Name Your AB Team

Victor Meldrew

Exactly that, if we want experience then we have Christie,

Not a Christie-hater - he's good defensively and he's OK coming on when fatigue sets in - but TJP over Christie any day.

Retania has a combination with Dmac and that surely counts for a lot and is in great form - deserves a shot.

Agree but.... New Coach. Zero Test experience. First Test in charge. Picks on experience or combination? Personally, I'd start with Ratima knowing TJP can step in if Ratima gets the yips.

Victor Meldrew

@BerniesCorner said in Name Your AB Team:

@Kiwiwomble
It became cool to be ultra conservative with selections. There was no logic in it.

Back was always against the wall and injuries in key positions. That doesn't really hold right now.

Chris B.

So wings?

Unless they only pick two first fives, which is a pretty short term strategy, I can't see them fitting in four wings. In a 32 man squad I can't see the point in that. Probably two of them won't be in the match day 23.

Caleb Clarke
Emoni Narawa
Sevu Reece
Mark Tele'a

Someone probably has to miss out. Who's it going to be and will that give us an indication of the game plan?

Anyone else fit and good enough to push two of these guys out?

antipodean

Caleb Clarke is in career best form and he's also as safe as anyone under the high ball. He's a lock on the left wing IMO.

It's the right wing that's open.

Chris B.

@Bones said in Name Your AB Team:

@mariner4life said in Name Your AB Team:

@Chris-B said in Name Your AB Team:

Blackadder
Papali’i
Savea

I like the idea of seeing two opensides fail against England in previous years, so being innovative and selecting three.

Which game are you talking about?

I thought the consensus was that we lost in 2019 because we didn't play two opensides?

Chris B.

@antipodean said in Name Your AB Team:

Caleb Clarke is in career best form and he's also as safe as anyone under the high ball. He's a lock on the left wing IMO.

It's the right wing that's open.

Mark Tele'a is the one I've more-or-less got locked in.

In my ABs 23 I've picked the Blues combo of Clarke, Ioane, Tele'a, Beauden to start.

Possible that I might want to revise that on Saturday night!

Windows97

Could put any of those 4 in there and they would all do well, were pretty spoilt for choice when it comes to wingers.

Personally I think Sevu deserves a spot as he was a standout in a bottom of the table team.

I'm hoping all 4 will be selected, all 4 will get game time and the 2 best performers get their spot for the big games

Frank

All four of our wing options are class.
Bloody shame for any of them to miss out.

Telea is lucky to have the runs on the board and be a proven test star, else he would be the one possibly being overtaken. He has been playing well, but not shone. Saying that, he's a big game player who works well in the tight spaces of test rugby.

Reece has been great in poor team. So dangerous close to the line. Very experienced big game player.

Clarke has trimmed down improving his balance, but is still powerful, quick and great under the high ball. Plus he has a lot of test experience.

Narawa is clearly class, strangely for a wing he does things in slow motion and always seems to have a lot of time, rarely making the wrong decision.

If only we had this depth at lock!

mariner4life

NZ Rugby being flush with wingers and loosies? twas ever thus

Kiwiwomble

theyre not all copies of each other either....im hoping to see a little rotation depending on opposition, if we can keep all four fit and sharp (experienced) and actually play to their strengths......im getting excited

Kirwan

Isn't Reece heading off to France later this year? I'd pick Clarke, Telea and Nawera. Reece's defensive issues were still apparent in the tougher games, will be exposed even more at the higher level.

I'd rather take a punt on Nawera.

Kiwiwomble

@Kirwan i can get on board with that, reece is obviously on a good run of form but not so much that boody Nawera wouldn't be preferred for me

Machpants

@Kirwan said in Name Your AB Team:

Isn't Reece heading off to France later this year? I'd pick Clarke, Telea and Nawera. Reece's defensive issues were still apparent in the tougher games, will be exposed even more at the higher level.

I'd rather take a punt on Nawera.

Rumor only, signed until the end of the year, I think

Bones

@Windows97 said in Name Your AB Team:

he was a standout in a bottom of the table team.

That's not always as good as you're making out.

Think Aumua when he was at MP...

Bovidae

@Kirwan said in Name Your AB Team:

Isn't Reece heading off to France later this year? I'd pick Clarke, Telea and Nawera. Reece's defensive issues were still apparent in the tougher games, will be exposed even more at the higher level.

They've all got defensive weaknesses. I doubt Tele'a will be used on the left wing, and wouldn't be surprised if Reece started ahead of him on the right.

Kiwiwomble

through Tavatavanawai in the discussion if we're talking defence, he's been bloody solid and LOVES a turnover

African Monkey

@Kiwiwomble He's like a Fijian Rene Ranger.

Old Samurai Jack

I though Nareki would be in the conversation. His left boot would be a weapon like Lowe for Ireland.

Kiwiwomble

@Old-Samurai-Jack he's also a machine on defence, text book hard low tackles....but he shone at super level before and not got a sniff so assume they just see something they dont like

Bones

@Old-Samurai-Jack said in Name Your AB Team:

I though Nareki would be in the conversation. His left boot would be a weapon like Lowe for Ireland.

Happy to wait untill he's got his pace back, certainly signs of it in his last game.

The Silver Fern

Name Your AB Team