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'One of the bigger talking moments were some of the late hits, off-the-ball incidents and that': All Blacks coaches unhappy with Australian aggression

By Online Editors
Referee Paul Williams. (Photo by Kai Schwoerer/Getty Images)

As has been the case throughout the sporting world in 2020, codes have had to adjust to the environment created by the Covid-19 pandemic.

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For test rugby, it means local referees have been tasked with calling games involving their home country.

It’s a tricky position to be in and, as All Blacks assistant coach John Plumtree said, one that only adds to the pressure of performing at the highest level.

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The Aotearoa Rugby Pod discuss who they have picked for the Healthspan Elite Performance of the Week from the first Bledisloe test between the All Blacks and the Wallabies.

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The Aotearoa Rugby Pod discuss who they have picked for the Healthspan Elite Performance of the Week from the first Bledisloe test between the All Blacks and the Wallabies.

“The local referees referee us a lot,” Plumtree said. “They know us and we know why it puts pressure on the referee – because it’s based around being biased or whatever.”

On one side, there were some no-calls that ultimately hurt the Wallabies’ chance to steal a famous victory in last Sunday’s 16-all draw in the opening Bledisloe Cup test.

On the other, plenty has been made about the lack of calls around off-the-ball incidents and late hits first five-eighth Richie Mo’unga copped from Wallabies defenders, all of which went unpunished.

“There were some late charges, you guys saw all that, and there were one or two other incidents, but All Blacks don’t cry – we just get on with it; we adjust to how the game is being refereed and that’s in every department,” Plumtree said.

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“There’s always going to be big talking moments in test matches, and probably one of the bigger talking moments were some of the late hits, off-the-ball incidents and that. We’ve seen it all before in these Bledisloe Cup games, haven’t we?

“We knew that was coming. That kind of play on the field has to be dealt to by the referees. There were several occasions where there were some off-ball incidents but it’s got to be dealt with properly on the field. But we’ve got to be able to adjust to that as well and I think that’s probably why you have a couple of senior players in particular fired up about it.

“If (referee) Paul (Williams) missed stuff, then he’s missed it. But if it’s a consistent habit that he’s seeing and it’s not being looked after, then obviously we’d be disappointed. We haven’t had those conversations with the referee. It is what it is; if their intent is greater than ours around the ball incidents, then we just have to make sure we have a crack back at them.”

The physicality of the Wallabies was something the All Blacks expected going into the opening Bledisloe Cup match, however they weren’t able to match it on the day.

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Midfielder Anton Lienert-Brown admitted there probably wasn’t a single player in the All Blacks team who was happy with their performance on the night, but that was providing plenty of fuel to the fire heading into this weekend’s meeting at Eden Park.

“We thought we prepared really well, but for some reason it wasn’t quite there in the game. The beauty is that we’ve played them now, we know how they’re going to play and we’ll adjust a few things. We now know what’s required to go out there and compete,” Lienert-Brown said.

“I think that’s the most disappointing thing, that we talked about it all week but we didn’t match the intent or physicality. But hey, that’s good for us that this week it’s going to be sitting in our belly and it’s something we’ve got to get right.”

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Trevor 27 minutes ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

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Bull Shark 4 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

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