All Blacks 2023
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@DaGrubster you can't talk about injuries affecting us without taking into account that it was a below strength France that beat us: starting loosehead, 10, centre all out. hooker injured and off early.
We know injuries are a fact of rugby, so it’s no surprise.
We’re the ABs affected by injuries - yes. We’re the French ? Yes. But probably not to the same degree.
All of our 5 injuries in the squad were to first teamers. The late scratching of Cane lead us to play an inexperienced lock at 6.
Were the ABs squad selection mix affecting the ABs? Yes again. A stupid self inflicted error by us.
Unfortunately, we don’t seem to have the depth of quality in our squad - especially in the forwards. So if we take 4 starters out of the pack then it is going to hurt us more.
As mentioned, we can go deep in this tournament if we are able to field our top 23. That is probably unrealistic to think we can though.
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@DaGrubster said in All Blacks 2023:
We were the better side in the 1st half and really should have been 15 points up based on the opportunities we missed.
that would have given a different outcome to the 2nd half.
I agree that missing 5 key players had a major effect on the team, especially with the late scrubbing of Cane and moving Vaai to No. 6.
In time, Vaai may become a great lock for us, but at the moment he is a lightweight lock who plays 10kgs lighter than he actually is and it was a real wtf moment to see him with a No. 6 in his back.
It shows the folly of the RWC squad balance that in the very first game we have failed the first stress test of our squad by picking an inexperienced lock to play out of position at No. 6, while not using a loose forward that you picked for the squad
I thought the AB’s could win this World Cup but they need to have all of their best players on the park. That seems pretty unrealistic to not expect injuries so it looks like we are in course for a qtr final exit unless we can keep everyone healthy.
Still a long way to go in this tournament (games and time) and quite often teams who look good in the early stages, lose form or fall away in later rounds.
Bottom line is, we need to improve.
Selection of the squad, then of the match day team put us in a hole that we couldn't escape from. I don't have faith that Fozzie will pick the right team when it matters most. The Va'ai pick was madness when you lay it out like that. And now he sends for Blackadder, who is not the big 6 to fill the breach while Frizell is out. Spots are so precious when you are trying to win this tournament, and the signs are there that he's already realising he's screwed that up
@canefan said in All Blacks 2023:
@DaGrubster said in All Blacks 2023:
We were the better side in the 1st half and really should have been 15 points up based on the opportunities we missed.
that would have given a different outcome to the 2nd half.
I agree that missing 5 key players had a major effect on the team, especially with the late scrubbing of Cane and moving Vaai to No. 6.
In time, Vaai may become a great lock for us, but at the moment he is a lightweight lock who plays 10kgs lighter than he actually is and it was a real wtf moment to see him with a No. 6 in his back.
It shows the folly of the RWC squad balance that in the very first game we have failed the first stress test of our squad by picking an inexperienced lock to play out of position at No. 6, while not using a loose forward that you picked for the squad
I thought the AB’s could win this World Cup but they need to have all of their best players on the park. That seems pretty unrealistic to not expect injuries so it looks like we are in course for a qtr final exit unless we can keep everyone healthy.
Still a long way to go in this tournament (games and time) and quite often teams who look good in the early stages, lose form or fall away in later rounds.
Bottom line is, we need to improve.
Selection of the squad, then of the match day team put us in a hole that we couldn't escape from. I don't have faith that Fozzie will pick the right team when it matters most. The Va'ai pick was madness when you lay it out like that. And now he sends for Blackadder, who is not the big 6 to fill the breach while Frizell is out. Spots are so precious when you are trying to win this tournament, and the signs are there that he's already realising he's screwed that up
I don't think they have "sent" for Blackadder per se.
I feel they always wanted him in the initial squad. He is held in high esteem by Ryan, and the by luck rather than design they now have the option to bring him in. If he was fit at the time of squad selection Jacobsen would probably be white baiting right now.
Id have Lord over Vaai purely on the eye test alone. We need a couple of lumps.
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@canefan said in All Blacks 2023:
@DaGrubster said in All Blacks 2023:
We were the better side in the 1st half and really should have been 15 points up based on the opportunities we missed.
that would have given a different outcome to the 2nd half.
I agree that missing 5 key players had a major effect on the team, especially with the late scrubbing of Cane and moving Vaai to No. 6.
In time, Vaai may become a great lock for us, but at the moment he is a lightweight lock who plays 10kgs lighter than he actually is and it was a real wtf moment to see him with a No. 6 in his back.
It shows the folly of the RWC squad balance that in the very first game we have failed the first stress test of our squad by picking an inexperienced lock to play out of position at No. 6, while not using a loose forward that you picked for the squad
I thought the AB’s could win this World Cup but they need to have all of their best players on the park. That seems pretty unrealistic to not expect injuries so it looks like we are in course for a qtr final exit unless we can keep everyone healthy.
Still a long way to go in this tournament (games and time) and quite often teams who look good in the early stages, lose form or fall away in later rounds.
Bottom line is, we need to improve.
Selection of the squad, then of the match day team put us in a hole that we couldn't escape from. I don't have faith that Fozzie will pick the right team when it matters most. The Va'ai pick was madness when you lay it out like that. And now he sends for Blackadder, who is not the big 6 to fill the breach while Frizell is out. Spots are so precious when you are trying to win this tournament, and the signs are there that he's already realising he's screwed that up
I don't think they have "sent" for Blackadder per se.
I feel they always wanted him in the initial squad. He is held in high esteem by Ryan, and the by luck rather than design they now have the option to bring him in. If he was fit at the time of squad selection Jacobsen would probably be white baiting right now.
Id have Lord over Vaai purely on the eye test alone. We need a couple of lumps.
Yes I would have him as well. He played really well in his test against Argentina this year and he has a big future in Black.
Vaai is a light lock who plays about 10kgs lighter than he looks.
I don’t see the attraction in him at the moment
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Yes I would have him as well. He played really well in his test against Argentina this year and he has a big future in Black.
Vaai is a light lock who plays about 10kgs lighter than he looks.
I don’t see the attraction in him at the moment
@DaGrubster said in All Blacks 2023:
Yes I would have him as well. He played really well in his test against Argentina this year and he has a big future in Black.
Vaai is a light lock who plays about 10kgs lighter than he looks.
I don’t see the attraction in him at the moment
Tupou Vaai has 19 caps......
Let that sink in.
I have binned him after the first 5 or so.
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@nzzp i really don't think we are going to be ripping anyone apart bringing on the likes of christie, newell, laulala (once lomax is back), havili, ALB, jacobsen etc.
surely if that's the plan you'd pick a different bench?@reprobate said in All Blacks 2023:
@nzzp i really don't think we are going to be ripping anyone apart bringing on the likes of christie, newell, laulala (once lomax is back), havili, ALB, jacobsen etc.
surely if that's the plan you'd pick a different bench?Nepo OR Newell, and Ofa. We could do with impactful loosie. Backs for impact DMac and Roigard. ALB more for cover.
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@reprobate said in All Blacks 2023:
@nzzp i really don't think we are going to be ripping anyone apart bringing on the likes of christie, newell, laulala (once lomax is back), havili, ALB, jacobsen etc.
surely if that's the plan you'd pick a different bench?Nepo OR Newell, and Ofa. We could do with impactful loosie. Backs for impact DMac and Roigard. ALB more for cover.
@pakman said in All Blacks 2023:
@reprobate said in All Blacks 2023:
@nzzp i really don't think we are going to be ripping anyone apart bringing on the likes of christie, newell, laulala (once lomax is back), havili, ALB, jacobsen etc.
surely if that's the plan you'd pick a different bench?Nepo OR Newell, and Ofa. We could do with impactful loosie. Backs for impact DMac and Roigard. ALB more for cover.
ALB...please no more. Please make it stop.
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@reprobate said in All Blacks 2023:
@nzzp i really don't think we are going to be ripping anyone apart bringing on the likes of christie, newell, laulala (once lomax is back), havili, ALB, jacobsen etc.
surely if that's the plan you'd pick a different bench?Foster has definitely been conservative in his selections, squad wise and on game day.
I think Beauden Barretts inclusion is a massive problem because he also creates collateral damage on the bench.
If you had a Jordan or Stevenson at 15 (had they been given more minutes at 15 up to now), you could have say Leicester at 11, Telea at 14 and then DMAC on the bench.
His non selection of Roigard is just foolhardy. This World Cup needs to be WON. It's not the Bledisloe where you can defend it by winning one of two games.
The team has been largely stink for the last 4 years. Roll the dice. Id love to see the likes of Roigard, DMAC, FInau, Stevenson in there but we are where we are now.
Samisoni had a hot hand last year and he seems to have taken the wind out of his sails too.
We need to inject some effervescence into the team. Its stale.
Lets at least fire some shots.
@Steve said in All Blacks 2023:
@reprobate said in All Blacks 2023:
@nzzp i really don't think we are going to be ripping anyone apart bringing on the likes of christie, newell, laulala (once lomax is back), havili, ALB, jacobsen etc.
surely if that's the plan you'd pick a different bench?Foster has definitely been conservative in his selections, squad wise and on game day.
I think Beauden Barretts inclusion is a massive problem because he also creates collateral damage on the bench.
If you had a Jordan or Stevenson at 15
Lol thank fuck you're not a selector.
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@DaGrubster said in All Blacks 2023:
Yes I would have him as well. He played really well in his test against Argentina this year and he has a big future in Black.
Vaai is a light lock who plays about 10kgs lighter than he looks.
I don’t see the attraction in him at the moment
Tupou Vaai has 19 caps......
Let that sink in.
I have binned him after the first 5 or so.
@Steve said in All Blacks 2023:
@DaGrubster said in All Blacks 2023:
Yes I would have him as well. He played really well in his test against Argentina this year and he has a big future in Black.
Vaai is a light lock who plays about 10kgs lighter than he looks.
I don’t see the attraction in him at the moment
Tupou Vaai has 19 caps......
Let that sink in.
I have binned him after the first 5 or so.
Believe it or not there are many people who rate him highly, including Ian Jones. God knows why.
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@Steve said in All Blacks 2023:
@DaGrubster said in All Blacks 2023:
Yes I would have him as well. He played really well in his test against Argentina this year and he has a big future in Black.
Vaai is a light lock who plays about 10kgs lighter than he looks.
I don’t see the attraction in him at the moment
Tupou Vaai has 19 caps......
Let that sink in.
I have binned him after the first 5 or so.
Believe it or not there are many people who rate him highly, including Ian Jones. God knows why.
@akan004 said in All Blacks 2023:
@Steve said in All Blacks 2023:
@DaGrubster said in All Blacks 2023:
Yes I would have him as well. He played really well in his test against Argentina this year and he has a big future in Black.
Vaai is a light lock who plays about 10kgs lighter than he looks.
I don’t see the attraction in him at the moment
Tupou Vaai has 19 caps......
Let that sink in.
I have binned him after the first 5 or so.
Believe it or not there are many people who rate him highly, including Ian Jones. God knows why.
at 6?
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@akan004 said in All Blacks 2023:
@Steve said in All Blacks 2023:
@DaGrubster said in All Blacks 2023:
Yes I would have him as well. He played really well in his test against Argentina this year and he has a big future in Black.
Vaai is a light lock who plays about 10kgs lighter than he looks.
I don’t see the attraction in him at the moment
Tupou Vaai has 19 caps......
Let that sink in.
I have binned him after the first 5 or so.
Believe it or not there are many people who rate him highly, including Ian Jones. God knows why.
at 6?
@nostrildamus said in All Blacks 2023:
@akan004 said in All Blacks 2023:
@Steve said in All Blacks 2023:
@DaGrubster said in All Blacks 2023:
Yes I would have him as well. He played really well in his test against Argentina this year and he has a big future in Black.
Vaai is a light lock who plays about 10kgs lighter than he looks.
I don’t see the attraction in him at the moment
Tupou Vaai has 19 caps......
Let that sink in.
I have binned him after the first 5 or so.
Believe it or not there are many people who rate him highly, including Ian Jones. God knows why.
at 6?
At lock.
He's a shit lock too.
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@nostrildamus said in All Blacks 2023:
@akan004 said in All Blacks 2023:
@Steve said in All Blacks 2023:
@DaGrubster said in All Blacks 2023:
Yes I would have him as well. He played really well in his test against Argentina this year and he has a big future in Black.
Vaai is a light lock who plays about 10kgs lighter than he looks.
I don’t see the attraction in him at the moment
Tupou Vaai has 19 caps......
Let that sink in.
I have binned him after the first 5 or so.
Believe it or not there are many people who rate him highly, including Ian Jones. God knows why.
at 6?
At lock.
He's a shit lock too.
@akan004 said in All Blacks 2023:
@nostrildamus said in All Blacks 2023:
@akan004 said in All Blacks 2023:
@Steve said in All Blacks 2023:
@DaGrubster said in All Blacks 2023:
Yes I would have him as well. He played really well in his test against Argentina this year and he has a big future in Black.
Vaai is a light lock who plays about 10kgs lighter than he looks.
I don’t see the attraction in him at the moment
Tupou Vaai has 19 caps......
Let that sink in.
I have binned him after the first 5 or so.
Believe it or not there are many people who rate him highly, including Ian Jones. God knows why.
at 6?
At lock.
He's a shit lock too.You've caused me to wonder, if Vaa'i isn't doing ok in the stats, is Foster listening to old ex-ABs, and this is directing his thinking?
I still don't really follow the loosies strategy, get 3 faves into the 3 positions and everyone after them has to be utilities or locks out of position?*
Given we don't have many quality locks a lock/6 seems a bit of a luxury or risk to me.
*(The same thinking might explain DH, not really a 12 or a 15 or a 10 but can play a 12 role at a pinch and look good against less physical sides). -
@nostrildamus said in All Blacks 2023:
@akan004 said in All Blacks 2023:
@Steve said in All Blacks 2023:
@DaGrubster said in All Blacks 2023:
Yes I would have him as well. He played really well in his test against Argentina this year and he has a big future in Black.
Vaai is a light lock who plays about 10kgs lighter than he looks.
I don’t see the attraction in him at the moment
Tupou Vaai has 19 caps......
Let that sink in.
I have binned him after the first 5 or so.
Believe it or not there are many people who rate him highly, including Ian Jones. God knows why.
at 6?
At lock.
He's a shit lock too.
@akan004 said in All Blacks 2023:
@nostrildamus said in All Blacks 2023:
@akan004 said in All Blacks 2023:
@Steve said in All Blacks 2023:
@DaGrubster said in All Blacks 2023:
Yes I would have him as well. He played really well in his test against Argentina this year and he has a big future in Black.
Vaai is a light lock who plays about 10kgs lighter than he looks.
I don’t see the attraction in him at the moment
Tupou Vaai has 19 caps......
Let that sink in.
I have binned him after the first 5 or so.
Believe it or not there are many people who rate him highly, including Ian Jones. God knows why.
at 6?
At lock.
He's a shit lock too.
Have we still not learned the folly of playing players out of position?
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@akan004 said in All Blacks 2023:
@nostrildamus said in All Blacks 2023:
@akan004 said in All Blacks 2023:
@Steve said in All Blacks 2023:
@DaGrubster said in All Blacks 2023:
Yes I would have him as well. He played really well in his test against Argentina this year and he has a big future in Black.
Vaai is a light lock who plays about 10kgs lighter than he looks.
I don’t see the attraction in him at the moment
Tupou Vaai has 19 caps......
Let that sink in.
I have binned him after the first 5 or so.
Believe it or not there are many people who rate him highly, including Ian Jones. God knows why.
at 6?
At lock.
He's a shit lock too.
Have we still not learned the folly of playing players out of position?
@canefan said in All Blacks 2023:
Have we still not learned the folly of playing players out of position?
No. Deputising at Super level doesn't seem to translate well at Test level.
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@Steve said in All Blacks 2023:
@reprobate said in All Blacks 2023:
@nzzp i really don't think we are going to be ripping anyone apart bringing on the likes of christie, newell, laulala (once lomax is back), havili, ALB, jacobsen etc.
surely if that's the plan you'd pick a different bench?Foster has definitely been conservative in his selections, squad wise and on game day.
I think Beauden Barretts inclusion is a massive problem because he also creates collateral damage on the bench.
If you had a Jordan or Stevenson at 15
Lol thank fuck you're not a selector.
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2023:
@Steve said in All Blacks 2023:
@reprobate said in All Blacks 2023:
@nzzp i really don't think we are going to be ripping anyone apart bringing on the likes of christie, newell, laulala (once lomax is back), havili, ALB, jacobsen etc.
surely if that's the plan you'd pick a different bench?Foster has definitely been conservative in his selections, squad wise and on game day.
I think Beauden Barretts inclusion is a massive problem because he also creates collateral damage on the bench.
If you had a Jordan or Stevenson at 15
Lol thank fuck you're not a selector.
Do you think the last few years of Barrett at 15 have been productive?
Do you think we should continue?
He is one of my favourite players of all time but its not working in my opinion.
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@Steve said in All Blacks 2023:
@reprobate said in All Blacks 2023:
@nzzp i really don't think we are going to be ripping anyone apart bringing on the likes of christie, newell, laulala (once lomax is back), havili, ALB, jacobsen etc.
surely if that's the plan you'd pick a different bench?Foster has definitely been conservative in his selections, squad wise and on game day.
I think Beauden Barretts inclusion is a massive problem because he also creates collateral damage on the bench.
If you had a Jordan or Stevenson at 15
Lol thank fuck you're not a selector.
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2023:
@Steve said in All Blacks 2023:
@reprobate said in All Blacks 2023:
@nzzp i really don't think we are going to be ripping anyone apart bringing on the likes of christie, newell, laulala (once lomax is back), havili, ALB, jacobsen etc.
surely if that's the plan you'd pick a different bench?Foster has definitely been conservative in his selections, squad wise and on game day.
I think Beauden Barretts inclusion is a massive problem because he also creates collateral damage on the bench.
If you had a Jordan or Stevenson at 15
Lol thank fuck you're not a selector.
Sick argument
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I for one am ecstatic we have called up another forward who can't get over the gain line. Awesome.
And he's short
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I for one am ecstatic we have called up another forward who can't get over the gain line. Awesome.
And he's short
@mariner4life Foz hasn't bothered having a balanced back row since he took over 4 years ago. Why start now.
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@mariner4life Foz hasn't bothered having a balanced back row since he took over 4 years ago. Why start now.
@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks 2023:
@mariner4life Foz hasn't bothered having a balanced back row since he took over 4 years ago. Why start now.
It's the must have best players on field thought process. E.g. BB and Ardie. Not quite right at 7/10 so played at 8/15.
Ardie is a great player, but to balance back row you then need 195 cm 6 and your 7 and 6 both need to be ruck hitters.
Not that hard.
