All Blacks Squad for France
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@98blueandgold said in All Blacks Squad for France:
As Selectors pointed out its work rate and energy levels for Akira. ABs need the forwards to work, clean out rucks, link etc so backs can finish which is probably why Akira not chosen
Is "workrate and energy levels" a euphemism for masquerading on the wing ala Fifita?
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@98blueandgold said in All Blacks Squad for France:
Ardie can play 8 of the bench which is very important for makeup of team.
This is the bit I don't get. Haven't seen anything to suggest Ardie is effective at the core roles of an 8, just seems convenient because his Super coaches have put him there a few times.
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@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
@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.
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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.
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@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!
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@chris-b so how tall is Thorin Taufua? 187cm?
@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.
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Crusaders have used Taufua a lot in the lineout this year I think?
Conversely, the highlanders hardly ever use Luke Whitelock as a jumper.
@sammyc said in All Blacks Squad for France:
Crusaders have used Taufua a lot in the lineout this year I think?
Conversely, the highlanders hardly ever use Luke Whitelock as a jumper.
Line-outs won by ABs loosies this season (on own throw):
A Savea (playing at 7 ) 0
Cane (playing at 7 ) 1
Whitelock (playing at 8 ) 1
Squire (playing at 6 ) 3
Frizell (playing at 6 ) 8
Taufua (playing at 8 ) 8 -
@sammyc said in All Blacks Squad for France:
Crusaders have used Taufua a lot in the lineout this year I think?
Conversely, the highlanders hardly ever use Luke Whitelock as a jumper.
Line-outs won by ABs loosies this season (on own throw):
A Savea (playing at 7 ) 0
Cane (playing at 7 ) 1
Whitelock (playing at 8 ) 1
Squire (playing at 6 ) 3
Frizell (playing at 6 ) 8
Taufua (playing at 8 ) 8 -
@stargazer Akira (injury cover AB) close to 20 lineout wins I think
@kiwimurph said in All Blacks Squad for France:
@stargazer Akira (injury cover AB) close to 20 lineout wins I think
I saw a stat that had Akira with 16 Lineout wins.
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@sammyc said in All Blacks Squad for France:
Crusaders have used Taufua a lot in the lineout this year I think?
Conversely, the highlanders hardly ever use Luke Whitelock as a jumper.
Line-outs won by ABs loosies this season (on own throw):
A Savea (playing at 7 ) 0
Cane (playing at 7 ) 1
Whitelock (playing at 8 ) 1
Squire (playing at 6 ) 3
Frizell (playing at 6 ) 8
Taufua (playing at 8 ) 8@stargazer said in All Blacks Squad for France:
@sammyc said in All Blacks Squad for France:
Crusaders have used Taufua a lot in the lineout this year I think?
Conversely, the highlanders hardly ever use Luke Whitelock as a jumper.
Line-outs won by ABs loosies this season (on own throw):
A Savea (playing at 7 ) 0
Cane (playing at 7 ) 1
Whitelock (playing at 8 ) 1
Squire (playing at 6 ) 3
Frizell (playing at 6 ) 8
Taufua (playing at 8 ) 8Very damning for someone as tall as Ardie not to have won a single lineout.
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@kiwimurph said in All Blacks Squad for France:
@stargazer Akira (injury cover AB) close to 20 lineout wins I think
I saw a stat that had Akira with 16 Lineout wins.
@mimic said in All Blacks Squad for France:
@kiwimurph said in All Blacks Squad for France:
@stargazer Akira (injury cover AB) close to 20 lineout wins I think
I saw a stat that had Akira with 16 Lineout wins.
Yes, Akira has 16 line-out wins.
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Weird to see people saying Whitelock and Mounga aren't up to it. They've been brilliant and fill me with far more confidence than say...Fifita and DMac.
Weird squad though.
My only thought on Frizzell is maybe they see him as a lock/6 that has potential to be more grunty than Fifita?
Think I would have taken Lam over an NMS who's living off his breakout season.
Very happy they chose TTT.
Did I see Mounga shifting to fullback yesterday? Please yes.
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@tim said in All Blacks Squad for France:
Wynne Gray with some cutting insight:
Rugby has changed immensely since the 1987 RWC, the game we thought was fast then is very different from the one we see now.
Christ he's an old bore. He makes Phil Gifford look good.
Looking forward to seeing Frizell play cos I sure as shit haven't thus far.
@mn5 said in All Blacks Squad for France:
@tim said in All Blacks Squad for France:
Wynne Gray with some cutting insight:
Rugby has changed immensely since the 1987 RWC, the game we thought was fast then is very different from the one we see now.
Christ he's an old bore. He makes Phil Gifford look good.
Looking forward to seeing Frizell play cos I sure as shit haven't thus far.
Most surprising statement in the whole thread.
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Weird to see people saying Whitelock and Mounga aren't up to it. They've been brilliant and fill me with far more confidence than say...Fifita and DMac.
Weird squad though.
My only thought on Frizzell is maybe they see him as a lock/6 that has potential to be more grunty than Fifita?
Think I would have taken Lam over an NMS who's living off his breakout season.
Very happy they chose TTT.
Did I see Mounga shifting to fullback yesterday? Please yes.
@bones said in All Blacks Squad for France:
Mounga aren't up to it
Did I miss that? I thought the prevailing fern wisdom (which I share) was that he was a significantly better 10 than DMac.
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@bones said in All Blacks Squad for France:
Mounga aren't up to it
Did I miss that? I thought the prevailing fern wisdom (which I share) was that he was a significantly better 10 than DMac.
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Weird to see people saying Whitelock and Mounga aren't up to it. They've been brilliant and fill me with far more confidence than say...Fifita and DMac.
Weird squad though.
My only thought on Frizzell is maybe they see him as a lock/6 that has potential to be more grunty than Fifita?
Think I would have taken Lam over an NMS who's living off his breakout season.
Very happy they chose TTT.
Did I see Mounga shifting to fullback yesterday? Please yes.
@bones No, that was Hunt (who made an incredible break from that position, almost leading to a try). That was when Mataele left the field injured and Havili moved to the right wing.
Mo'unga has, however, regularly played at fullback for Canterbury.
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@bones No, that was Hunt (who made an incredible break from that position, almost leading to a try). That was when Mataele left the field injured and Havili moved to the right wing.
Mo'unga has, however, regularly played at fullback for Canterbury.
@stargazer dammit.
