ABs braced for French heavies
27 Nov 2009
Neemia Tialata says the All Blacks are prepared for the scrum battle against France on Saturday.
While France were dominant in the physical match up against the Springboks a fortnight ago, the Les Bleus forwards also had the advantage over the South African pack as they had the upper hand at the scrums and used the set piece as a source of momentum.
As the All Blacks get ready for the last Test in Marseilles, Tialata is confident he will be able to hold his own at the scrums.
‘I have to be [to be ready]. This is going be the game of the tour and game of the year as well,’ he told stuff.co.nz. ‘It’s 1-1 so far, and we’ve picked a team to combat what they’re going to bring. It’s going to be won or lost up front, just like every other week.
‘They’re pretty good up front, they’ve picked a team to bring the battle, and they’ll want to target us up front. That’s nothing new.’
The All Blacks have had some bad experiences in the scrums this tour, especially against Italy where they were penalised on numerous occasions and Tialata was sent off in the latter stages of the Test.
IRB head of referees Paddy O’Brien apologised after the game and Tialata believes things will go better against France.
‘We had a chat to big [refs] boss Paddy O’Brien, and let all our frustrations out on him… against Italy we were frustrated and surprised at some of the calls. It was good to have Paddy there to clear some things up, and share some thoughts with. Last week it gave the boys a bit of confidence knowing the ref wouldn’t be an issue. There were a few resets, but as long as there’s not 20 or 30 like we had against Italy.
The All Blacks prop even added some advice for match referee Alain Rolland.
‘Just call the crouch, touch, pause, engage, and don’t try to coach us. Just ref the game. We want to hit, get a good hit, and then just play. We want to play rugby and not scrum all day,’ he said.
118 Comments
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27 Nov 2009, 18:36 pm
@gunther: I’ll do anything for a ******* as everyone knows.
27 Nov 2009, 18:37 pm
@gunther: whoops got moderated. But everyone knows that I will do anything for a BJ.
27 Nov 2009, 18:37 pm
I am also out gentlemen. See you all through the window.
27 Nov 2009, 18:50 pm
paddy goodness for paddy o’brien, even the neemia tialatas of this world can now be smug & go on about not wanting to scrum all day (strangely this should be his primary job), amazing what an apology from the “big boss” can do for one’s groot bek.
davey crockett must’ve moaned quite vociferously after the italian game. thanks to castrogiovanni, the whinging kiwis & the state of the art camera work @ the san siro stadium, the game of rugby would still be saddled with a referee who is clueless about what is going on.
27 Nov 2009, 18:58 pm
@gunther:
Nothing wrong with a gar between friends, aye Monica.
outta here.
Haere ra
(hey, didnt realise BaXXies was out ?! Eish. Still take the Boks tho, but Boks without the big fella not quite so scary. And refs can concentrate on the game for once)
27 Nov 2009, 19:26 pm
@Transformation: shameful really when your scrum is so pathetic you have to compromise your countryman’s reffing neutrality and bully him into making excuses for you.
France are much changed for this NZ game, not as strong a side as the one which faced SA. No doubt we’ll hear all the chirping from he Kiwis if they win but it still wasn’t the side which took on the Boks in Toulouse. If they lose well, that just shows how weak they are.
27 Nov 2009, 20:33 pm
wow, i’m stoked.
waka mentioned me in one of his erudite posts – albeit as “that twit charo”.
so my crusade against derogatory posts from uninformed bloggers seems to be working.
nothing against kiwis in general and welcome the good guys here.
but waka is on a crusade to get under saffas’ skins.
- jp duminy you biscuit – see ya kevin pietersen
27 Nov 2009, 20:38 pm
@WakaNathan:
waka, show me one post where i have been derogatory to the all blacks or individual players.
unlike you, who constantly lays into bok players or the team in general.
you are such a sanctimonious git.
27 Nov 2009, 23:27 pm
see on nzherald all blacks are talking about mental fatigue.
oz obviously are fatigued.
boks really are.
so maybe it’s not imaginary after all.
28 Nov 2009, 00:20 am
@charo:
Youre talking complete b*ll*xs, as usual.
To be fair, this is the ABs 5th consecutive Test on tour. And they won their last match. It seems to discredit the victorious opposition somewhat when you claim fatigue after the 1st Test on tour tho.
28 Nov 2009, 01:00 am
@WakaNathan: at least somebody noticed it as well!
28 Nov 2009, 11:10 am
@Big Hit:
Big HIt,a win is a win.
You congratulate the players and their fans on the win. You dont say ” Not a bad win but it wasnt Frances strongest team”. What makes you think NZ is fielding their strongest team. To me we have left a few players behind that should be playing. If we win,for sure i will be chirping away.
28 Nov 2009, 12:08 pm
@Hurricane: hi hurricane. Well my friend you have to speak to our resident intellectual wakanathan about that one, he is the one who is always reminding us that france beat new zealand earlier in the year without dan carter & richie mcCaw and he conviniently forgets the make up of the french team that toured on june.
28 Nov 2009, 14:35 pm
@WakaNathan:
All the refs seem to favour the home team these days.
28 Nov 2009, 15:56 pm
@Transformation:
You really are the most smallminded individual on this whole blog, amidst stiff opposition. Are you mates with Charo ? perhaps related ?
28 Nov 2009, 16:05 pm
@WakaNathan: again, look who’s talking…ha ha ha
28 Nov 2009, 16:19 pm
@WakaNathan: that’s actually a compliment coming from the biggest doos on this blog…
28 Nov 2009, 22:39 pm
@Transformation:
Hi Transformation
Waka has his own ideas,i have mine. Waka is as man with alot of knowledge about the game. I enjoy his posts as sometimes a few of your fellow countrymen need to be bought down to earth.
There seems to be alot of agro against him on here lately,its a shame really.
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