AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?
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@Crucial said in AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?:
Word. Clarke had to be in, he is a real weapon with all the extra skills.
Needs a touch more experience and he looks like he could be Bridge with a bit more power.
Clarke is young, but needs to get himself more involved if the ball isn't going his way.
@Bovidae said in AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?:
@Crucial said in AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?:
Word. Clarke had to be in, he is a real weapon with all the extra skills.
Needs a touch more experience and he looks like he could be Bridge with a bit more power.
Clarke is young, but needs to get himself more involved if the ball isn't going his way.
Yep, and that can be an experience thing from the coaches. Give him space to get comfortable on core duties and positioning so he knows when to pick the moments to go looking for the ball.
I thought he got himself involved at a few key times the other night. Saw that he was needed to keep a possession going and took it upon himself to carry so others could reset.
He looks to my eye as potentially offering more than Bridge and also balances a squad better for options if Jordan is selected. -
@Bovidae said in AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?:
@Crucial said in AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?:
Word. Clarke had to be in, he is a real weapon with all the extra skills.
Needs a touch more experience and he looks like he could be Bridge with a bit more power.
Clarke is young, but needs to get himself more involved if the ball isn't going his way.
how many games had our starting wingers in a RWC semi final played? combined? If you are good enough...
I'm pretty over the "safe" wing spot. I think the trench warfare of test rugby needs a couple of game breakers out wide.
Agreed.
Those WC selections are still strange - apparently Bridge was pencilled in a year out but got hardly any games.
I think Clarke is already pretty ‘safe’ to be selected and developed. He’s significantly better under the high ball than others in the same conversation (Telea) plus has the ability to be a bit special too.
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Agreed.
Those WC selections are still strange - apparently Bridge was pencilled in a year out but got hardly any games.
I think Clarke is already pretty ‘safe’ to be selected and developed. He’s significantly better under the high ball than others in the same conversation (Telea) plus has the ability to be a bit special too.
@gt12 With the benefit of hindsight, the selectors cocked up their wing selections over the final couple of years - mostly in the hope that Milner- Skudder would come right, when he never really looked like it.
They didn't foresee that Naholo might hit the age wall and fall away as badly as he did in 2019 (which they can't be condemned for), and in any case they would have thought they had money in the bank with Ben Smith and Rieko.
Not sure George would have been penciled in a year out from the RWC. He really burst into contention with that excellent second half vs Japan, and I recall some of us thought he should be added to the squad that went on to Europe after that - but of course that didn't happen.
But, even in the first 4N test in 2019 vs Argentina, they picked Jordie and Reece on the wings and Ennor as the bench cover. And Sevu, of course, hadn't even been in a Super squad at the start of the season.
I couldn't understand why Bridge wasn't starting in that game if they were serious about taking him to RWC.
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@gt12 With the benefit of hindsight, the selectors cocked up their wing selections over the final couple of years - mostly in the hope that Milner- Skudder would come right, when he never really looked like it.
They didn't foresee that Naholo might hit the age wall and fall away as badly as he did in 2019 (which they can't be condemned for), and in any case they would have thought they had money in the bank with Ben Smith and Rieko.
Not sure George would have been penciled in a year out from the RWC. He really burst into contention with that excellent second half vs Japan, and I recall some of us thought he should be added to the squad that went on to Europe after that - but of course that didn't happen.
But, even in the first 4N test in 2019 vs Argentina, they picked Jordie and Reece on the wings and Ennor as the bench cover. And Sevu, of course, hadn't even been in a Super squad at the start of the season.
I couldn't understand why Bridge wasn't starting in that game if they were serious about taking him to RWC.
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@Chris-B
I think @dogmeat wwnt to a talk with Foxy about that.
But I agree with your analysis - they missed the boat on the wings.
@gt12 said in AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?:
@Chris-B
I think @dogmeat wwnt to a talk with Foxy about that.
But I agree with your analysis - they missed the boat on the wings.
and the midfield
and 10
and 6
and a viable alternative to the dramatically declined 8
and a decent lock behind the top 2.
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@Bovidae said in AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?:
@Crucial said in AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?:
Word. Clarke had to be in, he is a real weapon with all the extra skills.
Needs a touch more experience and he looks like he could be Bridge with a bit more power.
Clarke is young, but needs to get himself more involved if the ball isn't going his way.
how many games had our starting wingers in a RWC semi final played? combined? If you are good enough...
I'm pretty over the "safe" wing spot. I think the trench warfare of test rugby needs a couple of game breakers out wide.
@mariner4life said in AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?:
@Bovidae said in AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?:
Clarke is young, but needs to get himself more involved if the ball isn't going his way.
how many games had our starting wingers in a RWC semi final played? combined? If you are good enough...
I'm pretty over the "safe" wing spot. I think the trench warfare of test rugby needs a couple of game breakers out wide.
I rate Clarke, and remember how dangerous he was in the U20s when he was given the ball. My point was that in games where the ball doesn't go his way, and I include the Chiefs game in Hamilton, he becomes fairly anonymous. I am also saying his youth means he hasn't really learnt to go looking for the ball (yet), which is something the AB coaches have been asking of their wingers.
If the ABs can utilise his pace and ability to beat the first defender through his power, he becomes a huge weapon.
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@gt12 With the benefit of hindsight, the selectors cocked up their wing selections over the final couple of years - mostly in the hope that Milner- Skudder would come right, when he never really looked like it.
They didn't foresee that Naholo might hit the age wall and fall away as badly as he did in 2019 (which they can't be condemned for), and in any case they would have thought they had money in the bank with Ben Smith and Rieko.
Not sure George would have been penciled in a year out from the RWC. He really burst into contention with that excellent second half vs Japan, and I recall some of us thought he should be added to the squad that went on to Europe after that - but of course that didn't happen.
But, even in the first 4N test in 2019 vs Argentina, they picked Jordie and Reece on the wings and Ennor as the bench cover. And Sevu, of course, hadn't even been in a Super squad at the start of the season.
I couldn't understand why Bridge wasn't starting in that game if they were serious about taking him to RWC.
@Chris-B Their biggest cock up was not just trusting their experienced guys (and playing them to get them in form) like they had throughout their tenure and instead tried to go for the NMS miracle again.
If as @gt12 states Bridge was pencilled in a year out then it's even more annoying than as a freak out after Perth, which is stupid but is kind of understandable, rather than the fact they were lining up someone to replace the best wing in the world for the previous three years.
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@Nogusta said in AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?:
Sotutu could be out for a bit.....the dreaded aye see el....
Down vote
@booboo yea no good! you could tell by the way his leg was caught/stuck underneath that pile of bodies that it mightn't be good. I'd say he be definitely out of this weeks game. Blues will be crossing fingers toes and everything else that the 'best case scenario' pans out
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@booboo yea no good! you could tell by the way his leg was caught/stuck underneath that pile of bodies that it mightn't be good. I'd say he be definitely out of this weeks game. Blues will be crossing fingers toes and everything else that the 'best case scenario' pans out
@Nogusta said in AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?:
Blues will be crossing fingers toes and everything else that the 'best case scenario' pans out
hell yes.
Although we have the deepest bench of loosies in the comp, short comps like this can rob you of star players. If Mo'unga gets injured Saturday night, the Blues win.
Sorry for Sotutu, hopefully it's a tweak and nothing major
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@Chris-B
I think @dogmeat wwnt to a talk with Foxy about that.
But I agree with your analysis - they missed the boat on the wings.
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@Chris-B Their biggest cock up was not just trusting their experienced guys (and playing them to get them in form) like they had throughout their tenure and instead tried to go for the NMS miracle again.
If as @gt12 states Bridge was pencilled in a year out then it's even more annoying than as a freak out after Perth, which is stupid but is kind of understandable, rather than the fact they were lining up someone to replace the best wing in the world for the previous three years.
@Nepia said in AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?:
@Chris-B Their biggest cock up was not just trusting their experienced guys (and playing them to get them in form) like they had throughout their tenure and instead tried to go for the NMS miracle again.
That is the number one question I'd ask Hansen - after beating the experience drum for a decade, how come he abandoned it at the last post?
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@mariner4life said in AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?:
@Bovidae said in AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?:
Clarke is young, but needs to get himself more involved if the ball isn't going his way.
how many games had our starting wingers in a RWC semi final played? combined? If you are good enough...
I'm pretty over the "safe" wing spot. I think the trench warfare of test rugby needs a couple of game breakers out wide.
I rate Clarke, and remember how dangerous he was in the U20s when he was given the ball. My point was that in games where the ball doesn't go his way, and I include the Chiefs game in Hamilton, he becomes fairly anonymous. I am also saying his youth means he hasn't really learnt to go looking for the ball (yet), which is something the AB coaches have been asking of their wingers.
If the ABs can utilise his pace and ability to beat the first defender through his power, he becomes a huge weapon.
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@Bovidae Clarke looks like a weapon - this year might be one too soon for him. Apprentice?
@Chris-B said in AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?:
@Bovidae Clarke looks like a weapon - this year might be one too soon for him. Apprentice?
Why?
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@Chris-B said in AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?:
@Bovidae Clarke looks like a weapon - this year might be one too soon for him. Apprentice?
Why?
@Nepia might not have any/enough games haha
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@Bovidae Clarke looks like a weapon - this year might be one too soon for him. Apprentice?
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@Chris-B said in AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?:
@Bovidae Clarke looks like a weapon - this year might be one too soon for him. Apprentice?
Why?
@Nepia said in AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?:
@Chris-B said in AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?:
@Bovidae Clarke looks like a weapon - this year might be one too soon for him. Apprentice?
Why?
Because I agree with Bovidae's post above. He was anonymous on Saturday.
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@Nepia said in AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?:
@Chris-B said in AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?:
@Bovidae Clarke looks like a weapon - this year might be one too soon for him. Apprentice?
Why?
Because I agree with Bovidae's post above. He was anonymous on Saturday.
@Chris-B said in AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?:
@Nepia said in AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?:
@Chris-B said in AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?:
@Bovidae Clarke looks like a weapon - this year might be one too soon for him. Apprentice?
Why?
Because I agree with Bovidae's post above. He was anonymous on Saturday.
Ruling him out after one game - so Bridge and Reece gone for their anonymous RWC campaigns?
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@Nepia said in AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?:
@Chris-B said in AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?:
@Bovidae Clarke looks like a weapon - this year might be one too soon for him. Apprentice?
Why?
Because I agree with Bovidae's post above. He was anonymous on Saturday.
@Chris-B
By the stats, he was quiet, dangerous, and poor:
3 runs, 1 metre
1 clean break, 2 defenders beaten
1 turnover, 1 tackles made, 2 missedSimilarly Reece had:
5 runs, 6 metres
1 defender beaten, 1 offload
2 tackles made, 3 missedFor whatever reason play went to the other side and/or the others got more involved:
Bridge:
9 runs, 49 metres,
1 clean break, 3 defenders beaten, 1 try assist
2 turnovers, 5 tackles made, 1 missedTelea:
5 runs, 62 metres
2 clean breaks, 3 defenders beaten, 1 try
9 tackles made, 2 missed, 1 penalty conceded -
@Bovidae Clarke looks like a weapon - this year might be one too soon for him. Apprentice?
@Chris-B said in AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?:
@Bovidae Clarke looks like a weapon - this year might be one too soon for him. Apprentice?
He's nearly 2 years older than Rieko was when he debuted. If the Olympics go ahead next year than Clarke couldn't be involved with the ABs until 2022.
