How are the AB's tracking heading into the BIL series?
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@mariner4life When Read came back after his wrist surgery in March (?), he had played one half game of club rugby. He played for the Crusaders like he had played every single game and hadn't been out of action for months. I am pretty confident that he can do the same for the ABs. Some players just have that capacity to come back in at top level without (much) game time. In the backs, the same applies to Crotty. Other players seem to need a bit more time, like Dagg this year and probably Kaino (based on last year). I think SBarrett is expected to be available for the Saders' game v the Lions, so they could play him at 6.
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@Stargazer said in How are the AB's tracking heading into the BIL series?:
SBarrett is expected to be available for the Saders' game v the Lions, so they could play him at 6
too slow in my opinion
And i don't share your confidence in Read in terms of test rugby, considering i thought he was pretty average last year with loads of rugby under his belt
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@mariner4life No - he's got to go and play some club rugby and we see how the first test result shapes up.
Savea and Romano are on the bench in my team.
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If Ben Smith can't make it who is vice-captain? (Wondering whether that replacement (Whitelock?) might quickly be promoted to captain...)
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@Stargazer said in How are the AB's tracking heading into the BIL series?:
@mariner4life When Read came back after his wrist surgery in March (?), he had played one half game of club rugby. He played for the Crusaders like he had played every single game and hadn't been out of action for months. I am pretty confident that he can do the same for the ABs. Some players just have that capacity to come back in at top level without (much) game time. In the backs, the same applies to Crotty. Other players seem to need a bit more time, like Dagg this year and probably Kaino (based on last year). I think SBarrett is expected to be available for the Saders' game v the Lions, so they could play him at 6.
That game was against the sunwolves, and he came off at half time I think.
Slightly different circumstances to captaining the ABs against the Lions.
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@SammyC said in How are the AB's tracking heading into the BIL series?:
@Stargazer said in How are the AB's tracking heading into the BIL series?:
@mariner4life When Read came back after his wrist surgery in March (?), he had played one half game of club rugby. He played for the Crusaders like he had played every single game and hadn't been out of action for months. I am pretty confident that he can do the same for the ABs. Some players just have that capacity to come back in at top level without (much) game time. In the backs, the same applies to Crotty. Other players seem to need a bit more time, like Dagg this year and probably Kaino (based on last year). I think SBarrett is expected to be available for the Saders' game v the Lions, so they could play him at 6.
That game was against the sunwolves, and he came off at half time I think.
Slightly different circumstances to captaining the ABs against the Lions.
Read was also outstanding against the Stormers and the Cheetahs (he broke his thumb in that last game).
I didn't suggest the games were similar; I just have confidence that Read can come back in good form straight away. The rest may have done him good. Last year, his form slumped a bit at the end of the season, probably because his work load had been too much and he needed a break (esp because he played with that wrist injury and it was his first year as captain of both the Saders and the ABs).
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Hansen has pretty much said that if Read is fit he'll be playing - and he expects him to be fit. I don't have too many arguments with that, because we're not overburdened with test-class options at No. 8.
Can't see Scott Barrett starting at 6. He hasn't played there enough and I think we have better options in Luatua and Dixon - plus Kaino and Squire when fit. They might stick him on the bench and use him at 6 though.
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@Stargazer said in How are the AB's tracking heading into the BIL series?:
@SammyC said in How are the AB's tracking heading into the BIL series?:
@Stargazer said in How are the AB's tracking heading into the BIL series?:
@mariner4life When Read came back after his wrist surgery in March (?), he had played one half game of club rugby. He played for the Crusaders like he had played every single game and hadn't been out of action for months. I am pretty confident that he can do the same for the ABs. Some players just have that capacity to come back in at top level without (much) game time. In the backs, the same applies to Crotty. Other players seem to need a bit more time, like Dagg this year and probably Kaino (based on last year). I think SBarrett is expected to be available for the Saders' game v the Lions, so they could play him at 6.
That game was against the sunwolves, and he came off at half time I think.
Slightly different circumstances to captaining the ABs against the Lions.
Read was also outstanding against the Stormers and the Cheetahs (he broke his thumb in that last game).
He also came off at half time v the stormers (a game which we also won easily)
I'm not sure he was "outstanding" in the cheetahs game either. From memory he came off pretty early after missing a tackle that led directly to a Cheetahs try.
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@Stargazer said in How are the AB's tracking heading into the BIL series?:
@SammyC He came off early in the Cheetahs game (in the 37th minute) because he broke his thumb. Had nothing to do with his form or missing a tackle.
Thanks Captain Obvious !
.... Yes I do realise he's been out of the team with a broken thumb and yes I know it happened in the Cheetahs game
He missed a tackle that lead to a Cheetahs try, watch the replay if you don't believe me
I'm just debating your assertion that he was "outstanding" in his few games this year.... he wasn't.
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@SammyC said in How are the AB's tracking heading into the BIL series?:
@Stargazer said in How are the AB's tracking heading into the BIL series?:
@SammyC He came off early in the Cheetahs game (in the 37th minute) because he broke his thumb. Had nothing to do with his form or missing a tackle.
Thanks Captain Obvious
.... Yes I do realise he's been out of the team with a broken thumb and yes I know it happened in the Cheetahs game
He missed a tackle that lead to a Cheetahs try, watch the replay if you don't believe me
I'm just debating your assertion that he was "outstanding" in his few games this year.... he wasn't.
No need, to resort to unoriginal name-calling. We can just agree to disagree without becoming nasty.
Oh, and that try was disallowed.
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If you miss a tackle that leads to a try, but that try was disallowed, then did you really miss that tackle?
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@Stargazer said in How are the AB's tracking heading into the BIL series?:
Oh, and that try was disallowed.
Because he missed the tackle? Is it a variation of the "not allowed to tackle Dan Carter" rule?
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@mariner4life Yes, but missing a tackle in itself doesn't mean anything. It all depends on where it happened, what happened before and after it, where on the field it happened, etc etc But that's kind of obvious, too, isn't it?
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@mariner4life no...cos you knew the try was going to be disallowed.
Read will start and read will be excellent, no further correspondence will be entered into..f#ck off.
Hope you cnuts are all inside for fear of the sky falling on your pussy heads!
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@taniwharugby precisely what the fuck else have we got to talk about? Jesus, this is the worst year for decent rugby shitfights ever. Creating crises brought on by All Blacks wanting to withhold sex from their wives (or, in the case of broken thumbs, get more) is fucking all we've got.
The Lions were supposed to come to the party by reaming the part-timers on the weekend, and they didn't deliver.
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@mariner4life that's the point, after the disappointment of Saturday, we could just call in half that team to wear black and she'll be right!
No need to worry, plus, gotta keep our arrogance levels up!
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It has been pretty bland around here the last couple of years. When I first came here it was epic, shit fights breaking out everywhere. Where has the passion gone? Is this a result of our recent dominance? Nobody seems to really care anymore. Even if we get a controversial selection everyone is just like "yeah well Hansen and co know better then me, I trust them". It's weak - since when have the AB coaches and selectors known better then the Fern collective? Where is the outrage?
