Pommie BaaBaa & Froggie XV

[pakman]

Recovering after minor op, and using time to reflect on selectors' conundrum. To me it will almost be an NZ XV vs French XV, rather than a full blooded AB game. With the famous five and hints from Shag I've pieced together a plan:

Barbarians (Guy Fawkes Day, NZT)

Hames/Taylor/Laulala/Cane/Romero/Barrett (S)/Squire/Kaino/Nugget/[Barrett (B)]/Laumape/Crotty [13]/Seta T/Naholo/Duffie
Bench: Ofa/Harris/JTA/Pat T/Todd/ThomasJP/Lima/ALB

Not sure state of BB's noggin. Shag has said ALB and Duffie will be involved, so latter at fullback to allow DMac a start against French. If BB in doubt, Lima to start and DMac to bench.

NZ Development XV

Perry/Harris/JTA/Savea/Pat T/Bird/Fifita/Kaino/TKB/DMac/ALB/Goodhue/Ioane/Duffie/Havili
Bench: Crockett/Aumua/Moli/Hunt/Whitelock/Drummond/Mo'unga/Seta T

Picking Ioane will get a run to blow out some cobwebs. Whitelock probably needs a tune so imagine 20 minutes at end. Matter for the Wise Men as to whether famous five start or on bench.

[Crucial]

Famous Five?

Edit: Ok, I got it. But where's Timmy the dog?

[Crucial]

Really don't like that front row in the French game.

I hope the selectors keep in mind that even if this kind of is a development xv game it won't be in the record books as such.

Surely Ioane will get a run in the Saturday game and will be wanted for the Scotland game? Does he need to play midweek as well?

[pakman]

@crucial Think Ioane's out for BaaBaas with dislocated finger, so I assumed they'd give him some tune up time against French XV. Could well just give him 20 off bench.
Front rows fairly hairy. I s'pose one alternative is to start youngsters against Baabaas and keep Hames and Laulala in reserve? Still hairy IMO!

[Crucial]

I thought the schedule was Baabaas, Real France, Pretend France (midweek), Scotland?

[pakman]

@crucial Quite right: my bad. Seem to have mental block on order. Slightly revised below:

NZ Development XV

Perry/Harris/JTA/Savea/PatT/Barrett (S) /Fifita/Kaino/TKB/DMac/ALB/Goodhue/Seta T/Duffie/Havili

Bench: Crockett/Aumua/Moli/Hunt/Bird/Drummond/
Mo'unga/Ioane

Need a wing on bench as Seta handily covers midfield, so Naholo or Ioane, who has a few less miles on the clock.

[cgrant]

@pakman said in Pommie BaaBaa & Froggie XV:

@crucial Quite right: my bad. Seem to have mental block on order. Slightly revised below:

NZ Development XV

Perry/Harris/JTA/Savea/PatT/Barrett (S) /Fifita/Kaino/TKB/DMac/ALB/Goodhue/Seta T/Duffie/Havili

Bench: Crockett/Aumua/Moli/Hunt/Bird/Drummond/
Mo'unga/Ioane

Need a wing on bench as Seta handily covers midfield, so Naholo or Ioane, who has a few less miles on the clock.

Who is Hunt ?

[cgrant]

@cgrant
Sorry, I forgot about Dillon Hunt ...

[pakman]

Latest thoughts for Saturday:

Hames/Taylor/Ofa/Todd/Romero/Barrett (S)/Fifita/Kaino/Nugget/Lima/Laumape/Crotty [13]/Seta T/Naholo/Duffie
Bench: Perry/Harris/JTA/Pat T/Savea (A)/ThomasJP/BB/ALB

[Crucial]

The name of this thread needs changing. There's nothing remotely 'pommy' about the Baabaas. You have to search very hard for a player from north of the equator.

[Bovidae]

As mentioned in the newspaper the ABs-Baabaas game could just have easily been played in NZ when you look at who is in the Baabaas team.

[Crucial]

@bovidae said in Pommie BaaBaa & Froggie XV:

As mentioned in the newspaper the ABs-Baabaas game could just have easily been played in NZ when you look at who is in the Baabaas team.

Yeah, its a bit sad that a rugby tradition such as the Baabaas has effectively died due to the club/schedule structure in the UK

[Bovidae]

There's another game on this weekend too.

[Stargazer]

Looking at that line-up, the Baabaas actually do have a chance of winning this game.

Here's the story:

http://www.allblacks.com/News/31713/three-new-all-blacks-for-barbarians-clash

[Bovidae]

So who is playing TH prop?

[Tim]

Barbarians are paying $8.50. Worth a lazy $10.

[Stargazer]

[Bones]

@bovidae some south sea islander. They're in England now.

[Bovidae]

allblacks.com have changed their team list so the Tongan starts over the Samoan.

[Stargazer]