2018 Rugby Championship
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@bones said in 2018 Rugby Championship:
Geez I'm surprised he's only 28.
Yeah he’s been around for some time. When I saw him play schoolboys he seemed a class above at that level. A pretty gifted player. The Brumbies picked him up straight out of school.
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@act-crusader seems quite the contrast when you find out HBC is 27.
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Couldn't find a better thread to post this.
http://www.allblacks.com/News/32763/why-are-the-all-blacks-so-good-cnn-finds-out
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https://www.nzherald.co.nz/rugby/news/article.cfm?c_id=80&objectid=12098966
Forwards
Hookers: Dane Coles, Liam Coltman and Nathan Harris.
Props: Jeffery Toomaga-Allen, Karl Tu'inukuafe and Ofa Tuungafasi.
Locks: Brodie Retallick and Patrick Tuipulotu.
Loose forwards: Sam Cane, Vaea Fifita, Shannon Frizell, Jackson Hemopo, Akira Ioane, Ardie Savea, Liam Squire and Luke Whitelock.Backs
Halfbacks: TJ Perenara, Aaron Smith and Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi.
First five-eighths: Beauden Barrett and Damian McKenzie.
Midfielders: Ngani Laumape, Anton Lienert-Brown and Sonny Bill Williams.
Outside backs: Jordie Barrett, Rieko Ioane, Nehe Milner-Skudder, Waisake Naholo and Ben Smith. -
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@machpants said in 2018 Rugby Championship:
A ridiculous number of loose forwards, and still more to come!
I've been wondering if Hansen is actually any good at picking loose forwards.
Since he had the easy picks of McCaw, Read, Kaino, the additional ones have been pretty average and not really fired up.
Perhaps his one achilles heel?
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@nzzp said in 2018 Rugby Championship:
@machpants said in 2018 Rugby Championship:
A ridiculous number of loose forwards, and still more to come!
I've been wondering if Hansen is actually any good at picking loose forwards.
Since he had the easy picks of McCaw, Read, Kaino, the additional ones have been pretty average and not really fired up.
Perhaps his one achilles heel?
Sam Cane just slapped you.
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@mariner4life said in 2018 Rugby Championship:
@nzzp said in 2018 Rugby Championship:
@machpants said in 2018 Rugby Championship:
A ridiculous number of loose forwards, and still more to come!
I've been wondering if Hansen is actually any good at picking loose forwards.
Since he had the easy picks of McCaw, Read, Kaino, the additional ones have been pretty average and not really fired up.
Perhaps his one achilles heel?
Sam Cane just slapped you.
Liam Squire, Frizzell and Six Foot Ardie just rabbit punched him
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@nzzp said in 2018 Rugby Championship:
@mariner4life said in 2018 Rugby Championship:
@nzzp said in 2018 Rugby Championship:
@machpants said in 2018 Rugby Championship:
A ridiculous number of loose forwards, and still more to come!
I've been wondering if Hansen is actually any good at picking loose forwards.
Since he had the easy picks of McCaw, Read, Kaino, the additional ones have been pretty average and not really fired up.
Perhaps his one achilles heel?
Sam Cane just slapped you.
Liam Squire, Frizzell and Six Foot Ardie just rabbit punched him
like he felt it from those fucking lightweights. Luke Whitelock was probably there too, but nobody noticed him.
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@nzzp said in 2018 Rugby Championship:
@mariner4life said in 2018 Rugby Championship:
@nzzp said in 2018 Rugby Championship:
@machpants said in 2018 Rugby Championship:
A ridiculous number of loose forwards, and still more to come!
I've been wondering if Hansen is actually any good at picking loose forwards.
Since he had the easy picks of McCaw, Read, Kaino, the additional ones have been pretty average and not really fired up.
Perhaps his one achilles heel?
Sam Cane just slapped you.
Liam Squire, Frizzell and Six Foot Ardie just rabbit punched him
Aside from the Tongan, who are the guys you would have selected over the other two throughout their AB career (remembering that Ardie was actually pretty good early on in his sub role)?
Then Tongan is that guy every coach seems to pick because he might have the next Kirwan on his hands and he'll be able to take the credit.
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@nzzp said in 2018 Rugby Championship:
@machpants said in 2018 Rugby Championship:
A ridiculous number of loose forwards, and still more to come!
I've been wondering if Hansen is actually any good at picking loose forwards.
Since he had the easy picks of McCaw, Read, Kaino, the additional ones have been pretty average and not really fired up.
Perhaps his one achilles heel?
The continued non-selection (injury replacement only) of 5’14’’ Matt Todd has been a major downfall
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@act-crusader said in 2018 Rugby Championship:
@nzzp said in 2018 Rugby Championship:
@machpants said in 2018 Rugby Championship:
A ridiculous number of loose forwards, and still more to come!
I've been wondering if Hansen is actually any good at picking loose forwards.
Since he had the easy picks of McCaw, Read, Kaino, the additional ones have been pretty average and not really fired up.
Perhaps his one achilles heel?
The continued non-selection (injury replacement only) of 5’14’’ Matt Todd has been a major downfall
This. Matt Todd has been outstanding for some time, and doesn't get a look in
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@nzzp said in 2018 Rugby Championship:
@machpants said in 2018 Rugby Championship:
A ridiculous number of loose forwards, and still more to come!
I've been wondering if Hansen is actually any good at picking loose forwards.
Since he had the easy picks of McCaw, Read, Kaino, the additional ones have been pretty average and not really fired up.
Perhaps his one achilles heel?
I'm beginning to think we just aren't producing good loose forwards.
Which is almost blasphemy for a NZer with any appreciation of All Black history.
Producing a good 6 should be the easiest position to fill in rugby. He's the guy who gets subbed off if there is yellow.
We've currently got:
1 definite test class 8 (but crocked)
2 definite test class 7s
0 definite test class 6sCan't even blame an exodus of talent. Only Vito I would class as a definite test class 8/6. Even that was only on his form the last year in NZ after flattering to deceive for much of hist test career.
Lots of almost there's or potentially test class. But there's a big gaping hole at the moment.
NZ should ooze potential test 6s. Who after a few years can graduate to test 8s.
