AB's v Samoa
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@rotated said in AB's v Samoa:
Much like how Conrad essentially got it by default in 2008 after a bit of an exodus - although Smith had been around for a while he was similarly unfancied.
One thing you have to say about Hansen's selectors is their "hunch" selections seem to pay off far better than Henry's did when someone was plucked from obscurity.
Wayne Smith was talking up ALB big time when he made the Chiefs side. Having seen him there he will have known that we was progressing nicely. I don't think there was much hunch involved.
ALB was merely lucky to have an early gap, because centres usually have to play a few years for it to become apparent to everyone that they are the actual glue, whereas the pretty boys like Julian catch the ball, fall over the line, and get the awesome stats.
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@kiwiinmelb said in AB's v Samoa:
I suspect fekitoa will go now
He's kind of gone back to what he showed at the Blues - not developing his game, limited skillset, etc. Very much a 'what might have been' player.
Still, he did well in a few test wins, and filled a real gap for us. Good luck to him in his future career
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@Bones said in AB's v Samoa:
Thinking about this and I may have mentioned it last year or something.
I don't see why the selectors may not also see ALB as wing cover. I know he was used there a fair bit earlier in his career at NPC/Super and age group too maybe? Or am I thinking Thompson again?
IIRC ALB made his debut for the Chiefs as a 19 year old on the wing vs the Bulls in Pretoria. I'm sure he could play on the wing as he has a similar skillset to Kahui. I don't remember him ever playing on the wing for Waikato.
If all 3 midfielders are fit then SBW would be the best impact player. Khoder might disagree though.
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@nzzp said in AB's v Samoa:
@kiwiinmelb said in AB's v Samoa:
I suspect fekitoa will go now
He's kind of gone back to what he showed at the Blues - not developing his game, limited skillset, etc. Very much a 'what might have been' player.
Still, he did well in a few test wins, and filled a real gap for us. Good luck to him in his future career
always looked like a winger playing midfield to me , not sure why wing wasnt a position he was given a go at some stage
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@pukunui said in AB's v Samoa:
Pretty entertaining game in the end. Good to get that first test out of the way.
How good is ALB?
How good is BBBR?
How good is BB?Thought both Ardie and Jules were good tonight. Some very nice touches by Jules and moves to equal second top AB try scorer with 46. Ardie with a nice tackle to save that "certain" try for Samoa early in the game.
Scott and Jordie Barrett also had some nice touches. Happy for Scott to be the bench lock in the big tests.
Aaron Smith had a couple of hiccups eg. a few poor kicks and that pass into touch but man his bullet pass is great to watch. Happy for him to start and TJP to come on with 20-30 mins to go and tear it up.
SBW not as good as he was for the Blues against the Lions. I'd probably have ALB and Crotty starting for the first test.
Still don't like this ref. The penalty against BB for holding on at 27min where he was poking out on side of the ruck with the ball under his chin and the Samoan player was tugging at something down near BBs legs and won the penalty was laughable. Fake news.
Oh and Fuck off Marshall.
Liked for your last sentence.
The man spouts some dribble (and yes I meant dribble not drivel) at times.
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Not much to add really.
Decent performance and got better as the game went on.
A little lucky early with the neck roll and the Ardie knock on, and the Samoan's inability to finish chances created through our midfield, but pretty much one way traffic from 20 mins.
ALB ... he was the guy I was picking to be the third mid-fielder. Always had SBW for the physicality and Crotty.
But now? Jeez. Can't pick all of them. And as alluded to above (maybe by @Crucial ?) how strong is the depth in midfield? When Fekitoa misses out and Moala isn't even in the conversation, Ngatai still on the comeback, Jordie Barrett's preferred position is 12, Ioane's is 13, Goodhue is on the rise, Proctor getting fan love, oh yeah and Laumape.
Couple of decent lads in the U20s too.
Anyways ...
Mrs boo was napping on the couch. Woke up to see Ardie score off TJP's chip kick commenting "now that's just showing off".
Didn't think that last pass was forward from SBW. His hand was even with the ball when it was caught by TJP. Hence momentum and all that tge pass was flat. Should have taken the easier option to pass to him before the tacler though.
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Just watched the first half.
Smith's box kicking has been excellent. Both him and Barrett looking a bit bigger this year.
Moody has been a bit more active than usual.
Ardie has been a lot more active on defence, good to see.
Kaino and BFA warming up nicely.
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@rotated said in AB's v Samoa:
@Crucial said in AB's v Samoa:
Amazing how when Conrad Smith retired we thought there would be a big hole to fill that may take years. Various names were thrown about but only through circumstance of injury did this ALB kid get plucked out as almost a last resort and thrown in the deep end.
Conrad who?Much like how Conrad essentially got it by default in 2008 after a bit of an exodus - although Smith had been around for a while he was similarly unfancied.
One thing you have to say about Hansen's selectors is their "hunch" selections seem to pay off far better than Henry's did when someone was plucked from obscurity.
Say what? Smith was always seen as the heir apparent and it was injury in 2007 which stopped him taking over the position full time for the world cup. That's how we wound up with Mils at centre.
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@Bovidae said in AB's v Samoa:
@Bones said in AB's v Samoa:
Thinking about this and I may have mentioned it last year or something.
I don't see why the selectors may not also see ALB as wing cover. I know he was used there a fair bit earlier in his career at NPC/Super and age group too maybe? Or am I thinking Thompson again?
IIRC ALB made his debut for the Chiefs as a 19 year old on the wing vs the Bulls in Pretoria. I'm sure he could play on the wing as he has a similar skillset to Kahui. I don't remember him ever playing on the wing for Waikato.
If all 3 midfielders are fit then SBW would be the best impact player. Khoder might disagree though.
I've gone away from this thinking, because under pressure with 20 to go, I feel like SBW often makes bad decisions. Having said that, he did a great job in that role at the WC.
For this game, I'd probably put Crotty at 23 because we have plenty of FB cover there, but not enough midfield cover. I rate Crotty's ability to be the dependable link during the last 20 (see Ireland 82 minute win) if we need to cinch the game, even chase it, rather than others. Within the next year though, the 23 short will be Ioane's - assuming he doesn't lock down the 11 shirt.
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For all the talk of Ioane, I just can't see them not selecting Savea. Hansen and co will give Savea who has been a pretty important player for them over many years, this once in a career opportunity.
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@ACT-Crusader said in AB's v Samoa:
For all the talk of Ioane, I just can't see them not selecting Savea. Hansen and co will give Savea who has been a pretty important player for them over many years, this once in a career opportunity.
I too think they will pick Savea, because the others haven't shown the absolutely demanding form that makes them first pick.
However not for "once in a career ..." because that sets an appalling precedent.
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@ACT-Crusader hopefully that second spell is the boost Jules needed, cos he really got stuck into everything, , maybe he has been told his position is under threat?
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I don't think Savea was nearly as bad in the first 40 as people are making out. The ABs didn't create a lot on attack, he spent a lot of time chasing A Smith box kicks, and played a key hand in Ardie's first try. Then he came into his own in the 2nd 40 when the game opened up, as did Dagg. I think Hansen and co will be more then happy with his effort overall.
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@No-Quarter said in AB's v Samoa:
I don't think Savea was nearly as bad in the first 40 as people are making out. The ABs didn't create a lot on attack, he spent a lot of time chasing A Smith box kicks, and played a key hand in Ardie's first try. Then he came into his own in the 2nd 40 when the game opened up, as did Dagg. I think Hansen and co will be more then happy with his effort overall.
It's never that he has been bad. It's that he creates nothing these days. Put into space he can finish, but really he was no better than James Lowe or George Moala would have been, and I don't rate those two as starting ABs.
I expect attacking AB wingers to be able to make something out of nothing, in the way Tim Nanai-Williams showed he could do and Naholo did against the Lions.
And Julian's been shown up defensively a lot in recent years. He tackles well, but he is too often out of position.
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Savea, at least recently, doesn't seem to play that well in poor team performances. I suppose that is somewhat understandable for a winger. I do, however, remember being very frustrated that when we were getting shut out versus the Crusaders, he never went looking for the ball. Savea is probably the best finisher in the world but Naholo is a good finisher too and I think he offers more in other aspects of his game.
Savea in 2013-14 was making a lot of progress and was MotM a lot. He seems to have regressed a bit in his core skills since that point.
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@Chester-Draws said in AB's v Samoa:
It's never that he has been bad. It's that he creates nothing these days. Put into space he can finish, but really he was no better than James Lowe or George Moala would have been, and I don't rate those two as starting ABs.
He's on the wing, not playing five-eighth ffs. His work rate last night was perfectly good and he had a brilliant touch coming in off the wing to fix the defenders and put wrapping players into space on the outside. He was also instrumental coming off his wing to create an overlap.
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If Savea is cack, why does Hansen keep selecting him?
He was fine last night, other than missing a couple of the high balls.
If he gets dropped it'll be because someone else consistently plays out of their skin.
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I think the fact he was involved in alot of plays in that 2nd spell, carting it up, cleaning rucks, playing 9, just getting his hands on the ball showed he does have the range, but often he appears to just stand (bit simplistic I know) on the wing waiting for the ball to come out...I thought he was excellent in that 2nd 40, probably the best 40 mins form him in over 2 years.
