Bledisloe Three: Sydney, 31 October
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Plumtree confirmed in Sydney on Tuesday that on the back of a couple of hitouts since arriving for their Tri-Nations campaign, which opens with the second half of the four-match Bledisloe Cup series, all 36 players were in the selection picture for this week.
The All Blacks will have at least one key selection call to make this week, with in-form loose forward Ardie Savea remaining behind in New Zealand on paternity leave. Standout young Auckland and Blues No 8 Hoskins Sotutu is considered the firm favourite to step into the starting lineup on that back of a breakthrough season and two appearances off the bench in the first two contests.
But Plumtree made it clear that whoever was chosen in the team to be announced on Thursday, there would be no expectation on them to replicate Savea’s unique style of hyper-aggressive and athletic play.
“It’s not really a challenge as such for whoever comes in,” said Plumtree. “The players we’ve got to take Ardie’s place, we’ve got a lot of faith and trust in. They’ll bring a different skillset. We’ve got Dalton Papalii and Hokins Sotutu who are both excellent players. We’ve got Akira Ioane who had a great Super Rugby season as well. We’ve got some powerful players to replace Ardie.
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@voodoo yeah we're heading in as a group and there is a discussion around Uber versus public transport.
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@Duluth said in Bledisloe Three: Sydney, 31 October:
@Kirwan said in Bledisloe Three: Sydney, 31 October:
BB showed in the last test he has to start, took a lot of the workload off of Ritchie and his pace creates opportunities.
Whats the better 10/15 combo? RM/BB or BB/JB?
I prefer the later but I think the coaches are worried about next year. But who knows what happens next year? Ioane could mount a serious challenge to Mo'unga (and I suspect his game is better suited to Test rugby)
BB/JB IMO. If RM needs BB selected at fullback so we can have a functioning backline, then he's not the answer at 10.
@Kirwan said in Bledisloe Three: Sydney, 31 October:
@Duluth said in Bledisloe Three: Sydney, 31 October:
@Kirwan said in Bledisloe Three: Sydney, 31 October:
BB showed in the last test he has to start, took a lot of the workload off of Ritchie and his pace creates opportunities.
Whats the better 10/15 combo? RM/BB or BB/JB?
I prefer the later but I think the coaches are worried about next year. But who knows what happens next year? Ioane could mount a serious challenge to Mo'unga (and I suspect his game is better suited to Test rugby)
BB/JB IMO. If RM needs BB selected at fullback so we can have a functioning backline, then he's not the answer at 10.
I don’t thin Foster, Fox or any of the coaches have said Mo’unga needs Barrett selected.
But having someone with the class of Barrett in the backline is going to make a difference, especially when the forwards have a bit more ascendency too.
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@NTA said in Bledisloe Three: Sydney, 31 October:
Pissed off. About 40 of us at Renegades Rugby got tickets for $89 and now our associate union got hold of $49
Looks like I've just scored $49 tickets for me, mate, and our tribe. Looking forward to freezing my nuts off and drinking water beer from plastic cups
@voodoo said in Bledisloe Three: Sydney, 31 October:
@NTA said in Bledisloe Three: Sydney, 31 October:
Pissed off. About 40 of us at Renegades Rugby got tickets for $89 and now our associate union got hold of $49
Looks like I've just scored $49 tickets for me, mate, and our tribe. Looking forward to freezing my nuts off and drinking water beer from plastic cups
At least you only paid $49 and not $200.
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@voodoo said in Bledisloe Three: Sydney, 31 October:
@NTA said in Bledisloe Three: Sydney, 31 October:
Pissed off. About 40 of us at Renegades Rugby got tickets for $89 and now our associate union got hold of $49
Looks like I've just scored $49 tickets for me, mate, and our tribe. Looking forward to freezing my nuts off and drinking water beer from plastic cups
At least you only paid $49 and not $200.
@Nepia said in Bledisloe Three: Sydney, 31 October:
@voodoo said in Bledisloe Three: Sydney, 31 October:
@NTA said in Bledisloe Three: Sydney, 31 October:
Pissed off. About 40 of us at Renegades Rugby got tickets for $89 and now our associate union got hold of $49
Looks like I've just scored $49 tickets for me, mate, and our tribe. Looking forward to freezing my nuts off and drinking water beer from plastic cups
At least you only paid $49 and not $200.
There is that! Sorry bro...
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@Kirwan said in Bledisloe Three: Sydney, 31 October:
@Duluth said in Bledisloe Three: Sydney, 31 October:
@Kirwan said in Bledisloe Three: Sydney, 31 October:
BB showed in the last test he has to start, took a lot of the workload off of Ritchie and his pace creates opportunities.
Whats the better 10/15 combo? RM/BB or BB/JB?
I prefer the later but I think the coaches are worried about next year. But who knows what happens next year? Ioane could mount a serious challenge to Mo'unga (and I suspect his game is better suited to Test rugby)
BB/JB IMO. If RM needs BB selected at fullback so we can have a functioning backline, then he's not the answer at 10.
I don’t thin Foster, Fox or any of the coaches have said Mo’unga needs Barrett selected.
But having someone with the class of Barrett in the backline is going to make a difference, especially when the forwards have a bit more ascendency too.
@ACT-Crusader said in Bledisloe Three: Sydney, 31 October:
@Kirwan said in Bledisloe Three: Sydney, 31 October:
@Duluth said in Bledisloe Three: Sydney, 31 October:
@Kirwan said in Bledisloe Three: Sydney, 31 October:
BB showed in the last test he has to start, took a lot of the workload off of Ritchie and his pace creates opportunities.
Whats the better 10/15 combo? RM/BB or BB/JB?
I prefer the later but I think the coaches are worried about next year. But who knows what happens next year? Ioane could mount a serious challenge to Mo'unga (and I suspect his game is better suited to Test rugby)
BB/JB IMO. If RM needs BB selected at fullback so we can have a functioning backline, then he's not the answer at 10.
I don’t thin Foster, Fox or any of the coaches have said Mo’unga needs Barrett selected.
But having someone with the class of Barrett in the backline is going to make a difference, especially when the forwards have a bit more ascendency too.
Never said they did, was just my opinion about how dominant BB is when he’s in the team. Does a lot of talking and organising, gets the team around the park. Like a ten should be.
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what i find amusing is, there is this notion that you can either diffuse bombs or you can't.
Look across the Ta$man to the other code. League wingers are athletes selected for their finishing ability. Every singe one of them is good under the high ball, because they have to be given the nature of red zone attack.
Perhaps, and this is a crazy idea i know, but perhaps, our coaches could fucking do their job and teach players a new skill?
@mariner4life said in Bledisloe Three: Sydney, 31 October:
what i find amusing is, there is this notion that you can either diffuse bombs or you can't.
Look across the Ta$man to the other code. League wingers are athletes selected for their finishing ability. Every singe one of them is good under the high ball, because they have to be given the nature of red zone attack.
Perhaps, and this is a crazy idea i know, but perhaps, our coaches could fucking do their job and teach players a new skill?
Perhaps get lateral and hire an Aussie Rules skills coach?
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Trying to extract some central wisdom from the above (and pardon me for drinking non-alcohol malt as not used to brain cells rubbing together) but it sounds IMO that it is actually RM vs JB?
Ie BB sounds like a definite pick, the question is where.
JB is not a weapon (currently) anywhere but 15 (possibly). None of the 3 currently are kicking that well consistently (DMac doesn't seem to be used for conversions).
Therefore
play RM/BB or BB/JB. Put a winger on the wing.
Midfield: stop stuffing AB around, he seems to be the continual sacrificial victim at 13 or SMB (safe mesito boy)/underrated glue player at 12. But he is better at 12 than JG and they aren't playing JG at 13 (so I don't understand what is happening).
Either play ALB at 12 JG at 13 or think again. Midfield should be a polished, glistening, hardcore rock by now. -
Another question: should they be thinking and working towards the next RWC team?
Or are the three amigos (Cider Tapwater and Chardonnay) just trying to impress by the end of their contract through not undertaking anything too risky (read: strategy, cojones, creativity or invention). -
Another question: should they be thinking and working towards the next RWC team?
Or are the three amigos (Cider Tapwater and Chardonnay) just trying to impress by the end of their contract through not undertaking anything too risky (read: strategy, cojones, creativity or invention).@nostrildamus said in Bledisloe Three: Sydney, 31 October:
Another question: should they be thinking and working towards the next RWC team?
Or are the three amigos (Cider Tapwater and Chardonnay) just trying to impress by the end of their contract through not undertaking anything too risky (read: strategy, cojones, creativity or invention).I guess we only have history to go by when it comes to RWC build ups.
So new coaching team after a RWC campaign that we lost the previous year and that coach was there for the next RWC - eg Henry in 2004, John Hart 1996.
That first squad Henry selected in 2004 (England series) had some players that stayed on to 2007 RWC but many didn’t. Many in Hart’s 96 squad retired in the cycle and the 99 (never happened...) RWC squad was quite different.
So you play for the here and now, knowing that some will likely be still around and others may not and there will be newbies.
If you’ve got players right now in that 21-25 yo age range now, you would hope that that come 2023 they will have 30 odd more tests under their belt and really hitting their straps.
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The Hart era is often seen as an anomaly but then there was Mitchell and, possibly, Foster?
I could be wrong but think AB fan sentiment oriented more to pick the best team at the time but now with the increasing number of strong competitors more fans might want to have a more long-range RWC-targeted team selection strategy? -
The Hart era is often seen as an anomaly but then there was Mitchell and, possibly, Foster?
I could be wrong but think AB fan sentiment oriented more to pick the best team at the time but now with the increasing number of strong competitors more fans might want to have a more long-range RWC-targeted team selection strategy?@nostrildamus said in Bledisloe Three: Sydney, 31 October:
The Hart era is often seen as an anomaly but then there was Mitchell and, possibly, Foster?
I could be wrong but think AB fan sentiment oriented more to pick the best team at the time but now with the increasing number of strong competitors more fans might want to have a more long-range RWC-targeted team selection strategy?Mitchell came in mid-cycle so had less time than Hart to build something.
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The Hart era is often seen as an anomaly but then there was Mitchell and, possibly, Foster?
I could be wrong but think AB fan sentiment oriented more to pick the best team at the time but now with the increasing number of strong competitors more fans might want to have a more long-range RWC-targeted team selection strategy?@nostrildamus said in Bledisloe Three: Sydney, 31 October:
The Hart era is often seen as an anomaly but then there was Mitchell and, possibly, Foster?
I could be wrong but think AB fan sentiment oriented more to pick the best team at the time but now with the increasing number of strong competitors more fans might want to have a more long-range RWC-targeted team selection strategy?I might be a bit old school here, but pick your best team every time (injuries happen but we have some depth), play them in position (or at least where they have experience), build combinations and when a RWC comes around it should be sorted. There will be enough "blooded" players.
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@nostrildamus said in Bledisloe Three: Sydney, 31 October:
The Hart era is often seen as an anomaly but then there was Mitchell and, possibly, Foster?
I could be wrong but think AB fan sentiment oriented more to pick the best team at the time but now with the increasing number of strong competitors more fans might want to have a more long-range RWC-targeted team selection strategy?I might be a bit old school here, but pick your best team every time (injuries happen but we have some depth), play them in position (or at least where they have experience), build combinations and when a RWC comes around it should be sorted. There will be enough "blooded" players.
@Snowy said in Bledisloe Three: Sydney, 31 October:
@nostrildamus said in Bledisloe Three: Sydney, 31 October:
The Hart era is often seen as an anomaly but then there was Mitchell and, possibly, Foster?
I could be wrong but think AB fan sentiment oriented more to pick the best team at the time but now with the increasing number of strong competitors more fans might want to have a more long-range RWC-targeted team selection strategy?I might be a bit old school here, but pick your best team every time (injuries happen but we have some depth), play them in position (or at least where they have experience), build combinations and when a RWC comes around it should be sorted. There will be enough "blooded" players.
It’s certainly an interesting balance. When you look the success of the ABs in 05-06, the depth of players that was built (eg “2 x AB XVs”), from the outside looking in it didn’t appear they knew what their best team was come 2007. Rather they had players that knew their role should they get selected. The number of changes to the midfield, wings, locks was very high during that period.
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@Snowy said in Bledisloe Three: Sydney, 31 October:
@nostrildamus said in Bledisloe Three: Sydney, 31 October:
The Hart era is often seen as an anomaly but then there was Mitchell and, possibly, Foster?
I could be wrong but think AB fan sentiment oriented more to pick the best team at the time but now with the increasing number of strong competitors more fans might want to have a more long-range RWC-targeted team selection strategy?I might be a bit old school here, but pick your best team every time (injuries happen but we have some depth), play them in position (or at least where they have experience), build combinations and when a RWC comes around it should be sorted. There will be enough "blooded" players.
It’s certainly an interesting balance. When you look the success of the ABs in 05-06, the depth of players that was built (eg “2 x AB XVs”), from the outside looking in it didn’t appear they knew what their best team was come 2007. Rather they had players that knew their role should they get selected. The number of changes to the midfield, wings, locks was very high during that period.
@ACT-Crusader Yep. Look where that got us.
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@nostrildamus said in Bledisloe Three: Sydney, 31 October:
The Hart era is often seen as an anomaly but then there was Mitchell and, possibly, Foster?
I could be wrong but think AB fan sentiment oriented more to pick the best team at the time but now with the increasing number of strong competitors more fans might want to have a more long-range RWC-targeted team selection strategy?I might be a bit old school here, but pick your best team every time (injuries happen but we have some depth), play them in position (or at least where they have experience), build combinations and when a RWC comes around it should be sorted. There will be enough "blooded" players.
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@Snowy I partially agree with you (esp at 9-10 and midfield) but it also requires faith in coach selections-that they are not so conservative or loyal they miss up and coming better players.
@nostrildamus said in Bledisloe Three: Sydney, 31 October:
@Snowy I partially agree with you (esp at 9-10 and midfield) but it also requires faith in coach selections-that they are not so conservative or loyal they miss up and coming better players.
To an extent re loyalty, but I did say "pick your best team" so a Caleb Clarke would be picked not an encumbent just for the sake of it.
