AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?

[Bones]

@Duluth said in AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?:

@Bones said in AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?:

@Duluth wuss.

Ok you talked me into it. Ok my prediction for Fosters squad:

Cane
Savea
Sotutu
Frizzel
Robinson
Boshier

That would be fucken spiteful and possibly dangerous to his health!

[ACT Crusader]

@Duluth said in AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?:

@Bones said in AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?:

@Duluth wuss.

Ok you talked me into it. Ok my prediction for Fosters squad:

Cane
Savea
Sotutu
Frizzel
Robinson
Boshier

“We’re coming to you live from Queen Street, where there have been riots around Auckland and masked men wearing blues jerseys burning effigies of Ian Foster“

[Bovidae]

@Duluth said in AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?:

If it's a 50/50 call between Papali'i and Boshier I doubt the deciding vote goes to Papali'i

The only journo I have seen selecting Boshier in an AB squad was a Cantab no less (Knowler). But that was in place of Cane!

Boshier might make the NI squad but would be no certainty to start in that game either. IMO he is on the outside looking in for AB selection too.

The wildcard amongst the selectors is Plumtree, and he will have as much say as Foster on the forward selections. As long as Plumtree picks locks that are taller than our props and loose forwards.

[Machpants]

Boshier is like Pocock, a one trick pony (in that he's still great but what stands him out is turn-overs), and his trick is not so good with new 'interpretations'. I really hope he's not in when we see other players much better around the field and still out turn-overing him. Sotuto, until his injury, for ex. I really don;t rate - ABs wise. Great player but not one of our top 7 loosies

[Victor Meldrew]

@Bones said in AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?:

@ravens88 said in AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?:

Second First Five

Waaaaait a miiinute....

He was excellent for the canes throughout the noughties.

Don't disagree. But his play for the AB's was on another level entirely, particularly in his later career.

[Frank]

I just watched a YouTube highlight reel of Peter Umaga-Jensen and have decided he should start for the ABs at 13.

[Bones]

@Frank oh sure, so we're just pretending man bun isn't a consideration when selecting ABs now?

[Frank]

@Bones
I agree. He has to lose that or he shouldn't be considered.

[antipodean]

It's been a while since short back and sides was a prerequisite. This year looks like quite the opposite; terrible haircuts are a must.

[booboo]

@mariner4life said in AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?:

J Barrett has improved massively on last year, and absolutely should be in the frame. Does he have the wheels to play wing?

Clark and 2 Barrets back 3
Reiko at centre, with laumape
Mounga at 10

Rock star backline.

Who is your half back?

[pakman]

@Machpants said in AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?:

Boshier is like Pocock, a one trick pony (in that he's still great but what stands him out is turn-overs), and his trick is not so good with new 'interpretations'. I really hope he's not in when we see other players much better around the field and still out turn-overing him. Sotuto, until his injury, for ex. I really don;t rate - ABs wise. Great player but not one of our top 7 loosies

Boshier has scored a few tries in SRA.

Some like 7s who fetch and 6s who smash and crash.

In more recent times TWM seem to prefer hybrids?

[DMX]

@junior said in AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?:

@Machpants said in AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?:

I think every squad people post should be prefixed with either 'what I'd pick' versus 'what will be picked' often a big difference. We've got a coach who got in on a ‘continuity and experience’ ticket, I can see him picking a ‘continuity and experience’ team - recently the ABs coaches went for form rather than experience. Maybe that didn’t work so well at RWC in their minds. Expecially after many years of trusting experience did so well for them? So I think we will see very conservative selections, but I hope they are bold

There's absolutely no reason why in this of all years a "form over experience" approach shouldn't be tried for most positions. If you look at the guys currently playing well, they're all pretty young guys either at the beginning of the SR or AB careers and who are likely to be at their peaks in 2023. Now is the perfect opportunity to take a punt on some of these guys and set them on the path to be the incumbents for 2023.

This is the one problem with 2 year contracts, I am not sure incentives are aligned for this approach. I don't believe the priority for Foster will be to develop through 2023, his first priority is to win, especially given that he does not know how many chances he is going to get in the next two seasons. Not saying there will be no new caps this year just think he will pay a lot of attention to experience and combinations.

[booboo]

@barbarian said in AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?:

@Machpants said in AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?:

Or the Ozzies play them all over here, only they quarantine (their country fucked up, not ours) and we can have full crowds.

If they can share revenue then that could be an option.

I think RA would rather have two games here (one in Bris, one in Syd perhaps) so at least they can pull in some cash.

Would have to think that goes without saying.

[Bovidae]

@pakman said in AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?:

Boshier has scored a few tries in SRA.

Some like 7s who fetch and 6s who smash and crash.

In more recent times TWM seem to prefer hybrids?

Boshier is more a 6.5 even though he has a no.6 on his jersey. He is one of the best over the ball in SRA and is useful in the lineout due to his height.

Both Boshier and Papali'i have scored 4 tries, second behind Jordan on the try scoring list.

[Snowy]

@Bovidae said in AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?:

Both Boshier and Papali'i have scored 4 tries

Papali'i has scored 5, unfortunately A Smith was playing soccer at the time so it was deemed hand ball.

[Duluth]

@Snowy said in AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?:

@Bovidae said in AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?:

Both Boshier and Papali'i have scored 4 tries

Papali'i has scored 5, unfortunately A Smith was playing soccer at the time so it was deemed hand ball.

You have a bias towards the team you support

[Bovidae]

@Snowy And Reece has only scored 3, right?

[Snowy]

@Duluth Haha. No I don't. That is what happened. I do have an obvious bias against soccer though.

[Snowy]

For the record I would pick Pap over Boshier but it has nothing to do with who they play for. Will be interesting to see where Foster goes with his loosies.

[mofitzy_]

I would take Pap over Boshier too but I think some people are really underselling Boshier. If we weren't so stacked in loose forwards right now, he would be a fine AB.