Player Ratings

[eljay]

Is this really relevant or just a gimmick?       Alderson's ratings from the first test make laughable reading.     Who was the worst AB?      With 5 out of 10 (I suppose a pass mark) was Aaron Smith. and he was alone for the AB's on this rating     I am struggling to remember him making any real blunders, something a player in that position (scrum half) is prone to seeing that he is the link and probably handles the ball so many more times than most of his team mate.       Should he at least have got a 6 along with many of his mates?          Then the French - well they all got 6's & 7"s except for Fabien Sanconnie who also got a 5 making him along with Smith the worst players on the field!!!      Of the starting 15's.      So the French scored 6's and above yet they lost by 40 points.     Come on Alderson - show you know something about the game!!!

[Blue]

Should there even be ratings? I thought it was a "team" game. I heard a couple of guys on radio this morning saying Jordie was doing sweet FA and hardly touched the ball. Seems to be in the right place, right time when it comes to try scoring though. Are these guys just trying to be controversial so they can attract callers otherwise their shows would be even more dull than they already are.

[Uriah Heap]

Quite right Blue. Some of these "commentators" have no idea. If you want to listen to facts and not errant opinion, then tune into this new 1040 Rugby analysis program on Sky. It is excellent. On Tuesday they quite rightly pointed out the great lines Jordie Barrett runs and how the All Blacks utilise this. His first try in particular was no fluke. He started it and finished it, after getting himself to a position to take that final pass from A. L-Brown. He's a very smart rugby player and the natural successor to Ben Smith.