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.
@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.
-
@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.
-
@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.
-
@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
-
@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
-
@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.
-
@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?
-
@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.
-
@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?
-
@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
-
@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?
@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.
-
@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?
-
@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.
-
@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.
Bridge was anonymous his previous 2 starts before 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@gt12 said in AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?:
@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 concededSo Telea easily the best on the field
also, how much does being a winger suck? The fuck were they even doing out there? There would have been people in teh stands who did more than these guys
-
@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@gt12 Even without looking at the stats, George was way ahead on points compared to the other wings in that game - on my card anyway.
That doesn't necessarily mean you get a line drawn through your name if you're the other guys, but it's a significant blow to their campaigns to be outplayed by the incumbent they're trying to unseat.
I'm biased, but I've got Will Jordan at the head of the new caps queue to join the outside backs - so the question is how many new guys do they want and how many incumbents might they get rid of?
