The Silver Fern

The unfortunate reality is that we are struggling with world class players and depth. If you picked a combined Bok/AB side, with the bomb squad front row….we would be lucky to have 5 ABs on the park, and only 1 forward (Savea)…and that includes A.Smith. We got by lat weekend as the Boks had a crappy game plan but we were outplayed this week across the park as they have stronger, faster, better players in more positions than we do. It’s going to be a problem again when we get to France. I don’t thing the return of the old guard is going to solve our problems 2 years out from now. Cane, Whitelock and plastering over a bigger problem. We need to find and develop the younger talent, it’s there…Leicester F, the Highlaners 9…….too many of our players are aged or are never going to be anything more than solid test players. That won’t win a WC.

I think we have the players to solve for the back line and get some power play next year. Clark on a wing, like to see that Canterbury winger at centre (can’t recall his name but not selected and should have been) and RTS at 12. A back line of AS, BB, RTS, LF, CC, WJ, JB looks very dangerous to me. Lots of ifs there but we have time under the right coaching.

The forwards, that is a bigger problem.

@tim acknowledged, was a bit hasty there….but that emphasises the point, we have the talent for a great back line