All Blacks v France III
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@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks v France III:
@sparky said in All Blacks v France III:
@ACT-Crusader Finau's been disappointing in the first two Tests. If they select him, he'll need a good game to be retained in the squad for the RC.
I thought the first test he wasn’t too bad. Came on and did a number of things that had a positive impact.
Last weekend wasn’t great. He just needs one of those tests where he knuckles down and makes his tackles, create havoc at the tackle by playing quick off set piece and then provides at least 5-7 runs.
Well he had to play lock. He was fine. He contributed well to the breakdown, lineout, scrum and was accurate.
Kirifi was more of worry. Came on and gave away 3 penalties and turned the ball over within 20 minutes.
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@Bones said in All Blacks v France III:
@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks v France III:
Are there any fit locks around if Patty is ruled out?
That's why I was trying to figure out what the issue would be with Ah Kuoi playing.
Haven’t heard anything concrete yet. At the very least we will need one new lock on the bench with Vaa’i out.
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@brodean said in All Blacks v France III:
@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks v France III:
@sparky said in All Blacks v France III:
@ACT-Crusader Finau's been disappointing in the first two Tests. If they select him, he'll need a good game to be retained in the squad for the RC.
I thought the first test he wasn’t too bad. Came on and did a number of things that had a positive impact.
Last weekend wasn’t great. He just needs one of those tests where he knuckles down and makes his tackles, create havoc at the tackle by playing quick off set piece and then provides at least 5-7 runs.
Well he had to play lock. He was fine. He contributed well to the breakdown, lineout, scrum and was accurate.
Kirifi was more of worry. Came on and gave away 3 penalties and turned the ball over within 20 minutes.
It wasn’t the position that was the problem as the set piece wasn’t the issue. It was more about what he was and wasn’t doing around the park.
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@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks v France III:
@Bones said in All Blacks v France III:
@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks v France III:
Are there any fit locks around if Patty is ruled out?
That's why I was trying to figure out what the issue would be with Ah Kuoi playing.
Haven’t heard anything concrete yet. At the very least we will need one new lock on the bench with Vaa’i out.
Might have been another thread where he was mentioned as an idiotic replacement (or some such) for PT.
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@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks v France III:
@brodean said in All Blacks v France III:
@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks v France III:
@sparky said in All Blacks v France III:
@ACT-Crusader Finau's been disappointing in the first two Tests. If they select him, he'll need a good game to be retained in the squad for the RC.
I thought the first test he wasn’t too bad. Came on and did a number of things that had a positive impact.
Last weekend wasn’t great. He just needs one of those tests where he knuckles down and makes his tackles, create havoc at the tackle by playing quick off set piece and then provides at least 5-7 runs.
Well he had to play lock. He was fine. He contributed well to the breakdown, lineout, scrum and was accurate.
Kirifi was more of worry. Came on and gave away 3 penalties and turned the ball over within 20 minutes.
It wasn’t the position that was the problem as the set piece wasn’t the issue. It was more about what he was and wasn’t doing around the park.
Possibly because he's busy trying to come to terms with being a blindside flanker at this level and then was shoved into playing another.
It's this level of midwittery that has me worried about the coaches.
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@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks v France III:
@brodean said in All Blacks v France III:
@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks v France III:
@sparky said in All Blacks v France III:
@ACT-Crusader Finau's been disappointing in the first two Tests. If they select him, he'll need a good game to be retained in the squad for the RC.
I thought the first test he wasn’t too bad. Came on and did a number of things that had a positive impact.
Last weekend wasn’t great. He just needs one of those tests where he knuckles down and makes his tackles, create havoc at the tackle by playing quick off set piece and then provides at least 5-7 runs.
Well he had to play lock. He was fine. He contributed well to the breakdown, lineout, scrum and was accurate.
Kirifi was more of worry. Came on and gave away 3 penalties and turned the ball over within 20 minutes.
It wasn’t the position that was the problem as the set piece wasn’t the issue. It was more about what he was and wasn’t doing around the park.
Ok so you're saying the set piece wasn't an issue?
If a flanker is called to play lock and then the scrum is strong and stable, and we win all our lineout ball, then that's a win. We defended the maul well when he was on. His cleans were accurate and effective. He performed his core roles well as a lock.
Anything else is a bonus. He made some good tackles and a few carries. We didn't have a lot of possession for him to make 5 or 7 carries and that is not the primary role of a lock that comes on for 20 minutes.
He was involved in two breakdowns that won us penalties. He got his hand under the ball when Taofifenua busted over the line.
Not sure what else were you guys expecting? He makes a run down the side line like Issac Ross?
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@Nepia said in All Blacks v France III:
@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks v France III:
Too many Chiefs
Too many Reece's.
Totally. Why Reece over Narawa? Surely not just “work rate”.
Hate the quantity of changes, totally agree with @mariner4life post earlier. Sets these poor buggers up for failure. Especially if we see a few changes in the forward pack leading to our ball being slow/messy
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@Landers92 said in All Blacks v France III:
Here you go. Very early this week which is nice. Backline for week 3.
- Ratima
- Dmac
- Ioane
- Tupaea
- ALB
- Reece
- Love
Bench
21. Hotham
22. Tavatavanawai
23. B.BarrettHow about the following then?
- De Groot
- Taylor
- Newell (Lomax)
- Holland
- Tuipolutu
- Finau
- A. Savea (c)
- Jacobson
- Ratima
- DMac
- R. Ioane
- Tupaea
- ALB
- Reece
- Love
- Norris
- McAlister
- Tosi
- Ah Kuoi
- Kirifi
- Hotham
- Tavatavanawai
- B. Barrett
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@sparky said in All Blacks v France III:
@Landers92 said in All Blacks v France III:
Here you go. Very early this week which is nice. Backline for week 3.
- Ratima
- Dmac
- Ioane
- Tupaea
- ALB
- Reece
- Love
Bench
21. Hotham
22. Tavatavanawai
23. B.BarrettHow about the following then?
- De Groot
- Taylor
- Newell (Lomax)
- Holland
- Tuipolutu
- Finau
- A. Savea (c)
- Jacobson
- Ratima
- DMac
- R. Ioane
- Tupaea
- ALB
- Reece
- Love
- Norris
- McAlister
- Tosi
- Ah Kuoi
- Kirifi
- Hotham
- Tavatavanawai
- B. Barrett
Jesus, you'd struggle to find a greener bench even in the French team.
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@Bones said in All Blacks v France III:
@sparky said in All Blacks v France III:
@Landers92 said in All Blacks v France III:
Here you go. Very early this week which is nice. Backline for week 3.
- Ratima
- Dmac
- Ioane
- Tupaea
- ALB
- Reece
- Love
Bench
21. Hotham
22. Tavatavanawai
23. B.BarrettHow about the following then?
- De Groot
- Taylor
- Newell (Lomax)
- Holland
- Tuipolutu
- Finau
- A. Savea (c)
- Jacobson
- Ratima
- DMac
- R. Ioane
- Tupaea
- ALB
- Reece
- Love
- Norris
- McAlister
- Tosi
- Ah Kuoi
- Kirifi
- Hotham
- Tavatavanawai
- B. Barrett
Jesus, you'd struggle to find a greener bench even in the French team.
It’s not called a “Bench” anymore bro, that’s our “Impact”
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Norris is worth persevering with IMHO and with experience he might offer more than De Groot.
Robertson has said all the squad originally named will play at some point so unless you're going to start McAlister, he will be on the bench. He's a better player than Bell IMHO.
I've read this morning that Lomax is in training so hopefully he starts or is on the bench.
With so many locks injured Ah Kuoi is next cab out of the bench. He might even be a starter if Patty T is injured with IWL the next cab off the rank, unless anyone has any better suggestions of uninjured NZ locks?
Papalii offers more than Kirifi IMHO but I think Kirifi will be given another chance.
Hotham and Big Jim have earned their opportunities.
Beauden Barrett has 136 international caps which is 76 more than the starting French XV last Saturday.
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@sparky said in All Blacks v France III:
@Landers92 said in All Blacks v France III:
Here you go. Very early this week which is nice. Backline for week 3.
- Ratima
- Dmac
- Ioane
- Tupaea
- ALB
- Reece
- Love
Bench
21. Hotham
22. Tavatavanawai
23. B.BarrettHow about the following then?
- De Groot
- Taylor
- Newell (Lomax)
- Holland
- Tuipolutu
- Finau
- A. Savea (c)
- Jacobson
- Ratima
- DMac
- R. Ioane
- Tupaea
- ALB
- Reece
- Love
- Norris
- McAlister
- Tosi
- Ah Kuoi
- Kirifi
- Hotham
- Tavatavanawai
- B. Barrett
Give Taylor a rest and start Sami. If Lomax a 100, Fletch also gets a spell. Might reduce greenness to let Norris have a start and keep EDG or Bower to be old head amongst finishers. I'd like to see Paps get some minutes, although recognise that's unlikely.
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Taylor is our best player at the minute and with the disruption to the Locks I want Mr Reliable throwing into the lineout from our first one of the game.
Norris is still a bit behind De Groot but may have the higher ceiling.
Lomax if fit to go should either start or be on the bench.
Our experienced locks are broken so it's time to put faith in the depth chart there.
I'm a big fan of Dalton Papalii. He's a superb player but he seems to have done something to annoy the coaches.