All Blacks Squad for France

[pakman]

@arhs said in All Blacks Squad for France:

@pakman

Poirot is suspended and unavailable isn't he? And Ben Arous and Gomes Sa likely to be involved in French final. If they are, it might be a good time to try out Tuinukuafe as France may be down 3 leading props.

Yes, Poirot out -- but isn't he a LH?

Slimani will probably be the starting TH, and a bloody good one, but Moody will be there to deal with him. Antonio likely off the bench. I expect Ofa to get bench LH in first, and probably second test, but if Tuinukuafe did come up against Antonio he's not renowned as a good scrummager at international level. They could exchange Wesley College 'pleasantries' though!

By third test, Gomes Sa will be in side. Very mobile prop, and although not a technician his strength and bulk make him no slouch at scrum time.

[broughie]

@pakman Better than going backwards. The boys will have to lift their game.

[MN5]

@pakman said in All Blacks Squad for France:

@arhs said in All Blacks Squad for France:

@pakman

Poirot is suspended and unavailable isn't he? And Ben Arous and Gomes Sa likely to be involved in French final. If they are, it might be a good time to try out Tuinukuafe as France may be down 3 leading props.

Yes, Poirot out -- but isn't he a LH?

Slimani will probably be the starting TH, and a bloody good one, but Moody will be there to deal with him. Antonio likely off the bench. I expect Ofa to get bench LH in first, and probably second test, but if Tuinukuafe did come up against Antonio he's not renowned as a good scrummager at international level. They could exchange Wesley College 'pleasantries' though!

By third test, Gomes Sa will be in side. Very mobile prop, and although not a technician his strength and bulk make him no slouch at scrum time.

That's a shame. I bet he could solve a lot of problems for them.

[ShadowTrooper]

All the talk about Akira - shit I'm more bloody worried we only have 2 fit hookers - with the news that Coles is expected to spend more time on the sidelines. Plus even though Harris pulled out a decent game on the weekend against the Tahs, not sure I want him starting a test against France.
I know Coltman has been traing with the ABs as reserve - but he wasn't sighted for the Landers against the Reds (injury/rest) - and he seems to share the starting spot when he is named to play (rotation or otherwise?) with Dixon.
I can't see what the selectorial fisheads see in Coltman, for mine, (and Riccitelli didn't do himself any favours against the Saders) I would rather see them put energy into the bustling Makalio or even Matt Moulds, who seems to have an authority about him. Coltman doesn't convince me, and I'm sure he won't have the French scrum quaking in their boots. Id like to see some effort put into development of some of these younger guys in specialist positions - it wouldn't do them any harm - and I'd say do them a power of good to include them with the squad training with the ABs.
Anybody else have concerns over hooker - will Coles even make it to the RWC? If he doesn't I'd like to think someone other than Coltman will be there.

[pakman]

@shadowtrooper My take is that selectors see their three hookers as Coles/Taylor/Harris, with Aumua being 'developed' to take over from Coles after the RWC. Fine as long as Coles recovers?!

I'm more concerned about TH. We seem to have only two international grade scrummaging props (Forearm Franks and Laulala), and two passable but mobile THs (Ofa & JTA). I must say I've been impressed recently at scrum by Ta'avao, whom I never rated previously.

[ShadowTrooper]

@pakman I agree with you on Ta'avao, maybe the Chiefs should just draft in all the Blues unwanted players??!
Don't forget we also have Tu'inakuafe - and Hames should com back into the mix at LH.
Do you not rate Ala'alatoa at TH? Some work-ons maybe, but he could be a factor in 2019.

[nostrildamus]

@shadowtrooper said in All Blacks Squad for France:

Ta'avao
1.94m 124kg apparently. I did not realize he was such a big lad.

[pakman]

@shadowtrooper So far I think Ala'alatoa has suffered in comparison with Forearm Franks. Seems a good all-rounder, and the time in the Chch prop factory can only make him better. Two more years and who knows?

[Chris B.]

@pakman I've thought Alaalatoa has been pretty good when Franks has been out and Alaalatoa has had to start.

But when he's come off the bench behind Franks he's struggled - which is not what you'd expect, against tired or bench props.

[MN5]

@nostrildamus said in All Blacks Squad for France:

@shadowtrooper said in All Blacks Squad for France:

Ta'avao
1.94m 124kg apparently. I did not realize he was such a big lad.

Crikey. That's more than 6 foot 4.

Here's hoping he's more Carl Hayman than Jamie Macintosh.

[nzzp]

@mn5 said in All Blacks Squad for France:

@nostrildamus said in All Blacks Squad for France:

@shadowtrooper said in All Blacks Squad for France:

Ta'avao
1.94m 124kg apparently. I did not realize he was such a big lad.

Crikey. That's more than 6 foot 4.

Here's hoping he's more Carl Hayman than Jamie Macintosh.

Maybe he could play 8?

[Stargazer]

Sonny Bill Williams out of Steinlager Series

All Blacks and Blues midfielder Sonny Bill Williams has been ruled out of rugby for several weeks with a knee injury.

Williams aggravated an old knee injury this week and Blues medical staff said an x-ray yesterday showed a loose piece of bone in his knee joint. He will undergo keyhole surgery today in Auckland.

Blues medical staff expect that Williams will be unable to train for around four weeks.

http://www.allblacks.com/News/32495/sonny-bill-williams-out-of-steinlager-series

[nzzp]

@stargazer damn. He's a unit, and we'll miss him.

sad face.

[Stargazer]

I hope Crotty will be fit and that we'll see a return to the successful 2016 midfield line-up with a Crotty-ALB, or a Crotty-Goodhue combo. Ngani maybe for the 3rd test.

We didnt' miss SBW in 2016.

[nzzp]

@stargazer said in All Blacks Squad for France:

I hope Crotty will be fit and that we'll see a return to the successful 2016 midfield line-up with a Crotty-ALB, or a Crotty-Goodhue combo. Ngani maybe for the 3rd test.

We didnt' miss SBW in 2016.

If he'd stayed on teh field last year, we'd have won the Lions tour.

Ditto B Smith. Our midfield wound up with debutantes.

[Tim]

Goodhue 12, ALB 13 is the best we can hope for.

[Stargazer]

@nzzp said in All Blacks Squad for France:

@stargazer said in All Blacks Squad for France:

I hope Crotty will be fit and that we'll see a return to the successful 2016 midfield line-up with a Crotty-ALB, or a Crotty-Goodhue combo. Ngani maybe for the 3rd test.

We didnt' miss SBW in 2016.

If he'd stayed on teh field last year, we'd have won the Lions tour.

Ditto B Smith. Our midfield wound up with debutantes.

I don't think we'd have won if SBW was on the field but if we'd had 15 players on the field. Slight difference. It's having a man less on the field that cost us; not that that man was SBW.

[nzzp]

@stargazer said in All Blacks Squad for France:

I don't think we'd have won if SBW was on the field but if we'd had 15 players on the field. Slight difference. It's having a man less on the field that cost us; not that that man was SBW.

Thoughts on the third test then? Laumape on his second test (after debuting in No 2 the week before), and ALB only 12 tests into his career. Lack of experience and combination

12. Ngani Laumape (1)
13. Anton Lienert-Brown (12)

[Stargazer]

@nzzp Depends on the results of the first two tests. If we've won both, we can take more risks for the 3rd. Either Laumape-ALB or Laumape-Crotty (to reduce the risk).

[mariner4life]

@stargazer said in All Blacks Squad for France:

hope Crotty will be fit