Pumas vs All Blacks

akan004

Could be an ugly match to watch. Thunderstorms are forecasted for Saturday night in BA.

KiwiMurph

http://www.allblacks.com/News/33148/all-blacks-team-named-for-buenos-aires-test

The matchday 23 is as follows (with Test caps in brackets. * new cap):

1. Karl Tu'inukuafe (7) 
2. Codie Taylor (36) 
3. Ofa Tuungafasi (20) 
4. Samuel Whitelock (103) - captain  
5. Scott Barrett (23) 
6. Shannon Frizell (3) 
7. Sam Cane (58) 
8. Luke Whitelock (6)
9. TJ Perenara (49)  
10. Beauden Barrett (67) 
11. Rieko Ioane (18) 
12. Sonny Bill Williams (47) 
13. Ryan Crotty (39) 
14. Waisake Naholo (22) 
15. Ben Smith (72) 

16. Nathan Harris (16)
17. Tim Perry (3) 
18. Angus Ta'avao * 
19. Patrick Tuipulotu (17) 
20. Ardie Savea (29) 
21. Aaron Smith (77) 
22. Richie Mo'unga (2) 
23. Anton Lienert-Brown (28)

ALB better be ready to play some long minutes.

antipodean

Jesus, it's the year for props to have an early Christmas isn't it?

Tim

Well it's a strong backline ...

Machpants

If the weather is shite it'll be tough and Beaudy better have his tactical kicking boots on! SBW will have to play 80 when Crotty goes off early, or Reiko to 13....
@Tim I think the front row is fine too. Locks and loosies will have to step up in the tackle/break down.

Stargazer

The reserve front-row is a worry.

Bones

Wow, good on Ta'avao! What a year for him. I'm not that worried about the FR, apart from hooker. Perry has shown he deserves to be there so far, Ta'avao has been very good this year.

I'm more worried about what happens when SBW and Crotty disappear before halftime and Naholo/Smith gets an injury. TJP to the wing again I guess.

Bovidae

Yep, well done Angus Ta'avao.

Is the Arg scrum any better than the Jaguares? They weren't very good.

Machpants

They were poor at scrum in Nelson, it's the break down where they compete better.

Bovidae

Bidwell was on the money with his team - NOT!!

Stargazer

@bovidae He never is.

Duluth

Bones said:

Wow, good on Ta'avao! What a year for him. I'm not that worried about the FR, apart from hooker. Perry has shown he deserves to be there so far, Ta'avao has been very good this year.

Every prop is either a current or former Blues player. Three of them deserve to be there. Perry is a steaming pile of poo

Stargazer

JC

What exactly am I missing with Nathan Harris? He must be pretty good but I’m just not seeing it.

KiwiMurph

@jc you're not missing it. He's missing lineout throws.

Bones

@Duluth said:

Bones said:

Wow, good on Ta'avao! What a year for him. I'm not that worried about the FR, apart from hooker. Perry has shown he deserves to be there so far, Ta'avao has been very good this year.

Every prop is either a current or former Blues player. Three of them deserve to be there. Perry is a steaming pile of poo

Well when you put it like that....

Is he though? He doesn't seem to have been poo for the ABs.

No Quarter

Not too many surprises with the team then. Would like to see Wise go well as he and Rieko offer an awful lot of firepower on the wings with BFA at the back.

Feel like A Smith could be very handy off the bench in the final 20 to up the ante when they are tiring a bit.

Looking forward to this match, always interesting when the ABs have faced a bit of adversity.

Virgil

Jordie dropped from the side?
Wasn’t expecting that..

Crazy Horse

I wonder where Goodhue sits in the view of the selectors? Surely he has to be the number one 13. SBW and Crotty fighting it out to partner him.?

Chris B.

Duluth said:

Bones said:

Wow, good on Ta'avao! What a year for him. I'm not that worried about the FR, apart from hooker. Perry has shown he deserves to be there so far, Ta'avao has been very good this year.

Every prop is either a current or former Blues player. Three of them deserve to be there. Perry is a steaming pile of poo

That's a bit harsh on Perry.

I'm no great fan of him and still somewhat amazed that he's risen to All Black heights, but he's not let us down in any of his AB starts - not yet anyway. Steaming pile of poo is a bit shit!

Has to be said, though, that Tu'inukuafe has been the find of the season and I reckon Hansen is breathing considerably easier seeing him make every post so far a winner.

He can plan around Moody and Franks being his big game starters, with Tu'inukuafe and Tu'ungafasi capable of playing both sides at a pinch (though I'd rather not see the theory on Ofa at loosehead tested in a big game) and then, hopefully, fit Laulala and Hames in the mix next year plus Perry, Toomaga-Allen and Ta'avao as somewhat dodgy options if necessary.

The Silver Fern

Pumas vs All Blacks