NZ Form XV after round 6
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I don't think a blindside can be considered in good form if he's tackling at an abysmal 79%. He's in brilliant running form though
Shields is a better pick. He's been involved in more parts of the game and doesn't have a part of the game where he has gone missing. Even his hands have been good this year
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@MN5 said in NZ Form XV after round 6:
@cgrant said in NZ Form XV after round 6:
15 : Jordie Barrett
(Ben Smith is far from his usual self while Israel Dagg is injured)
14 : Matt Duffie
(He is playing better and better. Worth an AB call for the EOYT ?)
13 : Matt Proctor
(Rieko Ioane did very well during the first rounds but has faded a bit since)
12 : Ryan Crotty / George Moala
(Two very different players who have done very well, Moala with some barnstorming runs, Crotty with his clever distribution)
11 : Melani Nanai
(Julian Savea is just bubbling under. He has been impressive but Nanai has been brillant)
10 : Beauden Barrett
(Cruden ?)
9 : TKB / TJP
(I could not make a choice between the two. Both are currently outstanding)
8 : Luke Whitelock
(by default)
7 : Ardie Savea
(Gibson has done very well too)
6 : Jordan Taufua
(will he get a call by Hansen ?)
5 : Sam Whitelock
(Bird not far behind)
4 : Brodie Retallick
(Tuipolutu and Romano also in good form)
3 : Owen Franks
(JTA has improved his scrummaging a lot. I would like to see him get a call as the fifth prop for the squad)
2 : Liam Coltman
(Hard and strong. His throwing has to be improved nonetheless)
1 : Kane Hames
(very strong scrummager and good workrate)Luke Whitelock when Savea has been tearing it up lately?
Your Dad joke cred would have been better if you'd said 'Bird not far down the pecking order' instead.
thats a pretty cheep joke.
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I don't think Jordan Taufua can even be in the discussion, and I'm a Crusaders fan. When Read returns, I'd like to see Whetu Douglas switch to the Blindside and Taufua relegated to the bench. In my opinion Douglas has been the find of the season.
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No love for Kaino, who has been in great form?
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He's been playing mostly at no.8 hasn't he? But I agree he has been strong so far this year.
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There are more AB-competent players than spots available. Hansen is going to have his work cut out giving people bad news.
The EOYT will be very interesting: for the Lions it will tried and tested, but after that it will be operation RWC 2019, and looking to replace some of the ageing stalwarts such as Crockett and Kaino, not to mention those departing such as Cruden, TKB and Faumuina.
IMO, the single most pressing area of concern is to find a replacement for Kaino: it's not Dixon anyway, and I think Squire is more of an 8/bench utility.
Lots of midfield options all of a sudden too, although outside Crotty and SBW not too many caps.
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15 J. Barrett
14 Aso
13 Proctor
12 Crotty
11 Savea
10 B. Barrett
9 Perenara
8 Kaino
7 Todd
6 Shields
5 S. Whitelock
4 Retallick
3 Franks
2 Elliott
1 Moody16 Taylor 17 Crockett 18 Faumuina 19 Bird 20 Taufua 21 Kerr-Barlow 22 D. McKenzie 23 Buckman
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@Billy-Tell said in NZ Form XV after round 6:
There are more AB-competent players than spots available. Hansen is going to have his work cut out giving people bad news.
The EOYT will be very interesting: for the Lions it will tried and tested, but after that it will be operation RWC 2019, and looking to replace some of the ageing stalwarts such as Crockett and Kaino, not to mention those departing such as Cruden, TKB and Faumuina.
IMO, the single most pressing area of concern is to find a replacement for Kaino: it's not Dixon anyway, and I think Squire is more of an 8/bench utility.
Lots of midfield options all of a sudden too, although outside Crotty and SBW not too many caps.
I wonder if the replacement for Kaino is currently playing as a lock. We need a really strong, physical player and someone like Patrick Tuipulotu or Vaea Fifita could make the switch to blindside flanker?
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@Cantab79 not an outlandish idea, especially given Kaino is also a big lineout target for us
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@mariner4life Kaino isn't used much in the lineout for the ABs, certainly not as often as he could be for someone his height. Read and Whitelock are the main targets with BBBR as the third option.
I think our next long-term no.6 might be currently playing at 7 - Cane. A bit like Michael Jones' transition.
Squire is probably the player they see as the backup blindside flanker at the moment but he still has plenty of work to do.
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@Crucial said in NZ Form XV after round 6:
Cane, Read, Surveyor?
Could be worth a crack although I do also wonder if it weakens the lineout by lessening the possible targets for the opposition to watch.
Given that Ardie is 6'10" shouldn't he be more proficient in the lineout?
The joke that never gets old
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@Crucial Either Cane or Surveyor could be used as a jumper, particularly if using the locks as lifters (ala the Chiefs).
Remember McCaw was often used as a lineout target, as was Messam at the front, and both were secure enough. They are all of a similar height (minus the haircut of course).
