All Blacks vs Wales
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="mariner4life" data-cid="582235" data-time="1464080887">
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<p>North? Haha he's done fuck all since the Lions. Biggar? Really?<br><br>
AWJ is their best player in my opinion</p>
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<p>No love for Roberts or Davies ? best midfield partnership in the game surely......</p> -
A lot of the Welsh players will have had a fair few weeks off which could work for us or against us.<br>
Gats biggest mistake IMHO is not selecting on form (again), I understand his arguments that NZ is the last place you blood rookies but it could also be the best. I mean what better yardstick could you have to measure yourself against than a 3 test tour against the Blacks ?<br>
Seems shortsighted to me, we've one genuine 7 in Warburton on tour but a couple of others playing really well here in Ellis Jenkins & James Davies (little brother of centre Jonathan).<br>
A blindside in Olly Cracknell who's been keeping Lydiate on the bench at the Ospreys.<br>
At least 2 of these should be touring. -
<p>I think we will win 3-0, </p>
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<p>First test being the tight one ,us pulling away in the last 20 when we empty the bench ,</p>
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<p> by the time the 3rd test comes around, I can see us putting quite a few points on them </p> -
If the likes of taufua,goodes,Elliott Dixon and McKenzie don't make the squad then I hope they have a extended training squad to get them involved<br><br><br>
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<p>when is the team named?</p>
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="sparky" data-cid="582251" data-time="1464084606">
<div><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">1 Moody (11) 2 Coles (36) 3 Owen Franks (78) 4 Retallick (47) 5 S Whitelock (73) (or Tuipulotu (7) if he canâ€
t recover in time) 6 Kaino (67) 7 Cane (31) 8 Read (84) Â
</span></span><br><p><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">9 A Smith(47) 10 Cruden (37) 11 J Savea (41) 12 Crotty (15) 13 Fekitoa (13) 14 Naholo (3) 15 B Smith (48)</span></span></p>
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<p>For a "rebuilding year" that is an incredibly strong hand to start with. Almost the perfect formation in terms of measured experience in the tight five, proven halves and then some wildcards in the outside backs. Only quibble would be an center combination with little experience together - but a much stronger hand that Clarke/Mayerhoffler or whatever we rolled into 1998 with.</p> -
<p>I really enjoyed it last year when we played in Apia on a Wednesday and so they named the team on a Monday (Samoan time), which is also Monday NZ time.</p>
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<p>Changed it up beautifully. </p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Provincial Stalwart" data-cid="582324" data-time="1464127919"><p>I really enjoyed it last year when we played in Apia on a Wednesday and so they named the team on a Monday (Samoan time), which is also Monday NZ time.<br><br>
Changed it up beautifully.</p></blockquote>
I'm thinking there's something wrong here... -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Bovidae" data-cid="582321" data-time="1464127774">
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<p>SS1 has the live announcement listed for 10 am.</p>
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<p>And then every Thursday... :)</p>
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<p>I've heard Dean Lonegan is charging $50 for everyone who wants to watch that.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Smudge" data-cid="582313" data-time="1464126880">
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<p>Sunday, I've heard.</p>
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<p>nah that's the squad naming, everyone knows when that is, I was talking the team play Wales!</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="MN5" data-cid="582255" data-time="1464086710">
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<p>No love for Roberts or Davies ? best midfield partnership in the game surely......</p>
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<p>if you like midfielders who resemble trucks, which i don't.</p>
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<p>They suit Gatland's game style, but that makes me want to gouge my eyes out it's that boring. </p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="mariner4life" data-cid="582335" data-time="1464129596">
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<p>if you like midfielders who resemble trucks, which i don't.</p>
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<p>They suit Gatland's game style, but that makes me want to gouge my eyes out it's that boring. </p>
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<p>Well the ABs have a bus that looks to have expanded seating capacity.</p>
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<p>Could be an area they look to press home their advantage, that's all. They might even try for an offload for something zany and creative.</p> -
Yeah same same , it's like having league front rowers in the midfield , <br><br>
That's why I was glad the burgess experiment didn't work , Sbw is different , multi skilled -
<p>The Burgess experiment very nearly did work against Wales. The Welsh kept trying to truck it up, and got stopped dead. They made 2 linebreaks the twice they skipped Roberts and hit the centre in the outside channel, one of them was the game winner. In the end they got the result, but it was poor play given the midfield England rolled out to meet them. </p>
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="taniwharugby" data-cid="582334" data-time="1464129382">
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<p>nah that's the squad naming, everyone knows when that is, I was talking the team play Wales!</p>
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<p>Oh.</p>
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<p>I, too, am interested to know when the team is named. VERY Interested. </p> -
<p>My 32 man squad - I'm going to run with a controversial 19 forwards, 13 backs:</p>
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<p>Owen Franks</p>
<p>Charlie Faumuina</p>
<p>Jeff Toomaga-Allen</p>
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<p>Dane Coles</p>
<p>Codie Taylor</p>
<p>Nathan Harris*</p>
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<p>Joe Moody</p>
<p>Wyatt Crockett</p>
<p>Kane Hames*</p>
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<p>Sam Whitelock</p>
<p>Brodie Retallick</p>
<p>Patrick Tuipolotu</p>
<p>Luke Romano</p>
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<p>Jerome Kaino</p>
<p>Stephen Luatua</p>
<p>Jordan Taufua</p>
<p>Sam Cane</p>
<p>Ardie Savea</p>
<p>Kieran Read</p>
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<p>Aaron Smith</p>
<p>Brad Weber</p>
<p>TJ Perenara</p>
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<p>Aaron Cruden</p>
<p>Lima Sopoaga</p>
<p>Beauden Barrett</p>
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<p>Ryan Crotty</p>
<p>Malakai Fekitoa</p>
<p>Charlie Ngatai</p>
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<p>Julian Savea</p>
<p>Waisake Naholo</p>
<p>Ben Smith</p>
<p>Israel Dagg</p>
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<p>* Project player.</p>
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<p>Elliot Dixon is hugely unlucky in my selection; Taufua or Luatua could easily be in the real one. I think a case can be made that each has been the best forward in their Super team, so a plethora of riches. I've decided to go with blindsides who are more proficient at No. 8 than the blindside/lock cover that Dixon has over Taufua.</p>
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<p>Since SBW will come back in due course, I don't see a crucial need for a fourth midfielder for this series - so Moala (or ALB) misses out, unless Ngatai's head is not right.</p>
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<p>Right now, Goodes and Elliott might be in better form than Hames and Harris, but longer term I think these guys are better options - especially Hames at loosehead, where Manu and possibly Edmonds might also be ahead of Goodes. So I'm not planning on playing Hames or Harris, but I'm bringing them in to look at.</p>
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<p>McKenzie misses out because we don't need four fullbacks and I think Dagg has been playing better. Ben Smith is the wing cover. </p> -
<p>A pretty good team Chris, and a bold (perhaps prescient) call to go with the extra prop over a 4th midfielder. That midfield guy is not really putting his hand up. I'd take McKenzie over Dagg, and both if they don't need a 4th midfielder. I'm taking 18 forwards though. </p>
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<p>My team has Dixon over Luatua, plus Taufua. I think Dixon is the 2nd best 6 in the country behind Test Match Kaino and has been the best 6 over the last two SR seasons. I don't really see the logic in Luatua's selection (I also don't think he's physical enough). He is a jack of all trades covering 6, 8 and lock (in that order?). I'd say they'd pick Tuipolutu and a 6 or a 7 on the bench (most likely Dixon).</p>
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<p>Luatua is obviously not in the top four locks, and surely not in the top 2 6's is he? Both Dixon and Taufua are better 6's than Luatua, and I'd say those two and Liam Squire are a better bet at 8 (though probably keeping the seat warm for Akira Ioane). Maybe Luatua is the 2nd best no 8, I'm not sure. The depth at 8 is certainly less convincing than the depth at 6, though 8 is probably the more demanding position. The reserve 8 position is also a bit redundant in this squad as the captain plays that position and will play 80 almost every time.</p>
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<p>Tuipolotu was outstanding in 2014 coming off the bench in tandem with a loose forward (Messam or Cane were used) and would have been on the bench last year if not injured. Therefore the Vito / Cane bench at RWC would have been Tuipolutu and probably Vito. Though PT's form is unconvincingish this year the ABs will be keen to recreate his debut season. </p>
