All Blacks 2021

[Higgins]

@pukunui said in All Blacks 2021:

What an underwhelming squad. Pretty lucky to only be playing Fiji and Tonga first up. RC might get ugly if there are any further injuries.

You could roll out an AB less Super squad and still squash Fiji and Tonga by bucketloads. Made with the proviso the I. Foster has nothing to do with the coashing.

[Tim]

Hodgman, Ross, Grace, Robinson, Faingaanuku, and PUJ will be smashing opposition players in NPC.

[Bones]

@bovidae Ennor and Bridge - I mean, at least Faingaanuku showed something on the park. Sure Bridge and Ennor have been selected before, but not like they've absolutely blown everyone away - they've been ordinary mostly.

[Steven Harris]

@chris , the other thing is , now that Christie is an All Black , how much game time is he really going to get at the Blues .?.and you are very astute, he has one of the better passes both ways and in my opinion one of the better high kick games in the country .and is a bloody good defender ,.he’s getting totally screwed at the Blues , have heard he’s looking at a move ..the Saders would be an awesome fit , look how that panned out for Bryn Hall .

[Stargazer]

The worst selection IMO is Christie. Great liability, but he's obviously only there because TJP and Fakatava aren't in the squad. He won't be in the Rugby Championship squad, when TJP returns.

Blackadder comes in for Grace.
I think it was between Robinson and AIoane for one spot; I'd have preferred big Red, but it is what it is.

Tupaea is probably only there because of the absence of Goodhue.

De Groot is there because Moody is injured; Ta'avao or Lomax benefit from Ofa's injury.

Many of these selections are injury enforced.

[antipodean]

@taniwharugby said in All Blacks 2021:

@tim just lucky the opposition for this squad is weak, which will paper over plenty of cracks

My concern is which of them will the Muppet Collective drop for the RC? Because Australia can put together a pretty competitive 23.

[pakman]

@tim said in All Blacks 2021:

If Lomax and Ta'avao are the backups, we'd better hope that Laulala stays fit.

Which is why I’d have had Mafileo. Then Lomax OR Ta’avao.

[pukunui]

@bones said in All Blacks 2021:

@bovidae Ennor and Bridge - I mean, at least Faingaanuku showed something on the park. Sure Bridge and Ennor have been selected before, but not like they've absolutely blown everyone away - they've been ordinary mostly.

Nuts isn’t it. The less they play the better they were apparently.

[taniwharugby]

@antipodean well assuming no injuries, only Christie for TJ? Is Cane back for RC or was he gone for the season?

Thing is Aaron needs a light series given his super work load, meaning Christie WILL get a decent chunk of minutes I expect

[ARHS]

Surely it was either Christie or Drummond to cover TJ absence. No shock there for me. B

[antipodean]

@arhs said in All Blacks 2021:

Surely it was either Christie or Drummond to cover TJ absence. No shock there for me. B

Then Drummond was a walk up start. I'm near astonished anyone could watch Christie play and think he's Test quality. Our game depends on speed and they pick the slowest person to get to rucks, with the slowest decision making and a shit pass to round things off.

Look up Aaron Smith in the dictionary and under antonym it says Finlay Christie.

[Chris B.]

The somewhat unfortunate thing about this year's squad is that during Super Rugby Aotearoa, it was looking to me that we'd have a significantly better AB team than last year - but, I think injuries and unavailability have made this squad look a little bit fragile.

But, when you slot Moody, Tu'ungafasi, Cane, Perenara, Goodhue and Clarke into that team, it's going to look significantly stronger. I've probably forgotten a missing stalwart or two, as well.

[Bovidae]

@bones said in All Blacks 2021:

@bovidae Ennor and Bridge - I mean, at least Faingaanuku showed something on the park. Sure Bridge and Ennor have been selected before, but not like they've absolutely blown everyone away - they've been ordinary mostly.

I think Robertson would have chosen Ennor and Bridge as well.

[KiwiMurph]

RTS will back himself to crack a squad like this in 12 months time.

[Tim]

Final test XXIII?

1 Tui'nukuafe
2 Taylor
3 Laulala
4 Retallick
5 Whitelock
6 Ioane
7 Savea
8 Sotutu

9 Smith
10 Barrett
11 Ioane
12 Havili
13 ALB
14 Jordan
15 McKenzie

16 Coles
17 Bower
18 Ta'avao
19 Barrett/Tuipulotu
20 Papalii
21 Weber
22 Mo'unga
23 J Barrett

[Kirwan]

How bad are the available wings if Bridge and Reece get in? And Frizell only plays well at Super level, is crap at Test level.

Would have picked Robinson there for sure.

All the posters pointing at Finlay are forgetting how bad Weber is.

[Victor Meldrew]

@stargazer said in All Blacks 2021:

The worst selection IMO is Christie. Great liability, but he's obviously only there because TJP and Fakatava aren't in the squad. He won't be in the Rugby Championship squad, when TJP returns.

I agree. For me, watching SA & Trans Ta$man from afar, Christie is the clear 3rd choice at 9. I'm OK with his selection, but def. not OK with the depth at 9 in NZ at the moment. The gap between AS and the rest is worrying.

[Chris B.]

@bovidae said in All Blacks 2021:

For the loose forwards, it must have been Blackadder vs Robinson. I would have chosen the latter as he offers something different but Plumtree seemed to like the fact Blackadder could also play 7.

Not sure about that.

I reckon Ardie will be the starting 7, with Papali'i his understudy.

Jacobson and Sotutu the No. 8s.

Akira and Frizell the blindsides.

I reckon Blackadder becomes the sort of Ardie/Masoe bench man who can cover all three.

Tom might have needed to push out Akira or Shannon?

[Bovidae]

@tim said in All Blacks 2021:

Final test XXIII?

6 Ioane
7 Savea
8 Sotutu

Savea and Sotutu are too similar for me. Apparently on the NZH Plumtree mentions a loose forward trio of Papalii/Jacobson/Savea.

[taniwharugby]

@kirwan highlights the gulf in class behind Smith!