All Blacks vs Fiji

taniwharugby

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

gt12

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.

@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.

nostrildamus

@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.

Ask Ian "Desiccated Powder" Foster.
Considering the points F and A for ABs: Fiji is 364: 50 (5 games, 5 wins) perhaps he will go to his Argentinian case study.

Bones

@nostrildamus case study....as in suit case....? Back to the kava again eh

Derpus

Will Fiji have any players for this or is it going to be the All Blacks verse some club lads 2.0?

Stargazer

@derpus You can find the full squad here: https://www.forum.thesilverfern.com/post/590456

pakman

Pakman team:

Bower
Taylor
Laulala
BBBR/Vaa'i
Whitelock (c)
Frizell
A Savea/Blackadder
Sotutu
Smith
B Barrett/Mo'unga
Reece
Havili
Ioane
Bridge
J Barrett

Bench:

Coles/De Groot/Ta'avao/Vaa'i(or BBBR)/Blackadder(Jacobson)/Christie/Mo'unga(BB)/Tupaea

Kiwiwomble

is AI injured?

MN5

@pakman said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

Pakman team:

Bower
Taylor
Laulala
BBBR/Vaa'i
Whitelock (c)
Frizell
A Savea/Blackadder
Sotutu
Smith
B Barrett/Mo'unga
Reece
Havili
Ioane
Bridge
J Barrett

Bench:

Coles/De Groot/Ta'avao/Vaa'i(or BBBR)/Blackadder(Jacobson)/Christie/Mo'unga(BB)/Tupaea

Exciting stuff. We’ll get to see how good Bridges distribution is when the play swings to the right.

The Silver Fern

All Blacks vs Fiji