Ireland v NZ - Chicago Showdown & Dublin Duel

da_grubster

@ACT-Crusader

So Barrett will pay 31 games this by the looks of it. That's a big workload by modern standards.

taniwharugby

@da_grubster is it, well for NZ players?

Dont Europe based players play closer to 40 games a year?

Stargazer

@taniwharugby Doesn't that depend on how much they rotate players? In France, rotation is fucking annoying.

ACT Crusader

@da_grubster will he play against France?

pakman

One thing I haven't seen commented on is (amazing to note) how well Ofa T went at LH in Chicago. Before the last Irish try the Irish replacement TH was lifted completely off the ground. And tidy at TH against Italy, albeit they are not the scrummaging team they were. Huge around the park, so worth persevering with.

KiwiMurph

Yep Ofa T has scrummed well for the ABs. He looks like a natural replacement for Faumuina if he heads overseas post Lions.

The problem is he suffers from a lag - fans remember his early career form and reputations stick. Same thing happened to Toeava and TKB (his first AB end of year tour).

Kirwan

@KiwiMurph said in Ireland v NZ - Chicago Showdown:

Yep Ofa T has scrummed well for the ABs. He looks like a natural replacement for Faumuina if he heads overseas post Lions.

The problem is he suffers from a lag - fans remember his early career form and reputations stick. Same thing happened to Toeava and TKB (his first AB end of year tour).

Isn't he the same age that Charlie was when he couldn't even get an Auckland contract?

Massive upside to Ofa.

African Monkey

@KiwiMurph Yep true. Ofa's scrummaging went alright during the Super Rugby season. There were 2 games where he got dominated which were against the Reds where he and Charlie were taught a lesson (as were most scrums that came up against the Reds), and the Waratahs in the last round which stuck out badly for him as he had just been called up to the ABs but other than that his scrummaging has been fine.

Samurai Jack

The thing about good props is that they take a few hidings in the scrum before they become the real deal. It seems to be a rights of passage thing. I remember Steve McDowell getting absolutely monstered in SA (Cavaliers?) but came back the few years unmovable. Crockett got a beating from that scruffy Italian dude (illegally according to some but he failed to adjust). The best props learn their trade by coming up and learning from older bulls and are better for it.

pakman

Kane Hames against Adam Jones for Maori v Harlequins. Will learn a few tricks!

cgrant

@KiwiMurph said in Ireland v NZ - Chicago Showdown:

Yep Ofa T has scrummed well for the ABs. He looks like a natural replacement for Faumuina if he heads overseas post Lions.

The problem is he suffers from a lag - fans remember his early career form and reputations stick. Same thing happened to Toeava and TKB (his first AB end of year tour).

Atu Moli is a better bet IMO.

pakman

@cgrant Best scrummagers are Moody and Hames on LH, Franks and Laulala TH.
Crockett is superb bench LH, as Charlie is TH, but developing replacements for both pressing. Moli great promise and will benefit from being in Chiefs squad with Crafty Hoeft. But do need a punchy ball carrier for bench and Ofa certainly is that.