All Blacks vs Fiji

Chris

Maybe Ennor on the left wing? He's played there a lot for Canterbury/Crusaders

Ennor is a natural left wing, as you said he has played a lot on the left wing for Canterbury and the Crusaders.

Duluth

Ennor is a natural left wing

There's not many of them in the squad

I hope they go for Ennor. It's clear Ioane is rated as one of the top two 13's. There's no need to screw him around by alternating him between the wing and 13

Ennor would have a genuine chance of pushing his way into the best starting xv as a winger too (almost no chance as a centre IMO)

Bones

@duluth he was shit hot in his break out season, on the wing. If he can replicate that at AB level I'd then like to see if he can play on the right.

Chris

@duluth said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

@chris said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

Ennor is a natural left wing

There's not many of them in the squad

I hope they go for Ennor. It's clear Ioane is rated as one of the top two 13's. There's no need to screw him around by alternating him between the wing and 13

Ennor would have a genuine chance of pushing his way into the best starting xv as a winger too (almost no chance as a centre IMO)

HaHa well Ennor has pace I think you are right about his best chance of Regular AB game time is the wing.

Kirwan

@chris said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

@duluth said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

@chris said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

Ennor is a natural left wing

There's not many of them in the squad

I hope they go for Ennor. It's clear Ioane is rated as one of the top two 13's. There's no need to screw him around by alternating him between the wing and 13

Ennor would have a genuine chance of pushing his way into the best starting xv as a winger too (almost no chance as a centre IMO)

HaHa well Ennor has pace I think you are right about his best chance of Regular AB game time is the wing.

It’s the David Havilli approach to get into the team, spot the hole and fill it.

Duluth

Aaron Smith was doing a lot of media, so presumably he's starting this week

Bovidae

@duluth said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

Aaron Smith was doing a lot of media, so presumably he's starting this week

To highlight how infrequent the ABs have played Fiji, Smith has never faced them despite playing 97 tests.

taniwharugby

@bovidae that probably puts paid to any ideas of him being rested further then!

gt12

@duluth said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

Aaron Smith was doing a lot of media, so presumably he's starting this week

Think they might make him captain and give Whitelock a week off?

Chris B.

@nzzp said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

@duluth said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

I think Christie might start given he subbed on with Barrett last night. They might keep that combo going. Particularly if Sotutu is at eight

I was pleasantly surprised with how he went last week - looked fast to breakdowns and threw some faster passes than I expected. Starting to see what Macdonald sees in him

The main issue I have with Finlay playing for the Mako (and I have to admit I haven't watched him closely at the Blues, but it's been one of the things you guys have also pointed to) is his tendency to leave the ball in the ruck for an age while he weighs up his options. With the ABs, hopefully if he's given a clear game plan, he'll also have lots of good options at any given moment and won't have to agonise as much.

Probably wishful thinking...

Crucial

@chris-b said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

@nzzp said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

@duluth said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

I think Christie might start given he subbed on with Barrett last night. They might keep that combo going. Particularly if Sotutu is at eight

I was pleasantly surprised with how he went last week - looked fast to breakdowns and threw some faster passes than I expected. Starting to see what Macdonald sees in him

The main issue I have with Finlay playing for the Mako (and I have to admit I haven't watched him closely at the Blues, but it's been one of the things you guys have also pointed to) is his tendency to leave the ball in the ruck for an age while he weighs up his options. With the ABs, hopefully if he's given a clear game plan, he'll also have lots of good options at any given moment and won't have to agonise as much.

Probably wishful thinking...

That is more often than not the fault of the first receiver. If he isn't getting a clear call he has to wait.
These days it seems even more the case as you can't afford to pick up the ball and then look. You get hammered.

Chris B.

@crucial Possibly, though, at the Mako he'd regularly have Hunt and Havili as first receivers - and I don't see Aaron Smith having problems with Mitch at the Highlanders, while Dave is supposedly in the Michael Collins class of communicator.

Bovidae

Blindside flanker Shannon Frizell has recovered from his ankle injury and is likely to take his place in a new back row against Fiji in Dunedin on Saturday, but the news isn’t as promising for in-form No 7 Dalton Papalii.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/125666851/all-blacks-flanker-shannon-frizell-cleared-to-play-but-dalton-papalii-is-struggling/

nostrildamus

Still think they could have tested out a new 6, they know what Frizell can do..

Bones

@nostrildamus said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

Still think they could have tested out a new 6, they know what Frizell can do..

Not against Fiji though.

Kirwan

@bones said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

@nostrildamus said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

Still think they could have tested out a new 6, they know what Frizell can do..

Not against Fiji though.

Against Argentina they do…

Bones

@kirwan said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

@bones said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

@nostrildamus said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

Still think they could have tested out a new 6, they know what Frizell can do..

Not against Fiji though.

Against Argentina they do…

We're not playing Argentina. We need a secret weapon for Fiji.

Kirwan

@bones said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

@kirwan said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

@bones said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

@nostrildamus said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

Still think they could have tested out a new 6, they know what Frizell can do..

Not against Fiji though.

Against Argentina they do…

We're not playing Argentina. We need a secret weapon for Fiji.

Kava?

Bones

@kirwan said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

@bones said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

@kirwan said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

@bones said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

@nostrildamus said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

Still think they could have tested out a new 6, they know what Frizell can do..

Not against Fiji though.

Against Argentina they do…

We're not playing Argentina. We need a secret weapon for Fiji.

Kava?

Frizzel could carry it in his suitcase.

Crucial

@bones said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

@kirwan said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

@bones said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

@kirwan said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

@bones said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

@nostrildamus said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

Still think they could have tested out a new 6, they know what Frizell can do..

Not against Fiji though.

Against Argentina they do…

We're not playing Argentina. We need a secret weapon for Fiji.

Kava?

Frizzel could carry it in his suitcase.

The Silver Fern

All Blacks vs Fiji