2019 Rugby Championship
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@Chester-Draws said in 2019 Rugby Championship:
@Billy-Tell said in 2019 Rugby Championship:
There is absolutely no way Ryan Crotty gets a start at 10 in an international treat match. Has he ever played a game at 10 even at NPC level??
And yet Leon MacDonald started for the All Blacks at 10 when things got desperate.
I'd rather a very good, very experienced player out of position than a very average and green player in position. Stephen Donald was a better first-five than all the options being currently lined up, and he was poor the first times he played for the ABs.
MacDonald was an experienced 10. Played plenty of provincial and Super at 10.
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@sparky said in 2019 Rugby Championship:
I think you could see four different starting First Fives for the four different ABs games.
For example:
Crotty Vs Argentina, Barrett (B) Vs South Africa, Barrett (J) Vs Australia (A), Mo'unga Vs Australia (H)
I don't think either Crotty or Jordie has the attributes to play first five effectively. Crotty doesn't kick much for the Crusaders - the second clearing option is usually Havili.
Reality is that if Beaudy and Mo'unga get broken from here, we are most likely fucked. This 2019 team isn't as good as the 2015 team and the 2015 team probably wouldn't have beaten either the Boks or Australia with a makeshift first five.
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@gt12 said in 2019 Rugby Championship:
That’s pretty much it. Nevertheless, some one needs to be brought in. So, who?
Beaver
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It’ll be interesting if he sees time for the Chiefs now.
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@gt12 said in 2019 Rugby Championship:
It’ll be interesting if he sees time for the Chiefs now.
yeah nah, I'm not serious
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@gt12 Probably Otere Black.
The ABs were happy to play DMac at first five after pretty much one season of Super rugby as a first five - by the time we get to the 4N Black should have a similar amount of of Super time under his belt plus the added advantage of having specialized at first five throughout his career.
Disadvantage of no prior international experience - but, it seems like DMac wasn't going to play much first five for the Chiefs this year, so I'm not panicking just yet. We've lost our third string first five - but, there's at least 10 players we can less afford to lose.
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@gt12 What they probably won't now do is:
ASmith, Mo'unga, Ioane, a second five, Goodhue, BSmith, BBarrett, which might well be our best combination.
But, I don't think Hansen would entrust Mo'unga with the reins - it goes against his grain when he's got an experienced option - and that grain has served him pretty well.
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@Chris-B said in 2019 Rugby Championship:
@gt12 What they probably won't now do is:
ASmith, Mo'unga, Ioane, a second five, Goodhue, BSmith, BBarrett, which might well be our best combination.
But, I don't think Hansen would entrust Mo'unga with the reins - it goes against his grain when he's got an experienced option - and that grain has served him pretty well.
This means we may finish with a backline you and I have wanted to see for a while though. Mo'unga is a strong ball runner and has made a big impact on tests in his career to date so is well suited to the bench as well. Then shifting Beauden to 15 for the final 20 also allows him to cut loose against tired legs.
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@No-Quarter Yeah - although I wonder how often they'll be willing to risk having both of our decent first fives on the park at the same time.
I certainly don't see them starting them together. A bit of a luxury even shifting Beaudy to fullback in non-knockout games.
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@Chris-B said in 2019 Rugby Championship:
Reality is that if Beaudy and Mo'unga get broken from here, we are most likely fucked.
Depending on the timing it could be a blessing in disguise. Not that by any means I think we are a better team without those two, but a catastrophic happening like that would most likely force a complete rethink of the overall gameplan.
We have an elite fullback, a halfback capable of elite play and two all-time great locks. This is a very good base to win a world cup from if we shelve any notion of playing ethereal XV man rugby (losing those two would surely do that).
Our best chance of getting tipped up unexpectedly is playing an enigmatic 10 who isn't a particularly strong goal kicker.
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If they're forced to play a rookie 10, then IMO they would be well served to pick the best defensive player and one who makes the fewest mistakes (especially with exit plays). Stephen Donald might not have offered much else, but in a knock-out world cup game, you at least knew he could tackle with meaning.
The worst option would be someone might be technically a better first-five for a Super season, but doubtful defensively and prone to errors. The ability to make exciting runs really won't cancel out missed tackles and poor clearances.
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@rotated said in 2019 Rugby Championship:
We have an elite fullback, a halfback capable of elite play and two all-time great locks. This is a very good base to win a world cup from if we shelve any notion of playing ethereal XV man rugby (losing those two would surely do that).
And, I'd add a left wing who could be (if on form) the wing of the tournament. A hooker coming back from injury who has been the best in the world.
We're 50/50 I reckon, but that's pretty good going
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@booboo said in 2019 Rugby Championship:
MacDonald was an experienced 10. Played plenty of provincial and Super at 10.
Wasn't almost all of it after he was selected to play at 10 for the All Blacks though? A few games for Marlborough as a kid.
Someone ought to tell All Blacks .com that they are talking shit: link text
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@Chester-Draws Didn't MacDonald play 10 against the Reds in a semi final for the Crusaders in 99 or something?
My memory of MacDonald at 10 for the ABs was him getting charged down 50,000 times.
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@Chester-Draws said in 2019 Rugby Championship:
@booboo said in 2019 Rugby Championship:
MacDonald was an experienced 10. Played plenty of provincial and Super at 10.
Wasn't almost all of it after he was selected to play at 10 for the All Blacks though? A few games for Marlborough as a kid.
Someone ought to tell All Blacks .com that they are talking shit: link text
No.
I'll expand. He had played plenty of rep rugby at 10 well before he was picked fir the ABs.
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@booboo said in 2019 Rugby Championship:
@Chester-Draws said in 2019 Rugby Championship:
@booboo said in 2019 Rugby Championship:
MacDonald was an experienced 10. Played plenty of provincial and Super at 10.
Wasn't almost all of it after he was selected to play at 10 for the All Blacks though? A few games for Marlborough as a kid.
Someone ought to tell All Blacks .com that they are talking shit: link text
No.
I'll expand. He had played plenty of rep rugby at 10 well before he was picked fir the ABs.
I think we must have different definitions of "plenty".
