Italy vs All Blacks
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Powder is officially dry fellas.
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Precisely what the fuck do they think they are going to learn about Fifita in this game that they don't already know? Huge missed opportunity to see Papalii start at 6. If there were concerns over injuries to loose forwards then have Fifita on the bench.
Also agree that it is a missed opportunity to see Richie start at 10 with BB at 15. Could have even put Dmac at 14. One thing this does point to though is that there is 0% chance of Richie overtsking BB before the rwc.
Yet another midfield reshuffle is frustrating too. Surely a good chance to see Goodhue and ALB together. Instead the guy who was left out gets a chance to come back and confuse things more.
Wing selections appear strange at first viewing but it will actually be good to see if Jordie can play there in that 2nd fullback role. Naholo makes sense when you consider the minutes Ioane has played this season.
Good to see Coles back starting.
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Jordie Barrett on the wing? Disappointing not to see Papalii start at 6 or 7. Fifita should not be a starting All Black.
Sticking with the BB/DMac two play makers again? I hope it creates some play this time.
Rapidly losing faith in these selectors.
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@rapido said in Italy vs All Blacks:
Argh. Waste of an opportunity to see Mounga at 10, Barrett at 15 and Papalii at 6.
This.
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Why Why Why start their Special Athlete instead of Paps?
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Why Why Why start their Special Athlete instead of Paps?
@shadowtrooper it's only Italy, we dont need to hit any rucks or any of that hard forward work.
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Wow, just seen the squad list; geez, that's disappointing.
I agree with @pukunui and others, several missed opportunities. Mo'unga, Papali'i on the bench, and Jordie on the wing, WTF?
If BB gets injured just before or during the RWC, you'd want Mo'unga to have a more starts under his belt. Currently, of his 8 tests, he has only started against the Argies and Japan. This was the perferct game to give him another one.
While we probably get to see the Mo'unga at 10 and BB at 15 combo at some point in the 2nd half, it would be good to see how it works when they start with that combo and to give it more than 20 minutes. Another option that would be interesting - for the lesser games - is Mo'unga at 10 and Dmac at 15, with BB coming off the bench. Instead they stick with their "plan" of BB-Dmac starting. :man_facepalming_medium_skin_tone:
TTT starting next to Mo'unga would have been interesting, too.
I also would have preferred a start for Papali'i. The young lad has potential and I would have liked to see more of him in black, especially because who'll play at 6 next year is far from certain (it's the position in the squad with the biggest question mark, together with the 20 jersey). Hopefully he gets more than 10 minutes.
And Jordie at 14; they don't see him as a 12, not as a 10, and don't want to start him at 15 because of that BB-Dmac combo. If we've reached the point at which we have to select Jordie on the wing, solely to give him game time, I know for sure that it will be better to have Bridge in the squad next year than Jordie. Then they wouldn't have to move Naholo to 11 either.
Also disappointed not to see an ALB-Goodhue combo in the midfield. This selection just seems to have been made to give players game time (Fifita, Laumape and Jordie in particular).
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Precisely what the fuck do they think they are going to learn about Fifita in this game that they don't already know? Huge missed opportunity to see Papalii start at 6. If there were concerns over injuries to loose forwards then have Fifita on the bench.
Also agree that it is a missed opportunity to see Richie start at 10 with BB at 15. Could have even put Dmac at 14. One thing this does point to though is that there is 0% chance of Richie overtsking BB before the rwc.
Yet another midfield reshuffle is frustrating too. Surely a good chance to see Goodhue and ALB together. Instead the guy who was left out gets a chance to come back and confuse things more.
Wing selections appear strange at first viewing but it will actually be good to see if Jordie can play there in that 2nd fullback role. Naholo makes sense when you consider the minutes Ioane has played this season.
Good to see Coles back starting.
@pukunui said in Italy vs All Blacks:
Precisely what the fuck do they think they are going to learn about Fifita in this game that they don't already know? Huge missed opportunity to see Papalii start at 6. If there were concerns over injuries to loose forwards then have Fafita on the bench.
Vaea or Vaia?
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If we rewind 4 years there were similar concerns and issues being raised by fans, commentators and posters on here about performance and selections.
That 2014 EOYT many were concerned that we just scraped past England with basically a first choice squad. Then when some “left field” selections were made against Scotland the cries got louder. Slade on the wing, McCaw at no6, Vito starting, even Fekitoa at centre was hotly disputed (calls of him being a flat track bully). It was a pretty disjointed game from what I remember.
To me there are plenty of similarities this year with 2014.
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If we rewind 4 years there were similar concerns and issues being raised by fans, commentators and posters on here about performance and selections.
That 2014 EOYT many were concerned that we just scraped past England with basically a first choice squad. Then when some “left field” selections were made against Scotland the cries got louder. Slade on the wing, McCaw at no6, Vito starting, even Fekitoa at centre was hotly disputed (calls of him being a flat track bully). It was a pretty disjointed game from what I remember.
To me there are plenty of similarities this year with 2014.
@act-crusader Scotland were considered as weak at the time so we played a pretty weak side and nearly paid for it. Thrush and Bird was our 2nd row haha, even Pulu got on for 2 minutes, threw a horrendous pass and was never seen again in black.
Oh, and James Parsons started at hooker.
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Everyone here (or mostly everyone) was rubbishing the idea of Ardie being a starting 7. Not so many objections anymore. Maybe Hansen and co are onto something?
Fifita certainly has the ability.
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@act-crusader Scotland were considered as weak at the time so we played a pretty weak side and nearly paid for it. Thrush and Bird was our 2nd row haha, even Pulu got on for 2 minutes, threw a horrendous pass and was never seen again in black.
Oh, and James Parsons started at hooker.
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@african-monkey and Italy....
@act-crusader ... are 14th in the world at the moment
I agree, it's a chance to see more of some guys, and push some established guys to up the ante from last week.Also think some perspective is due, the Irish are bloody good at the moment but lack the history of previous wins. I don't like the ABs losing, or being so adventurous in selections and/or strategy that we give away games. But when we lose a close one against the 2nd best team in the world, is it really the world ending?
In saying that I think most posters saw that Ireland played well, we were a bit rough, and that was that.
Hoping we murder Italy but I'd be ok with a lite-romp if we play well across the board and give away far fewer penalties.
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@pukunui said in Italy vs All Blacks:
Precisely what the fuck do they think they are going to learn about Fifita in this game that they don't already know? Huge missed opportunity to see Papalii start at 6. If there were concerns over injuries to loose forwards then have Fafita on the bench.
Vaea or Vaia?
@booboo said in Italy vs All Blacks:
@pukunui said in Italy vs All Blacks:
Precisely what the fuck do they think they are going to learn about Fifita in this game that they don't already know? Huge missed opportunity to see Papalii start at 6. If there were concerns over injuries to loose forwards then have Fafita on the bench.
Vaea or Vaia?
Different guy. Fifita has had his chances. Fafita on the other hand has been given the Akira treatment.
