Exodus 2017
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I don't think we need to worry about our no. 10 stocks. Behind BB (26), Cruden (28) and Sops (26), we have potential in:
Dmac (22) and Mo'unga (23)
Next, you have Black (22) and Hunt (22).
U20s: Perofeta (20) and Falcon (20)
At NZ Schools level: McClutchie (17, Hastings BHS) & probably more talentEdited to add their age.
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@Stargazer said in Exodus 2017:
At NZ Schools level: McClutchie (17, Hastings BHS) & probably more talent
Yep McClutchie was very impressive when he played for NZ Barbarians Schools last year. Another one is Harry Plummer (turned 19 last week, out of St Peters College Auckland) who was the NZ Schools 10 last year. He's the top points scorer in his first season of Auckland club rugby this year in a middle of the road Grammar TEC side.
Also - more on the topic of the thread - Auckland outside back Lolagi Visinia has headed offshore to take up a contract with FC Grenoble in France
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@Stargazer said in Exodus 2017:
I don't think we need to worry about our no. 10 stocks. Behind BB, Cruden and Sops, we have potential in:
Dmac (22) and Mo'unga (23)
Next, you have Black (22) and Hunt (22).
U20s: Perofeta (20) and Falcon (20)
At NZ Schools level: McClutchie (17, Hastings BHS) & probably more talentEdited to add their age.
worry? No. By having a player the quality of Sopoaga not even make our test 23 we are in a better spot than basically everyone.
But counting the rest of that list as some kind of measure of depth? A guy who hasn't looked good at 10, and miserably failed his last audition. A guy who has had a breakout season in Super rugby behind a great pack, but battled when the pack got under pressure. Then guys from the 20s, and we've over-rated guys based on that tournament more than once. None of those guys would make the Wallabies 23 as 10s FFS.
Next year, we are an injury from one of them being in the 23.
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I still recall the horror that took hold of NZ in 2011 when DC, our only quality 10 did his groin in...we wuz fuked!
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@taniwharugby said in Exodus 2017:
I still recall the horror that took hold of NZ in 2011 when DC, our only quality 10 did his groin in...we wuz fuked!
you know, when you think about it, the fact we won a World Cup despite going through four 10s in four games, and playing the final with not only two guys who weren't in the squad at the start, but one guy who wasn't in the squad at Qtr final time, is astounding. Everyone else really picked up the slack there
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The replenishment of the props will be interesting, mainly because the next tier have little or no international experience - yet.
At TH, Charlie is leaving and Franks won't be going on forever. Ofa T is obviously considered the next in line and he will get more opportunity at TH for the Blues from next season to prove he's up to it. After that there is Laulala and JTA.
At LH, Crockett is 34 so will need to be replaced before 2019. The next tier is Hames, Manu and Goodes.
There should be a place available on the EOYT for one of the above.
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@mariner4life well Piri even played at 10 for a decent part of a game too didn't he, meaning we played 5 different people at 10.
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@Tim said in Exodus 2017:
@Bovidae How do you rate Atu Moli's prospects?
I was going to suggest Moli might be a candidate as an apprentice on the EOYT tour. Moli has only just turned 22 so is still very young for a prop. He is playing mostly off the bench at TH for the Chiefs, is a big unit and mobile. He could be someone they look at to fill the role that Charlie does.
Laulala is not really a ball-carrier, more Franks-like. Let's see how JTA goes tonight.
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@taniwharugby said in Exodus 2017:
@mariner4life well Piri even played at 10 for a decent part of a game too didn't he, meaning we played 5 different people at 10.
It's also likely that if Cowan wasn't in such cabbage form that they might have just gone with Piri at 10.
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@Chris-B. said in Exodus 2017:
@Rapido I think that's why Hansen was annoyed at losing Luatua. More than any of them, he probably had the physical attributes to replace Kaino (who is talking of hanging around for another RWC, but I'm pretty doubtful - he's well past 34 - won't be surprised if we get an announcement from him in the next few months. Even Read is not far from 32. Vito is gone and Messam looks to be on recent evidence.
At the moment, Squire is at the head of the queue, but he's very injury prone - has been even at NPC level. Then apparently Ioane and Fifita, Dixon has dropped back in the running from last year. A wildcard is Luke Whitelock, who is playing much better rugby than when he made the ABs several years ago. Most of his web stats list him as 104kg, but I find that hard to believe. He could probably do with adding a couple more kgs to his frame for international rugby, but he wouldn't be the worst. I'd have him ahead of Shields and Jordan Taufua, who needs some platform shoes to make him a lineout option.
That Luke Jacobson looks a good prospect with the U20s. The little I saw of him was impressive.
I think Akira is the obvious replacement for Kaino. He's really finding his feet at this level now, and was huge for the Maori playing in a pack that was well beaten.
Cane is only 25 so will be around for 5+ years easy.
Read is the biggest problem, he's very difficult to replace as he's such an integral part of the team. Ardie has been great and is a genuine option at 8, but we lose a lot in the lineout.
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@mariner4life said in Exodus 2017:
Luatua, Faumauina and TKB hurt. Fekitoa will hurt too. These are international standard players ready to step in if we lose anyone, and still not overly weaken us (Charlie is more than that, he's a huge part of our gameday squad). They aren't guys at the end of their careers building a well deserved nest egg, they are players in their prime.
Surely this has got to bite at some point? We can't keep turning guys up to fill these holes, it's just not possible.
Though we've lost a lot of players overseas one thing that has been very constant since Henry took over is the coaching personal. Which is why I am (gulp) comfortable with the idea of Foster taking the reigns from Hansen when the time comes - IMO we need that continuity to help offset/manage the inevitable player loss.
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NQ - I reckon Ardie's lacking a bit of height and weight to be a genuine option as an international No. 8. No matter how much energy he brings it's hard to see him as a bullocking, hard driving 8 that I like to see. Even as an openside flanker I reckon Hansen would like to see him a bit bigger a la Cane and McCaw.
@Stargazer - I'd have Mitchell Drummond on your halfback's list somewhere around Weber and Pulu. He's much improved from last year, not brilliant but playing very solidly in pretty much all aspects. It would be interesting to see how he went behind a weaker pack.
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@No-Quarter see how long our love of this succession planning and continuity lasts if we start losing a bit.
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@Chris-B. said in Exodus 2017:
NQ - I reckon Ardie's lacking a bit of height and weight to be a genuine option as an international No. 8. No matter how much energy he brings it's hard to see him as a bullocking, hard driving 8 that I like to see. Even as an openside flanker I reckon Hansen would like to see him a bit bigger a la Cane and McCaw.
Lacking a bit in height probably, but in a similar mold to Rodders who did a great job for us over a number of years. He made some very strong runs when he came on in the weekend, his leg drive is out of this world, so I'm not sold that he doesn't have the physicality required with ball in hand. The wide ranging game suits him a lot better then staying tight and smacking blokes backwards like Cane and Kaino.
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@mariner4life if Foster takes over and we lose a couple I'll probably lead the angry mob calling for his head... but right now I can see the sense in it...
