Blues all time XV
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@salacious-crumb said in All time Blues XV:
If there was ever one player I wanted ABs to poach, it was Rupeni. Omg I wanted to see what he looked like wearing black. (And if not for pressure from back home, I’ve always believed he was a little heartbroken that he never got to do it.)
Yeah I would love to have seen it for no other reason to see the best brought out in him , was an exceptional natural talent , was sad to see him running around fat and slow a few years later
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@cgrant said in All time Blues XV:
For me, Olo Brown is another certainty. He was the best tighthead prop in the world in the late nineties while Charlie Faumuina never was.
Olo was insanely good. One of the only players I can remember who didn't have to trial for the All Blacks - they tested his backups, rather than him. Straightest back in the game, and just not interested in a public profile.
Wish I could 'like' your post twice.
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@salacious-crumb said in All time Blues XV:
@act-crusader said in All time Blues XV:
Spencer full stop. No other 10 in Blues history comes close. Mertz was better though....
Oh, really?
#TwistsTheKnife
I reckon Tana needs two or three more years - he's definitely getting there!
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@gt12 said in Blues all time XV:
That’s fine, Mealamu probably makes an all-time Chiefs 15 ahead of Hika.
If I were selecting that Blues team though, I’d pick 23. Makes it a little easier to squeeze in some extra players
Toeava at 12 for me. I still hate it that he never got a proper shot at that position, but when he was fit, and at 12, he was unstoppable. If not there, 23 for sure.
I like Ice at 12 as well. He had some really dominate performances at 12 and his peak at the position was higher than any of the other options.
Like you, I would've loved to have seen him get an extended run at 12, but because we always had other 12 options around like McAlister and Stanley during his time here, he had to play other positions more to fit the best players in the backline.
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@chris-b said in Blues all time XV:
@salacious-crumb said in All time Blues XV:
@act-crusader said in All time Blues XV:
Spencer full stop. No other 10 in Blues history comes close. Mertz was better though....
Oh, really?
#TwistsTheKnife
I reckon Tana needs two or three more years - he's definitely getting there!
#culturechange
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@mariner4life said in Blues all time XV:
Cashmore
Doug
Clarke
Tuitupo
Rupeni
Carlos
Devine
Zinny
Braid
MJ
Brooke
Williams
Brown
Fitzy
DowdNailed it.
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@nepia said in Blues all time XV:
Ok, it seems like everyone else is letting this one go - Cashmore??? Over 100 test AB fullback Mils?
Just on the logic of this.
It's about what he did at the Blues.
Mils played for the Blues between 2002 and 2005. Which were a combination of centre, wing, fullback.
Otherwise Blues would stick Nonu at 12.
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@kiwimurph said in Blues all time XV:
@nepia said in Blues all time XV:
Ok, it seems like everyone else is letting this one go - Cashmore??? Over 100 test AB fullback Mils?
Just on the logic of this.
It's about what he did at the Blues.
Mils played for the Blues between 2002 and 2005. Which were a combination of centre, wing, fullback.
Otherwise Blues would stick Nonu at 12.
Seems to be minimising his input at the Blues unfairly (especially with the Nonu analogy). For one, didn't he start in 2001? Anyway, aside from 2003 I expect that he mostly started at fullback.
He's in my Blues all time XV anyway ... you guys are welcome to Cashmore.
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@duluth said in Blues all time XV:
In 2003 he was still mostly a reserve (Rok, Rupeni, Howlett in the back 3, Gear at centre)
He got more time as a starter after making the ABs
Which was only 2 seasons. The same number of seasons Nonu played for the Blues...
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@duluth said in Blues all time XV:
In 2003 he was still mostly a reserve (Rok, Rupeni, Howlett in the back 3, Gear at centre)
He got more time as a starter after making the ABs
I don't think that is true, but don't have my almanacks over here yet, he played the final at least in 2003.
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Yes he did play the final. That was because Rupeni was injured
He got into the AB's after the SR season because there were a couple of injuries (MacDonald and someone else)
It was a bit of a surprise, even for Blues fans.But he took his chance, played well, and became a fixture int he AB side.
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@kiwimurph said in Blues all time XV:
@mariner4life said in Blues all time XV:
Cashmore
Doug
Clarke
Tuitupo
Rupeni
Carlos
Devine
Zinny
Braid
MJ
Brooke
Williams
Brown
Fitzy
DowdNailed it.
Tuitupu + E. Clarke in midfield don't make a good combination. Tuitupu was too one dimensional. I would go with Lee Stensness who was a complete footballer who created a lot of tries for this mates.
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Maybe.. But he did play well when he got game time for the Blues.
The weird thing about his AB selection was that he was largely considered a 13 who sometimes played wing for Auckland/Blues
When Rupeni was out Gear went to the wing and Mils was centre[edit]small correction, he was selected as a centre/wing reserve for the AB's. Injuries forced him to start at 15 in his second Test[edit]
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@cgrant said in Blues all time XV:
@kiwimurph said in Blues all time XV:
@mariner4life said in Blues all time XV:
Cashmore
Doug
Clarke
Tuitupo
Rupeni
Carlos
Devine
Zinny
Braid
MJ
Brooke
Williams
Brown
Fitzy
DowdNailed it.
Tuitupu + E. Clarke in midfield don't make a good combination. Tuitupu was too one dimensional. I would go with Lee Stensness who was a complete footballer who created a lot of tries for this mates.
Tuitupou wasn't one dimensional, he was just an outstanding hitter, so some people incorrectly jump to one dimensional. He was a deft distributor.
