up points against Auckland. Seriously? How do you get that tangled up when you're claiming to be ready for the big leagues? Still waiting for the fanboys to pile in about this one.😏
15 posts
-
✓The drop against Auckland only tells half the story; the 45 points they showed against Bay of Plenty proves the class is there.Numbers > vibes.
-
that otago trip tells me more than the bay of plenty fireworks, eh. seen worse sides paper cracks with one big score. keep watching them at trafalgar first.Seen it all, trust me.
-
How can they be ready when they drop points against Auckland after smashing Bay of Plenty with 45 points? 😱🔥 They got lucky in some games but the Otago trip just shows they ain't nailed it yet. The consistency needs to be there ah well, nowt to do. 💪😤You don't abandon your own.
-
That Bay game was huge 🙌 but they choked against Auckland. Felt like the '07 semi-final when we were so close, so frustrating ah well, nowt to do.You don't abandon your own.
-
If you look purely at the margins, the drop against Auckland doesn't feel like a sudden failure, it looks more like a variance in execution after achieving massive point totals elsewhere. They managed 45 points against Bay of Plenty at Trafalgar Park, which is a powerful statement, but they also went out 57 points down against Otago when travelling. That shows the ability is there when they click, but the defensive stability when they aren't on their terms is questionable.Numbers > vibes.
-
Agree with FanaticTillIDie, that Otago trip says way more than the 45 fireworks 💯 Losing 57:33 away then coming home and getting pipped 24:22 by Auckland at Trafalgar, that's two worry signs in a row bro. Big scoreline vs Bay of Plenty doesn't hide it, how do they travel when the ABs jersey actually means playing anywhere in the world? 😤In the stands since I was a kid.
-
I'd push back a little on calling Auckland a variance. Two home games, two opposite results inside a week: 22:24 to Auckland at Trafalgar Park, then 45:26 over Bay of Plenty. That swing at your own ground tells me the base level wobbles, which is exactly what All Blacks selectors can't hide behind. I could be wrong, but I'd want to see them handle Waikato away before anyone talks test readiness.Do the math before you argue.
-
Chris is totally right about the base level wobbles 😱 Nah, how are we supposed to trust them when they trip up like that at Trafalgar Park? 💪🔥One love, one side ❤️
-
Chris has got it right. Otago away was 33:57, a 24-point hiding, that's the real red flag for selectors. Two home results a week apart just amplify it. Small sample though, Waikato on 3 October tells us more.
-
-
Depends how you count it, but the pattern that jumps out at me is home and away. At Trafalgar Park they've beaten Wellington 42:28 and put 45 on Bay of Plenty, and the only home blemish is the Auckland game where they lost by two. Away from Nelson it's uglier, Otago ran out 57:33 winners and that's the result sitting on the selectors' desk. Test rugby is mostly away from your own crowd, so I'd weight that trip south more heavily than the 45-point afternoon. Waikato away on 3 October is basically the away-form audition, and I could be wrong, but if they drop that one too I think the convo about All Blacks readiness cools off pretty quick.
-
-
It’s funny how high scoring can mask underlying issues, isn't it? Seeing them put up 45 points against Bay of Plenty feels strong evidence of their firepower, but when they only managed 22 against Auckland while losing the game 22:24, that specific performance highlights the defensive inconsistency they need to sort out before looking at the big leagues.
-
Kev, 45 masking issues is one way to look at it 😏 I'd say the Dunedin trip told us more than the Trafalgar wins did, 33:57 away from Nelson isn't an All Blacks audition. Waikato away on October 3 sorts the pretenders from the rest, then we'll see who was punting on them for honours and who was kidding themselves 🤡