Discussion of AB 9s. Best ever All Blacks Half Back?
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In my lifetime:
1 - Aaron Smith
2 - Graeme Bachop
3 - Justin Marshall
4 - David Kirk
5 - Dan Carter
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Next rung:
1 - Dave Loveridge
2 - Byron Kelleher
3 - Piri Weepu
4 - TJ Perenara——————-
Everyone else (no order, just for fun)
Jimmy Cowan, Steve Devine, Brendon Leonard, Junior Tonu’u, Andy Ellis, Tawera Kerr-Barlow, Mark Robinson, Mark Donaldson, Kevin Senio, Mitch Drummond, Brad Weber, Andrew DonaldSid only played a couple of tests in my lifetime.
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I’ll add, Stu Forster had a lovely passing game, would obviously struggle size wise in the modern game
Always have, always will rate smith as one of if not the best
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@kiwiwomble said in Discussion of AB 9s. Best ever All Blacks Half Back?:
I’ll add, Stu Forster had a lovely passing game, would obviously struggle size wise in the modern game
Always have, always will rate smith as one of if not the best
I think he has something against Hawkes Bay/Otago halfbacks as he didn't mention Lee either. Not sure how Weber slipped through though.
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@beardie I was pretty young , and I might be getting going and laidlaw a little mixed up ,
I remember going having that funky reverse pass though
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@kiwiinmelb That’s right, worked well with his loosies with those little passes. He was a tricky player to contain, a slippery runner with a low centre of gravity, and while he was being watched closely he opened up options for other players.
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@beardie said in All Blacks vs Wallabies Bledisloe 2 Eden Park 14th Aug:
@kiwiinmelb That’s right, worked well with his loosies with those little passes. He was a tricky player to contain, a slippery runner with a low centre of gravity, and while he was being watched closely he opened up options for other players.
And a tough bugger , in the days when throwing punches was accepted where warranted , can remember him going straight into packs and belting opposition forwards when he saw something he didn’t like
Probably gets the award for the toughest halfback we have ever had .
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@kiwiinmelb said in All Blacks vs Wallabies Bledisloe 2 Eden Park 14th Aug:
@beardie said in All Blacks vs Wallabies Bledisloe 2 Eden Park 14th Aug:
@kiwiinmelb That’s right, worked well with his loosies with those little passes. He was a tricky player to contain, a slippery runner with a low centre of gravity, and while he was being watched closely he opened up options for other players.
And a tough bugger , in the days when throwing punches was accepted where warranted , can remember him going straight into packs and belting opposition forwards when he saw something he didn’t like
Probably gets the award for the toughest halfback we have ever had .
I'd agree. Hard as nails. He normally avoided using the fists, maybe due to his being a devout Mormon, but Terry McLean tells the story of an opposition forward kneeing kim in the face and Sid meting out serious punishment to said forward with "a series of cold, hard, scientific, effective and methodical punches"
His passing wasn't great - wet ball or not. When he was dropped in the '77 Lions series for Lyn Davis, McLean waggishly noted the AB inside backs were in a state of shock as they were totally unused to a fast pass from an AB halfback..
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@kiwiwomble said in Discussion of AB 9s. Best ever All Blacks Half Back?:
I’ll add, Stu Forster had a lovely passing game, would obviously struggle size wise in the modern game
Always have, always will rate smith as one of if not the best
Forster, yeah. The old memory couldn’t remember them all. I’d have him in the third category but probably higher than most of them.
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@act-crusader said in Discussion of AB 9s. Best ever All Blacks Half Back?:
In my lifetime:
1 - Aaron Smith
2 - Graeme Bachop
3 - Justin Marshall
4 - David Kirk
5 - Dan Carter——————-
Next rung:
1 - Dave Loveridge
2 - Byron Kelleher
3 - Piri Weepu
4 - TJ Perenara——————-
I'd go:
1- Aaron Smith
2 - David Loveridge
3 - David Kirk
4 - Graeme Bachop.
5 - Justin MarshallNext rung : Byron Kelleher, Piri Weepu, Jimmy Cowan, Kerr-Barlow, TJ Perenera.
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@kiwiinmelb said in Discussion of AB 9s. Best ever All Blacks Half Back?:
@beardie I was pretty young , and I might be getting going and laidlaw a little mixed up ,
I remember going having that funky reverse pass though
Yes. From what I have seen and read Laidlaw was the passer and Going the runner.
I remember watching a video from the 1980s that my uncle had which was about the greatest AB team to that point. IIRC Des Connor was their pick at halfback ahead of Laidlaw, Going, Loveridge etc. Way before my time.
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@victor-meldrew I'm too young to have watched Sid. Trapper is the first AB half back I can remember.
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@bovidae said in Discussion of AB 9s. Best ever All Blacks Half Back?:
Yes. From what I have seen and read Laidlaw was the passer and Going the runner.
Can vaguely remember Laidlaw on TV and certainly remember Sid. Nugget is pretty near the top at running and passing.
And when did he last have a game which wasn't top-notch or even bad?
Best by some margin for me.
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@sparky said in Discussion of AB 9s. Best ever All Blacks Half Back?:
@victor-meldrew I'm too young to have watched Sid. Trapper is the first AB half back I can remember.
Remember watching Trapper playing in a rain-soaked match in the mid 80's (I think)
Unbelievable display. Probably up there with DC against the Lions in 2005
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@victor-meldrew said in Discussion of AB 9s. Best ever All Blacks Half Back?:
@bovidae said in Discussion of AB 9s. Best ever All Blacks Half Back?:
Yes. From what I have seen and read Laidlaw was the passer and Going the runner.
Can vaguely remember Laidlaw on TV and certainly remember Sid. Nugget is pretty near the top at running and passing.
And when did he last have a game which wasn't top-notch or even bad?
I thought Nug was off his game for the Yokohama RWC semi final in 2019 but he was not alone in that.
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@sparky said in Discussion of AB 9s. Best ever All Blacks Half Back?:
I thought Nug was off his game for the Yokohama RWC semi final in 2019 but he was not alone in that.
Please don't mention that game - it triggers me. I get visions of rugby players and coaching staff aiming guns at their feet.
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@act-crusader said in Discussion of AB 9s. Best ever All Blacks Half Back?:
In my lifetime:
1 - Aaron Smith
2 - Graeme Bachop
3 - Justin Marshall
4 - David Kirk
5 - Dan Carter——————-
Next rung:
1 - Dave Loveridge
2 - Byron Kelleher
3 - Piri Weepu
4 - TJ Perenara——————-
Everyone else (no order, just for fun)
Jimmy Cowan, Steve Devine, Brendon Leonard, Junior Tonu’u, Andy Ellis, Tawera Kerr-Barlow, Mark Robinson, Mark Donaldson, Kevin Senio, Mitch Drummond, Brad Weber, Andrew DonaldSid only played a couple of tests in my lifetime.
Preston?
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I saw Laidlaw play, excellent. But Aaron Smith is easily best AB 9 of my lifetime.
