Steve Diamond: 'We’ve had some words earlier in the week'

I can express how stupid it is that the offside law isn’t applied in this case.

I expect Bunting to back King, Brazier played well as a sub against AUS but this is hardly a CV moment considering it’s a team that has never beaten us. I think King’s also the best goalkicker in the squad. Hopefully she’s in RSA for extended game time.

Renee Holmes’ goal kicking is terrible. In the RWC2021 Final she missed 5 bread & butter kicks, leaving 11pts out there. Her latest efforts show she has not improved. Ruahei also seems to be a solid option.

But the major selections are in the pack, especially the back five mix. I’m happy with any combination of our current frontrowers. For me, Bunting has to ditch his tactic of playing four loosies & one lock against stacked teams like FRA CAN & ENG. We’ll just get crunched. Which imo means Chelsea Bremner & Laura Bayfield get the nod, with Maia Roos, & Alana Bremner, our best blindside, goes back to #6.

All the best to Bunting & his selectors.

Can’t see anyone being handicapped other than poor scrummaging teams.

What I’m talking about is when say a team gets pushed back in a scrum, they have conceded ball/territory/momentum, and if they also happen to say collapse or stand up as well, they’re penalized.

You simply can’t penalize them twice, it makes no sense. If they say refuse to budge in the face of SAs power but then collapse or pop because they’re not strong enough, then yes, SA should be given a penalty as the weaker scrum didn’t concede any other advantage.

Italy’s powerful enough to take SA on head on, but most nations would be lightweights compared to them and have no chance stopping the SAn scrum rolling forward. They should look to shorten it from 5m to 2m before the scrum is over, force a good scrum team to use that platform to attack from. Better for everybody.

Remember this: “Poor pathetic uneducated person.“?

But hey, this is the internet, feel free to keep on lying to protect your fragile little ego.

Weren’t you sick enough with that last year?

Bull! HELP!

But at least previously Reece could have been subbed out if he wasn’t doing much, now he’s a cert to remain on the park theres even less reason to have a replacement for him on the bench.

Didn’t I make it obvious Saders?!?

McKenzie, he's like a wildly energetic dog that doesn't stop being a pup until the age of six.

McKenzie is no longer the young pup, he's entering his best years as a ten, he's been a test player for nine years and that's really starting to produce under Razor.

NZ sometimes pigeon holes players early and can be blind to the McKenzie late bloomers, McKenzie is a loyal, passionate Allblack and it's only because of a double world player of the year that he's not starting at ten each time for the Allblacks.

For those that get to meet McKenzie he's a relaxed, friendly, courteous and composed person and he is looking likely to peak as a ten at RWC.

However, McKenzie isn't really the guy we need to replace and Love is the nearest thing NZ has as a younger model. Instead NZ needs to be looking for a guy with the size and height of Beauden, Pollard, Farrell, Larkham, Sexton.

Carter was a freak at ten and McKenzies also really special but the games now dominated by first fives that are noticeably over six foot. A smaller guy needs to be freakishly talented.

Love is a handy player that plays well at both fullback and ten, he's got a really good mindset and a superb footballer like McKenzie but I'm a crowded fullback field that still has Jordie Barret around to fill in, Love needs to spend a lot more time at ten, a position that NZ is struggling with for world class depth.

As for Naitoa, he needs a run at six, he's a lock that's really better suited to six.

The French are a handful and the Allblacks can really build a strong year by winning the third test, once the games under control then Love should be swapped with McKenzie to have his chance at ten.

And especially ALB doesn’t need a ‘thank’ you cap.