2019 Rugby World Cup
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@Yeah-The-Boys said in 2019 Rugby World Cup:
So... the Rugby World Cup is this year... I reckon that the eight teams to make the playoffs will be:
Ireland and Scotland (Pool A)
New Zealand and South Africa (Pool
England and Argentina (Pool C)
Wales and Fiji (Pool D)Fiji?
Are you high?
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Fiji coach John McKee is in Japan this week finalising preparations for their World Cup campaign which now includes a two-match series against the Maori All Blacks in July.
Fiji will host the Maori All Blacks in Suva on July 11 and after that series will tackle Japan, Canada, Samoa and Tonga in the World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup in August in a bid to be ready for World Cup pool games with Grand Slam champions Wales, Australia, Georgia and Uruguay.The Maori All Blacks will face Fiji three days after the historic Test in Apia between the All Blacks and Manu Samoa. “This match is guaranteed entertainment for Fiji, come July, and we are delighted to once again host the Maori All Blacks,” said Fiji Rugby’s Chief Executive Radrodro Tabualevu.
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Is this the full article?
Fiji's Rugby World Cup preparations just got significantly tastier
Fiji coach John McKee is in Japan this week finalising preparations for their World Cup campaign which now includes a two-match series against the Maori All Blacks in July.
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Really odd that the MABs would play Fiji on 11 July 2019, while the Super Rugby Final is on 6 July.
Unfortunately, there's no info about when that All Blacks v Samoa match is going to be played. That one hasn't been officially announced, as far as I know. What has been announced is an All Blacks v Tonga match on 7 September, and a Wallabies v Samoa test on the same day.
Is this info really correct? It's all maybe a bit too similar to 2015?
Wed 8 July 2015: Samoa v All Blacks (Apia)
Sat 11 July 2015: Fiji v Maori All Blacks (Suva)The All Blacks will play their first Rugby Championship test against Argentina in Buenos Aires on 20 July 2019.
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So the 41 man squad has been named. How many do we take to japan?
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@Yeahtheboys said in 2019 Rugby World Cup:
So the 41 man squad has been named. How many do we take to japan?
- There is discussion on this in the 2019 Rugby Championship thread
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@Yeahtheboys The wider RWC squad hasn'tbeen named yet. The group for the first foundation day has been named. Before the RWC, there's still a (shortened) Rugby Championship to be played, which will probably be used to test some players and see whether they're up to it, or to attempt to bring some players back to match fitness.
Edit: the discussion in the Rugby Championship thread starts about here.
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From Yealden:
Good morning. ABs management have confirmed that Damien McKenzie won't be at the foundation day in Wellington. Still no confirmed results on the MRI scans on DMac's right knee but should get confirmation this morning from either ABs coach Steve Hansen or Chiefs coach Colin Cooper (Hansen speaking at 11am; Cooper just after midday) Also Chiefs prop Atu Moli will be attending the foundation day, meaning eight props have been invited - regards NY 🇳🇿🏉
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Gutted for DMac. He was playing really well again back at Fullback. I really admire the enthusiasm with which he plays the game.
Ben Smith will now be the ABs first-choice fullback. Jordie Barrett, David Havili and Will Jordan are the cover after that.
3rd Choice First Five is an issue. Stephen Perofeta's likelihood of makinf the RWC just went up significantly.
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There's a longer discussion of Dmac's injury in the 2019 Rugby Championship thread.
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Watched the All Blacks training at Kilbirnie Park a couple of hours back. Took my boots along just in case but quite frankly flatly refuse to play in anything other than Mizuno so when the trainers headed my way got them out of my bag and waved them in their direction only to see them do a quick about turn.
As an aside it was rather hilarious watching the ABs sharing the ingoal area in front of the swimming pool with a guy practicing what looked like some sort of Israel Folau sign language yoga. He paid them no attention whatsoever and defended his space magnificently!
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Interesting question as to how the ABs will re-configure their backs selection - given that DMac was going to take the 3rd first five spot, but probably play in the back three.
Assuming 14 backs and a couple of big assumptions....
Smith, Perenara, TTT
BBarrett, Mo'unga
Crotty, SBW, ALB, Goodhue
BSmith, Ioane, Naholo, JBarrett
Do you use the final pick to pick a third first five or another outside back - or maybe even both and prune another midfield back?
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Smith, Perenara, TTT,
BB, Mo'unga
Crotty, Laumape, ALB, Goodhue, Nonu or SBW (depending on fitness).
R Ioane, Jordan, J Barrett, B Smith.
In group play (Namibia or Canada), Crotty and J Barrett to give some cover at 10. Laumape and ALB to give some cover at Wing.
23 for South Africa and the Knock outs:
Joe Moody, Codie Taylor, Owen Franks
Sam Whitelock, Brodie Retallick
Sam Cane, Ardie Savea, Kieran Read
Aaron Smith, Beauden Barrett
Reiko Ioane, Ryan Crotty, Jack Goodhue, Will Jordan
Ben SmithBench: Karl Tu'inukuafe, Dane Coles, Nepo Laulala, Scott Barrett, Akira Ioane, TJP, Richie Mo'unga, ALB
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The AB's will take a third #10.
Why?
because imagine the colletive shit-fit we would have if Beaudy or Richie got injured against a minnow.And also because we play two minnows is the very reason they will take a third #10, because these are the exact games that a third #10 should start in, because they're fucking minnows.
Should Beaudy or Richie go down, you'd want the third #10 having been in and around the AB environment and had some time in the saddle, and those two games v minnows and maybe the one v Tonga before we go is the best and most perfect opportunity.
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@sparky Not bad - but a few bits to critique.
I don't see the point in taking five midfielders. It is going to be tough on the guy who misses out, but that is why Hansen gets paid the big bucks. We're going to use a maximum of three in any game and then one spare as injury cover. We don't need yet another spare.
My man Will Jordan! @Nepia
I'm not sure Will's quite ready for test rugby - offensively great, but he's probably got a bit to learn still about defence and positional play on the wing. He's a shot though.
Actually, although I put Naholo in my group above because Hansen's stuck with him to date, I'd pick Bridge if he can show he's effective on the right wing. I might also pick him instead of Jordie.
I don't like the tandem of Ardie and Sam Cane. I would pick Frizell at 6.
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@westcoastie I think they will, too - but largely because there's not anyone else in the squad who otherwise makes any convincing claim to be able to play 10.
We don't have anyone of the ilk of Weepu, Leon or Lucky Luke who at least had some pedigree of playing there occasionally at lower levels.
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@Chris-B if we had to pick someone I'd chuck Ben Smith in there.
The compromise we'd have to make at 15 is better than the compromise we'd have to make at 10.
