All Blacks squad - The Rugby Championship
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Blackadder on the EOYT tour looked like someone who deserved to be an Allblack to me.
A Mongrel. He really really wanted it and was climbing into bigger blokes with gay abandon. Maybe could do with putting on a few KG's from my barstool view.
When Blackadder plays, I know he is on the pitch. Same can't be said for a few others.
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This picking squads game is a bit irrelevant, don’t you think, when you have an incompetent coaching panel, a corrupt administration and a public that senses you are really just shifting the deck chairs? I know it’s a fun parlour game picking this bloke or that bloke for each position, but you can swap the chess pieces as much as you want without realising that the real issue is that you’re playing checkers with 4D chess masters. I wouldn’t bother.
@MrDenmore said in All Blacks squad - The Rugby Championship:
This picking squads game is a bit irrelevant, don’t you think, when you have an incompetent coaching panel, a corrupt administration and a public that senses you are really just shifting the deck chairs? I know it’s a fun parlour game picking this bloke or that bloke for each position, but you can swap the chess pieces as much as you want without realising that the real issue is that you’re playing checkers with 4D chess masters. I wouldn’t bother.
So don’t bother. Meanwhile
Moody, Taylor, O. Franks, Whitelock, Romano, S. Barrett, Blackadder, Grace…..
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On the squad issue and given the lack of cattle, might it be time for NZR to follow the South Africans and Australians and open up the potential pool to those playing in overseas clubs? Wasn’t that how Erasmus engineered the Springbok turnaround?
On the standard objection that this will open the floodgates to up and coming NZ players or those early in their AB careers taking the big euros, francs and yen offshore, isn’t it too late for that? It’s happening already. Rugby, like football, is now a globalised sport where moneyed club owners suck up talent regardless of national affiliation or affinity.
Assuming we get past that point, the much more interesting question is are there NZ players overseas worth looking at - particularly in the tight five, blindslide or centres? Stephen Luatua springs to mind, as does Ngani Laumape.
@MrDenmore said in All Blacks squad - The Rugby Championship:
On the squad issue and given the lack of cattle, might it be time for NZR to follow the South Africans and Australians and open up the potential pool to those playing in overseas clubs? Wasn’t that how Erasmus engineered the Springbok turnaround?
On the standard objection that this will open the floodgates to up and coming NZ players or those early in their AB careers taking the big euros, francs and yen offshore, isn’t it too late for that? It’s happening already. Rugby, like football, is now a globalised sport where moneyed club owners suck up talent regardless of national affiliation or affinity.
Assuming we get past that point, the much more interesting question is are there NZ players overseas worth looking at - particularly in the tight five, blindslide or centres? Stephen Luatua springs to mind, as does Ngani Laumape.
Who of the overseas contingent is compellingly better than who we've got here?
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@MrDenmore said in All Blacks squad - The Rugby Championship:
This picking squads game is a bit irrelevant, don’t you think, when you have an incompetent coaching panel, a corrupt administration and a public that senses you are really just shifting the deck chairs? I know it’s a fun parlour game picking this bloke or that bloke for each position, but you can swap the chess pieces as much as you want without realising that the real issue is that you’re playing checkers with 4D chess masters. I wouldn’t bother.
So don’t bother. Meanwhile
Moody, Taylor, O. Franks, Whitelock, Romano, S. Barrett, Blackadder, Grace…..
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@ACT-Crusader backline of Ellis, Mounga, Bridge, Havili, Ennor, Reece & Jordan
@FakatavaAllBlack said in All Blacks squad - The Rugby Championship:
@ACT-Crusader backline of Ellis, Mounga, Bridge, Havili, Ennor, Reece & Jordan
No way.
Ellis, Mo’unga, Fainga’anuku, Havili, Goodhue, Reece, Jordan
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@Victor-Meldrew I would say throw the captaincy to DP, but he really has to prove he's set in stone first. I'd be tempted to go with Scooter.
@Bones said in All Blacks squad - The Rugby Championship:
@Victor-Meldrew I would say throw the captaincy to DP, but he really has to prove he's set in stone first. I'd be tempted to go with Scooter.
Sam Whitelock if Sam Cane can’t make the team. He is still first choice in his position. Part of a winning culture over many years.
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@Bovidae said in All Blacks squad - The Rugby Championship:
The role of the openside has changed as they aren't getting as many breakdown turnovers now, or any more frequently than any other player.
For that you can blame the GOAT. He was so good WR changed the law. Then Pocockwomble turned being second to the breakdown into an art form. Defences got so good that that little trick isn't worth carrying a limited player.
That goes for passive tacklers who give up ground to try and stay on their feet to be the first on the ball.
In my opinion we're at a point where the team is better off denying territory with punishing defence.
@antipodean said in All Blacks squad - The Rugby Championship:
@Bovidae said in All Blacks squad - The Rugby Championship:
The role of the openside has changed as they aren't getting as many breakdown turnovers now, or any more frequently than any other player.
For that you can blame the GOAT. He was so good WR changed the law. Then Pocockwomble turned being second to the breakdown into an art form. Defences got so good that that little trick isn't worth carrying a limited player.
That goes for passive tacklers who give up ground to try and stay on their feet to be the first on the ball.
In my opinion we're at a point where the team is better off denying territory with punishing defence.
This
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@Bones said in All Blacks squad - The Rugby Championship:
@Victor-Meldrew I would say throw the captaincy to DP, but he really has to prove he's set in stone first. I'd be tempted to go with Scooter.
Sam Whitelock if Sam Cane can’t make the team. He is still first choice in his position. Part of a winning culture over many years.
@kev said in All Blacks squad - The Rugby Championship:
@Bones said in All Blacks squad - The Rugby Championship:
@Victor-Meldrew I would say throw the captaincy to DP, but he really has to prove he's set in stone first. I'd be tempted to go with Scooter.
Sam Whitelock if Sam Cane can’t make the team. He is still first choice in his position. Part of a winning culture over many years.
Sam is looking more and more like he can't last 80.
Giving it to SB might give him a bit more leeway when he inevitably does something stupid, plus he has the motor to last the whole match and is one of the first on the team sheet at the moment.
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@Crazy-Horse said in All Blacks squad - The Rugby Championship:
@broughie said in All Blacks squad - The Rugby Championship:
@TheMojoman at super rugby level but has not shown anything at international except against the minnows. I think @Bones was suggesting 1st five but he would have the same problem in Canterbury.
We are talking about DH at 10? Please no. He was barely adequate there for the Crusaders. DH's best position is 15 IMO.
Havili's best position at AB level is on the bench, so we can have a reserve halfback and stack the forward reserves.
@reprobate said in All Blacks squad - The Rugby Championship:
@Crazy-Horse said in All Blacks squad - The Rugby Championship:
@broughie said in All Blacks squad - The Rugby Championship:
@TheMojoman at super rugby level but has not shown anything at international except against the minnows. I think @Bones was suggesting 1st five but he would have the same problem in Canterbury.
We are talking about DH at 10? Please no. He was barely adequate there for the Crusaders. DH's best position is 15 IMO.
Havili's best position at AB level is on the bench, so we can have a reserve halfback and stack the forward reserves.
There's a theme developing here. We appear to have a squad of guys that rightly or wrongly can't command a starting jumper but are deemed great and flexible reserves, covering multiple positions at an average level. Ardie covers 6-8 (and 12). Sami cant get a start. Barrett 6 or lock. Jordie 15, 12 and wing. BB 10 and 15. Havili and RTS and JG 12/13 with a bit of 10/15 thrown in. Reiko 13 and wing. Paps is a 6 or a 7, Sowakulu a 6 or an 8, Akira can't play 80 and Sotutu can't get a run at all.
My solution is to start just 5 forwards and 5 backs (doesn't really matter which ones) and have a 13 man bench. After 60mins we can roll out our bench superstars and dominate all comers.
Who's with me?
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@reprobate said in All Blacks squad - The Rugby Championship:
@Crazy-Horse said in All Blacks squad - The Rugby Championship:
@broughie said in All Blacks squad - The Rugby Championship:
@TheMojoman at super rugby level but has not shown anything at international except against the minnows. I think @Bones was suggesting 1st five but he would have the same problem in Canterbury.
We are talking about DH at 10? Please no. He was barely adequate there for the Crusaders. DH's best position is 15 IMO.
Havili's best position at AB level is on the bench, so we can have a reserve halfback and stack the forward reserves.
There's a theme developing here. We appear to have a squad of guys that rightly or wrongly can't command a starting jumper but are deemed great and flexible reserves, covering multiple positions at an average level. Ardie covers 6-8 (and 12). Sami cant get a start. Barrett 6 or lock. Jordie 15, 12 and wing. BB 10 and 15. Havili and RTS and JG 12/13 with a bit of 10/15 thrown in. Reiko 13 and wing. Paps is a 6 or a 7, Sowakulu a 6 or an 8, Akira can't play 80 and Sotutu can't get a run at all.
My solution is to start just 5 forwards and 5 backs (doesn't really matter which ones) and have a 13 man bench. After 60mins we can roll out our bench superstars and dominate all comers.
Who's with me?
@voodoo I’d prefer 2 forwards, 1 centre and 2 other guys just roaming the perimeter
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This picking squads game is a bit irrelevant, don’t you think, when you have an incompetent coaching panel, a corrupt administration and a public that senses you are really just shifting the deck chairs? I know it’s a fun parlour game picking this bloke or that bloke for each position, but you can swap the chess pieces as much as you want without realising that the real issue is that you’re playing checkers with 4D chess masters. I wouldn’t bother.
@MrDenmore said in All Blacks squad - The Rugby Championship:
This picking squads game is a bit irrelevant, don’t you think, when you have an incompetent coaching panel, a corrupt administration and a public that senses you are really just shifting the deck chairs? I know it’s a fun parlour game picking this bloke or that bloke for each position, but you can swap the chess pieces as much as you want without realising that the real issue is that you’re playing checkers with 4D chess masters. I wouldn’t bother.
Well, as an ex-pat who doesn't watch every SR game, I find this sort of thread incredibly useful in getting a feel for the players and potential players.
Yeah, you might get one of two cockwomble comments, but the opinions on here comes from people with a pretty damn good knowledge of the game, SR squads, the various players and their strengths & weaknesses. E.g. I'd find out more about MSR than I would ever get from the MSM.
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@MrDenmore said in All Blacks squad - The Rugby Championship:
This picking squads game is a bit irrelevant, don’t you think, when you have an incompetent coaching panel, a corrupt administration and a public that senses you are really just shifting the deck chairs? I know it’s a fun parlour game picking this bloke or that bloke for each position, but you can swap the chess pieces as much as you want without realising that the real issue is that you’re playing checkers with 4D chess masters. I wouldn’t bother.
Well, as an ex-pat who doesn't watch every SR game, I find this sort of thread incredibly useful in getting a feel for the players and potential players.
Yeah, you might get one of two cockwomble comments, but the opinions on here comes from people with a pretty damn good knowledge of the game, SR squads, the various players and their strengths & weaknesses. E.g. I'd find out more about MSR than I would ever get from the MSM.
@Victor-Meldrew keep your ear to the ground on the name Zach Gallagher, the young man is built like a fridge
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@Victor-Meldrew keep your ear to the ground on the name Zach Gallagher, the young man is built like a fridge
@FakatavaAllBlack said in All Blacks squad - The Rugby Championship:
@Victor-Meldrew keep your ear to the ground on the name Zach Gallagher, the young man is built like a fridge
Only 20 big unit went really well on debut for the Crusaders.
I have been watching him since school rugby days. -
@Victor-Meldrew keep your ear to the ground on the name Zach Gallagher, the young man is built like a fridge
@FakatavaAllBlack said in All Blacks squad - The Rugby Championship:
@Victor-Meldrew keep your ear to the ground on the name Zach Gallagher, the young man is built like a fridge
I was impressed by Hicks for the Highlanders too.
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@MN5 said in All Blacks squad - The Rugby Championship:
@African-Monkey said in All Blacks squad - The Rugby Championship:
@Old-Samurai-Jack Its funny that Tuipulotu gets singled out and yes, I agree that he should be put out to pasture, but there are a lot of other guys that should be joining him too that don't cop anywhere near the same criticism.
How some people keep justifying Codie Taylor being there is beyond me. He's been terrible at the big boys level for over 2 years now and people still find an excuse to pick him. He shouldn't even be jn the squad (along with Tuipulotu and others).
Tuipulotu is a disappointing one. He’s a gigantic human being up close and looks the perfect guy to take on those Bok, French and English packs……( he takes up loads of room when walking down a plane aisle ) but he just hasn’t kicked on ( but other lesser performers get picked like you mention )
I find Pat T frustrating. He has the size and skills, is a very good leader for the Blues, seems to value the jersey and has had a few periods of really high quality in Black, but always seems to disappoint at Test level overall.
I like the bloke but he's had plenty of opportunities and just doesn't come across as being even a solid 5 or 6th choice lock.
@Victor-Meldrew I hoped he would be good but he disappointed. He is an okay leader. Has that deer in the headlights look about him though and probably was appointed to see if the captaincy brought the best out of him.
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@antipodean said in All Blacks squad - The Rugby Championship:
@kev said in All Blacks squad - The Rugby Championship:
@antipodean said in All Blacks squad - The Rugby Championship:
@TheMojoman said in All Blacks squad - The Rugby Championship:
@reprobate said in All Blacks squad - The Rugby Championship:
@No-Quarter said in All Blacks squad - The Rugby Championship:
@Chris-B said in All Blacks squad - The Rugby Championship:
@KiwiMurph I reckon we might see Jack Goodhue in the midfield - and perhaps Rieko back to the wing.
I like the idea of Goodhue and Rieko together, even though I haven't rated Goodhue at 12 in the past. Just think they might compliment each other well, Goodhue very organised on defense and good at putting his outsides away, while Rieko is always a massive threat with ball in hand and is a very good tackler.
That's a great and established combination... with Jack at 13 where he plays well and Rieko at 11 where he plays well.
Therein lies the problem, chop and change. If Rieko is the long-term 13 then play him there and select around him. Otherwise you get to the RWC and we still don’t know who our best centre pairing are.
That's always gone well. For those barracking Goodhue, remember for all his benefits he's about as fast as a one legged prop.
Conrad Smith / Joe Stanley? It’s all about balance. Midfield is much more about option taking and defence than top pace. If you have the right wings and fullback you don’t need your centre to be be the line breaker. With BB, Havili and Reiko we have the wrong mix. Backline defence and option taking was poor. As much as Reiko’s pace is great he always looks to run before passing.
To be fair, Joe played in a very different era - there was plenty of space on the field. Conrad ran like a bundle of brooms, but I suspect was quicker than Josh. Rieko's pace in that channel with the slightest bit of room is a real point of difference on attack (see his try against France for example). And on defence he covers ground very quickly. Once he gets better at making defensive decisions he'll be best in the world IMO.
Yes Conrad ran weird but he actually wasn't that slow. I mean not ioane fast but still quick. Never watched Stanley tho, so can't comment on him
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@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks squad - The Rugby Championship:
@mooshld said in All Blacks squad - The Rugby Championship:
I would quite like a genuine fetcher at 7 bring to balance the loose forwards and maybe secure us a bit more ball. If you have big ball runners at 6 and 8 you can afford a smaller 7 who just makes their tackles and pilfers ball. Our current style feels like our 7's are more like 6 and a halfs.
genuine fetcher? pilfers?
Cobber, take that Phil Waugh, David Pocock speak over to GAGR
The closest player to that description is probably Harmon who didn’t disgrace himself for the MABs, but it’s a question of potentially sacrificing other areas.
We had one very good one, in Boshier. Should have been thrown a bone by the selectors, if only to keep that tactical option open to us. We didn't have one available at all for a long time after Richie slowed down a bit, so all and sundry started pretending it wasn't a useful skill anymore, hence all the Pocock is useless crap.
@reprobate maybe every forward needs to be a fetcher these days. It is not just a seven. Whoever is their.
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@Mackerzzzz not diminishing Conrad but Nonu made space for the midfield by direct running or his side steps either way. Of course Conrad had to read it but he was one of the smart white guys you need.
@broughie said in All Blacks squad - The Rugby Championship:
@Mackerzzzz not diminishing Conrad but Nonu made space for the midfield by direct running or his side steps either way. Of course Conrad had to read it but he was one of the smart white guys you need.
We don't have that hard running physical presence at 12 right now. We really miss it
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@MrDenmore said in All Blacks squad - The Rugby Championship:
This picking squads game is a bit irrelevant, don’t you think, when you have an incompetent coaching panel, a corrupt administration and a public that senses you are really just shifting the deck chairs? I know it’s a fun parlour game picking this bloke or that bloke for each position, but you can swap the chess pieces as much as you want without realising that the real issue is that you’re playing checkers with 4D chess masters. I wouldn’t bother.
Well, as an ex-pat who doesn't watch every SR game, I find this sort of thread incredibly useful in getting a feel for the players and potential players.
Yeah, you might get one of two cockwomble comments, but the opinions on here comes from people with a pretty damn good knowledge of the game, SR squads, the various players and their strengths & weaknesses. E.g. I'd find out more about MSR than I would ever get from the MSM.
@Victor-Meldrew thank you for the compliment. I am going to savor that.
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@Bovidae said in All Blacks squad - The Rugby Championship:
The role of the openside has changed as they aren't getting as many breakdown turnovers now, or any more frequently than any other player.
For that you can blame the GOAT. He was so good WR changed the law. Then Pocockwomble turned being second to the breakdown into an art form. Defences got so good that that little trick isn't worth carrying a limited player.
That goes for passive tacklers who give up ground to try and stay on their feet to be the first on the ball.
In my opinion we're at a point where the team is better off denying territory with punishing defence.
@antipodean said in All Blacks squad - The Rugby Championship:
@Bovidae said in All Blacks squad - The Rugby Championship:
The role of the openside has changed as they aren't getting as many breakdown turnovers now, or any more frequently than any other player.
For that you can blame the GOAT. He was so good WR changed the law. Then Pocockwomble turned being second to the breakdown into an art form. Defences got so good that that little trick isn't worth carrying a limited player.
That goes for passive tacklers who give up ground to try and stay on their feet to be the first on the ball.
In my opinion we're at a point where the team is better off denying territory with punishing defence.
Nah, this is just what we told ourselves when the Aussies had someone who was really good at it and we didn't. All sorts of bullshit about how it wasn't important, and how we could do it too if we wanted to, but were busy doing more important things.
Pocock was one-dimensional sure, but that doesn't mean that what he was really good at wasn't a really fucking useful skill to have. Beirne showed the importance of it last week. And he can do other things too - it's not like being able to get on the ball means a player doesn't have any other skills. Even the one-dimensional Pocock would have been an amazing asset if paired with Whitelock, Retallick, Kaino, Read.
As for our defence, it's not punishing. So we're passive and not looking for turnovers. Woo-hoo.
