How are the AB's tracking heading into the BIL series?
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@mariner4life said in How are the AB's tracking heading into the BIL series?:
@Frye and that reason is Tana is a shit selector
And in case you hadn't noticed, this is now a cheerleader thread
Tuipulotu's attempts at maul defence have been atrocious at times.
Theres a reason Blues fans (the people actually watching the games) are largely silent about his bench selection for this game.
Also a broken record thread apparently.
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@Frye I'm hoping the maul stuff is more a Blues problem then a Pat T problem - the whole pack has been atrocious in that regard. I imagine that is less of an issue in the AB environment.
In saying that I think Romano should be our bench lock for the first test given his form this year.
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@No-Quarter he's the biggest guy in the middle of the pack, so it's not surprising that something they're not doing collectively well, is in part due to one of their most important players in that area, not pulling his weight.
I've seen him hang off the side too often for my liking, rather than jamming his head in the deepest darkest recesses of the drive.
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Hurricanes assistant coach John Plumtree has cast major doubt over Dane Coles' availability for the British and Irish Lions series.
Plumtree said the All Blacks' first choice hooker, who has been out with concussion since March 18, would not feature for the Hurricanes in Friday's Super Rugby clash against the Chiefs in Wellington.
He said it was looking highly unlikely Coles would be ready to face the Lions with the first test on June 24 in Auckland.
"He hasn't been able to train hard enough at this stage. It's hard to say whether he'll be available for any of the tests or the first test."
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@Tim subtle
looks weak, Lions by 25
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@mariner4life subtle? Too subtle for me ... i missed whatever it was ...
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@mariner4life oh ... number 11 ...
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@Tim said in How are the AB's tracking heading into the BIL series?:
So it's looking increasingly like Coles and Crotty are out of the first test.
- Moody
- Taylor
- Franks
- Whitelock
- Retallick
- Kaino
- Cane
- Read
- TJP
- Barrett
- Ioane
- SBW
- ALB
- Dagg
- Smith
9 Smith
11 Savea
- Harris
- Crockett
- Faumuina
- Luatua
- Todd ... no Savea ... no Todd ... aaah no Savea
- Perenara
- Cruden
- Ioane ... no Barrett ... naaah Ioane
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@KiwiMurph In the absence of a big switch in form it's got to be TJP still.
Re: Coles - As gutting as it must be for him, I'm quite happy with the form Harris has shown since getting fit again. His set piece and physicality is excellent and he gets around the field.
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@KiwiMurph my very uninformed opinion on that is that their respective "form" means less than how they would impact the game as a 60 minute halfback or a 20 minute halfback. To me they are different positions, and therefore, if it is decided that TJP is the better starter right now, is Smith or TKB the better 20 minute halfback?
Personally i like the Smith/TJP double punch, but that's just opinion
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Hopefully the one single lesson the selectors learnt from Chicago is not to pick players out of position. They can get cute against any Tier 2 team in the world, and half of the rest - but sure as the sun rises they cannot get cute by playing anyone in a position they haven't regularly performed at a high standard too in at least Super Rugby level. So NO to S.Barrett at 6. NO to Cane on the blindside.
Smith/TJP and Cruden will be half 2/3 our bench backline, the other spot will go to a midfield I would suggest for this first test, one of SBW, ALB or Fekitoa, we are too exposed in the centres if we cop an injury in the first 10min. Whereas Beaudy can go to wing/FB, and Crudes can come on if we cop an injury in the back 3.
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Hansen is loyal and doesn't place too much stock in their Super rugby form if he knows what they can do for the ABs.
I fully expect A Smith and J Savea to be in starting XV for the 1st test. Same for Dagg, who has little or no form either (due to injury).
Looking ahead to the ABs, are we to read anything into Luatua being named at no.8 for the Blues against the B&I Lions instead of Ioane? Squire's injury might be taking longer to heal as well.
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@Bovidae
A Smith why?He's not the incumbent, he's certainly not playing better than Perenara (TKB even?) currently and was definitely out of form last year
Loyalty would suggest that the incumbent would hold sway
Dagg and Savea make it on those loyalty/injuries don't retard a selection but toilet boy has been nothing but average for about 12 months now -
Haven't seen much of TJP this year, but it remains the case the Nugget has ability to get ball out fast on gain line which is unparalleled. Ball movement is a real achilles heel for Lions. Reality is both will be in squad and test team will depend a fair bit on how things go at training.
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Smith has shown glimpses of the form we know and love, but unfortunately that is all they have been, glimpses, TJP is in some form at the moment and surely his combo with BB is a positive.
Although, if the selectors feel they can get the Smith back to his best, then they will go there as that extra time he gives BB will be invaluable...
So to summarise, I have no clue.
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@Siam Because I don't see them discarding Smith, who has been central to the way the ABs play. They'll back themselves to get him in the right frame of mind in the ABs.
If you were ranking the 3 AB halfbacks on current form, then yes, Smith would be 3rd.
Jules was very average last year too due to off-field issues but they picked him.
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I imagine they'll both play but who gets the 9 jersey possibly depends on whether they need some physical presence after an hour or a speedy presence.
No hassles really
I've seen a bit of them this year and the impact TJP as on the game (lots of facets - reading, defense, team management, leadership, sniping) is far superior to what toilet boy is doing.
I think they're both dickish fellas (too emotional for my liking) but TJP is offering more to his team at the minute - can't see TJ not diving on that ball that led to a saders try. The extra physicality might be handy against the Lions forward pack too
Also looks to me like TJP and TKB have sped up their delivery this year.
