AB Positions up for grabs

[KiwiMurph]

He comes across as one of the real nice guys. Carved out a really impressive career. Probably turned down some serious coin overseas to stay in NZ. Respect.

[Chris B.]

@nepia His parents owned the camp ground at Tukurua.

You haven't closely followed my posts on the Ta$man production line of props...

[Nepia]

@chris-b said in AB Positions up for grabs:

@nepia His parents owned the camp ground at Tukurua.

You haven't closely followed my posts on the Ta$man production line of props...

Your posts are like white noise until my Hammetteur fluffer meter goes off.

[Duluth]

@chris-b said in AB Positions up for grabs:

Will look forward to seeing him at the Mako

Crockett, Hames, Perry, Halanukonuka, Salmon & Lomax?

Or have some of those guys left?

[Chris B.]

@duluth Halanukonuka has gone. Pretty doubtful we'll see anything of Hames.

There was talk that Ross Geldenhuys might also be back this year.

[mikedogz]

[antipodean]

@billy-tell said in AB Positions up for grabs:

Good move by Wyatt. Leaving on his terms. He showed great courage to come back from "Rome-gate", thanks Stuart Dickinson.

Agreed. That could have ended the career of a lesser person. Thankfully it didn't. I was always critical of what seemed to be Wyatt's propensity to give away a needless penalty, but he's been a dependable rock in the pack for a long time now.

Nice of him to step aside with enough time for the coaches to further develop the younger guys coming through.

[Marty]

I always liked Wyatt because he has the best name in rugby, but for me his partnership with Charlie F, coming off the bench together with 20-30 to go, was a massive weapon for the ABs and one that they haven't yet managed to replicate.

[RoninWC]

@milk said in AB Positions up for grabs:

Jeez, before he fought his way back to being an All Black regular, that's not exactly an illustrious group of All Blacks on the bottom left...

Who's the guy middle right with his hand on Crockett's knee?

Can't for the life of me remember his name.
Cheers

[Duluth]

@roninwc

Looks like Masaga

[Nepia]

@duluth said in AB Positions up for grabs:

@roninwc

Looks like Masaga

Yep, it's Hungus. Interesting pic they chose, 71 test AB with very few test ABs.

[Duluth]

@nepia said in AB Positions up for grabs:

Interesting pic they chose, 71 test AB with very few test ABs.

First cap. Those four plus Owen Franks were all on debut against Italy in 2009

[Stargazer]

@duluth said in AB Positions up for grabs:

@roninwc

Looks like Masaga

Yup, from left to right: Aled De Melmanche, George Whitelock, Lelia Masaga and Wyatt Crockett

[KiwiMurph]

Thought I would put this here.

Akira really did catch the eye in the Blues first game. Be interesting if he can back it up this Friday.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/opinion/101837946/the-signs-are-good-for-akira-ioane-the-blues-and-all-blacks

[Chris B.]

It's surely a question of when rather than if for Akira.

Worth remembering that the AB selectors purposely held back from selecting Kieran Read - he didn't play his first test until he was 23, so Akira is still well on schedule.

[Tim]

@chris-b Yep, 22 is very young for an All Black six or eight, and this is only his second season playing XVs full time (rather than playing NZ Sevens too).

[DaGrubster]

@cgrant

Dont you thik that the best NZ coaches now are all overseas? Umaga, Boyd (soon gone), Cooper, Mauger, robertson dont actually measure up to Schmidt, Gatland, Rennie, Cotter in my eyes

[taniwharugby]

@dagrubster but where did those coaches cut their teeth before going overseas?

[SammyC]

@dagrubster said in AB Positions up for grabs:

@cgrant

Dont you thik that the best NZ coaches now are all overseas? Umaga, Boyd (soon gone), Cooper, Mauger, robertson dont actually measure up to Schmidt, Gatland, Rennie, Cotter in my eyes

Pretty harsh on Razor, his record suggests otherwise.

He Brad Mooar are 2 of the most exciting young coaches I've seen in years.

[KiwiMurph]

@dagrubster He might be young but Robertson has done nothing but win so far (Canterbury, NZU20s, Crusaders).

Also Plumtree seems to be the real coach behind the Canes rather than Boyd.