Carter stars as ABs smash Scots
11 Nov 2012
JON CARDINELLI reports on the All Blacks’ effortless 51-22 victory against Scotland on Sunday.
New Zealand operated at a low gear for much of this contest. There were times when they stepped up the intensity and produced some magical attacking touches, where they exhibited the high level of execution that we’ve come to expect from the best team on the planet. But for the most part, they didn’t control the game by playing for territory, and their defence wasn’t up to its usual high standards.
Perhaps the inconsistency was down to the changes made by coach Steve Hansen for this particular fixture. Perhaps it was down to motivation. Indeed, while the All Blacks played the game at breakneck speed, they weren’t at their combative best. Then again, they didn’t need to be.
Dan Carter made an early error to give the Scottish optimists hope. In the build up, Scotland had spoken about rush defence tactics keeping the New Zealanders at bay. This paid dividends early on, with centre Matt Scott intercepting a pass made by Carter. Scott then found Tim Visser in support, and the Flying Dutchman finished what would be the first of his two tries.
But the Scots failed to maintain that defensive pressure. Carter made amends for that no-look pass soon after by making two linebreaks in a subsequent movement. The Scots were punished for standing off the All Blacks flyhalf, as Carter’s second break led to the simplest of tries for Israel Dagg.
While the All Blacks underperformed in certain areas, Carter was in sublime form in front of goal. He finished the match with figures of nine from 10, and a personal tally of 21 points.
Carter also had a hand in several of the All Blacks’ tries. The visitors played the game at a furious pace, making easy ground and linebreaks through the inside channels.
Once the initial break was made, men like Carter were key in identifying the space, and across the board, the All Blacks’ handling skills and finishing was excellent.
Scotland No 7 Ross Rennie was injured early in the match, and the hosts battled to compete at the breakdown thereafter. The absence of a genuine openside meant that Scotland had nobody to slow down the All Blacks’ ruck recycle. This in turn made it difficult for the Scots’ line defence, as there was not much time to realign.
The All Blacks conceded three tries in this fixture, and this will annoy the coaching staff. Scotland did well to take three chances. If they had been more clinical, they may have scored another when All Blacks No 6 Adam Thomson was in the sin bin if they had only secured a lineout throw on the opposition try-line. As it transpired, they only succeeded in handing possession back to the All Blacks.
It’s frightening to think about how much further damage a full strength All Blacks’ side, or indeed one operating at full intensity, may have inflicted on Scotland. The All Blacks cruised to a 51-22 victory on Sunday without producing their most polished display. It’s a simple truth that highlights the gulf in quality between the world champions and the Six Nations stragglers.
342 Comments
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11 Nov 2012, 20:20 pm
An entertaining AB performance. Played the game at an incredible pace, particularly in the first half, but credit to the Scots their fitness was up to it. Tries well taken by the Scots, even the intercept wasn’t an easy finish as a couple of AB backs were in hot pursuit.
I didn’t see the first half of the Bok game, but I saw the second half and thought they played well. Extremely physical, dominated the collision and once in front there didn’t seem any way back for the Irish. The Irish backline was disappointing – they just shovelled the ball along the back line out to the full back on the overlap, too easy for the Boks to defend. They needed to straighten the attack in the midfield 50% of the time to counter the Bok drift defence.
What about the Argies thrashing Wales? Great result for them, they have won in the NH plenty of times before but not by that sort of margin against a top side. Although the Pumas tired towards the end of the RC, when they are fresh they are a formidable team.
11 Nov 2012, 20:20 pm
@katman-198:
You’re missing the point. It has nothing to do with a choir, but just the beauty of 40,000 welsh supporters singing in unison, completely unaided. If you’d ever been there, you’d understand.
11 Nov 2012, 20:22 pm
@ryecatcher-199: They’re probably the only country in the world of which the players can belt out a tune. And the enthusiasm and passion are wonderful. Watch Alun Wyn Jones or Jamie Roberts, or even the little boy standing next to the captain. That’s how you sing something you believe.
11 Nov 2012, 20:23 pm
What is the consensus from the Bok posters on Lambie’s peformance? From what I saw, he looked good. Stood up in the line rather than in the pocket, and passed to players running at holes. Seemed very comfortable to me.
I think you Bok supporters are being too negative about the Irish game. The Irish know how to slow the game down, frustrate and spoil. You did well to come back into the game, and really control the show for the last 20.
11 Nov 2012, 20:26 pm
@katman-198: Thanks Pal
11 Nov 2012, 20:27 pm
@corporal punishment-204: on a night when most Boks were poor, Lambie was fine. Miles better than anything dished up by Morne Steyn this year.
Lambie is the closest we have to Carter. View this link and tell me you don’t see a bit of the Carter on show today: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6wP8tivE1A
Goosen is good too but seems to be a walking sick note.
ps consider yourself fortunate you didn’t see the first half.
11 Nov 2012, 20:27 pm
@David-202: But I have, David. I stood amongst them as they sang this. And I made friends with the finest Welshman on the planet while I was there.
The choir bit was only mentioned because the various rugby bodies always arrange for some kind of lead singer or accompaniment – often a two season old idols nearly ran or a ghastly duet. But the Welsh often stick 30 old men on the field and let the crowd do the rest.
I saw them play here at Newlands years ago, and they brought along their own male voice choir who then belted out an anthem, without amplification, that shut the stadium up.
11 Nov 2012, 20:28 pm
@David-178:
Because you are the only worthwhile association footbball person to engage on Keo you deserve a reply even though the ‘rational you’ has long left the room of sanity:
” The caveat to this win was that the goals they scored from Matej Vydra, Almen Abdi, Mark Yeates, Sean Murray and Troy Deeney all came after Leeds had been reduced to nine men( Almen Abdi 61′ • Mark Yeates 75′ • Matej Vydra 83′ • Sean Murray 90′ +5′ • Troy Deeney 90′ +9) ”
However, since I am always about the truth I will say that LUFC has for 7 yrs. now been a Ken Bates circus and everybody in Leeds and /or globally connected to LUFC wants him out and/or deceased. By Saturday when the “exclusivity period” is history the final answer could be known although even as I write I read that media cameras are hovering around ER since the take-over is expected to be made known..
This is my last post but one, since I have to get to JFK, but tell the ‘rugby boertjie’ hoodlums I am not interested in any of their questions about anything since their credibility is non-existent.
11 Nov 2012, 20:30 pm
No mention of the Thomson head stamp on Rennie in your report Jon? all the worse for him punching a helpless Rennie first and the ball only being on the NZ side because of McCaw deliberately falling on the wrong side.
I don’t suppose we’ll hear the howls of NZ posters that we usually do when someone lays a finger on McCheat.
11 Nov 2012, 20:33 pm
@ET.-208:
MOT.
11 Nov 2012, 20:33 pm
@Big Hit-209: McCaw fell on the wrong side at least half a dozen times. He got penalised once. And then that Welsh microphonemonkey called it harsh.
11 Nov 2012, 20:34 pm
The Welsh, Scottish (O’ Flower of Scotland) and Irish (Ireland’s call) have the best rugby anthems of them all. Tunes you want to belt out with full gusto.
Not like our mish-mashed mess.
11 Nov 2012, 20:36 pm
@Liewe Luiperd-206: I agree, I thought Lambie was playing a similar style of game to Carter or Cruden, standing in the line and passing in the traffic. Looked comfortable doing it. When the Boks pick a more penatrative midfield, Lambies style of play will be v dangerous.
TBH, I didn’t think much of Lambie at FB, I felt he was not a great defender in that position and didn’t have the top end speed required either (I realise this will be heresy to the Bok supporters who love him at FB). He seems much better suited to first receiver, with the bonus that he gets in the game a lot more and can use his distribution skills to great effect. Like him there.
11 Nov 2012, 20:37 pm
@David-202:
Here is the gist of the ake-over story:
Palmer sees Leeds EPL return with Dubai takeover.
” Dubai: UAE-resident and former Leeds United midfielder Carlton Palmer, has heralded an imminent takeover of his old club by Dubai-based firm Gulf Finance House Capital [GFH], as a “massive” development. But he’s also stressed the need to keep current coach Neil Warnock in charge should the deal go through.
GFH Capital is believed to be just days away from confirming a £52 million takeover for the three-time English First Division titlists, and securing current owner Ken Bates’ 72.85 per cent stake of the Yorkshire-based club.
If successful, the private-equity firm is also expected to regain ownership of Leeds United’s Elland Road stadium and Thorp Arch training ground, sold by the previous board in 2004. Any announcement, expected this week, would put the wayward Championship strugglers back on path toward Premier League football, after eight years in the doldrums.
Current manager Neil Warnock revealed on Thursday that he’s already been told, by prospective owners, to ready a wish-list of new players for the January transfer window. But following a 6-1 defeat at home to Watford on Saturday, the club is 17th in the Championship and without a win in six games, meaning his position could come under review. ”
I am sure as a sane Englishman that story can be thoroughly assimilated and appreciated by you. See you in May on your way down.
I am now gone.
11 Nov 2012, 20:38 pm
@ET.-208:
if only you could go the way JFK did…
11 Nov 2012, 20:39 pm
@Jinx2-210:
I do not associate with back-stabbers even if they sport my colours.
Only bad things have happened since that Chesterfield sob shoved SH.Wed’s Kirkland.
11 Nov 2012, 20:39 pm
@katman-207:
I must admit I was there almost 50 years ago (the old Cardiff Arms Park), when the idea of staging an anthem was still well into the future. The beauty was the impromptu rendition of Bread of Heaven as the game progressed, as well. Only the Welsh could have a rugby poet (Max Boyce) and recently an official poet (Owen Sheers).
11 Nov 2012, 20:41 pm
@Big Hit-209:
did not watch the match but it would not surprise me in the least.
i would even bet you missed a lot more.
11 Nov 2012, 20:41 pm
Scotland? Meh… easybeats.
11 Nov 2012, 20:41 pm
@ET.-214:
should read TAKE-OVER before you make it cake-over
11 Nov 2012, 20:41 pm
@corporal punishment-201: I didn’t watch the 80 but the little I saw they were the usual. The skirts were competitive at stages(the parts I watched) but the AB’s are a class apart. Boks were abysmal in the first half and attritional in the second which the potato gobblers were unable to match. But the Boks were lousy in the extreme. Comparing them to the AB’s I’d say they were the level of a C team and would have been smashed against a committed AB onslaught. Just my thoughts.
11 Nov 2012, 20:43 pm
Well done to the All Blacks today. Very entertaining match from a team that plays positive rugby.
Great work at the breakdown to secure easy ball for Weepu.
Great offloading in the tackle to disrupt the defensive line.
Great variety on attack to keep the opposition guessing.
And all this without many first choice players.
I hope Heyneke Meyer watched that game and took notes.
11 Nov 2012, 20:43 pm
@David-217: I was so taken with their national pride, that I put a Cymru sticker on my old car here in SA when I returned. I love how they keep their history and their language alive without too much effort. The only thing I don’t like about them is that idiot Jonathan Davies on the BBC commentary team. He gives the entire Wales a terrible name.
11 Nov 2012, 20:44 pm
Not a great performance by the ABs today. We let in three tries, which is poor considering our try line wasn’t breached 2008-2009 during the autumn internationals. Read was rested, as was the midfield but that’s no excuse, it’s almost a full strength team. On the other hand, scoring six tries even though our rhythm was disrupted is nothing to sneeze at. Carter was at his best, Savea keeps performing and Ben Smith impressed me more than I expected. Would be interesting to see how he goes against better opposition but I doubt he’ll get more than maybe 15 minutes vs Wales.
Kerr-Barlow will not be happy but I’m sure he’ll get another 20 minutes next week. Weepu on the other hand looked great. Having three youngsters nipping at his heels must have worked.
Another one of those games where everyone, including me, will say the ABs look fragile/rusty/beatable but we posted 51 points on a team that has beaten Australia, South Africa, Ireland in recent years. The unbeaten streak goes on.
And Thompson. The intent and result were less than Greyling/Higgenbotham but foot to head is a no no. If his ban is less than three weeks, I hope the ABs stand him down regardless for embarrassing the jersey. That’s his career over unfortunately.
11 Nov 2012, 20:46 pm
@Big Hit-209: I didn’t see the punch, but it looked to me that Thomson tried to pull out of rucking the Scotsman’s head – he certainly didn’t hit him with any force. Fair enough he got yellow carded tho.
The complaint the Kiwi’s have is that McCaw is clearly targetted for off the ball play, as part of the game plan of the teams the AB’s face. The deliberate and premeditated assaults on the AB captain are simply a disgrace to rugby. I am not saying the AB’s are saints, and it is no surprise to me that Thomson got yellow carded. However, he is only guilty of random acts of thuggishness, rather than implementing a team wide policy of targetting an opposition player for illegal cheap shots.
I include NZ Super 15 teams in this criticism. The worst targetting of McCaw this year was actually by the Chiefs in the semi-final. The ref’s management of that game was pathetic, several Chiefs players should have been red carded for off the ball assaults on McCaw.
BTW, I am a Hurricanes fan and don’t particularly like the Crusaders, but the ritual cheaps shots on McCaw are a blot on rugby.
11 Nov 2012, 20:47 pm
@David-217: showing your age David. But yes. Those days were something to cherish. I remember Max Boyes. We used to refer to him as “Max Baise” but I was too young to witness him in the flesh. Those were the days of Wales rugby in its heyday, with Gareth Edwards to the fore. No?
11 Nov 2012, 20:48 pm
@Big Hit-209:
Yes Thompson should be sitting on the sidelines for a number of weeks say 3 games into the new year for a deliberate foot stamp/ruck on the head of a prone player, that was dumb and lucky that guy was wearing head protection cause it could have opened him up and if there was blood like Higginson on JPR it would be an incident that will be long remembered.
11 Nov 2012, 20:49 pm
@katman-223: Great player.In league too(I think)
11 Nov 2012, 20:49 pm
@gonzo-224: Yep, I won’t be sad to see the back of Thomson. Agree the intent less than Greyling/Higgenbotham, but can’t argue if he gets a long ban cos as you say, foot on the head is a no no.
11 Nov 2012, 20:50 pm
@gonzo-224: Hi Pal.The thread is about
the Welsh now.
11 Nov 2012, 20:53 pm
@corporal punishment-225:
Get real…..the Chiefs played that game with heart and menace…..Richie is the flagship of that team and the Chiefs had to negate him….saying some Chiefs players should have been red carded rhymes with re-tarded
11 Nov 2012, 20:55 pm
@TASSIES-226:
Yes. And his best known poem, the Pontypryd Front Row. That was the same era as the ’71 and ’74 Lions tours to NZ and SA.
11 Nov 2012, 20:55 pm
@katman-223: now why am I totally in agreement with you? If I were JD I’d enroll for a coarse in throat speech co-ordination. Isn’t that what everyone does these days? Gotta slight toe alignment impediment, call your toe alignment impediment specialist for a short course of eight visits and problem alignment with the toe solved. Next problem…………
11 Nov 2012, 20:56 pm
@David-232: wasn’t he our favorite whistle-man? Or am I getting ahead of myself?
11 Nov 2012, 20:57 pm
@Te Rangatira-231: The Chiefs were so dirty, I was embarrassed to be watching a NZ rugby team. Hang your head in shame for your comments
11 Nov 2012, 20:59 pm
@corporal punishment-235:
Hang my head in shame….take your head outta your…..
11 Nov 2012, 21:02 pm
@corporal punishment-225: well said and a most objective post. You could assimilate this with the tall poppy syndrome. I’m not making a study of this because your captain can certainly look after himself but I’ve often suspected that he makes an excellent target, especially from my fellow brethren. Which doesn’t leave me with a good warm feeling about same brethren I might add.
11 Nov 2012, 21:02 pm
you must be a Chief’s supporter who watched the game outta his …. that’s the only explanation I can see for your shameful defence of that filth…
11 Nov 2012, 21:04 pm
@TASSIES-237: The Aussies certainly have made a habit of it. Tho one has to question the wisdom of nominating the No10 to be the hit man… Higgs was a more logical choice
11 Nov 2012, 21:05 pm
@corporal punishment-238:
No I’m a rugby supporter…….and when I see a team playing with pride and passion and belief then I will defend them….with gutso….
11 Nov 2012, 21:06 pm
@Te Rangatira-236: nice to see some combat with the warheads not directed at the southern tip for a change. Things looking up.
11 Nov 2012, 21:07 pm
BTW, before Big Hit raises it, yes, I think Umaga and Mealamu should have received a long suspension after the injury to O’Driscoll. I don’t think they intended it to be a spear tackle, but I do think Umaga in particular intended to hurt BOD. I’ve re-watched that game a few times, and Umaga was (uncharachteristically) out of control for most of the match. A lot of reckless late and high tackles. While the AB’s have been a pretty clean team since the Hart era (1996 onwards) there have still been some bad incidents.
11 Nov 2012, 21:08 pm
@Te Rangatira-240: With gutso? Is that a fat stomach you are gonna slap me with??
11 Nov 2012, 21:08 pm
@TASSIES-234:
Yeah, Max Blaise.
11 Nov 2012, 21:11 pm
two kiwis arguing over the extent of another kiwi teams dirty play
there’s a larf
11 Nov 2012, 21:13 pm
simple answer,
macaw and his team are and always have been dirty
but on the day of that semi final
the chiefs were dirtier
11 Nov 2012, 21:15 pm
@corporal punishment-243:
Mate I could slapp you around with a number of appendages…..
11 Nov 2012, 21:17 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-245:
Hi Houston……seems you have a convert in the little corporal….now theres a larf
11 Nov 2012, 21:20 pm
Yep mccheat is the worlds best (cheat).
Good player, great cheater.
11 Nov 2012, 21:21 pm
@Te Rangatira-248:
hehehe
hi TR, considering how hard it is to get you guys to admit to your dishonest approach to the game, i’ll take it where i can get it
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