Pumas v All Blacks
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well it's about time we got an interesting team.
No Whitelock and no Kaino will put pressure on our lineout. Great to see Tuipolutu wrecking shit up from the start. Ofa against the Puma scrum later in the game will be, well, interesting.
Interesting to see our midfield without a "power" player
DMac getting a run!
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There's a lot to like about this line-up, especially:
Tuipulotu, TJ & ALB getting a start
DMac getting his first minutes in the black jersey
Dixon getting his second cap (although I had preferred him to get a start instead of Squire)
The Crotty-ALB combo -
It's clear the AB selectors didn't rate Dixon's solitary appearance to date...6 jersey handed straight to Squire. He has the most to prove off the bench than anyone...otherwise he could see the likes of Ioane off to Europe in his place.
At last Tuipulotu gets a run!, and hopefully DMac does some tearing to shreds off the bench.
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In terms of Elliot Dixon, I think it's more a matter of balance. With Kaino out, Squire provides a stronger defensive presence and a slightly bigger body at the collisions. Also, one of Dixon's strengths is his lineout ability. He was the most prolific lineout winner and stealer in the NZ conference. This skill isn't really needed in the ABs right now, with Read and our locks doing the business.
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Dmac will be interesting - he was saying the other day how he's fit as fcuk but has zero match fitness because he hasn't played much.. was feeling the contact big time.
will be interesting to see how he copes with the speed of a test match... hoepfully they'll be too rooted to get near him when he comes on!
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@mariner4life said in Pumas v All Blacks:
well it's about time we got an interesting team.
No Whitelock and no Kaino will put pressure on our lineout. Great to see Tuipolutu wrecking shit up from the start. Ofa against the Puma scrum later in the game will be, well, interesting.
Interesting to see our midfield without a "power" player
DMac getting a run!
What he said
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The Risus sardonicus society congratulates Damian McKenzie on his elevation to the All Blacks.
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@Billy-Tell what?
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No Aaron Smith in the 23 is the biggest concern. TJP has been good off the bench but if he shits the bed starting we have an out of form TKB to bring on.
Exciting team though, can't wait to see how the new/inexperienced guys go!
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Interesting..... Good to see Pat T there. Not too disappointed to see Squire ahead of Dixon. Seems he has jumped past him at least as 6 back up. If Read was out we may well see Dixon in ahead of Squire to maintain the balance.
Also appears ALB has leapfrogged Moala.
But isn't ALB usually a 12? Interesting that they don't appear to want to play Crotty at 13 even though he seems the most 'conraddy' of the current lot.Big test for Dmac if he gets on. There has been plenty of hype. Hopefully he can have a positive impact when ge comes on and doesn't try and over play things. Im sure the last few months in the AB camp will have put him in a good spot.
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@pukunui said in Pumas v All Blacks:
Interesting..... Good to see Pat T there. Not too disappointed to see Squire ahead of Dixon. Seems he has jumped past him at least as 6 back up. If Read was out we may well see Dixon in ahead of Squire to maintain the balance.
Also appears ALB has leapfrogged Moala.
But isn't ALB usually a 12? Interesting that they don't appear to want to play Crotty at 13 even though he seems the most 'conraddy' of the current lot.Big test for Dmac if he gets on. There has been plenty of hype. Hopefully he can have a positive impact when ge comes on and doesn't try and over play things. Im sure the last few months in the AB camp will have put him in a good spot.
ALB can play both 12 and 13. Shared the 13 with Tamanivalu when Ngatai was fit, then moved to 12 when Ngatai got injured.
Bit concerned with the number of changes but it'll be a good show of the depth. Glad Squire got the start ahead of Dixon.
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Though A. Smith is not in the team, I expect the TJP - BB combo to function smoothly as it did all season long for the Hurricanes.
Concerning the lineout, I am inclined to think that Dixon would have bring a plus as Pat T is not the jumper Whitelock is. Is Squire a possible (and reliable) target ? -
Dixon was 5th most lineout catches in Super rugby with 63, highest of any Kiwi team, Read next on 54 in 10th....Squire had 8 lineout catches (Dixon 1112 minutes, Squire 706)
Would appear Squire isnt used as a main target.
I expect Hansen and co have probably been working with Squire in the air.
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Ardie to play 80 mins i guess?
Franks might have to put in some overtime too. Far be it for me to doubt the AB coaches but that Auckland prop has been underwhelming at all levels from what I've seen.
I do like that we've rested some big guns yet still maintain a strong spine
Sunday morning of a great sporting weekend - cricket rugby league and aerial ping pong . Sweet
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@Duluth said in Pumas v All Blacks:
Liam Napier on the game from 2006:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/84771350/leon-macdonald-recalls-the-day-the-all-blacks-almost-lost-in-buenos-aires'''
The late Jerry Collins captained a team that featured Scott Hamilton on the left wing in one of his two tests; lock Jason Eaton, Mose Tuiali'i at No 8 and a midfield of Sam Tuitupou and Isaia Toeava.Collins surprised everyone post-match when he waved away the interpreter and delivered his speech in Spanish. But his most poignant comment was the All Blacks had done "just enough".
'''What a legend.
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My doubts concerning Pat T came from the fact that he's not used a lot as a target. But I have faith in Hansen who has really upgraded the AB lineout during the last few years.
By the way, sorry for the grammatical error in my previous message ("would have bring" instead of "would have brought") due to a break in the writing.
Risus sardonicus - Wikipedia
