Ireland v NZ - Chicago Showdown & Dublin Duel
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@mariner4life said in Ireland v NZ - Chicago Showdown:
@westcoastie said in Ireland v NZ - Chicago Showdown:
Team naming tomorrow? Probably in the evening NZ time.
Will take a stab at it...
Front Row: Moody, Coles, Crockett
Locks: Tuipolutu, S.Barrett
Back Row: Kaino, Cane, Read
Halves: Smith & Cruden*
Midfield: Cruden & Lienert-Brown
Back three: Savea, Dagg & B.SmithBench: Faumuina, Taylor, Crockett, Squire, Savea, Perenara, B.Barrett*, Fekitoa
I reckon they go the #1 starting lineup possible in this first test, especially with our makeshift backrow - geez looks thin without the Twin Towers.
Lot of work going into scrummaging and line-out this week I'd expect - I wonder if we'll see a little less set-piece work from us - and willingness to keep the ball in a little more - actually having no Retallick and Whitelock ironically might provide us some extra spark, those two have usually carried a ton of work up to this point in the year.Have put Barrett back off the bench, partially to reward Cruden, to let Barrett freshen up some - I think the coaches will keep an eye on Dublin and Paris, and want to blitz those teams, so spelling him a bit this week, and then next week means Barrett should be cherry ripe physically and mentally for the last two.
Smith-Cruden is a good combo for each other coming back in.
I would actually like to see what Fifita can do on international stage, just give him a license to Smash into anything green.
Good old Brian Cox, second only to Sean Connery in the "Scottish actors who play any nationality on earth with a Scottish accent".....I do hope he makes an appearance in Super Troopers 2.
Would Tuipolotu and Barrett provide a bit more grunt in terms of scrumaging than BR and SW ? Genuine question.
@jegga pretty shit Dad joke I'll admit but surely better than the old "when is the team named?" chestnut.....
@MN5 the when is the team named question is as valid as is Ardie really 6ft 4?
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@akan004 said in Ireland v NZ - Chicago Showdown:
Why has Bird not been given the call up? Is he injured?
He's clearly slipped down the pecking order
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I believe it is a sell out.
For those potentially streaming the game via the All Blacks website (e.g. Aus based Ferners), the cost is going to be $7.97 NZD for the ABs-Ireland and $4.97 NZD for the Maori ABs-USA.
@KiwiMurph said in Ireland v NZ - Chicago Showdown:
I believe it is a sell out.
For those potentially streaming the game via the All Blacks website (e.g. Aus based Ferners), the cost is going to be $7.97 NZD for the ABs-Ireland and $4.97 NZD for the Maori ABs-USA.
SOLD!
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I believe it is a sell out.
For those potentially streaming the game via the All Blacks website (e.g. Aus based Ferners), the cost is going to be $7.97 NZD for the ABs-Ireland and $4.97 NZD for the Maori ABs-USA.
@KiwiMurph said in Ireland v NZ - Chicago Showdown:
I believe it is a sell out.
For those potentially streaming the game via the All Blacks website (e.g. Aus based Ferners), the cost is going to be $7.97 NZD for the ABs-Ireland and $4.97 NZD for the Maori ABs-USA.
So it looks like it will be 22 AUD to watch the three All Black games on tour. Am not going to bother with the Italian game. Not too bad I suppose as long as the stream is solid.
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@taniwharugby Clearly we all know B.Smith the #1 #15. It just took Hansen a little bit to realise it.
@westcoastie said in Ireland v NZ - Chicago Showdown:
@taniwharugby Clearly we all know B.Smith the #1 #15. It just took Hansen a little bit to realise it.
I think it was well established that Hansen knew all along but didn't have a 14 of high enough quality, so went for the Dagg-Smith combo as that gave us the best balance.
As it turns out, Dagg is a pretty decent 14 as well.
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No aura and ... or maybe but ... not invincible:
http://i.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/international/86015867/confident-ireland-lock-ultan-dillane-believes-the-all-blacks-are-not-invincible -
A few Irish websites are predicting Murphy at 7 ahead of VDF and Payne at 13 and Kearney at 15.
That is great news for us if confirmed!
Murphy is a jack of all trades master of none back-row forward, and VDF has been in hot form at 7.
Kearney I seriously don't rate. He'd be lucky to make a NZ SXV starting side at FB IMO. A complete shadow of his former self.
Payne is solid at 13.
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Dixon, TKB, DMac and R. Ioane all released from the ABs squad to start for the Maori.
Lucky I didn't post my thesis yesterday about Dixon being a certainty for the bench against Ireland given his ability to cover 7 and jump in the lineout. We would tell our starting 7 (Cane or Todd) he was going 80, because we needed Kaino and Dixon to play the final quarter at lock. Then Squire would be on for genuine impact.
I am so lucky I didn't post that thesis. Imagine what the Fern would have thought of me.
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Imagine what the Fern already thinks of you.
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Imagine what the Fern already thinks of you.
@No-Quarter I expect it would be contempt at a similar level to that expressed by my wife, kids and boss.
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Imagine what the Fern already thinks of you.
@No-Quarter said in Ireland v NZ - Chicago Showdown:
Imagine what the Fern already thinks of you.
Think of who???
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@akan004 said in Ireland v NZ - Chicago Showdown:
Why has Bird not been given the call up? Is he injured?
Injured.. He had surgery planned for after the NPC
@Duluth said in Ireland v NZ - Chicago Showdown:
@akan004 said in Ireland v NZ - Chicago Showdown:
Why has Bird not been given the call up? Is he injured?
Injured.. He had surgery planned for after the NPC
I doubt he would've got the call even he was fit. He's too much in the same mould as PT and Romero. Plus I don't think he's got the motor
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Don't know how much credence to give this but
Read and Barrett on the bench
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Don't know how much credence to give this but
Read and Barrett on the bench
@Billy-Tell said in Ireland v NZ - Chicago Showdown:
Don't know how much credence to give this but
Read and Barrett on the bench
Not sure if I believe them if they can't get the airport right ...
... unless he had a quickie at Akl as well ...
... sly dog ...
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Ahahaha Read on the bench. Fuck me.
It's possible I suppose given he has an injury requiring surgery.
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Both coaches/teams seem to be giving some key players time out.... or is this just coincidental?
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If their crystal ball gazing is proven correct, I'll wipe the egg off my face.
