AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?

[Bovidae]

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

Not sure Ta’avao is match fit.

Yeah, Ta'avao has looked way off the pace since returning from that horrific injury.

But agree it looks like he’s going to be focussed on TH.

There are 3 specialist LHs in the squad now, unlike last year.

[sparky]

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

@sparky poor bugger, tough injury. Wonder who the cover will be. PUJ?

Fozzy has said no replacement will be named until a Test date is set.

[nzzp]

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

Yep, we would have SMOKED the Poms had we had that sort of dynamism on the left wing. What a fuck up that was.

seriously, go back and watch the Ireland game. Bridge is solid and low error rate. In the Irish game, with some great ball he takes some average options, fails to beat people in space, and runs into contact. The smackdown that we laid on them papered over some of the issues, but look at that game for an example of his limits at the top level.

Reece offers real dynamism - when you look at the Bok game (2019) we had 5 minutes of magic and won the game. In 2015 it wasn't that different - but with DC dropgoal magic and a McCaw led forward pack (with a still outrageous Whitelock lineout steal with the game on the line).

[ACT Crusader]

@ACT-Crusader said in AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?:

J. Moody
C. Taylor
N. Laulala
S. Whitelock
Q. Strange
C. Grace
T. Chief
T. Blue
T. Lander
R. Mo’unga
S. Reece
J. Goodhue
B. Ennor
G. Bridge
W. Jordan

Updated

J. Moody
C. Taylor
N. Laulala
S. Whitelock
Q. Strange
C. Grace
T. Chief
T. Blue
T. Lander
R. Mo’unga
S. Reece
J. Barrett
J. Goodhue
G. Bridge
W. Jordan

[Toddy]

@ACT-Crusader Is Jordie off to the Crusaders next year?

[Snowy]

Only just read all of that and I am now handing out free virtual cups of concrete.

As for not picking an all white boy back line. WTF? The AB are not a racially selected team so pick who is the best, I couldn't give a shit if their skin colour was green, although the last time that happened was in 1995 and didn't end well.

We really need some more rugby to watch. Testosterone levels are either way too high, or in some cases dangerously low for some petals.

[broughie]

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

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

Not sure Ta’avao is match fit.

Yeah, Ta'avao has looked way off the pace since returning from that horrific injury.

Yes. Near the end he tried to tackle jordie and was clutching at air. Pretty embarrassing. It might be the last time we see Angus.

[ACT Crusader]

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

@ACT-Crusader Is Jordie off to the Crusaders next year?

Cannnnneeeerrrrbbbrrrryyyy

[voodoo]

I'm almost thankful that we have no games this year, or at most, a couple against the Aussies. Because this team is pretty uninspiring to me. Not for a lack of talent, but for how "messy" it feels. So few guys picking themselves as automatic selections, too many being touted to play out of position, and a new captain that is injury prone and probably not world class even at full fitness.

How can we have gone through another season and still have no idea what our midfield should look like? How is it that we have no natural 12's any more? We are touting Jordie Barret or Ennor (pre-injury) as great options, WTF?

We are still debating who to play at 10, who our best wings are, who to play at 15. We have no standout at 6, even 8 (maybe Sotutu), and arguably our best 7 will need to come off the bench.

And what we absolutely don't have is an cohesiveness in the combinations across the park. Tight 5? Nah. Loosie combination? No. Number 8/9 combo? Nope. Midfield? Maybe of they go back to ALB/Goodhue, but people seem to think this is unlikely. Back 3? Nuh uh.

I could see this team getting toasted by SA if we played them tomorrow.

[MN5]

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

I'm almost thankful that we have no games this year, or at most, a couple against the Aussies. Because this team is pretty uninspiring to me. Not for a lack of talent, but for how "messy" it feels. So few guys picking themselves as automatic selections, too many being touted to play out of position, and a new captain that is injury prone and probably not world class even at full fitness.

How can we have gone through another season and still have no idea what our midfield should look like? How is it that we have no natural 12's any more? We are touting Jordie Barret or Ennor (pre-injury) as great options, WTF?

We are still debating who to play at 10, who our best wings are, who to play at 15. We have no standout at 6, even 8 (maybe Sotutu), and arguably our best 7 will need to come off the bench.

And what we absolutely don't have is an cohesiveness in the combinations across the park. Tight 5? Nah. Loosie combination? No. Number 8/9 combo? Nope. Midfield? Maybe of they go back to ALB/Goodhue, but people seem to think this is unlikely. Back 3? Nuh uh.

I could see this team getting toasted by SA if we played them tomorrow.

So negative.....but so accurate.

Thank god if we do play this year it'll only be against Australia.

[antipodean]

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

I'm almost thankful that we have no games this year, or at most, a couple against the Aussies. Because this team is pretty uninspiring to me. Not for a lack of talent, but for how "messy" it feels. So few guys picking themselves as automatic selections, too many being touted to play out of position, and a new captain that is injury prone and probably not world class even at full fitness.

How can we have gone through another season and still have no idea what our midfield should look like? How is it that we have no natural 12's any more? We are touting Jordie Barret or Ennor (pre-injury) as great options, WTF?

We are still debating who to play at 10, who our best wings are, who to play at 15. We have no standout at 6, even 8 (maybe Sotutu), and arguably our best 7 will need to come off the bench.

And what we absolutely don't have is an cohesiveness in the combinations across the park. Tight 5? Nah. Loosie combination? No. Number 8/9 combo? Nope. Midfield? Maybe of they go back to ALB/Goodhue, but people seem to think this is unlikely. Back 3? Nuh uh.

I could see this team getting toasted by SA if we played them tomorrow.

[MN5]

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

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

I'm almost thankful that we have no games this year, or at most, a couple against the Aussies. Because this team is pretty uninspiring to me. Not for a lack of talent, but for how "messy" it feels. So few guys picking themselves as automatic selections, too many being touted to play out of position, and a new captain that is injury prone and probably not world class even at full fitness.

How can we have gone through another season and still have no idea what our midfield should look like? How is it that we have no natural 12's any more? We are touting Jordie Barret or Ennor (pre-injury) as great options, WTF?

We are still debating who to play at 10, who our best wings are, who to play at 15. We have no standout at 6, even 8 (maybe Sotutu), and arguably our best 7 will need to come off the bench.

And what we absolutely don't have is an cohesiveness in the combinations across the park. Tight 5? Nah. Loosie combination? No. Number 8/9 combo? Nope. Midfield? Maybe of they go back to ALB/Goodhue, but people seem to think this is unlikely. Back 3? Nuh uh.

I could see this team getting toasted by SA if we played them tomorrow.

You said it Homer.

[antipodean]

@MN5 said in AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?:

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

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

I'm almost thankful that we have no games this year, or at most, a couple against the Aussies. Because this team is pretty uninspiring to me. Not for a lack of talent, but for how "messy" it feels. So few guys picking themselves as automatic selections, too many being touted to play out of position, and a new captain that is injury prone and probably not world class even at full fitness.

How can we have gone through another season and still have no idea what our midfield should look like? How is it that we have no natural 12's any more? We are touting Jordie Barret or Ennor (pre-injury) as great options, WTF?

We are still debating who to play at 10, who our best wings are, who to play at 15. We have no standout at 6, even 8 (maybe Sotutu), and arguably our best 7 will need to come off the bench.

And what we absolutely don't have is an cohesiveness in the combinations across the park. Tight 5? Nah. Loosie combination? No. Number 8/9 combo? Nope. Midfield? Maybe of they go back to ALB/Goodhue, but people seem to think this is unlikely. Back 3? Nuh uh.

I could see this team getting toasted by SA if we played them tomorrow.

You said it Homer.

I don't share the negativity.

I'm also trying to ignore the Cane trolling.

[MN5]

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

@MN5 said in AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?:

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

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

I'm almost thankful that we have no games this year, or at most, a couple against the Aussies. Because this team is pretty uninspiring to me. Not for a lack of talent, but for how "messy" it feels. So few guys picking themselves as automatic selections, too many being touted to play out of position, and a new captain that is injury prone and probably not world class even at full fitness.

How can we have gone through another season and still have no idea what our midfield should look like? How is it that we have no natural 12's any more? We are touting Jordie Barret or Ennor (pre-injury) as great options, WTF?

We are still debating who to play at 10, who our best wings are, who to play at 15. We have no standout at 6, even 8 (maybe Sotutu), and arguably our best 7 will need to come off the bench.

And what we absolutely don't have is an cohesiveness in the combinations across the park. Tight 5? Nah. Loosie combination? No. Number 8/9 combo? Nope. Midfield? Maybe of they go back to ALB/Goodhue, but people seem to think this is unlikely. Back 3? Nuh uh.

I could see this team getting toasted by SA if we played them tomorrow.

You said it Homer.

I don't share the negativity.

I'm also trying to ignore the Cane trolling.

I know. Palmy is part of Canes country. It makes no sense.

[voodoo]

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

@MN5 said in AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?:

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

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

I'm almost thankful that we have no games this year, or at most, a couple against the Aussies. Because this team is pretty uninspiring to me. Not for a lack of talent, but for how "messy" it feels. So few guys picking themselves as automatic selections, too many being touted to play out of position, and a new captain that is injury prone and probably not world class even at full fitness.

How can we have gone through another season and still have no idea what our midfield should look like? How is it that we have no natural 12's any more? We are touting Jordie Barret or Ennor (pre-injury) as great options, WTF?

We are still debating who to play at 10, who our best wings are, who to play at 15. We have no standout at 6, even 8 (maybe Sotutu), and arguably our best 7 will need to come off the bench.

And what we absolutely don't have is an cohesiveness in the combinations across the park. Tight 5? Nah. Loosie combination? No. Number 8/9 combo? Nope. Midfield? Maybe of they go back to ALB/Goodhue, but people seem to think this is unlikely. Back 3? Nuh uh.

I could see this team getting toasted by SA if we played them tomorrow.

You said it Homer.

I don't share the negativity.

I'm also trying to ignore the Cane trolling.

Trolling? Why do say that? Is any criticism of him disallowed?

I like Cane, I was amongst those calling for Hansons immediate sacking when he was omitted from the SF team. He hits like a rock, and in that backdrop in particular, he was absolutely necessary.

But in a balanced back row, with a traditional big 6 and a more powerful 8 (say Frizell and Sotutu), I don't think Cane is a world class 7 and I'd rather see Ardie in there.

Hardly trolling

[taniwharugby]

@voodoo and yet we go back to the Richie era and were many calls that things were boring, the team picked itself, we won too much etc...

Never bloody happy are you

[MN5]

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

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

@MN5 said in AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?:

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

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

I'm almost thankful that we have no games this year, or at most, a couple against the Aussies. Because this team is pretty uninspiring to me. Not for a lack of talent, but for how "messy" it feels. So few guys picking themselves as automatic selections, too many being touted to play out of position, and a new captain that is injury prone and probably not world class even at full fitness.

How can we have gone through another season and still have no idea what our midfield should look like? How is it that we have no natural 12's any more? We are touting Jordie Barret or Ennor (pre-injury) as great options, WTF?

We are still debating who to play at 10, who our best wings are, who to play at 15. We have no standout at 6, even 8 (maybe Sotutu), and arguably our best 7 will need to come off the bench.

And what we absolutely don't have is an cohesiveness in the combinations across the park. Tight 5? Nah. Loosie combination? No. Number 8/9 combo? Nope. Midfield? Maybe of they go back to ALB/Goodhue, but people seem to think this is unlikely. Back 3? Nuh uh.

I could see this team getting toasted by SA if we played them tomorrow.

You said it Homer.

I don't share the negativity.

I'm also trying to ignore the Cane trolling.

Trolling? Why do say that? Is any criticism of him disallowed?

I like Cane, I was amongst those calling for Hansons immediate sacking when he was omitted from the SF team. He hits like a rock, and in that backdrop in particular, he was absolutely necessary.

But in a balanced back row, with a traditional big 6 and a more powerful 8 (say Frizell and Sotutu), I don't think Cane is a world class 7 and I'd rather see Ardie in there.

Hardly trolling

My apologies. I thought he was referring to "the Canes" rather than "Cane".

I chose to jump in and put the boot in without knowing the facts. This makes me no better than a typical "Black Lives Matter" protester.

As you were.

[voodoo]

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

@voodoo and yet we go back to the Richie era and were many calls that things were boring, the team picked itself, we won too much etc...

Never bloody happy are you

who were the sad fckers complaining about that!!!

I'm not as negative as the post probably appeared, there is talent in there. But I am glad (from a results perspective rather than a getting-to-watch rugby perspective) that we are not playing SA or England any time soon

[Machpants]

I am the opposite, the coaching group have been up front about where we were shite in RWC, and a few of the previous games since Lions. They are not talking, like Hansen, that we’ll use ‘new tactics and gameplans’ to get around the defences that trouble us. they’ve said we were not dominant up front and we’ve picked to fix that. Personally this should have happened post Lions like Hansen originaly said, then we’d have had two years upto the RWC for Fozzie to fail or win. And now, probably, Robertson would be coach, someone who is pragmatic (see saders) but also engages with the players and is a bit more modern.

And also not another fat fluffybunny, always hate it when our coaches are such bloaters.

[MN5]

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

I am the opposite, the coaching group have been up front about where we were shite in RWC, and a few of the previous games since Lions. They are not talking, like Hansen, that we’ll use ‘new tactics and gameplans’ to get around the defences that trouble us. they’ve said we were not dominant up front and we’ve picked to fix that. Personally this should have happened post Lions like Hansen originaly said, then we’d have had two years upto the RWC for Fozzie to fail or win. And now, probably, Robertson would be coach, someone who is pragmatic (see saders) but also engages with the players and is a bit more modern.

And also not another fat fluffybunny, always hate it when our coaches are such bloaters.

Fucken aye. This irks the shit out of me too. For a couple of former svelte backs Hansen and Foster have clearly been taking tips from Ian Smith on how to truly let yourself go.