AB squad for the Rugby Championship
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@pukunui said in AB squad for the Rugby Championship:
Well it appears my first reaction to that squad was the same as everyone elses. Fifita? WTF?
They have lost the plot over the last few years when trying to plan for Kaino’s departure.
Elliot Dixon in and out, Luatua in and out, Squire all the chances in the world despite being shit, fifita all the chances in the world despite being shit, Frizzell in from nowhere then out, Barrett maybe we will use him but not given many chances, Hemopo selected as a 6 but now listed as a lock also given bugger all chances despite showing promise, Papalii in then out, Akira never given a chance despite good form, Jacobson in then......What is the bet they now try Cane, Read or Ardie there? That is the only reason i can see them picking Todd.
Will be interesting to see what they do at 14 too. Some of those guys need to be tested.
Glad I'm not the only one thinking this.
I really think it's time for a cleanout with coaching after the cup.I'd really like to see some fresh ideas and some innovation,
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@Darren I'll judge them on RWC. If they have a master plan that succeeds, brilliant and I'll acknowledge that I'm not the rugby savant I thought I was. But the pitchfork is ready.
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@antipodean said in AB squad for the Rugby Championship:
@Darren I'll judge them on RWC. If they have a master plan that succeeds, brilliant and I'll acknowledge that I'm not the rugby savant I thought I was. But the pitchfork is ready.
I've been stocking up on torches. And making effigies. Struggling to find big enough sacks.
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We've basically become what the Wallabies used to be. Paper thin tight 5 depth, no standout ball running 6 or 8s and everyone here wants to run out two sevens. Meanwhile, we have plenty of talent in the backs.
Wallabies have become the opposite, good tight 5 depth particularly with AAA coming back. A balanced backrow. However, outside of Kerevi, Genia and perhaps Beale on a good day their backline is limited.
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This explains the prop selections.
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we ant mobile, ball playing props (unless they play for the Crusaders, in which case just being able to scrum is a-ok)
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@mariner4life I didn't want to state the obvious about Franks.
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@mariner4life said in AB squad for the Rugby Championship:
@antipodean said in AB squad for the Rugby Championship:
@Darren I'll judge them on RWC. If they have a master plan that succeeds, brilliant and I'll acknowledge that I'm not the rugby savant I thought I was. But the pitchfork is ready.
I've been stocking up on torches. And making effigies. Struggling to find big enough sacks.
I'm stocking up on rocks, and will get myself a donkey and a Steve Hansen mask closer to the tournament.
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@Rapido said in AB squad for the Rugby Championship:
@mariner4life said in AB squad for the Rugby Championship:
@antipodean said in AB squad for the Rugby Championship:
@Darren I'll judge them on RWC. If they have a master plan that succeeds, brilliant and I'll acknowledge that I'm not the rugby savant I thought I was. But the pitchfork is ready.
I've been stocking up on torches. And making effigies. Struggling to find big enough sacks.
I stocking up on rocks, and will get myself a donkey and a Steve Hansen mask closer to the tournament.
on the lookout for a racehorse to spit on
actually no, i like racehorses. Maybe just a picture of one.
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@mariner4life said in AB squad for the Rugby Championship:
@Rapido said in AB squad for the Rugby Championship:
@mariner4life said in AB squad for the Rugby Championship:
@antipodean said in AB squad for the Rugby Championship:
@Darren I'll judge them on RWC. If they have a master plan that succeeds, brilliant and I'll acknowledge that I'm not the rugby savant I thought I was. But the pitchfork is ready.
I've been stocking up on torches. And making effigies. Struggling to find big enough sacks.
I stocking up on rocks, and will get myself a donkey and a Steve Hansen mask closer to the tournament.
on the lookout for a racehorse to spit on
actually no, i like racehorses. Maybe just a picture of one.
Hooroo could hire out one of his lesser nags
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@Rapido said in AB squad for the Rugby Championship:
@mariner4life said in AB squad for the Rugby Championship:
@Rapido said in AB squad for the Rugby Championship:
@mariner4life said in AB squad for the Rugby Championship:
@antipodean said in AB squad for the Rugby Championship:
@Darren I'll judge them on RWC. If they have a master plan that succeeds, brilliant and I'll acknowledge that I'm not the rugby savant I thought I was. But the pitchfork is ready.
I've been stocking up on torches. And making effigies. Struggling to find big enough sacks.
I stocking up on rocks, and will get myself a donkey and a Steve Hansen mask closer to the tournament.
on the lookout for a racehorse to spit on
actually no, i like racehorses. Maybe just a picture of one.
Hooroo could hire out one of his lesser nags
nah, that's gross. Maybe I'll just find a random fat pony and call it clueless
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@mariner4life Purely on form, that's pretty tough.
The only guarantee I can think of in that time frame would be Savea (probably the last person I would have picked this time last year). Retallick on this years brief form but he didn't play last year.
In the backs, Aaron Smith a maybe, Goodhue a maybe. Ben Smith and Ioane last year but definitely not thus far this year.
There are a lot less obvious selections now, a sign that the rest have caught up.
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@Chris-B in all honesty, given the shit that has come out of his mouth in the last month, a lot of which makes no sense, is often contradictory, and doesn't pass the eye test, i have to believe he knows exactly what he is doing, exactly what he is going to do, and this is all just phony war bullshit until the first game of the cup. And he's just throwing the press a bone, knowing they will pretty much just eat up what ever he says.
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@Kirwan said in AB squad for the Rugby Championship:
Loose forwards are starting to look like a weakness.
starting? they've looked like a weakness for 2 years.
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@mariner4life said in AB squad for the Rugby Championship:
@Kirwan said in AB squad for the Rugby Championship:
Loose forwards are starting to look like a weakness.
starting? they've looked like a weakness for 2 years.
It's certainly weaker now with Read's form dropping off a cliff, not even being able to replace a journeyman like Squire, Cane coming back from a broken neck, project players being jettisoned like Frizzell, and Fifita apparantly a lock/blindside.
Even Barrett isn't very good at six.
The only player in good form and health is Savea, and he got played into the ground by the Hurricanes and it looks like they are trying to re-energise him. That's the only reason I can see Todd even being in the frame, as he's not very good either.
Huge step down from McCaw, (good) Read and Kaino.
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@mariner4life said in AB squad for the Rugby Championship:
@Chris-B in all honesty, given the shit that has come out of his mouth in the last month, a lot of which makes no sense, is often contradictory, and doesn't pass the eye test, i have to believe he knows exactly what he is doing, exactly what he is going to do, and this is all just phony war bullshit until the first game of the cup. And he's just throwing the press a bone, knowing they will pretty much just eat up what ever he says.
You'd certainly hope so.
Hansen pretty clearly just says what's convenient at the time - but, he's in the invidious position of having to do lots of interviews, while not giving much of anything away and not hanging any of his players out to dry.
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@Kirwan it's the 10 situation leading up to 2011 all over again. They tried everyone, and no one stepped up. But at least that was just finding the back up.
This is trying to find a starting fucking blindside. And we don't even need them to live up to the last guy (one of our best ever) just be obviously to standard. And in 4 years, no one has done that. And so, 2 games out from a world cup, no one knows who is the starter (actually i assume the coaches do, because the alternative is insane).
Objectively, we have a set of pretty good props; two excellent hookers; two excellent locks and not a lot behind; two excellent opensides; nothing at 6; and an 8 who everyone is hoping is just priming himself for 4 more big tests.
That is, well, not ideal.
