All Blacks 2021

[Dan54]

This post is deleted!

[Dan54]

@booboo I reckon Vaa'i is going to be bloody good, he not too bad now , and he just out of his cot really!

Mind you I always been a PPP fan too, and think he gots lots to like too

[Daffy Jaffy]

The sacred All Blacks mauri stone has been handed over to the All Blacks Experience at SkyCity in central Auckland, where it will stay whenever the All Blacks are not playing.
The All Blacks Experience team will act as kaitiaki of the precious taonga, which accompanies the All Blacks wherever they play, at home or overseas. The stone embodies the team’s mana and offers them protection in their travels and on the field.

[antipodean]

How long has that been a thing?

[taniwharugby]

@antipodean ages as!

[Kiwiwomble]

@antipodean said in All Blacks 2021:

How long has that been a thing?

have to say i thought the same thing

[Kruse]

@antipodean said in All Blacks 2021:

How long has that been a thing?

Since the first ever newspaper article about Aura possibly being lost, I guess.

[Kirwan]

@taniwharugby said in All Blacks 2021:

@antipodean ages as!

Really? I've never heard of it before. Interesting what passes me by sometimes.

[taniwharugby]

@kirwan yeah I have no idea either

[Snowy]

The sevens team have one I think, greenstone. It goes to the Comm games and Olympics with them or something. That would have started about 20 years ago. Had no idea the ABs had one too.

[canefan]

@kirwan said in All Blacks 2021:

@taniwharugby said in All Blacks 2021:

@antipodean ages as!

Really? I've never heard of it before. Interesting what passes me by sometimes.

Is it named aura?

[cgrant]

Team I'd like to see vs Italy :

J. Barrett
Jordan
P. Umaga-Jensen
Tupaea
Clarke
Mo'unga
Smith
A. Ioane
Papali'i
Robinson
Parkinson
Vai'i
Lomax
Taylor
Moody

Sub :
Aumua
Ross
Laulala
Whitelock
A. Savea
Weber
R. Ioane
McKenzie / Havili

The Italians are not a menace so it's a nice opportunity to try a few new players, particularly in midfield where no perfect combination has been found so far, at lock where PPP and Vai'i could show what they are able to do, and at THP where Lomax could gain more confidence.
Aidan Ross is the form LHP and could start from the bench.
I am hesitating between Havili and Tupaea at second five. The latter is beginning to develop strongly while Havili is a talented all round player.

[Bones]

@cgrant haaa I didn't read the bit about "against Italy" and was about to shit the bed.

I'd take Havili, but otherwise looks pretty interesting.

[Bones]

@cgrant oh wait no Weber can take a hike, get in a young buck. Weber pulls out 1 or 2 great games a year for the chiefs and gets in in the back of that usually.

Roe or AN Other.

[Crucial]

@cgrant I would like that post for content but can’t because you listed the XV back to front with the bench correctly

Some good ideas there. Not sure about the all blue loose trio though. Need to see how some of these guys play nicely with others

[mofitzy_]

@cgrant
Will never happen. I completely understand your logic but the big risk is that team doesn't click and loses to Italy .

[Bovidae]

What's the Italian scrum like now? That used to be their only real strength.

Let's see how Lomax goes today but he has plateaued in my eyes.

[Canes4life]

@bovidae really? He had the better of both Tu’unukuafe and Hodgman last week. It’s not surprising that he somehow always scrums better when he has IWL behind him though.

[Machpants]

@mofitzy_ said in All Blacks 2021:

@cgrant
Will never happen. I completely understand your logic but the big risk is that team doesn't click and loses to Italy .

Also even if they play awesome, what did it prove? An NZ second XV can beat Italy, No shit, the crusaders, blues (reds and brumbies) would beat Italy ATM. The only way to really see if players are test level is being part of a real test, and that's why you never see too many of them at once

[mofitzy_]

@machpants
I would rather them see them cycle through a few newbies rather than chuck them in all at once. Test some combinations with established players as the other half of the combination.

A real shame Fakatava is injured. Also wish BB and Retallick were back for the mid year tests, because they will most likely be in a RWC squad regardless.