All Blacks v Wallabies at Eden Park.
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Not sure if selected we would even get the usual Smith either. Despite the relatively minor professional issue, he will be going through personal stuff that he will still be going through this week. The guy is temperamental at the best of times and can go off the boil (see the Boks test earlier in the year for what that looks like).
TJP starting with Smith off the bench to me is the ideal set up for me given the circumstances.
Let Smith get over the hump by playing, but keeping him on the bench is a decent compromise - despite all the inner turmoil he would still be better than TKB.
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@westcoastie said in All Blacks v Wallabies at Eden Park.:
- Give Aaron some 'space' to deal with off-field stuff
Yeah about 3m x 2m of space ought to do it. Make sure its got the necessary bars and signage. Here's one they prepared earlier:
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@Tregaskis said in All Blacks v Wallabies at Eden Park.:
@hydro11 There is possibly a recent precedent. Two years ago Cruden transgressed and missed the Arg / SA tour plus the Bledisloe III game in Brisneyland (Barrett started, and Slade came on and kicked the matchwinner). I don't recall Cruden being injured (there was talk he would play for Manawatu during his "suspension" but I don't think it happened) and I believe his next game was the second EOYT game vs England (Carter started the first game in Chicago).
I have no idea what Cruden did but he served about a month for his misdemeanour. Perhaps Aaron Smith will serve the same.
Cruden was late for a flight which is a bit more serious IMO.
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@hydro11 said in All Blacks v Wallabies at Eden Park.:
@Tregaskis said in All Blacks v Wallabies at Eden Park.:
@hydro11 There is possibly a recent precedent. Two years ago Cruden transgressed and missed the Arg / SA tour plus the Bledisloe III game in Brisneyland (Barrett started, and Slade came on and kicked the matchwinner). I don't recall Cruden being injured (there was talk he would play for Manawatu during his "suspension" but I don't think it happened) and I believe his next game was the second EOYT game vs England (Carter started the first game in Chicago).
I have no idea what Cruden did but he served about a month for his misdemeanour. Perhaps Aaron Smith will serve the same.
Cruden was late for a flight which is a bit more serious IMO.
Although it seems arriving early to an airport isn't necessarily a good thing either - too much time on Aaron's hands . . .
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@hydro11 said in All Blacks v Wallabies at Eden Park.:
@
I have no idea what Cruden did but he served about a month for his misdemeanour. Perhaps Aaron Smith will serve the same.
Cruden was late for a flight which is a bit more serious IMO.
Missed the flight because of missing curfew as I understood it ... missing curfew because, well, it took longer than Aaron's.
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We've by and large kept the same starting lineup. I can't see it changing too much for an EP test.
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In all reality our squad as a whole is pretty awesome. You could (although I doubt they would) roll out wholesale changes and apart from combinations. Its not like in the past with weak or inexperienced players coming in. Prob the biggest drop is hooker (just because Coles is so good). PT has been good coming on at lock. Squire/Todd/Savea good covering loose. Haven't seen much from TKB or Tamniivlu/Moala of late apart from Taminivalu losing the game for the Naki with a brain explosion.
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Be interesting to see if the Wallabies still think niggle is the way to unsettle the ABs .
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@taniwharugby said in All Blacks v Wallabies at Eden Park.:
@Siam nah it is 2 weeks away, 22nd.
Cool - thanks TR
1st 15 it is then (with the incumbent Aaron Smith I'd expect)
i.e. not too disimilar to the bok game XV
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@kiwiinmelb said in All Blacks v Wallabies at Eden Park.:
Be interesting to see if the Wallabies still think niggle is the way to unsettle the ABs .
Be more interesting to see if anything remotely physical the Wallabies do is interpreted as niggle.
I mean, we haven't openly slapped anyone in the face yet, after all.
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@NTA physical is good , I hope they come at us hard , we want a contest
But i thought they got it slightly wrong last time with too much push and shove stuff type stuff ,
Hope they put that aggression in a slightly different direction and hit bodies hard this time
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@Stargazer said in All Blacks v Wallabies at Eden Park.:
Ref: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Shit. He really doesn't like sharing, does he?
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Tuipolotou please. The rest will take care of itself.
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@Billy-Tell said in All Blacks v Wallabies at Eden Park.:
Tuipolotou please. The rest will take care of itself.
To start of off the bench?
You'd only start him to give Retallick a break and off the bench I'm unsure if he offers more than Squire.