All Blacks Squad for France
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@mariner4life said in All Blacks Squad for France:
@no-quarter while i understand the thinking, B Smith is our best FB, and should play there. You then find the best winger.
Ben Smith's also the best right wing (probably the best wing fullstop, but it's paying Rieko a major compliment that I'm considering him).
I don't mind too much if they play him on the wing - there was a game a couple of years ago vs Wales where he was on the wing and he was sensational.
Overall it's a question of whether the Ben/Jordie combo is better than Waisake/Ben combo. And whether Jordie's Big Mac combo enters the thinking in any way.
In any case, I'm sure we'll see 14. Ben/15. Jordie at some point during this series - question is simply whether they'll start it in the first test.
(I'm somewhat inclined to think they will, because Jordie is a bit of a "favourite son").
@chris-b said in All Blacks Squad for France:
Overall it's a question of whether the Ben/Jordie combo is better than Waisake/Ben combo. And whether Jordie's Big Mac combo enters the thinking in any way.
They like two fullbacks, and have for a long time. I can't see The Mac of JB affecting that - no major issues, it's his mate who seems to have led him to the wrong house
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@chris-b said in All Blacks Squad for France:
Overall it's a question of whether the Ben/Jordie combo is better than Waisake/Ben combo. And whether Jordie's Big Mac combo enters the thinking in any way.
They like two fullbacks, and have for a long time. I can't see The Mac of JB affecting that - no major issues, it's his mate who seems to have led him to the wrong house
@nzzp said in All Blacks Squad for France:
@chris-b said in All Blacks Squad for France:
Overall it's a question of whether the Ben/Jordie combo is better than Waisake/Ben combo. And whether Jordie's Big Mac combo enters the thinking in any way.
They like two fullbacks, and have for a long time. I can't see The Mac of JB affecting that - no major issues, it's his mate who seems to have led him to the wrong house
Please don't make light of this. The Herald told me it was part of a 'Horror' weekend. Nothing less than a tearful public apology from Jordie then Reiko will suffice.
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@nzzp said in All Blacks Squad for France:
@chris-b said in All Blacks Squad for France:
Overall it's a question of whether the Ben/Jordie combo is better than Waisake/Ben combo. And whether Jordie's Big Mac combo enters the thinking in any way.
They like two fullbacks, and have for a long time. I can't see The Mac of JB affecting that - no major issues, it's his mate who seems to have led him to the wrong house
Please don't make light of this. The Herald told me it was part of a 'Horror' weekend. Nothing less than a tearful public apology from Jordie then Reiko will suffice.
@mn5 the only horror is our injury toll!
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@chris-b said in All Blacks Squad for France:
Overall it's a question of whether the Ben/Jordie combo is better than Waisake/Ben combo. And whether Jordie's Big Mac combo enters the thinking in any way.
They like two fullbacks, and have for a long time. I can't see The Mac of JB affecting that - no major issues, it's his mate who seems to have led him to the wrong house
@nzzp Yeah - just if it's a close run thing, then Hansen might use it as a cheap lesson for Jordie that nothing good happens after 3am.
A bit along the lines of "You'd be playing today son if you hadn't been in the papers last weekend".
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@nzzp Yeah - just if it's a close run thing, then Hansen might use it as a cheap lesson for Jordie that nothing good happens after 3am.
A bit along the lines of "You'd be playing today son if you hadn't been in the papers last weekend".
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@nzzp Yeah - just if it's a close run thing, then Hansen might use it as a cheap lesson for Jordie that nothing good happens after 3am.
A bit along the lines of "You'd be playing today son if you hadn't been in the papers last weekend".
@chris-b said in All Blacks Squad for France:
@nzzp Yeah - just if it's a close run thing, then Hansen might use it as a cheap lesson for Jordie that nothing good happens after 3am.
A bit along the lines of "You'd be playing today son if you hadn't been in the papers last weekend".
Well yeah but then he'll have to find a new left winger after dropping Ioane cos the way the Herald are reporting it you'd think he was the first guy in Rugbys entire history to get into a bit of rough housing with a teammate.
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@chris-b although he also could have the same conversation with Ioane...
@taniwharugby That one's less of a close run thing, though.
I'd be interested to know who smacked him.
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@chris-b said in All Blacks Squad for France:
@nzzp Yeah - just if it's a close run thing, then Hansen might use it as a cheap lesson for Jordie that nothing good happens after 3am.
A bit along the lines of "You'd be playing today son if you hadn't been in the papers last weekend".
Well yeah but then he'll have to find a new left winger after dropping Ioane cos the way the Herald are reporting it you'd think he was the first guy in Rugbys entire history to get into a bit of rough housing with a teammate.
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@mn5 bro I think players of yesteryear will be eternally thankful of playing days without cameras everywhere and social media justice.
@taniwharugby said in All Blacks Squad for France:
@mn5 bro I think players of yesteryear will be eternally thankful of playing days without cameras everywhere and social media justice.
Imagine if Norm Hewitt played these days! He was hung out to dry 20 years ago, the poor bigger would be torn limb from limb in today's climate.
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So, I think this French side is going to be better than people think. The TAB have them at 10-1 outsiders, witha 24.5 head start to teh ABs.
I, for one, am not convinced by this.
We are seeing this season and last season the effect of the NH drain on players. Think about who would be starting if we didn't have the pressure on players heading away - locks aside, you'd have Charlie F in the front row, Luatua and Vito at the back, TKB at 9, Tom Taylor (and others) at 10, and then Piutau headlining a back division. To be fair, you coudl probably pick some veterans like McAlister or Toeava as utilities.
This AB 15 looked good, but the bench was weak. Now I think the 15 looks moderately good, with a very weak bench.
Lazy 20 on the Froggies? Seems like smart loss insurance ...
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So, I think this French side is going to be better than people think. The TAB have them at 10-1 outsiders, witha 24.5 head start to teh ABs.
I, for one, am not convinced by this.
We are seeing this season and last season the effect of the NH drain on players. Think about who would be starting if we didn't have the pressure on players heading away - locks aside, you'd have Charlie F in the front row, Luatua and Vito at the back, TKB at 9, Tom Taylor (and others) at 10, and then Piutau headlining a back division. To be fair, you coudl probably pick some veterans like McAlister or Toeava as utilities.
This AB 15 looked good, but the bench was weak. Now I think the 15 looks moderately good, with a very weak bench.
Lazy 20 on the Froggies? Seems like smart loss insurance ...
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@nzzp last time they tipped us up they were at $7 and i hedged. If they are at $10 it would be mad not to!
@mariner4life said in All Blacks Squad for France:
@nzzp last time they tipped us up they were at $7 and i hedged. If they are at $10 it would be mad not to!
2009 is fresh in my memory. We won the second game in taht series by a squeak from memory
Edit: http://www.allblacks.com/Fixtures/2009
27-22 France in Test 1
14-10 NZ in Test 2. I remember BBBT having a monster game that day, but it's been 9 years, so I no longer trust my brain... -
and i've just whacked $5 on the Frogs @ $11 head to head. That's unreal money given our injuries!
I don't really expect to get that back, but not a bad hedge
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and i've just whacked $5 on the Frogs @ $11 head to head. That's unreal money given our injuries!
I don't really expect to get that back, but not a bad hedge
@mariner4life Reasonable advice - I've just done the same.
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But the news was a lot brighter on the rest of the All Blacks' walking wounded, with Hansen confirming it was hoped Sam Cane (abdominal strain), Jordan Taufua (calf), Jack Goodhue (hamstring), Sam Whitelock (concussion symptoms) and Ryan Crotty (concussion symptoms) would all be available for selection after missing chunks of time with their franchises.
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But the news was a lot brighter on the rest of the All Blacks' walking wounded, with Hansen confirming it was hoped Sam Cane (abdominal strain), Jordan Taufua (calf), Jack Goodhue (hamstring), Sam Whitelock (concussion symptoms) and Ryan Crotty (concussion symptoms) would all be available for selection after missing chunks of time with their franchises.
@tim I found this bit interesting as well:
They are not sure of the extent of Retallick's absence through the injury yet, but have removed him from the equation for the first week at least. Veteran Crusaders lock Luke Romano (for Sonny Bill Williams) and impressive Highlanders second row Tom Franklin (as cover for Retallick) have both been drafted into the squad to bolster their stock of big men. Experienced Crusaders No 7 Matt Todd has also been called in, essentially to cover for some "soreness" being felt by Hurricanes openside Ardie Savea in the wake of their 30-14 defeat to the Highlanders in Dunedin on Friday.So Todd brought in to cover for Ardie, not Cane.
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@tim I found this bit interesting as well:
They are not sure of the extent of Retallick's absence through the injury yet, but have removed him from the equation for the first week at least. Veteran Crusaders lock Luke Romano (for Sonny Bill Williams) and impressive Highlanders second row Tom Franklin (as cover for Retallick) have both been drafted into the squad to bolster their stock of big men. Experienced Crusaders No 7 Matt Todd has also been called in, essentially to cover for some "soreness" being felt by Hurricanes openside Ardie Savea in the wake of their 30-14 defeat to the Highlanders in Dunedin on Friday.So Todd brought in to cover for Ardie, not Cane.
I prefer Todd over Savea myself. I still haven't seen what Savea offers apart from fresh legs off the bench, seems highly visible but generally ineffective but maybe I have missed his work in tight..
I think I also prefer Todd for a bench position now. -
@nostrildamus I don't think Todd has been as good as he was last year. There was a definite gap between him and Savea that isn't there this year.
Defensively the two are close but on attack the two are miles apart.
