They did the basics right and won every collision etc easily. I'd take a performance like that from England happily!

I think NZ need to get shut of Leuluai at SH if they want to improve. Not a fan of Fien at 7 but he would do a better job and Issac Luke would go well at hooker, he played really well in the Anzac Test this season. They could even play Hohaia at 7 and it would be an improvement tbh.

If Motu Tony and Brent Webb were fit im not sure Hohaia or Fien would be playing. Not a fan of TL at 7 with a running 6 next to him either but thought Marshall really struggled to impose himself on the game too. Noticable that when he could be bothered to run at the line he looked dangerous but looked totally lethargic.

The Tonga/Ireland game was the best match of the World cup so far. Some very big hits from the Tongan's but credit to Ireland for the way they played also.
The next step for the NRL must be to add teams from PNG & the Pacific nations.

PNG definately.

Webb would be the fullback no question and he makes a difference to NZ. Not sure about Motu, he would get in ahead of Hohaia but think Luke and Fien would be ahead of him in the hooking role. He would make the squad though.

NZ have always had this problem, if Stacey Jones does not play 7 they have noone to get them around the field. Considering the finish to the season NZW had with Fien playing at 7 then I thought they would go with him there.

Marshall is an amazing player, some of his 'no look' balls are amazing, However he was playing with no SH and behind a beaten pack so he had no room to work with.

Could the same not be said about TL though? Cant make excuses for one half back and not the other.

Would a joint Pacific Island franchise work? Just wondering whether their national identities would accept a combined team and it could work financially, logistically and on the field?

Not to sure of a Samoa /Tonga franchise

If you want to compare TL and BM then be my guest. Of course its the same for both but the difference is Marshall is a quality player at any level and TL just isn't.

Looks like we'll see Calderwood against the Aussies, terrible luck for Smith. news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_l ... 692459.stm

Looks like we'll see Calderwood against the Aussies, terrible luck for Smith. news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_l ... 692459.stm

Im not comparing them, my point was that if you are saying Marshall was annonymous because of a beaten pack it can be said about why TL was poor too.

TL is taking a hammering in the Aussie press so much so that Adrian Lam is even discussing who will replace him at 7 for the game against PNG!



Very few Kiwis made any impression on the game so to make Tommy the scape goat is pretty harsh IMO.

Yup, and they are very short of options. Expectations were probably higher of Marshall that TL, i would have expected Marshall to get more stick.

Harsh but fair. He was poor earlier in the year aswell for NZ. He is not to blame for the defeat but in all honesty they need a better no.7 then him.

Marshall is still a bit of a golden boy I reckon. Hasnt played many internationals so probably getting more slack because of this.

Would expect if his performances dont improve over the next couple of games that the pressure will be on him. The PNG game this weekend is a massive one for both countries.

Fien could play at 7 and he did run his blood to water yesterday but again I dont think he has the quality in that position to compete against the Aussies.

Like I said I agree about that but TL just is not good enough to play 7 for NZ. Marshall has been hit and miss this season after coming back from a horrendous run on injuries. However as the season went on he started to show some of the brilliance that he is known for. He should be back to his best next season I would have though with a full offseason behind him. He has drifted in and out of games this season but Kearney will know he can be a gamebreaker and there is no way he will be dropped.

Think this replies for me too



Marshall appears to be a golden boy with no substance at international level. He needs to turn it on soon.

He is regarded as a golden boy due to his performances in the NRL at a very young age. Before he got injured he was THE most exciting player in world rugby. He has finally got back playing this season and its taken him time to get his confidence back.

Nobody has ever said he is proven at International level and whether or not he produces his best in this comp he will still be the no.6 for NZ next year. I would strongly doubt there is any timescale for him to 'turn it on soon' in all honesty.

He can do things that no one else in the NZ team can, all he needs is the right platform.

That is the Kiwis problem. Since Stacey Jones they have not had a world class scrum half. Marshall is an out and out stand off who probably has the weight of the Kiwi expectation on his shoulders...or he will have if they dont improve this weekend with a different 7 next to him.

Losing the experince in the pack and the sheer class of SBW leaves the Kiwis looking fairly ordinary to me.

Replacing Jones was always going to be difficult. There is no one really shining at SH for them and I really don't think TL will ever be the answer.

SBW was imo the best RL player in the world and he would have made a massive difference to the kiwi's. Shame he fecked off.

Looking at the players that no longer play or were injured that i thought still played im not surprised.

Players like Solomona, Lautiti, Kidwell, Wiki, Webb, Tony, Pritchard, Puleatua

ive not seen NRL for a year or two so im sure someone can tell me why these players didnt play. (i know why webb and tony didnt)

Obviously SBW is a huge loss too.

The ones in bold are in the Samoa squad iirc, think that Pritchard maybe as well but thats more of a guess than knowledge

Mostly injured although some of them were not going to play for NZ anyway, they had opted to play for Tonga or Samoa.

Just watched Tonga v Ireland, great game.

Willie Manu played very well, as did both centre's Jennings was great, Leo Latu was awesome from dummy half, and the Forwards were tough, if they cut out the ill discipline and errors they would have looked loads better.

Wouldn't mind a couple of those players in a Hull shirt.