All Blacks v Australia - Bledisloe II

[Machpants]

Scott had been our most consistent lock for a while, now bringing SR form into internationals. Both bbbr and Sam have had real injury and/or form dips last few years

[Chris B.]

@cgrant said in All Blacks v Australia - Bledisloe II:

I think Foster does not consider ALB as a centre but rather as a 2nd five. If Rieko is rested, then it would be for making room for Ennor.

Other way around, I think.

While Fozzie has been head coach he's started ALB 11 times at centre and once at 2nd five.

[Chris B.]

@His-Bobness said in All Blacks v Australia - Bledisloe II:

What’s the status of Blackadder, Newell and Moody?

Nice to see you back on a semi-regular basis, Bob.

Newell is apparently good to go this weekend. Moody and Blackadder aren't officially squad members, so pretty unlikely to appear.

However, Jason Ryan said Moody (and Havili) have been training with the squad (Kirsty Stanaway added Blackadder's name to that list, but I'm not sure if that is true).

I think they need to keep a reasonably strong core group of players for this game, so that you learn something about the guys who slot in. Too many newbies and it becomes a Barbarians style where systems fall apart.

Not much room for sentiment IMO though. I would cotton wool Aaron Smith. Roigard to start, Christie on the bench with McLeod.

DMac at fullback. Big Leicester on the left wing. Maybe ALB at centre.

Codie Taylor can have a rest - maybe the two starting props. Maybe Scott Barrett starts at 6. Cane probably back.

[Bovidae]

@Chris-B said in All Blacks v Australia - Bledisloe II:

While Fozzie has been head coach he's started ALB 11 times at centre and once at 2nd five.

That has been because of who has also been in the midfield with ALB. Usually Havili but also Goodhue. On the few occasions that ALB has combined with Ioane it has been at 2nd 5. Melbourne being the most recent example. The ability to play 12/13 makes him the perfect sub, unlike Havili and Ennor.

So I can see JB-ALB or ALB-Ioane as options.

[Kiwiwomble]

@Frank said in All Blacks v Australia - Bledisloe II:

Scott Barrett has actually been the best lock the entire season. I think his performance at lock means he won't go to 6.

Going forward, I think Retallick will become the impact lock with Whitelock and Barrett starting.

I hope they give Lord more minutes next week.

personally i think it more a case of frizell finally showing some form that will keep scooter at lock, fozzie has shown he believe form in one position should carry directly into other positions so i think if frizell wasn't performing we'd definitely see scooter back there

[Duluth]

@Bovidae said in All Blacks v Australia - Bledisloe II:

That has been because of who has also been in the midfield with ALB. Usually Havili but also Goodhue. On the few occasions that ALB has combined with Ioane it has been at 2nd 5. Melbourne being the most recent example. The ability to play 12/13 makes him the perfect sub, unlike Havili and Ennor.

So I can see JB-ALB or ALB-Ioane as options.

Yeah I think ALB is pencilled in as the midfield cover for the big matches. It explains why they have been looking at a specialist wing on the bench. Halfback/ALB/Wing covers the backs when you have Jordan & BB starting

[ACT Crusader]

@nostrildamus said in All Blacks v Australia - Bledisloe II:

I liked the look of Jordan at 15.

Running the ball yes, but when he came into first receiver as a playmaker (as has been the case for all our fullbacks for the past 10 years), he didn’t look as comfortable I thought. He’s great on the wider channels because he uses the space so well, but tighter in he looks to have some work ons.

Even though he was the Crusaders fullback, they rarely use him in that type of role.

[Toddy]

@Machpants said in All Blacks v Australia - Bledisloe II:

Scott had been our most consistent lock for a while, now bringing SR form into internationals. Both bbbr and Sam have had real injury and/or form dips last few years

I think the biggest change has been that he has managed to cut out the brain dead shit he used to do on a regular basis.

[ploughboy]

as a bit of a stab

1 ofa T
2 sami
3 newell
4 vaii
5 whitelock
6 finau
7 cane/paps
8 jacobson
9 roigard
10 dmac
11 clarke
12 j barrett
13 alb
14 EN
15 jordon

16 coles
17 williams
18 laulala
19 bbbr
20 savea/paps
21 ginge
22/23 mo / BB /lester /ennor two of

[taniwharugby]

@ploughboy apparently Narawa is out with a back niggle, Cane is still a possibility

[sparky]

Interesting stuff here about the injury state of play. It doesn’t look good for Narawa.

https://i.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/300939921/all-blacks-injury-to-wing-emoni-narawa-a-blow-ahead-of-world-cup-squad-naming

[game_film]

@Rancid-Schnitzel Nope. Just a cynic. Do you think they will pick a 100% first choice team for the Boks game then?

[nostrildamus]

@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks v Australia - Bledisloe II:

@nostrildamus said in All Blacks v Australia - Bledisloe II:

I liked the look of Jordan at 15.

Running the ball yes, but when he came into first receiver as a playmaker (as has been the case for all our fullbacks for the past 10 years), he didn’t look as comfortable I thought. He’s great on the wider channels because he uses the space so well, but tighter in he looks to have some work ons.

Even though he was the Crusaders fullback, they rarely use him in that type of role.

sounds a fair assessment and I haven't seen him much under the pump, but I like his kicking.

[pakman]

Given need for TWM to pick their last seven spaces, I'd see something like this:

Ofa/Coles/Nepo/Vaa'i/Whitelock/Cane/Finau/Jacobson/Nuggie/DMac/ALB/Ennor/Leicester/Stevenson/BB
Bench: Williams/Sami/Newell/Lord/Ardie/Roigard/McLeod/Jordan

Agianst that, the players have been in camp, so may want to retain a few more of the top 26.

[pakman]

This post is deleted!

[cgrant]

A loose forward trio of Finau, Cane and Jacobson makes sense since they are used to play together.

[Billy Tell]

@sparky said in All Blacks v Australia - Bledisloe II:

@MajorPom I think the Irish are similar in quality to the Springboks. Either of them could win the tournament but a lot will need to go right for them.

It’s the French, especially at home, I’m more worried about. So many quality players and so many different ways they can play. Dangerous with a capital D.

We can only meet France again in the final. If that happens we’ll have gone well even if we lose the final. My dream scenario would be a ¼ vs Scotland with FRA vs SA…and Ireland on the plane home.

[mariner4life]

i know there is supposed to be no sentimentality in elite sport, but

If Smith doesn't play his last ever test in NZ that also happens to be at his home ground, then the ABs have no soul

[Bovidae]

@cgrant said in All Blacks v Australia - Bledisloe II:

A loose forward trio of Finau, Cane and Jacobson makes sense since they are used to play together.

We'll have to wait and see if Cane is fit.

I still have a concern that they haven't used BB at 1st 5 yet, even after substitutions. I doubt many here are comfortable to have him running the cutter but that is their only option if DMac isn't in the 23.

To test the options now I would start DMac at 10 and BB at 15. Then, if all goes well, move BB into 10 and Jordan into 15 in the 2nd half. Beauden had his calf strapped after he was subbed in Melbourne so might be rested anyway.

[voodoo]

@taniwharugby said in All Blacks v Australia - Bledisloe II:

@Jailbreak7 I actually think it is better if they start Roigard and then Aaron comes off the bench to finish the game, reckon that is better than him sitting on the bench for the final however many minutes of his swansong in Dunedin!

The counter is that if he starts, he gets to exit the field after 60mins to a standing ovation all to himself