Minute-by-minute - England vs New Zealand

[Digby]

Talking of NZ this got thrown up in my list of recommendations on t' Youtube, it's an interesting take from Mo'Unga on what happened for that Daly break. They touch on him defending at 13 off the line out, but what I additionally found interesting in his comments are that he in the WC found himself watching the man whilst defending, and that's quite common to NZ but not how he'd have defended with his club where ROG would for sure have them ball watching more like we've typically shifted to up north. So did NZ still have a system that relied on watching the man, or was he lulled into that defending out of position and/or the pressure of the occasion?

[Puja]

Talking of NZ this got thrown up in my list of recommendations on t' Youtube, it's an interesting take from Mo'Unga on what happened for that Daly break. They touch on him defending at 13 off the line out, but what I additionally found interesting in his comments are that he in the WC found himself watching the man whilst defending, and that's quite common to NZ but not how he'd have defended with his club where ROG would for sure have them ball watching more like we've typically shifted to up north. So did NZ still have a system that relied on watching the man, or was he lulled into that defending out of position and/or the pressure of the occasion?

Finally got around to watching this; thanks for the interesting share. Although it did cement my opinion further that Greenwood is a terrible, terrible pundit. That clip would've been half the length if he could have cut out his circumlocuting and just asked his question or delivered his anecdote. More waffle than a Boris Johnson press-conference.

Ford is such a vital player to us. Watched that try back and it's Ford's ability to hold the ball and disguise what he's planning to do that suckered Mo'unga. One of the best in the world at that.

Puja

[Mellsblue]

Talking of NZ this got thrown up in my list of recommendations on t' Youtube, it's an interesting take from Mo'Unga on what happened for that Daly break. They touch on him defending at 13 off the line out, but what I additionally found interesting in his comments are that he in the WC found himself watching the man whilst defending, and that's quite common to NZ but not how he'd have defended with his club where ROG would for sure have them ball watching more like we've typically shifted to up north. So did NZ still have a system that relied on watching the man, or was he lulled into that defending out of position and/or the pressure of the occasion?

Finally got around to watching this; thanks for the interesting share. Although it did cement my opinion further that Greenwood is a terrible, terrible pundit. That clip would've been half the length if he could have cut out his circumlocuting and just asked his question or delivered his anecdote. More waffle than a Boris Johnson press-conference.

Ford is such a vital player to us. Watched that try back and it's Ford's ability to hold the ball and disguise what he's planning to do that suckered Mo'unga. One of the best in the world at that.

Puja

Yep. To my mind, nobody manipulates a defensive line as well as Ford. If only he’d snarl more.

[Timbo]

I genuinely think Ford May be the most under rated English player of the pro era.

[Danno]

Talking of NZ this got thrown up in my list of recommendations on t' Youtube, it's an interesting take from Mo'Unga on what happened for that Daly break. They touch on him defending at 13 off the line out, but what I additionally found interesting in his comments are that he in the WC found himself watching the man whilst defending, and that's quite common to NZ but not how he'd have defended with his club where ROG would for sure have them ball watching more like we've typically shifted to up north. So did NZ still have a system that relied on watching the man, or was he lulled into that defending out of position and/or the pressure of the occasion?

Finally got around to watching this; thanks for the interesting share. Although it did cement my opinion further that Greenwood is a terrible, terrible pundit. That clip would've been half the length if he could have cut out his circumlocuting and just asked his question or delivered his anecdote. More waffle than a Boris Johnson press-conference.

Ford is such a vital player to us. Watched that try back and it's Ford's ability to hold the ball and disguise what he's planning to do that suckered Mo'unga. One of the best in the world at that.

Puja

Yep. To my mind, nobody manipulates a defensive line as well as Ford. If only he’d snarl more.

If he'd just put the shoulder in a bit and adopt a silly pre-kick ritual he'd actually be a decent 10 and maybe we could have a 12 at 12

[Mr Mwenda]

I think EJ rates Ford highly, he's selected him an awful lot. I also think he has better and worse games.

[Digby]

I'd still like to know what system NZ would have been intending to use vis a vis watching the man or the ball.

[Danno]

I think EJ rates Ford highly, he's selected him an awful lot. I also think he has better and worse games.

Pure speculation, but I wouldn’t be surprised if his bad games are the ones when the pack goes missing or gets outplayed. There aren't many 10s that do well in that situation.

I'm obviously ignoring that game back in 2016(?) when he missed virtually everything from the tee and had a bit of a mare in defence. A game that seems to have fuelled his critics ever since.

[Danno]

I think EJ rates Ford highly, he's selected him an awful lot. I also think he has better and worse games.

Pure speculation, but I wouldn’t be surprised if his bad games are the ones when the pack goes missing or gets outplayed. There aren't many 10s that do well in that situation.

I'm obviously ignoring that game back in 2016(?) when he missed virtually everything from the tee and had a bit of a mare in defence. A game that seems to have fuelled his critics ever since.

Edit: having caught up on the forwards thread, I'm feeling a bit more confident in the above. When we've picked a proper backrow and haven't had one or all of Moon, Cole or Williams playing, I don't think Ford has ever looked less than good.

Edit edit: cool, I did that quote myself thing

[Puja]

I think EJ rates Ford highly, he's selected him an awful lot. I also think he has better and worse games.

Pure speculation, but I wouldn’t be surprised if his bad games are the ones when the pack goes missing or gets outplayed. There aren't many 10s that do well in that situation.

I'm obviously ignoring that game back in 2016(?) when he missed virtually everything from the tee and had a bit of a mare in defence. A game that seems to have fuelled his critics ever since.

He did get an absolute seeing-to by PSTD in the RWC final and did not cope with it well, but our entire game plan and confidence was knocked off its axis by our abysmal start and it's very hard to cope with being headhunted when your pack's getting duffed up and your scrum-half's having a mare. In hindsight, he should have arranged things so he always had a forward on his shoulder or lured PSTD onto him only for the ball to go to Farrell, or even swapped positions with Farrell in attack to move the decision-making one step further away from the exocet missile, but you can't blame him for not being able to adapt and reorganise their patterns in those circumstances.

Puja