All Blacks Reality Check And Defending Eye Gouges | Marty's Mailbag

All Blacks discussion, South Africa tour predictions, eye-gouge fallout, Springboks tactics, Bazball, rule changes and fan reactions dominate this week’s DSPN Mailbag.

The comments were flying, and Martin and Lachlan sort through the biggest ones while tackling the debates rugby fans are having everywhere.

We break down the Etzebeth eye gouge and the 12-week suspension, why “I didn’t mean to” doesn’t undo the act, and how fans are split on intent versus responsibility.

From there we head into the All Blacks’ standards, whether a two-all draw in South Africa is realistic, and why some supporters think the team still hasn’t “turned a corner” at all.

There’s also heat on replacements, the offside line, captain’s challenges, and the idea of letting experienced All Blacks play overseas. Martin and Lachlan line up every angle, including Matt Burke’s take on Aussie rugby and Tony Johnson’s list of fixes for the sport.

00:00 All Blacks records and the eye-gouge discussion
02:00 South Africa tour: realistic or soft expectations?
04:45 Why big losses still matter in a drawn series
06:30 The Springboks benchmark and rugby’s shifting top tier
08:30 Bazball, Australia and the Ashes frustration
11:00 Fixing rugby: replacements, offside lines, challenges
14:30 Should NZ pick overseas-based players?
17:30 Fans firing shots at the hosts

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