Japan vs All Blacks

[Gumboot]

Nissan Stadium, Yokohama

Saturday, 26 October
Local: 2:50pm
NZ: 6:50pm

Referee: Jordan Way (Aus)
Assistant Referee 1: Nic Berry (Aus)
Assistant Referee 2: Reuben Keane (Aus)
TMO: Damon Murphy (Aus)

Japan:
Yoshitaka Yazaki, Jone Naikabula, Dylan Riley, Nicholas McCurran, Malo Tuitama, Harumichi Tatekawa (captain), Shinobu Fujiwara,
Faulua Makisi, Kazuki Himeno, Amato Fakatava, Warner Dearns, Sanaila Waqa, Shuhei Takeuchi, Atsushi Sakate, Takato Okabe.
Reserves: Mamoru Harada, Takayoshi Mohara, Opeti Helu, Epeneri Uluiviti, Kanji Shimokawa, Taiki Koyama, Tomoki Osada, Takuro Matsunaga

All Blacks

[Kiwias]

Forecast looks ok, with some rain and temperature around 22C.

[Gumboot]

I always enjoy watching Japan. The Japan XV tour of NZ way back in 1974 attracted a fair bit of interest, and admiration for their exciting style of play and high scoring matches against a few provincial unions.

You going to the test, Kiwias?

[Kiwias]

I always enjoy watching Japan. The Japan XV tour of NZ way back in 1974 attracted a fair bit of interest, and admiration for their exciting style of play and high scoring matches against a few provincial unions.

You going to the test, Kiwias?

Nope, I'll be watching it in the comfort of my lounge. I usually enjoy watching Japan but they seem to be losing their way under Eddie 2.0.

[Gumboot]

I always enjoy watching Japan. The Japan XV tour of NZ way back in 1974 attracted a fair bit of interest, and admiration for their exciting style of play and high scoring matches against a few provincial unions.

You going to the test, Kiwias?

Nope, I'll be watching it in the comfort of my lounge. I usually enjoy watching Japan but they seem to be losing their way under Eddie 2.0.

Ah right, I'd forgotten the poison dwarf was back in charge.

[Guy Smiley]

Worst coach of the professional era?

[Guy Smiley]

Roigard, Finau, Perofeta, Lakai and Love

Edit... AND Billy Proctor

[Gumboot]

Guy

OP updated.

[Gumboot]

Like that side.

Great to see Love (finally!) and Lakai getting capped... I reckon Lakai has a long ABs career ahead of him. And Sititi at No.8 should be good, too.

[Kiwias]

Love the midfield combo and great to see Lakai, Love in, with Sititi in his best position

A really exciting team. Looking forward to seeing them blow Japan off the park

[Guy Smiley]

Pretty raw pack with Cane and Tuipolutou the only two really experienced players.

I don't know what it is the coaches see in Tuipolutou myself but he's named as captain. I know Parson's referred to him on the ARP a few weeks back as a player they looked to as a ball carrier. I bow to his experience and insight of course, as all I've seen is a big lazy fuck that can run two steps and fall over but those two steps can be crucial in the battle for territory I guess.

The Roigod starting is awesome and bodes well for a new settling of the halfback role. It'll be interesting to see how his delivery influences the shape of the game.

Finau will want to deliver a strong game and I'm looking forward to seeing whether Perofeta can show some more of that sparkle he had in the 15 jersey early this season.

Lots to digest.Bugger, I'll be at work.

[Enzedder]

Am I reading it right that with DMac playing this game, Spongebob has the England start?

[Guy Smiley]

Am I reading it right that with DMac playing this game, Spongebob has the England start?

That would be surprising. Spongebob got a start to give DMac a rest but DMac is the starting 10. I don't think they'll be playing around with that, I get the impression they want him to develop into that role.

[Kiwias]

How long has it been since there was no Barrett in the match-day squad?

Looking at the 23, there are five players I have real confidence will not be in the RC2027 squad, with one other possible. The forward pack has been rejuvenated to a significant degree and the backline too, excluding 10.

My only comment on PT at lock and captain is that it is like giving a dog a bone and saying "good boy", even when said dog has not been a particularly good boy.

[Sandstorm]

Pretty raw pack with Cane and Tuipolutou the only two really experienced players.

I don't know what it is the coaches see in Tuipolutou myself but he's named as captain. I know Parson's referred to him on the ARP a few weeks back as a player they looked to as a ball carrier. I bow to his experience and insight of course, as all I've seen is a big lazy fuck that can run two steps and fall over but those two steps can be crucial in the battle for territory I guess.

The Roigod starting is awesome and bodes well for a new settling of the halfback role. It'll be interesting to see how his delivery influences the shape of the game.

Finau will want to deliver a strong game and I'm looking forward to seeing whether Perofeta can show some more of that sparkle he had in the 15 jersey early this season.

Lots to digest.Bugger, I'll be at work.

Boks fans make the same comments about Salman Moerat. I guess coaches see something on a Tuesday we don’t or locks get judged differently to other positions??

[Guy Smiley]

Absolutely Sandy... we can kid ourselves as much as we like about we might or might not know but the internal environment of top level sport is way beyond us these days. The sheer volume of data crunching going on must be incredible...

so when it comes to players like Tuipolutou or Beauden Barrett still getting called up all we can do is shrug and accept that there is a photo that involves a goat.

[Gumboot]

Teams just taking the field...

Go, All Blacks!

[Kiwias]

PT can run more than five metres before flopping on a ruck

[Torquemada 1420]

Reece left for dead by a lock

[Kiwias]

Japan try not awarded for knock on and ABs strike immediately from the scrum. Proctor makes it look easy

[Kiwias]

Reece left for dead by a lock

Then outrun by the Japan 10

[Kiwias]

The pitch is shit

[Kiwias]

Aumua being a beast

[Kiwias]

43 - 12 at halftime, Japan looking seriously ragged

[Enzedder]

Took a while to get into it but the last 15 was excellent

[Gumboot]

Took a while to get into it but the last 15 was excellent

Yep. Chiefs loosies playing well.

[Kiwias]

Took a while to get into it but the last 15 was excellent

Yep. AB loosies playing well.

FTFY

[Kiwias]

Six minutes into 2H and we crack the half ton

[Kiwias]

Final has made some monstrous hits, Sititi dangerous with ball in hand

[Kiwias]

Fabulous defense by DMac, saved a try

[Kiwias]

Then we all stand back and let their prop score

[Gumboot]

This is dire.

[Enzedder]

It's been a long time since I gave up watching the ABs during a natch.

Glad I saw 2 quick wickets in the cricket though

[Gumboot]

A win's a win I guess, but the drop off in the quality of the play in the second half has got to be cause for concern.

Bringing on so many reserves at once backfired badly, and DMac's descent into silliness has become a recurring theme, and he should be bloody worried about retaining his 10 jersey after that performance.

Congrats to the debutants though, who I thought both played well.

[Kiwias]

A win's a win I guess, but the drop off in the quality of the play in the second half has got to be cause for concern.

Bringing on so many reserves at once backfired badly, and DMac's descent into silliness has become a recurring theme, and he should be bloody worried about retaining his 10 jersey after that performance.

Congrats to the debutants though, who I thought both played well.

Perenara did not help his cause and yes, chucking on pretty much the whole bench at once broke up any rhythm the team had built in a fine first half.

Sititi, Finau, Roigard, Love, Proctor all played really well.

Reece looks to have lost a lot of pace, Telea has a bad habit of his first move being a step back in field, DMac was DMac, and Havili had a bit of a shocker, at one point chipping a cross-field kick to ........ no-one.

[Certain Navigator]

A win's a win I guess, but the drop off in the quality of the play in the second half has got to be cause for concern.

Bringing on so many reserves at once backfired badly, and DMac's descent into silliness has become a recurring theme, and he should be bloody worried about retaining his 10 jersey after that performance.

Congrats to the debutants though, who I thought both played well.

Perenara did not help his cause and yes, chucking on pretty much the whole bench at once broke up any rhythm the team had built in a fine first half.

Sititi, Finau, Roigard, Love, Proctor all played really well.

Reece looks to have lost a lot of pace, Telea has a bad habit of his first move being a step back in field, DMac was DMac, and Havili had a bit of a shocker, at one point chipping a cross-field kick to ........ no-one.

Sititi demonstrated his usual flair but got more ragged as the game went on, Finau's lack of involvement and physicality (except when it comes to an easy shot) again showed how far he's got to go at international level, Roigard was solid enough but showed a lack of game time, Proctor mixed good with bad, and Love took his opportunities brilliantly but wasn't on long enough to allow any conclusions to be drawn. And far from losing pace, Reece's work, particularly off the ball, made him one of the ABs best.

As for McKenzie, he's succeeded in doing the impossible by making me yearn for Barrett...

[Certain Navigator]

Reece left for dead by a lock

Watch it again, he was wrong-footed by the bounce.

[Uncle fester]

Worst coach of the professional era?

He's shit now but wasn't always so. Took some limited teams to world cup finals.

[Enzedder]

Worst coach of the professional era?

He's shit now but wasn't always so. Took some limited teams to world cup finals.

That's no litmus test.

So did Foster