All Blacks Squad for France
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@gt12 said in All Blacks Squad for France:
Squire cleared.
See below to see how they got around it. Looks like bullshit to me.
*"The Foul Play Review Committee found that the Player had legitimately entered the ruck 'through the gate', and not at great speed, with the intent of cleaning out the other Player. The Player had taken up, and held, a correct body position in order to try and effect the clean out, with his upper body and head in a horizontal plane and with both his hands (neither with closed fists) in a position to be able to engage and grapple with the other player around his torso (about the level of the shoulder blades)."
"As the Player entered the ruck, and immediately before he engaged with the other player, that other player was in a head down, bottom up, position facing in the direction of the Player. At the very last moment the other player dropped down on his knees (possibly, in part, as a result of the actions of other players), and brought his upper body, shoulders and head up, directly into the line of the committed Squire.
"The resulting impact between the two, which was not of significant force (and did not require any HIA), was virtually instantaneous. In these circumstances the citing was not made out on the evidence. The player is therefore free to play."*
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=12063941
Wow, this is getting comical now, what a farce.
Good for the ABs i guess but this shit is killing the game. So much for protecting players heads. -
@machpants if you are to believe Razor, SW could have played on Saturday night, therefore good to go next weekend
As for Squire, interesting how in many threads people lamenting how accidental contact to the head is being punished and now calling for punishment in this instance?
Sometimes I think players who are seen as thugs or boof heads people make up their minds automatically on whether it was accidental or deliberate.
On this one, IMO it was borderline, so I give him the benefit of the doubt it was accidental, so I'm comfortable he hasn't been banned, which I know some people will disagree with.
This one isn't too dissimilar to O'Brien on Naholo last year, except Squire didn't break a jaw
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Ok, so leaving all the card/suspension stuff behind.
Do we have a clearer picture of what the team will be?Front row pretty clear: Moody, Taylor, Franks.
Second row dependent on Sam Whitelock being good to go. Assume he will be paired with Barrett. If not then Romano and Barrett?
Back row: Cane if he is fit. Todd to start if not.
Squire 6, Whitelock 8? Or are Fifita or Taufua a chance to start if fit?Midfield the main question mark in backs and maybe the choice between 14. Smith 15. Jordie and 14. Naholo 15. Smith.
Assuming Crotty is fit he is a likely starter. So Laumape or ALB to start. -
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@chris-b said in All Blacks Squad for France:
@pukunui That looks about right.
I think they'll go Laumape and Crotty if Crotty is fit.
Back three - hard to know. I suspect they're strongly tempted to have Jordie play, so I'd be inclined to guess 11. Ioane, 14. Smith, 15. JBarrett.
fuck no. Why play our best 15 at 14 just to fit in JB? He's not so good that he demands that move.
I've got it, lets go back to tradition, and play our 2nd best fullback at fullback, and our best fullback at centre. That's never failed before.
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@machpants said in All Blacks Squad for France:
Matt Todd once again from Left Right Out to starting 7. Two locks so Sam still in doubt, or already out. Good to see Franklin get a call, he's been great recently
Isn't Franklin leaving at the end of this year? I see that as a wasted selection, should have given someone like Lousi or Strange who will be available next year a chance to be exposed to the AB environment. They did the same thing with TKB last year and I thought that was a mistake as well.
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@mariner4life said in All Blacks Squad for France:
@chris-b said in All Blacks Squad for France:
@pukunui That looks about right.
I think they'll go Laumape and Crotty if Crotty is fit.
Back three - hard to know. I suspect they're strongly tempted to have Jordie play, so I'd be inclined to guess 11. Ioane, 14. Smith, 15. JBarrett.
fuck no. Why play our best 15 at 14 just to fit in JB? He's not so good that he demands that move.
I've got it, lets go back to tradition, and play our 2nd best fullback at fullback, and our best fullback at centre. That's never failed before.
The attraction there is the "two fullbacks" in the back three option. With Naholo and Rieko you only have one kicking option in the back three.
I'm happy with either, but lean towards the two fullbacks as it will be cold and wet. On a dry track I'd take Naholo all day, but conditions are unlikely to be in his favour.
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@no-quarter while i understand the thinking, B Smith is our best FB, and should play there. You then find the best winger.
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@akan004 said in All Blacks Squad for France:
@machpants said in All Blacks Squad for France:
Matt Todd once again from Left Right Out to starting 7. Two locks so Sam still in doubt, or already out. Good to see Franklin get a call, he's been great recently
Isn't Franklin leaving at the end of this year? I see that as a wasted selection, should have given someone like Lousi or Strange who will be available next year a chance to be exposed to the AB environment. They did the same thing with TKB last year and I thought that was a mistake as well.
Franklin has signed a two-year contract with Kobelco Steelers, but at the time of the announcement, it was said he hoped to return to SR next season. I haven't seen an announcement of him re-signing with the Highlanders, but that doesn't mean it didn't happen. This is what the Highlanders CEO said at the time:
Highlanders CEO Roger Clark was delighted both Buckman and Franklin could be potentially returning in 2019. “Bucky and Tom have been mainstays of our team over the last few seasons and always give 100%. We are close to signing agreements to secure their return for 2019; in the meantime we wish them well during their time with Kobe.” -
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@machpants said in All Blacks Squad for France:
Mmm grey area, playing for landers and Japanese club, does that make them eligible or not? I guess not because their contract is with Steelers, landers just have an out on that - possibly
Still eligible I think. Nonu did it a wee while ago
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@nzzp Josh Blackie was the first to do it I believe?
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@taniwharugby said in All Blacks Squad for France:
@nzzp Josh Blackie was the first to do it I believe?
God, Josh Blackie. Damn but we had some openside depth in NZ in those days. The lions came in '05 and every week they faced some guy in a 7 jersey who should probably have been a test player (if they weren't already). Guns everywhere. And all parked behind arguably the greatest rugby player of all time
Now we have Ardie fucking Savea on the bench.
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@mariner4life Even in a heavy defeat Josh Bradnock had the better of his opposite for Manawatu.
That tour started with BOP didnt it, and NIli Latu tearing his opposite apart.
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@taniwharugby said in All Blacks Squad for France:
That tour started with BOP didnt it, and NIli Latu tearing his opposite apart.
yep, certainly did. Planet Rugby in their tour review gave him Provincial Player of the tour or something, as his performance set the scene for what they were going to face all month.
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@mariner4life said in All Blacks Squad for France:
@taniwharugby said in All Blacks Squad for France:
That tour started with BOP didnt it, and NIli Latu tearing his opposite apart.
yep, certainly did. Planet Rugby in their tour review gave him Provincial Player of the tour or something, as his performance set the scene for what they were going to face all month.
That Maori outfit that beat the Lions was stacked full of gun players. By comparison, last year's team didn't get anywhere near the heights
