Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11

[Chris B.]

@Tim said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:

All Blacks coach Ian Foster has released three players from his hefty 35-man squad for provincial duty this weekend.

Uncapped Canterbury loose forward Cullen Grace, Ta$man tighthead prop Tyrel Lomax, and midfielder Thomas Umaga-Jensen, are all available to play in round five of the Mitre 10 Cup.

Tyrel back to play for us vs BoP.

That should shore up the scrum.

Fozzie not forgetting he's from Waikato!

[Machpants]

@ACT-Crusader said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:

Looks ready to go. A few big decisions ahead. Do we still have to wait till Thursday?

Friday due to Sunday test

[mariner4life]

@Unite said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:

Liam Napier’s article on the Herald seems to suggest Savea will be at 8...

so he will choose the, at best, 3rd best 8 in the country (he's probably 4th to be honest)?

that is a real fucking good start Fozzie you fat fuck.

Pick him at 7, or don't pick him.

This is what you get when you value continuity over everything else.

[Bovidae]

So much for some in the media picking Lomax would be in the 23.

[mariner4life]

If M4L was a selector (and it is pretty easy to see why i am not)

Moody
Taylor
Laulala (i actually think Ofa is the better player, but i prefer the type of game Ofa would bring off the bench)
Sam W
Tuipulotu
Frizzel
Cane
Sotutu
Smith
Mo'unga
Clarke
ALB
Ioane
Jordan
J Barrett

Aumua
Karl T
Ofa T
Vaa'i
Ioane
Savea
TJP
B Barrett

[Bovidae]

@mariner4life is Mauger with the 6:2 split.

[KiwiMurph]

I can see the value in starting Ardie at 8 for the first game given its a Bledisloe. Sotutu still has work to do on his skills at the boot of the scrum - I could see Rennie seriously targeting him there.

[Higgins]

@KiwiMurph Are you implying that you are ok in selecting players that might not be "up to it" into the All Blacks squad. Surely if a player is selected in the squad he must be considered good enough to do the job. If not "up to it"but he is the best available in that particular position then we will just have to live with it.

[KiwiMurph]

@Higgins I didn't say he wasn't up to it - I'm just not against easing him in perhaps off the bench or even wait until the second Bledisloe once we've had a look at Rennie's Wallabies. In a unique unknown situation as this first test I don't think experience in the loosies is a bad thing.

[Machpants]

@mariner4life said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:

If M4L was a selector (and it is pretty easy to see why i am not)

Moody
Taylor
Laulala (i actually think Ofa is the better player, but i prefer the type of game Ofa would bring off the bench)
Sam W
Tuipulotu
Frizzel
Cane
Sotutu
Smith
Mo'unga
Clarke
ALB
Ioane
Jordan
J Barrett

Aumua
Karl T
Ofa T
Vaa'i
Ioane
Savea
TJP
B Barrett

Replace lose forward Ioane with TJP, and I'm with you. Who's nine if Smith goes down? Edit oh swap Ofa, but I'm no expert on props

[Snowy]

@KiwiMurph said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:

Sotutu still has work to do on his skills at the boot of the scrum - I could see Rennie seriously targeting him there.

The other seven blokes will have a big say in that though.

[KiwiMurph]

@Machpants said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:

@mariner4life said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:

If M4L was a selector (and it is pretty easy to see why i am not)

Moody
Taylor
Laulala (i actually think Ofa is the better player, but i prefer the type of game Ofa would bring off the bench)
Sam W
Tuipulotu
Frizzel
Cane
Sotutu
Smith
Mo'unga
Clarke
ALB
Ioane
Jordan
J Barrett

Aumua
Karl T
Ofa T
Vaa'i
Ioane
Savea
TJP
B Barrett

Replace lose forward Ioane with TJP, and I'm with you. Who's nine if Smith goes down? Edit oh swap Ofa, but I'm no expert on props

TJP is there.

[Hooroo]

@Machpants said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:

@mariner4life said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:

If M4L was a selector (and it is pretty easy to see why i am not)

Moody
Taylor
Laulala (i actually think Ofa is the better player, but i prefer the type of game Ofa would bring off the bench)
Sam W
Tuipulotu
Frizzel
Cane
Sotutu
Smith
Mo'unga
Clarke
ALB
Ioane
Jordan
J Barrett

Aumua
Karl T
Ofa T
Vaa'i
Ioane
Savea
TJP
B Barrett

Replace lose forward Ioane with TJP, and I'm with you. Who's nine if Smith goes down? Edit oh swap Ofa, but I'm no expert on props

Who are you swapping Ofa for?

[mariner4life]

@Machpants said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:

@mariner4life said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:

If M4L was a selector (and it is pretty easy to see why i am not)

Moody
Taylor
Laulala (i actually think Ofa is the better player, but i prefer the type of game Ofa would bring off the bench)
Sam W
Tuipulotu
Frizzel
Cane
Sotutu
Smith
Mo'unga
Clarke
ALB
Ioane
Jordan
J Barrett

Aumua
Karl T
Ofa T
Vaa'i
Ioane
Savea
TJP
B Barrett

Replace lose forward Ioane with TJP, and I'm with you. Who's nine if Smith goes down? Edit oh swap Ofa, but I'm no expert on props

dude

[mariner4life]

@Bovidae said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:

@mariner4life is Mauger with the 6:2 split.

damn right. Tests are won up front. Token back replacements are rarely required. B Barrett is there for impact with his pace later on.

[Tim]

Surprised that anyone who watched the last two years of rugby would want Laulala to start. Must be keen on jogging into contact and missing tackles.

[mariner4life]

@Tim said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:

Surprised that anyone who watched the last two years of rugby would want Laulala to start. Must be keen on jogging into contact and missing tackles.

who is the other tighthead?

genuine question, because i honestly don't know

[KiwiMurph]

@mariner4life Lomax who just got released to play Mitre 10 Cup this weekend?

[Chris B.]

@Tim said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:

Surprised that anyone who watched the last two years of rugby would want Laulala to start. Must be keen on jogging into contact and missing tackles.

I'd largely agree with you apart from the North-South game where I thought Nepo had a good points win.

[Machpants]

@mariner4life said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:

@Machpants said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:

@mariner4life said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:

If M4L was a selector (and it is pretty easy to see why i am not)

Moody
Taylor
Laulala (i actually think Ofa is the better player, but i prefer the type of game Ofa would bring off the bench)
Sam W
Tuipulotu
Frizzel
Cane
Sotutu
Smith
Mo'unga
Clarke
ALB
Ioane
Jordan
J Barrett

Aumua
Karl T
Ofa T
Vaa'i
Ioane
Savea
TJP
B Barrett

Replace lose forward Ioane with TJP, and I'm with you. Who's nine if Smith goes down? Edit oh swap Ofa, but I'm no expert on props

dude

Sorry, misread. I'd swap the props, cos that's what all the 'experts' have, no idea myself. Swap Ioane for goodhue. 6:2 split is for fat unfit squads