Italy v All Blacks

[Bones]

@Landers92 said in Italy v All Blacks:

Players I can think of that haven’t played again England, Ireland or France below.

Lio-Willie
Lord
Newell
EDG
Love
Havili
TJP

Interesting to see who of the above doesn’t play if that’s true.

50/50

But yeah, there's 3 who have a much better chance.

[darylmitchell]

@Landers92 said in Italy v All Blacks:

Hey team, sorry again for not getting team/backline naming yet again. Proving to be quite difficult this tour, tight lipped and time difference.

What I can say though(I’ve been told) is that there are going to be some player/players who have gone on this tour that aren’t going to get a game, not including the Japan test. Pretty disappointing if that proves to be true. This tour should be used to get as much info on these new guys where possible and playing in these kinds of tests in my opinion.

Razor has proven to be more cowardly than Foster ever was....

Overly conservative with his paranoid 'win-now' selection mentality after we lost 1st Puma's test.... We're 4 years away from the next World Cup you ding dong....

Disrespectfully hands guys like Plummer 2 minutes off the bench, refuses to have confidence in his wider squad...... at all.

If he had any balls Clarke would've played the June series, Love would've gotten far more chances instead of Reece, etc...

Sititi and Lakai would've been fixed in the 23 much earlier (instead of only getting their initial opportunities due to injuries to others). I would rate the season 5.5/10.

[canefan]

@darylmitchell I'd give them a B-, so about the same

[Bones]

@darylmitchell it feels remarkably similar to foster to me. Except Razor got handed a front row and then somehow managed to send various veterans form into a nosedive...

[brodean]

@ACT-Crusader said in Italy v All Blacks:

@BerniesCorner said in Italy v All Blacks:

@brodean said in Italy v All Blacks:

None of those teams played as well as France. None of them have the same ceiling.

I'm still frustrated with the French result. We had it.
DMac first five, Love at 15, Jordan and Clarke on the wings. Our attack certainly would've been different with those players.
Anyway it's done

Not that I think he was playing a stormer, watching a replay, when we lost Jordie the French backline defence did change. For whatever reason we had a bit more space to work with when he was on. These are small margins but that’s often the difference with these sort of matches. We looked sped up rather than playing more methodical.

We got fatigued and didn't being our forward replacements on early enough

[brodean]

@Canes4life said in Italy v All Blacks:

Someone just posted this team in the Stuff comments (yes I know it's not reliable) but it's interesting.

AB team: Love, Tele'a, Lam, ALB, Clarke, Perofeta, Perenara, Sititi, Cane, Lakai, Holland, Tuipolotu (c), Tosi, Taylor EDG.

Subs: Williams, Aumua, Ofa, S Barrett, Savea, Roigard, B Barrett, Reiko

I don't see it happening. If they're giving Perofeta a start at 10 at least give him Roigard at 9.

[Bones]

@brodean said in Italy v All Blacks:

@Canes4life said in Italy v All Blacks:

Someone just posted this team in the Stuff comments (yes I know it's not reliable) but it's interesting.

AB team: Love, Tele'a, Lam, ALB, Clarke, Perofeta, Perenara, Sititi, Cane, Lakai, Holland, Tuipolotu (c), Tosi, Taylor EDG.

Subs: Williams, Aumua, Ofa, S Barrett, Savea, Roigard, B Barrett, Reiko

I don't see it happening. If they're giving Perofeta a start at 10 at least give him Roigard at 9.

Interesting - that's what would make it more believable for me. Throw in a guy to give him an opportunity but make sure it's in a thrown together combination so you come out looking like you made the right decision all along.

[Victor Meldrew]

@booboo said in Italy v All Blacks:

I'm guessing probably Havili (to bench) for JB. Not my preference but he was an original squaddie.

A perfect summary of this season's selection strategy.

[brodean]

@Bones said in Italy v All Blacks:

@brodean said in Italy v All Blacks:

@Canes4life said in Italy v All Blacks:

Someone just posted this team in the Stuff comments (yes I know it's not reliable) but it's interesting.

AB team: Love, Tele'a, Lam, ALB, Clarke, Perofeta, Perenara, Sititi, Cane, Lakai, Holland, Tuipolotu (c), Tosi, Taylor EDG.

Subs: Williams, Aumua, Ofa, S Barrett, Savea, Roigard, B Barrett, Reiko

I don't see it happening. If they're giving Perofeta a start at 10 at least give him Roigard at 9.

Interesting - that's what would make it more believable for me. Throw in a guy to give him an opportunity but make sure it's in a thrown together combination so you come out looking like you made the right decision all along.

Sorry the second sentence was an incidental comment.

I don't see it happening.

However if they're giving Perofeta a start at 10 at least give him Roigard at 9.

The thing that makes it unlikely for me is Holland, Perofeta, and Lam starting. That would go against the very conservative approach Razor has taken so far.

Perofeta was selected as a fullback. Why would he now get a chance at 10? Why would Love get a start at 15 over Perofeta who is an original squad member? Why would he select Lam who is only around the squad as cover over one of his favourites Havili?

[Landers92]

My team prediction. Not what I’ve been told, just a guess based off info I posted above.

1. EDG
2. Aumua
3. Tosi
4. Tuipolotu
5. Barrett
6. Sititi
7. Cane
8. Savea
9. TJP
10. Dmac
11. Clarke
12. Havili
13. ALB
14. Reece
15. Perofeta

Bench
16. Bell
17. Ofa
18. Newell
19. Lord
20. Lakai
21. Roigard
22. BB
23. Ioane

I’ve named 3 players who haven’t played on tour yet(excluding Japan) in the starting side with 2 on the bench. Starting - EDG, TJP, Havili. Bench - Newell & Lord.

All players on tour including injury cover to have not played - Love, Lam, Holland, Lio-Willie, Fihaki. My bad if I’ve missed anyone.

Again, that’s what I think they will do. Not what I would do or not what I’ve been told the team is. Bring on team naming.

[Bovidae]

How serious is Telea's hand injury. He might be back.

I wonder if Love gets a chance on the wing?

[frugby]

My Guess:

1. de Groot
2. Aumua
3. Newell
4. Tuipulotu
5. Vaa’i
6. Sititi
7. Cane
8. Savea
9. Roigard
10. McKenzie
11. Clarke
12. Havili
13. Lienert-Brown
14. Jordan
15. Perofeta
16. Taylor
17. Williams
18. Tosi
19. Lord
20. Lakai
21. Perenara
22. Love
23. Ioane

[Mr Fish]

Just reiterating what I've been told (again, grain of salt, but fun to see if they're right):

Holland, Love both playing. Perofeta at 10. Slightly left-field decision at 6.

[booboo]

@Machpants said in Italy v All Blacks:

If more proof is needed that our media just copy The Fern

Thursday

[booboo]

@Mr-Fish said in Italy v All Blacks:

Slightly left-field decision at 6.

Vaa'i?

[Mr Fish]

@booboo said in Italy v All Blacks:

@Mr-Fish said in Italy v All Blacks:

Slightly left-field decision at 6.

Vaa'i?

My guess is definitely Barrett or Vaa'i.

[maroon]

@Bovidae
Yep. I'm going.
Wind and snow in the high country.
Needs must, a warm-up pint of IPA at Murpys.

[maroon]

Even better, at Murphys.

[Landers92]

Team to play Italy.

All Blacks: 1. Ethan de Groot 2. Codie Taylor 3. Tyrel Lomax 4. Scott Barrett (c) 5. Patrick Tuipulotu 6. Wallace Sititi 7. Sam Cane 8. Ardie Savea 9. Cam Roigard 10. Beauden Barrett 11. Caleb Clarke 12. Anton Lienert-Brown 13. Rieko Ioane 14. Mark Tele'a 15. Will Jordan

Bench: 16. Asafo Aumua 17. Ofa Tu'ungafasi 18. Fletcher Newell 19. Tupou Vaa'i 20. Peter Lakai 21. TJ Perenara 22. David Havili 23. Damian McKenzie

[KiwiMurph]

So conservative he could be called Republican Razor