Italy v All Blacks

booboo

I am happy to give Lam a crack, but long-term I’m not sure he is the answer. Good player, but not really what we need at 12… another outside back. Need a good hard runner, who can distribute. Despite the criticism, the ABs were massively worse after taking J Barrett off

Not sure it was a choice

Bones

Real shame ENS got injured, he's accurate and well rounded, could go great guns at test level. Fihaki is unexplainable.

brodean

@Bones said in New Zealand v Italy:

Real shame ENS got injured, he's accurate and well rounded, could go great guns at test level. Fihaki is unexplainable.

Yeah he's even luckier than Havili.

He's still in the squad isn't he? Or will Tele'a be fit?

The update said Plummers injury was minor leg injury. Will Lam be retained?

brodean

@Mr-Fish said in New Zealand v Italy:

Ethan de Groot
Asafo Aumua
Pasilio Tosi
Patrick Tuipulotu
Josh Lord
Ardie Savea
Sam Cane
Peter Lakai
Cam Roigard
Damian McKenzie
Caleb Clarke
David Havili
Anton Lienert-Brown
Mark Tele'a
Ruben Love

George Bell
Ofa Tu'ungafasi
Fletcher Newell
Fabian Holland
Christian Lio-Willie
TJ Perenara
Stephen Perofeta
AJ Lam

The starting midfield has a bit of a tang to it.

Mr Fish

@brodean It does but it's hard to see Razor plumping for any other options given they're both part of the original EOYT squad and neither has seen significant minutes.

I don't really think AJ Lam is the long-term answer either so while I'd prefer to see him get a run ahead of Havili so he can at least prove me wrong, it's not something I'll be losing sleep over.

Would love to have had Billy Proctor, Quinn Tupaea or Riley Higgins in there as a better option but don't think they're with the squad.

Maybe (and I'm only half joking here) Chay Fihaki?

frugby

@booboo said in New Zealand v Italy:

@frugby said in New Zealand v Italy:

I am happy to give Lam a crack, but long-term I’m not sure he is the answer. Good player, but not really what we need at 12… another outside back. Need a good hard runner, who can distribute. Despite the criticism, the ABs were massively worse after taking J Barrett off

Not sure it was a choice

No, but that second half, I think showed how important he is to us (at least while we don’t have a gun 10)…

nostrildamus

@frugby said in New Zealand v Italy:

I am happy to give Lam a crack, but long-term I’m not sure he is the answer. Good player, but not really what we need at 12… another outside back. Need a good hard runner, who can distribute. Despite the criticism, the ABs were massively worse after taking J Barrett off

Um are we talking about Lam's game at 12? He can run pass and tackle. One thing I haven't seen enough of to judge is his kicking.

nostrildamus

@brodean said in New Zealand v Italy:

The starting midfield has a bit of a tang to it.

Tang? What do you mean? I thought it meant something sharp?

frugby

@nostrildamus said in New Zealand v Italy:

@frugby said in New Zealand v Italy:

I am happy to give Lam a crack, but long-term I’m not sure he is the answer. Good player, but not really what we need at 12… another outside back. Need a good hard runner, who can distribute. Despite the criticism, the ABs were massively worse after taking J Barrett off

Um are we talking about Lam's game at 12? He can run pass and tackle. One thing I haven't seen enough of to judge is his kicking.

Kicking a big issue I think… the other thing which we won’t know until tried also, is his running lines. Havili and ALB both struggle to carry straight up the guts at the top top level.

Lam in theory should be able to do it, but it does not always play out like that

canefan

@frugby said in New Zealand v Italy:

@nostrildamus said in New Zealand v Italy:

@frugby said in New Zealand v Italy:

I am happy to give Lam a crack, but long-term I’m not sure he is the answer. Good player, but not really what we need at 12… another outside back. Need a good hard runner, who can distribute. Despite the criticism, the ABs were massively worse after taking J Barrett off

Um are we talking about Lam's game at 12? He can run pass and tackle. One thing I haven't seen enough of to judge is his kicking.

Kicking a big issue I think… the other thing which we won’t know until tried also, is his running lines. Havili and ALB both struggle to carry straight up the guts at the top top level.

Lam in theory should be able to do it, but it does not always play out like that

Only one way to find out. Proctor is ahead, but he isn't there. So I'd like to see Lam get some time. I fear that Razor will waste minutes on DH instead

frugby

Team I’d personally pick (and I am fully aware the team won’t be anywhere near this):

de Groot
Bell
Tosi
Holland
Barrett
Lio-Willie
Cane
Lakai
Roigard
McKenzie
Tele’a
Lam
Ioane
Jordan
Love
Taylor
Williams
Newell
Lord
Savea
Perenara
Perofeta
Lienert-Brown

Bones

@frugby why Lio-Willie and why drop Sititi?

canefan

@frugby Too many noobs for me. It's still a test match

sparky

Williams, Aumua, Lomax, Vaii, Tuipolutu, Sititi, Cane (c), Savea, Roigard, DMac, Clarke, ALB, Reiko, Jordan, Love.

Bench: Bell, De Groot, Tosi, Holland, Lakai, TJP, B. Barrett, Tupaea.

Mr Fish

@sparky said in New Zealand v Italy:

Williams, Aumua, Lomax, Vaii, Tuipolutu, Sititi, Cane (c), Savea, Roigard, DMac, Clarke, ALB, Reiko, Jordan, Love.

Bench: Bell, De Groot, Tosi, Holland, Lakai, TJP, B. Barrett, Tupaea.

Suspect there'll be considerable more change than that.

I'm expecting a team closer to the one that faced Japan than the one that faced France.

Jailbreak7

Shit at this rate I'm pleased we're not playing Georgia. (watching Italy vs Georgia atm, and Georgia are smashing them all over the park)

DaGrubster

@Jailbreak7 said in New Zealand v Italy:

Shit at this rate I'm pleased we're not playing Georgia. (watching Italy vs Georgia atm, and Georgia are smashing them all over the park)

You are talking about the team that lost to our c team?

Wurzel

I’ll let you into a secret, Georgia couldn’t give a shit about playing C teams. They lift themselves when facing Test sides.

Bones

@Wurzel said in New Zealand v Italy:

I’ll let you into a secret, Georgia couldn’t give a shit about playing C teams. They lift themselves when facing Test sides.

Sounds like a stupid way to go about promoting yourself on the world stage. They'll always lose to Scotland and Wales in the 7 nations then.

Jet

I want Will Jordan to play any way.....

Closing in on Howletts record.

The Silver Fern

Italy v All Blacks