All Blacks Squad for France

[Nepia]

@chris-b said in All Blacks Squad for France:

@nepia Messam and Vito must have covered openside for the ABs on occasion?

Vito definitely did, 2011 RWC against Canada at the Caketin, not sure about Messam but you'd assume so.

[Chris B.]

@nepia Probably even in a real game.

[taniwharugby]

@virgil Shields is pretty quick for a forward

[gt12]

I’m assuming that Akira lost out to Luke Whitelock, with Squire, and Ardie and Taufua providing 8 cover. I can’t believe he’s not there, so there must be something in his stats or workrate that they don’t like. Maybe he needs a fucking shave and a haircut? Seemed to work magic for Squire?

Frizzell seems to have taken the ‘project’ ‘amazing athlete’ 6 position of Fifita. Who, after a second look, I see is still there, there, covering lock? WTF? Jesus, the boy better be good.

I came to try to defend how these selections may have came about, but, now, I, can’t...

[Chris B.]

@bovidae said in All Blacks Squad for France:

Looking ahead to the 1st test vs France, based on the comments from Hansen, Foster and Fox the only question mark in the backs is who plays between Naholo and J Barrett. That will also determine the makeup of the bench (TJP, DMac and ??).

If Jordie plays, then they could stick Mo'unga on the bench. If DMac is on the bench then he's presumably covering first five and fullback.

I think, either way, the third bench player is probably a midfielder. Given that Crotty is the starting centre, I'd be inclined to pick one of the specialist centres on the bench, but I'd guess that Hansen and Co. don't think like that.

[Marty]

@gt12 said in All Blacks Squad for France:

Frizzell seems to have taken the ‘project’ ‘amazing athlete’ 6 position of Fifita.

That's my take. Barring an injury disaster in the squad I reckon he won't get anywhere near selection. They just want to get a closer look at him and see how he responds in the AB environment.

[Nepia]

@marty said in All Blacks Squad for France:

@gt12 said in All Blacks Squad for France:

Frizzell seems to have taken the ‘project’ ‘amazing athlete’ 6 position of Fifita.

That's my take. Barring an injury disaster in the squad I reckon he won't get anywhere near selection. They just want to get a closer look at him and see how he responds in the AB environment.

Wouldn't the way to do that be as an attached player and not full squad member?

Why select a full squad member who you aren't going to play? They'd be better off selecting another midfielder since ours break all the time.

[booboo]

@nzzp said in All Blacks Squad for France:

@kiwiinmelb said in All Blacks Squad for France:

@mariner4life said in All Blacks Squad for France:

@tim said in All Blacks Squad for France:

@mariner4life Weak loose forwards. Cane the only top quality player.

Good thing we're only playing France, and the SANZA teams are so weak.

Now that perma-crocked Read can't be relied on, what's the plan at #8? If it's A Savea (who is a shit test player) then we're basically Australia.

If we lose either of our top locks we are fucked.

I don’t want to sound like a stuck record , the one bloke we couldn’t afford to lose was victor Vito , he should’ve been a priority to keep , couldn’t believe how he left with a minimum of fuss .

Or Luatua. Both those guys would have slotted into this lineup very nicely , thank you very much.

Wiki tells me VV is 1.92, and Luatua is 1.94

for fun, Ardie is apparently 1.88 m. Doesn't say with or without hair

Or if doing handstands

[Chris B.]

@booboo said in All Blacks Squad for France:

@nzzp said in All Blacks Squad for France:

@kiwiinmelb said in All Blacks Squad for France:

@mariner4life said in All Blacks Squad for France:

@tim said in All Blacks Squad for France:

@mariner4life Weak loose forwards. Cane the only top quality player.

Good thing we're only playing France, and the SANZA teams are so weak.

Now that perma-crocked Read can't be relied on, what's the plan at #8? If it's A Savea (who is a shit test player) then we're basically Australia.

If we lose either of our top locks we are fucked.

I don’t want to sound like a stuck record , the one bloke we couldn’t afford to lose was victor Vito , he should’ve been a priority to keep , couldn’t believe how he left with a minimum of fuss .

Or Luatua. Both those guys would have slotted into this lineup very nicely , thank you very much.

Wiki tells me VV is 1.92, and Luatua is 1.94

for fun, Ardie is apparently 1.88 m. Doesn't say with or without hair

Or if doing handstands

Taufua's hair towers over Hansen!

Actually, that's a nice Harry and Megan moment!

[Billy Tell]

As much as spats between Auckland and Canterbury fans always make for enthralling reading, the most interesting tidbit was only taking 32 players on the EOYT. England at Twickenham and Ireland at Dublin is 2 tough games, but possibly a masterstroke of planning. I should be moaning about AI's non-selection, instead I'm strangely just "meh". Glad Goodhue made it, so Bidwell was only half right. Canes fans are lucky Lam signed an extension, that guy could command serious money in France on his current form. As for Shields being an AB, I'm not buying that - I really hope England don't beat NZ with Shields scoring a try and a man of the match performance, would be just a little sickening.

[98blueandgold]

@nepia as I said I'll pick Akira over Flavell but ABs have players they look for in certain positions and probably look at more than stats. They have a pretty good track record

[Tim]

@98blueandgold said in All Blacks Squad for France:

I'll pick Akira over Flavell

Classic anti-Massey bias.

[98blueandgold]

@bovidae but Akira isn't competing against Him. He is a 6/lock, ABs obviously only see him as 8.

[Tim]

I actually prefer Ioane at 6, but Umaga didn't select another 8 option, so he will get no time there.

[98blueandgold]

@marty not saying I agree, just pointing out what ABs are probably thinking

[MN5]

@98blueandgold said in All Blacks Squad for France:

@nepia as I said I'll pick Akira over Flavell but ABs have players they look for in certain positions and probably look at more than stats. They have a pretty good track record

Troy Flavell is defintely getting a bit long in the tooth to make an impact in today's game.

[pukunui]

I don't see why Taufua coukdn't be perfectly adequate 7 cover off the bench. He pretty much plays the same role as recent AB 7s which is high work rate. Tackle like crazy and do a bit of ball carrying and support work. If anything he is more suited to that role than 6 or 8.

One of the big problems we have in the loose forwards is that Squire seems to have been made out of the same material as Crotty.

[nostrildamus]

@chris-b so how tall is Thorin Taufua? 187cm?

[Tim]

@duluth said in All Blacks Squad for France:

@nepia said in All Blacks Squad for France:

rugby player's weights are so suss sometimes

As are players heights

Which reminds me, I looked up Taufua's height recently and he was listed as being taller than I thought he would be.

Then I did a quick check of the archive versions of the crusaders website

2013 - 1.82m (21yrs)
2014 - 1.82m (22yrs)
2015 - 1.82m (23yrs)
2016 - 1.85m (24yrs)
2017 - 1.87m (25yrs)
2018 - 1.87m (26yrs)

It's not particularly important, but its worth noting how bullshit these stats can be

All Blacks' website says 1.82m.

http://allblacks.com/Player/AllBlacks?id=2180

[SammyC]

Crusaders have used Taufua a lot in the lineout this year I think?

Conversely, the highlanders hardly ever use Luke Whitelock as a jumper.