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Watch: Breaking down the NZ Schoolboys' dominant showing over Australia

Fins up: Leicester Faingaanuku celebrates with Josh Southall

The New Zealand Schoolboys defeated their Australian counterparts 34-11 on the weekend, a seemingly comfortable score line. However, the score was close for large parts of this contest, and with 25 minutes remaining New Zealand held a slim 17-11 lead.

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As we highlighted over the last couple of weeks, New Zealand had some of its best ever schoolboy athletes on show.

We’ve broken this game down and analysed the numbers, and found that even the final scoreline wasn’t misleading – this one wasn’t even close. In fact, it is downright scary for Australian rugby. However, this should be more about celebrating New Zealand’s talent, which any rugby fan should be able to appreciate. This was a performance of raw athleticism; power, speed and agility combined with finesse, skill and flair. The only thing missing was clinical finishing.

The backline had five players crack 100 running metres, and one only played 35 minutes:

  • Leicester Faingaanuku – 166 metres on 13 carries, 3 line breaks, 13 defenders beaten, 2 offloads, 1 try
  • Quinn Tupaea – 111 metres on 12 carries, 1 line break, 11 defenders beaten, 1 offload, 11 rucks cleared
  • Isaiah Punivai – 115 metres on 10 carries, 4 line breaks, 4 line break assists, 7 defenders beaten, 4 offloads, 1 try assist, 1 try.
  • Etene Nanai – 185 metres on 14 carries, 1 line break, 1 line break assist, 6 defenders beaten, 2 offloads, 1 try
  • Danny Toala125 metres on 7 carries, 3 line breaks, 10 defenders beaten, 3 offloads, 1 try assist

 The New Zealand backline alone also had 15 turnovers.

Nanai knocked on over the line, Faingaanuku was bundled into touch one metre out and Faingaanuku also knocked the ball on two metres out trying to score. While that is quite a high error rate, a number of these are ‘positive effort’ errors, incurred trying to make a play.

New Zealand’s half combination of Taufa Funaki and Rivez Reihana contributed to another five line breaks, making one each while Reihana assisted on two and Funaki on one.

The only man to have a relatively quiet day at the office was Waisake Naholo’s younger brother Kini Naholo, who still finished with 51 metres on six carries with two offloads and had two defenders beaten.

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It was an astounding performance of raw attacking firepower, illustrated by their combined 58 defenders beaten. This was demonstrated in the fifth minute when Faingaanuku took a big shot but maintained his balance to turn the play into a 26m run, beating six defenders on the way. That one play summed up the whole match.

In total, New Zealand made 17 line breaks to Australia’s seven, and beat defenders 78 times to Australia’s 16.

Number eight Devan Flanders picked up the illustrious Jerry Collins Memorial Bronze Boot award for New Zealand’s man of the match with an understated and consistent game, but it must have been a hard task to select.

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Easy_Duzz-it 28 minutes ago
Are the All Blacks doomed to a 70% flatline?

The world never caught up the All Blacks just went backwards . After 2015 they had a plan to build the team around 2 players . Sam Cane and Beauden Barrett , Cane was hailed as the next Mccaw and Barrett the next carter . Unfortunately Cane sustained too many injures and Barrett despite being a great ball runner didn't have a high enough conversion rate or the game management skills to control the team and the game . Then to make matters worst , the selections were so bad year after year the forward pack became shockingly weak .

New Zealand had so much talent wasted betwen 2016 - 2023 . Laumape , elliot dixon , ben tamefuna , pita gus , ben lam , vaea fifita and so many other in form players that never got a look or the time to develop into great All Blacks .


Then you have the dual playmaker system that never worked , but they kept using it . why ? cause some men cant admit when they're wrong . thats the All Blacks between 2016-2023 . wrong coaches with the wrong vision , going in the wrong direction . now it appears the world caught up . but like I said the world never caught up . then you add the obvious flawed referee calls that happen to go against us more often then for us now . the worst of which that never gets called is when the opposition use rush defence but have players offside . this has been going for years , but who cares ? .


anyway its almost 10 and i need to get some shut eye .

Go the might All Blacks !!!!

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