AB Blindside - past, present & future
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@Old-Samurai-Jack said in AB Blindside - past, present & future:
After watching Blackadder's performance last night, I was wondering what kind of mental gymnastics people would perform in order to criticise his play. I have not been disappointed.
His main criticism is that he is always injured for long periods. This prevents both him and another player reaching their true potential for the AB's when the coaches continually try to bring him back into the AB's.
Durability is an attribute of a player worth considering when you're wanting to build a cohesive team.
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@MN5 said in AB Blindside - past, present & future:
@Old-Samurai-Jack said in AB Blindside - past, present & future:
After watching Blackadder's performance last night, I was wondering what kind of mental gymnastics people would perform in order to criticise his play. I have not been disappointed.
Nothing too strenuous in terms of mental gymnastics, busy and ineffective seem to sum things up pretty accurately
You don't even watch bro, just repeat soundbites like you do memes.
He was effective last night (YC aside), and he was also very effective in his 40 minutes the week prior. -
@reprobate said in AB Blindside - past, present & future:
@MN5 said in AB Blindside - past, present & future:
@Old-Samurai-Jack said in AB Blindside - past, present & future:
After watching Blackadder's performance last night, I was wondering what kind of mental gymnastics people would perform in order to criticise his play. I have not been disappointed.
Nothing too strenuous in terms of mental gymnastics, busy and ineffective seem to sum things up pretty accurately
You don't even watch bro, just repeat soundbites like you do memes.
He was effective last night (YC aside), and he was also very effective in his 40 minutes the week prior.That’s 110 total minutes. That’s incredible for him.
I take it all back
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@MN5 said in AB Blindside - past, present & future:
@reprobate said in AB Blindside - past, present & future:
@MN5 said in AB Blindside - past, present & future:
@Old-Samurai-Jack said in AB Blindside - past, present & future:
After watching Blackadder's performance last night, I was wondering what kind of mental gymnastics people would perform in order to criticise his play. I have not been disappointed.
Nothing too strenuous in terms of mental gymnastics, busy and ineffective seem to sum things up pretty accurately
You don't even watch bro, just repeat soundbites like you do memes.
He was effective last night (YC aside), and he was also very effective in his 40 minutes the week prior.That’s 110 total minutes. That’s incredible for him.
I take it all back
Nobody is arguing that he isn't always injured - if anything that makes the performances more impressive. Though I suppose he's had a lot of practice at coming back from injury, should have it down pat by now.
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@gt12 said in AB Blindside - past, present & future:
I cant be bothered checking the team sheets for this, as @Bovidae probably remembers off the top of his head. Has Parker started at 7 this year? I wonder if some of his greater involvement per minute just reflects him spending more time playing in the middle at 7 (arguably a great thing that he has this versatility).
Not this year.
He had a few games at 7 last season but he's been exclusively used at 6 and 8 in 2023.
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@brodean said in AB Blindside - past, present & future:
Jason Ryan loves him some Blackadder and I can't see him looking past him.
If he loved him wouldn't he give him some months to recover?
Has Blackladder lasted 6 or even 4 weeks this season without injury? -
I thought Blackadder played really well last night, against more than decent opposition. But looking at his game - close to source, lots of involvements, tackling around the waist rather than up high - I'm always wondering whether his game isn't best suited to 7.
But then you have another issue, which is that he isn't particularly fast or dynamic around the ruck. Now Sam Cane was pretty similar, especially in his later years, but we also saw that he was actively targeted in this sense last season, with attackers running strike moves to isolate and pass him by. So it would probably be the same for Blackadder.
To me, there's growing clarity around the loose forward roles in Super Rugby and this, I think, should translate to AB selection. You have opensides who are very mobile, excel at the breakdown and who have an active but loose role on attack as a carry and link player (Savea, Kirifi, Lasaqa). Then you have number 8s who are high-volume carriers and are able to physically impose their carry game through the middle of the field (Sititi, Lakai, Sotutu and Lio-Willie).
That just leaves blindside, which is probably still the most varied position amongst the NZ SR sides. Players like Finau, Parker, Flanders, Shields, Iose, Choat, Segner, Howden, Withy, Grace, and Blackadder have all played there, which is a mix of mostly opensides and number 8s.
I think the AB selection this year should really try to cement their vision on what they want from a blindside, with openside and number 8 becoming relatively straightforward, in my view. It’s a chance to bed in the loose forward-selection for the next few seasons, at least, which should really help the team.
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But is Wallace actually the best 6? Arguably he was the best 6 for the ABs over the last season. So even if he is better at 8 perhaps they might still play him at 6. Unlikely though unless they don't want to move Savea.
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If they play Sititi at 6, that means Savea at 8, and who at 7? Jacobson, Blackadder, Kirifi? All make for a small back row.
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I’m yet to clear my mind of the thinking that Finau is a bit of a flat track bully. But he has the ingredients for sure.
NZ Rugby currently having trouble finding big bodies - we don’t produce big bodies as a nation naturally and a lot are going to basketball.
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@taniwharugby said in AB Blindside - past, present & future:
If they play Sititi at 6, that means Savea at 8, and who at 7? Jacobson, Blackadder, Kirifi? All make for a small back row.
I personally think playing Savea at 7 gives them more/better options then the next step is which are the best 6/8 and surely Sititi is there. Then the question is, is he best at 8 then choose a 6, or can he fill that 6 role and there is a better 8 alternative than 6 alternative?
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@nostrildamus if they play Ardie at 7, Sotutu could play 8, but if they want Sititi at 8, it means they are likely to play Blackadder at 6, back to the small back row....as much as I don't wish ill on a player, but if Blackadder isn't available, that brings probably both Finau and Parker as options, and getting chances too.
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@taniwharugby said in AB Blindside - past, present & future:
@nostrildamus if they play Ardie at 7, Sotutu could play 8, but if they want Sititi at 8, it means they are likely to play Blackadder at 6, back to the small back row....as much as I don't wish ill on a player, but if Blackadder isn't available, that brings probably both Finau and Parker as options, and getting chances too.
Yes I'll leave it to all those unbiased Crusader fans to tell me EB is having a stormer run of form but I kind of think - been there, tried that, waited in the hospital waiting room long enough....
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@zedsdeadbaby said in AB Blindside - past, present & future:
I’m yet to clear my mind of the thinking that Finau is a bit of a flat track bully. But he has the ingredients for sure.
And he’s a penalty magnet. That stood out big time tonight in the second 40.
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@gt12 said in AB Blindside - past, present & future:
Finau doesn’t have a place in this discussion after today’s game.
He’s got the size and tools but isn’t ready.
At his age, he shouldn’t be coming to it, so maybe next year.
The issue, I feel, was Parker coming off. It forced Finau into the middle and he's just not a great decision maker in that space at the moment. He struggles playing in close connection with his fellow forwards.
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@Mauss said in AB Blindside - past, present & future:
@gt12 said in AB Blindside - past, present & future:
Finau doesn’t have a place in this discussion after today’s game.
He’s got the size and tools but isn’t ready.
At his age, he shouldn’t be coming to it, so maybe next year.
The issue, I feel, was Parker coming off. It forced Finau into the middle and he's just not a great decision maker in that space at the moment. He struggles playing in close connection with his fellow forwards.
Yeah, very little mention of Wrampling having to play loose forward - which is kind of a big deal.
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@zedsdeadbaby said in AB Blindside - past, present & future:
NZ Rugby currently having trouble finding big bodies - we don’t produce big bodies as a nation naturally and a lot are going to basketball.
It's something that's really noticeable at age grade level as well, for example when playing Australia. They seemingly have this endless pipeline of tall, athletic players in both the backs and forwards, despite the presence of basketball and AFL.
It makes it extra tough when players like Akira Ieremia - a big body with good coordination - leave early to places like Japan.
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Clear from this weekend's games that NZ has far too many strong loose forwards for Razor and co to not build a world-class trio. Who knows whether it includes Blackadder or not, but there are no excuses.
6 - Flanders, Howden, Parker
7 - Savea, Blackadder, Jacobson
8 - Sititi, SotutuFrance are bringing over a B-team, the selectors need to try some new things while they still have the opportunity.
