TRC: Pumas v All Blacks
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@pakman said in TRC: Pumas v All Blacks:
This suggests big Karl isn't yet back up to speed.
Karl will need to hit the ground running when he is back as I don't think he's a cert for RWC selection yet. Four props are fighting for the last 2 spots after Moody, Franks and Tuungafasi.
@Bovidae said in TRC: Pumas v All Blacks:
@pakman said in TRC: Pumas v All Blacks:
This suggests big Karl isn't yet back up to speed.
Karl will need to hit the ground running when he is back as I don't think he's a cert for RWC selection yet. Four props are fighting for the last 2 spots after Moody, Franks and Tuungafasi.
Big Karl's story was perhaps the most moving Rugby story of recent years. Went from being a guy who was so out of shape the doctors were worried for his life to playing pro Rugby to being selected for the All Blacks to being Man of the Match in Buenos Aries in the All Blacks-Puma test last year.
Being pragmatic and unsentimental, Karl is only worth picked if he is on top of his fitness. He was very poor indeed against Ireland last year. He is coming off the back of injury. Like a number of the Blues squad he put on body fat this year. I think Karl is going to have to really hard to make the RWC squad.
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@Higgins tweaked training with them and 50/50 to be named to start. Will play the next game.
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@Bovidae said in TRC: Pumas v All Blacks:
@pakman said in TRC: Pumas v All Blacks:
This suggests big Karl isn't yet back up to speed.
Karl will need to hit the ground running when he is back as I don't think he's a cert for RWC selection yet. Four props are fighting for the last 2 spots after Moody, Franks and Tuungafasi.
Big Karl's story was perhaps the most moving Rugby story of recent years. Went from being a guy who was so out of shape the doctors were worried for his life to playing pro Rugby to being selected for the All Blacks to being Man of the Match in Buenos Aries in the All Blacks-Puma test last year.
Being pragmatic and unsentimental, Karl is only worth picked if he is on top of his fitness. He was very poor indeed against Ireland last year. He is coming off the back of injury. Like a number of the Blues squad he put on body fat this year. I think Karl is going to have to really hard to make the RWC squad.
@sparky My understanding is that it was illness rather than injury that led to Tuinukuafe missing the last weeks of super rugby. He apparently had Meningitis, which is a tough ask for a big man to regain energy, strength and fitness after. So either he is not yet up to speed to play or they are lining him up for the bench vs the Boks next week
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Argentina: 15 Emiliano Boffelli, 14 Matías Moroni, 13 Matías Orlando, 12 Jerónimo de la Fuente, 11 Ramiro Moyano, 10 Nicolás Sánchez, 9 Tomás Cubelli, 8 Javier Ortega Desio, 7 Marcos Kremer, 6 Pablo Matera, 5 Tomás Lavanini, 4 Guido Petti, 3 Juan Figallo, 2 Agustín Creevy, 1 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro
Replacements: 16 Julián Montoya, 17 Mayco Vivas, 18 Santiago Medrano, 19 Matías Alemanno, 20 Tomás Lezana, 21 Felipe Ezcurra, 22 Joaquín Díaz Bonilla, 23 Joaquín Tuculet -
Last test in BA we had a bit more experience in starting lineup and bench.
G. K. Tu'inukuafe
C. J. D. Taylor
A. O. H. M. Tuungafasi
S. L. Whitelock (C)
S. K. Barrett
S. M. Frizell
S. J. Cane
A. S. Savea
T. T. R. Perenara
B. J. Barrett
R. E. Ioane
S. W. Williams
R. S. Crotty
W. R. Naholo
B. R. SmithRESERVES
N. P. Harris
T. G. Perry
A. W. F. Ta'avao
P. T. Tuipulotu
J. N. Hemopo
A. L. Smith
R. F. Mo'unga
A. R. Lienert-Brown@ACT-Crusader said in TRC: Pumas v All Blacks:
Last test in BA we had a bit more experience in starting lineup and bench.
G. K. Tu'inukuafe
C. J. D. Taylor
A. O. H. M. Tuungafasi
S. L. Whitelock (C)
S. K. Barrett
S. M. Frizell
S. J. Cane
A. S. Savea
T. T. R. Perenara
B. J. Barrett
R. E. Ioane
S. W. Williams
R. S. Crotty
W. R. Naholo
B. R. SmithRESERVES
N. P. Harris
T. G. Perry
A. W. F. Ta'avao
P. T. Tuipulotu
J. N. Hemopo
A. L. Smith
R. F. Mo'unga
A. R. Lienert-BrownShould you not change your username to A. C. T. Crusader?
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Argentina: 15 Emiliano Boffelli, 14 Matías Moroni, 13 Matías Orlando, 12 Jerónimo de la Fuente, 11 Ramiro Moyano, 10 Nicolás Sánchez, 9 Tomás Cubelli, 8 Javier Ortega Desio, 7 Marcos Kremer, 6 Pablo Matera, 5 Tomás Lavanini, 4 Guido Petti, 3 Juan Figallo, 2 Agustín Creevy, 1 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro
Replacements: 16 Julián Montoya, 17 Mayco Vivas, 18 Santiago Medrano, 19 Matías Alemanno, 20 Tomás Lezana, 21 Felipe Ezcurra, 22 Joaquín Díaz Bonilla, 23 Joaquín Tuculet@Daffy-Jaffy said in TRC: Pumas v All Blacks:
Argentina: 15 Emiliano Boffelli, 14 Matías Moroni, 13 Matías Orlando, 12 Jerónimo de la Fuente, 11 Ramiro Moyano, 10 Nicolás Sánchez, 9 Tomás Cubelli, 8 Javier Ortega Desio, 7 Marcos Kremer, 6 Pablo Matera, 5 Tomás Lavanini, 4 Guido Petti, 3 Juan Figallo, 2 Agustín Creevy, 1 Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro
Replacements: 16 Julián Montoya, 17 Mayco Vivas, 18 Santiago Medrano, 19 Matías Alemanno, 20 Tomás Lezana, 21 Felipe Ezcurra, 22 Joaquín Díaz Bonilla, 23 Joaquín TuculetI recognise that team from a recent event......
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@mofitzy_ said in TRC: Pumas v All Blacks:
Is Bridge being rested?
I wouldn't read anything into the selections at this stage. They'll give most of the squad a run in the first few games
I remember 1014 mentioning match day 23's in 2015. Basically the selectors tested a few players out early and then dialled their squad in. Each Test got closer and closer to the RWC side.
So for the first Test in 2015 (v Samoa) there were 9 players not named in the RWC squad:
Andy Ellis, Charles Piutau, George Moala, Israel Dagg, Hikawera Elliot, Nepo Laulala, Matt Todd, Brad Webber, Charlie NgataiThe 2nd Test (v Argentina) there were 5 players not named in the RWC squad:
Charles Piutau, Israel Dagg, Nepo Laulala, Jeremy Thrush, Andy EllisI suspect Hansen will follow a similar pattern this year. This 23 seems comparable to that game v Samoa
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Good test for Atu Moli against Juan Figallo. If he holds his own in the set scrums and shows what he can do in the loose, he'll be on the plane to Japan.
@cgrant said in TRC: Pumas v All Blacks:
Good test for Atu Moli against Juan Figallo. If he holds his own in the set scrums and shows what he can do in the loose, he'll be on the plane to Japan.
The Jags scrum has been ordinary in the games I watched (I didn't see the final so can't comment on that). In the two games the Chiefs played against them the Chiefs had an obvious advantage. We will find out whether the addition of Figallo makes a huge difference to the Pumas' scrum.
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@cgrant said in TRC: Pumas v All Blacks:
Good test for Atu Moli against Juan Figallo. If he holds his own in the set scrums and shows what he can do in the loose, he'll be on the plane to Japan.
The Jags scrum has been ordinary in the games I watched (I didn't see the final so can't comment on that). In the two games the Chiefs played against them the Chiefs had an obvious advantage. We will find out whether the addition of Figallo makes a huge difference to the Pumas' scrum.
@Bovidae said in TRC: Pumas v All Blacks:
@cgrant said in TRC: Pumas v All Blacks:
Good test for Atu Moli against Juan Figallo. If he holds his own in the set scrums and shows what he can do in the loose, he'll be on the plane to Japan.
The Jags scrum has been ordinary in the games I watched (I didn't see the final so can't comment on that). In the two games the Chiefs played against them the Chiefs had an obvious advantage. We will find out whether the addition of Figallo makes a huge difference to the Pumas' scrum.
Figallo was a key cog for the Pumas scrum last year He started vs SA in Mendoza and Pumas had scrum ascendancy
Even scored a try off 1st phase scrum Ofa T at #1 is okay but hardly a stellar player TBH
Add Sanchez at #10 and Pumas improve markedly at two positions of weakness
If Pumas can have a good 1st half & not be 15-20 points behind like they've been in recent games in BA vs ABs they'll have a great chance of winning the game
AB bench is average compared to their normally high standards
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Hansen not picking George Bridge for this one seems a bit odd to me.
Hansen says, "We're pretty comfortable with George's ability; he's been around as a player of some standard with the Crusaders for a while. He had a good week with us in Japan and played really well (after coming on at halftime in Tokyo last year)."
That makes it sound like George is pretty much a sure thing for the RWC, but in reality he's played half a game for the ABs vs Japan.
If they're only taking four outside backs to the World Cup and Ben Smith, Jordie and Reiko have three of the spots locked up, I'd have thought giving the next cab off the rank (which in my view should clearly be Bridge) pretty much every game would have been sensible. And would have been pretty easy to pair Bridge and Reece as the wings.
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Hansen not picking George Bridge for this one seems a bit odd to me.
Hansen says, "We're pretty comfortable with George's ability; he's been around as a player of some standard with the Crusaders for a while. He had a good week with us in Japan and played really well (after coming on at halftime in Tokyo last year)."
That makes it sound like George is pretty much a sure thing for the RWC, but in reality he's played half a game for the ABs vs Japan.
If they're only taking four outside backs to the World Cup and Ben Smith, Jordie and Reiko have three of the spots locked up, I'd have thought giving the next cab off the rank (which in my view should clearly be Bridge) pretty much every game would have been sensible. And would have been pretty easy to pair Bridge and Reece as the wings.
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@Chris-B I get the sense Hansen wanted some more experience in the back 3 rather than essentially 2 rookie wings (whilst at the same time seeing how Jordie goes as a potential left wing option as they already know what Rieko offers)
@KiwiMurph Probably, but I would then have picked George instead of Sevu.
Unless they're seriously considering taking Reece to the RWC or Jordie as a big game wing, this pairing seems a waste of what could be critical experience for George.
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Bridge probably playing SA but on which wing? Rieko will be back and is the senior winger. I know Ioane did play a game for the Blues on the right wing but I'd put Bridge there to see if he offers any utility value.
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@KiwiMurph Probably, but I would then have picked George instead of Sevu.
Unless they're seriously considering taking Reece to the RWC or Jordie as a big game wing, this pairing seems a waste of what could be critical experience for George.
@Chris-B said in TRC: Pumas v All Blacks:
@KiwiMurph Probably, but I would then have picked George instead of Sevu.
Unless they're seriously considering taking Reece to the RWC or Jordie as a big game wing, this pairing seems a waste of what could be critical experience for George.
I'd say both of these are very still much in play. We took 2 rookie wingers to the last RWC 2015.
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Bridge probably playing SA but on which wing? Rieko will be back and is the senior winger. I know Ioane did play a game for the Blues on the right wing but I'd put Bridge there to see if he offers any utility value.
@Bovidae said in TRC: Pumas v All Blacks:
Bridge probably playing SA but on which wing? Rieko will be back and is the senior winger. I know Ioane did play a game for the Blues on the right wing but I'd put Bridge there to see if he offers any utility value.
Bridge’s utility is that he can play fullback.
I think the interesting selection is Ennor on the bench.
