All Blacks vs Wales

Bones

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="gollum" data-cid="585662" data-time="1465376292">
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Read somewhere that Billy Vunaploa had worked out by the time he gets home post Aussie tour it'll be 360 days since he reported for the World Cup. 
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What am I missing here? I have no idea what this means.

MiketheSnow

Anyone who says/thinks that
 
a] NZ are a MUCH weakened team because of retirement
b] NZ will be ripe for the picking because it's their first test of the season
c] Wales have a great opportunity to mug the ABs in the 1st Test
 
have either
 
1] not been watching Super Rugby - most Welsh supporters and more worringly quite a few NH journos
2] didn't watch Wales in the 6N, the Welsh players in the Pro 12, and Wales' warm up match against England - worst watch in a decade for me
3] have newspapers to sell

MiketheSnow

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Bones" data-cid="585667" data-time="1465377854">
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What am I missing here? I have no idea what this means.
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5 day off season this past year?

Bones

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="MiketheSnow" data-cid="585670" data-time="1465378270">
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5 day off season this past year?
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Ahhh righto, cheers!

nostrildamus

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="taniwharugby" data-cid="585614" data-time="1465355399">
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Celtic Passion!
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Translation: plenty of yellow cards, swearing at the ref in some hairy dwarven dialect and drunken singing in the sheds after the game.

gollum

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Bones" data-cid="585667" data-time="1465377854">
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What am I missing here? I have no idea what this means.
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Yeah, as Mike says, he basically had xmas off & thats it.
 
Go into WC camp, train, play WC, go into Saracens camp, play 15 games, go into 6N camp, plays 5 tests, go back to Sarries, play 15 more games. Go to pre tour camp, go on tour, play 3 tests, go home.

booboo

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Immenso Rapido" data-cid="585609" data-time="1465354192">
The dodgy journo Galagher has a feature on Wales tours/tests in NZ: <a class="bbc_url" href="http://www.therugbypaper.co.uk/features/columnists/brendan-gallagher/26032/brendan-gallagher-looks-at-how-wales-have-never-yet-come-to-terms-with-touring-in-new-zealand/">http://www.therugbypaper.co.uk/features/columnists/brendan-gallagher/26032/brendan-gallagher-looks-at-how-wales-have-never-yet-come-to-terms-with-touring-in-new-zealand/</a> 
I found part of the article quite interesting, as 1969 is well before my time, and that was a great NZ team and welsh team about to become great. So it was a lot of new info in there for me. 
However, I remember the 1988 tour extremely well. and some of the stuff Galagher writes about that tour is just plain stretching normailty to try and make it sound like the extreme, plus a few outrigh untruths, again. So now I doubt if what he has written about 1969 resembes the truth. 
About 1988: 
Well this is wrong. Waikato were only 1 year up from Division 2, wellington were actiually the second best team from the previous NPC (but about to implode that year), Otago were on the way up, and probably were the second best provincial team in NZ in 1988. But the strongest team in NZ from 1987 to 1993 was Auckland, second stongest was Auckand B, third strongest was Ponsonby :-), then Auckland Marist .... etc. Waikato beating Wales was such a shock (at the time, but only for about 3 days until we realised how abysmal they were still in the next match). 
Also about 1988: 
Makes it sound like playing a tour of Wed > Sat > Wed > Sat (TEST) was something strange ...... 
Anyway. Interesting article to get a different view, and will be interesting for those who don't remembr the tours. But is full of excuse making, with the caveat of being by a whining journalist whol likes to make stuff up, so keep an open mind. 
Will be interested in reading any feedback from those old enough to remember 1969.</blockquote>
Sounds somewhat overblown. But I'm not going to justify anything Gallagher has written by clicking on it. 
He has rather exaggerated the point about the strength of the teams but he kind of has a point about the fact that they were all 1st Division teams. 
Back in the day mid-week games were generally 2nd and 3rd Div teams (and if you were touring Straya you'd tend to play Victoria or NSW Country or Qld Country in the outback). I suppose that's where the term dirt trackers came from, as they'd play on dirt tracks. 
I recall the 83 Lions were ambushed a bit by having to play Auckland and Canterbury mid week. Caused a bit of a stir.

Catogrande

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="booboo" data-cid="585694" data-time="1465387481">
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Sounds somewhat overblown. But I'm not going to justify anything Gallagher has written by clicking on it. 
He has rather exaggerated the point about the strength of the teams but he kind of has a point about the fact that they were all 1st Division teams. 
Back in the day mid-week games were generally 2nd and 3rd Div teams (and if you were touring Straya you'd tend to play Victoria or NSW Country or Qld Country in the outback). I suppose that's where the term dirt trackers came from, as they'd play on dirt tracks. I recall the 83 Lions were ambushed a bit by having to play Auckland and Canterbury mid week. Caused a bit of a stir.
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I think that is more about the changing nature of tours. Previously a tour to NZ or SA would have been a very long affair with plenty of time to take in Saturday games against the stronger provinces and then the tests interwoven with that. 1983 tour to NZ was (from memory) somewhat foreshortened from previous tours and it was a case of having to try and fit a quart into a pint pot. And now we have arrived at where we are now, where it is all wham, bang, thank you ma'am and before you know it the tour is over.

Derm McCrum

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Catogrande" data-cid="585705" data-time="1465398460">I think that is more about the changing nature of tours. Previously a tour to NZ or SA would have been a very long affair with plenty of time to take in Saturday games against the stronger provinces and then the tests interwoven with that. 1983 tour to NZ was (from memory) somewhat foreshortened from previous tours and it was a case of having to try and fit a quart into a pint pot. And now we have arrived at where we are now, where it is all wham, bang, thank you ma'am and before you know it the tour is over.</blockquote> Agreed. I'd go further and say that 'tour' is a misnomer at this stage.

MiketheSnow

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Pot Hale" data-cid="585707" data-time="1465403600">
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Agreed. I'd go further and say that 'tour' is a misnomer at this stage.
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This is a 3-match Test tour with a homecoming match for Gats ;)

Frye

1. Joe Moody (11) 2. Dane Coles (36) 3. Owen Franks (78) 4. Luke Romano (22) 5. Brodie Retallick (47) 6. Jerome Kaino (67) 7. Sam Cane (31) 8. Kieran Read â€“ captain (84) 9. Aaron Smith (47) 10. Aaron Cruden (37) 11. Julian Savea (41) 12. Ryan Crotty (15) 13. Malakai Fekitoa (13) 14. Waisake Naholo (3) 15. Ben Smith (48) Reserves 16. Nathan Harris (2) 17. Wyatt Crockett (45) 18. Charlie Faumuina (33) 19. Patrick Tuipulotu (7) 20. Ardie Savea 21. TJ Perenara (17) 22. Beauden Barrett (36) 23. Seta Tamanivalu

Frye

Harris the only real surprise.
 
I guess depth at hooker certainly needs to be developed. Might be an indication that Taylor might start one of the tests.

Bones

Yeah bit odd to my thinking. Taylor has been going great, they obviously see something in Harris they want to bring in. Bloody solid for a depleted team...

Billy Tell

Let's be honest. We lose a bit of moral high ground playing taminavulu. 
Extremely predictable except for Harris I suppose. Probably offers more impact than Taylor.

pakman

Imagine selection of Moody to start is in response to expectation that Wales front row will be full on. Crockett and Charlie come in once leekmuncher legs are tired. Has Taminavulu played wing at high level? If not, then straight cover for midfield.

sparky

Go Ardie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
So pleased for him. I think he going to have an awesome All Blacks career ahead.

Bones

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="pakman" data-cid="585714" data-time="1465408257">
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Has Taminavulu played wing at high level? If not, then straight cover for midfield.
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Well they haven't been shy to use Crotty on the wing previously, plus you have Smith, so probably plenty of cover there.

kiwiinmelb

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="sparky" data-cid="585715" data-time="1465409263">
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Go Ardie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
So pleased for him. I think he going to have an awesome All Blacks career ahead.
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Yes , I posted a year or so ago , by the next WC he may have gone past Cane , 
 
and got ridiculed a bit for suggesting it , I still think its a possibility ,

kiwiinmelb

I guess the only concern in a tight test, question mark on the goalkicking ,
 
but its funny, I dont remember it being much of a talking point during the period when Dan was unavailable , 
 
Going to be interesting to see what happens with the 10 jersey, is it Cruden every test , or does Lima get a shot to show what he can do ?

pooler fan

I think our record against the Blacks shows we have a mental block against you guys. We (for the most part) recently seem to compete favourably against Aus & SA with tight closely fought games followed by heroic failure in the end. 
But against you guys we never even get too close. Usually get well & truly stuffed to be honest. 
The masochistic side of me is looking forward to the 4 matches but I'll have my hands over my face for the most part !

The Silver Fern

All Blacks vs Wales