Sam Cane - All Blacks Captain
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OK, checking who we've lost below. Dane Coles is a line call given age (although with some time off). Otherwise from the 31 man squad, I think we lose
Read
Todd
Crotty
SBW
BFA
temporarily: Brodie (at the moment)So 6 out of a squad of 31, and bluntly none of those were in good form last year. Some strong prospects coming through, right through the comp. So I think we don't drop off much at all, and I think SA drop off significantly.
From:
https://www.allblacks.com/news/all-blacks-squad-named-for-rugby-world-cup-2019/Forwards:
Hookers
Dane Coles (32, Hurricanes / Wellington, 64)
Liam Coltman (29, Highlanders / Otago, 5)
Codie Taylor (28, Crusaders / Canterbury, 44)
Props
Nepo Laulala (27, Chiefs / Counties Manukau, 19)
Joe Moody (30, Crusaders /Canterbury, 40)
Atu Moli (24, Chiefs / Ta$man, 2)
Angus Ta'avao (29, Chiefs / Taranaki, 7)
Ofa Tuungafasi (27, Blues / Auckland, 29)
Locks
Scott Barrett (25, Crusaders / Taranaki, 30)
Brodie Retallick (28, Chiefs / Hawke's Bay, 77)
Patrick Tuipulotu (26, Blues / Auckland, 24)
Samuel Whitelock (30, Crusaders / Canterbury, 111)
Loose forwards
Sam Cane (27, Chiefs / Bay of Plenty, 63)
Luke Jacobson (22, Chiefs / Waikato, 1)
Kieran Read (33, Crusaders / Counties Manukau, 121) - Captain
Ardie Savea (25, Hurricanes / Wellington, 38)
Matt Todd (31, Crusaders / Canterbury, 20)
Backs:
Halfbacks
TJ Perenara (27, Hurricanes / Wellington, 58)
Aaron Smith (30, Highlanders / Manawatu, 86)
Brad Weber (28, Chiefs / Hawke's Bay, 2)
First five-eighths
Beauden Barrett (28, Blues / Taranaki, 77)
Richie Mo'unga (25, Crusaders / Canterbury, 12)
Midfielders
Ryan Crotty (30, Crusaders / Canterbury, 44)
Jack Goodhue (24, Crusaders / Northland, 9)
Anton Lienert-Brown (24, Chiefs / Waikato, 37)
Sonny Bill Williams (33, Blues / Counties Manukau, 53)
Outside backs
Jordie Barrett (22, Hurricanes / Taranaki, 11)
George Bridge (24, Crusaders / Canterbury, 4)
Rieko Ioane (22, Blues / Auckland, 26)
Sevu Reece (22, Crusaders / Waikato, 2)
Ben Smith (33, Highlanders /Otago, 79) -
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@Hooroo said in Sam Cane - All Blacks Captain:
@nzzp isn't BBBR on sabbatical for the year? or is he returning for test rugby?
out for 2020 AND 2021 super, and 2020 inernationals I understood. Hence why he's a 'temporary' rather than permanent (retiree)
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@nzzp said in Sam Cane - All Blacks Captain:
@Hooroo said in Sam Cane - All Blacks Captain:
@nzzp isn't BBBR on sabbatical for the year? or is he returning for test rugby?
out for 2020 AND 2021 super, and 2020 inernationals I understood. Hence why he's a 'temporary' rather than permanent (retiree)
Roger that! Was going through the squad list and skipped that part of your post.
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names are all well and good
None of our props are exactly dominant, all are just good
Our best hooker is past his best, our next best is no better than solid. The 3rd isn't to standard
Our best lock is unavailable. Our 2nd best looks cooked. 3rd and 4th don't look to standard.
In the loosies we have 2 opensides. And that's it.
Halfback, good. to start anyway
10 looks okay
Midifeld we have options, but no combination
Question marks in the outside backs.New coaches too.
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@Hooroo also, check this out from a super reliable source I've never heard of befor:
No change of plan for Brodie Retallick despite having just that happen to him
1 May 2020The All Black lock is back in New Zealand following the suspension of Japan's Top League competition.
The prospect of a longer off season to help refresh mind and body was one of the main draw cards for Retallick to play in Japan.
He says he wants to stick with that even if rugby does resume in New Zealand. -
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@nzzp considering the last meaningful game they played they got absolutely humped, is it really pessimism?
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@mariner4life If Taukei'aho learned how to throw he'd be in the 23 every time.
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A few players that will push selection for me based on early season form are H Sotutu (Blues) T Lomax (Canes) L Boshier (Chiefs) C Grace (Crusaders) A Aumua (Canes) T Robinson (Blues) & D Havili (but not too sure what his status is)
A certainty in the midfield has to be Ngani Laumape to replace SBW and I would have Ennor in there to replace Crotty with Goodhue covering 12 aswell.
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in favour of the likes of Whitelock, Coles, Cane, BBBR and and some of the more experienced players, this break will have been an enforced rest for thier bodies, and I reckon will come back re-energised!
Obviously same for other teams too, but if those kinds of players are firing on all cylinders....
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@taniwharugby said in Sam Cane - All Blacks Captain:
in favour of the likes of Whitelock, Coles, Cane, BBBR and and some of the more experienced players, this break will have been an enforced rest for thier bodies, and I reckon will come back re-energised!
Obviously same for other teams too, but if those kinds of players are firing on all cylinders....
it's a pretty big if
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@Canes4life said in Sam Cane - All Blacks Captain:
A few players that will push selection for me based on early season form are H Sotutu (Blues) T Lomax (Canes) L Boshier (Chiefs) C Grace (Crusaders) A Aumua (Canes) T Robinson (Blues) & D Havili (but not too sure what his status is)
A certainty in the midfield has to be Ngani Laumape to replace SBW and I would have Ennor in there to replace Crotty with Goodhue covering 12 aswell.
Ennor to jump in front of the incumbent Goodhew?
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@mariner4life said in Sam Cane - All Blacks Captain:
in favour of the likes of Whitelock, Coles, Cane, BBBR and and some of the more experienced players, this break will have been an enforced rest for thier bodies, and I reckon will come back re-energised!
Obviously same for other teams too, but if those kinds of players are firing on all cylinders....dunno, I reckon they'll be humming!
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@mariner4life said in Sam Cane - All Blacks Captain:
@nzzp considering the last meaningful game they played they got absolutely humped, is it really pessimism?
Nah. You're ignoring us destroying Ireland, and beating a very very good SA side.
I think that the squad will be better this year, BBBR aside (and actually he wasn't great in the RWC).
Read was on his last legs. BSmith was cooked. Crotty was made of glass.By comparison, who do SA lose from their squad? @SidBarret may have an opinon here, but they're not going to have their northern stars, who were super influential I think.
a quick google gives me this - 7 were playing NH rugby, and I think others have retired or moved north. I haven't kept up to date, but looks bigger losses than us (Kolbe, Faf, Louw, Mostert, leRoux in particular).
Forwards (17)
Schalk Brits (Bulls), Lood de Jager (Bulls), Pieter-Steph du Toit (Stormers), Eben Etzebeth (Stormers), Steven Kitshoff (Stormers), Vincent Koch (Saracens, England), Siya Kolisi (captain, Stormers),
Francois Louw (Bath, England), Frans Malherbe (Stormers), Malcolm Marx (Lions), Bongi Mbonambi (Stormers), Tendai Mtawarira (Sharks),Franco Mostert (Gloucester, England), Trevor Nyakane (Bulls), Kwagga Smith (Lions), RG Snyman (Bulls), Duane Vermeulen (Bulls)Backs (14)
Lukhanyo Am (Sharks), Damian de Allende (Stormers),
Faf de Klerk (Sale Sharks, England), Warrick Gelant (Bulls), Elton Jantjies (Lions), Herschel Jantjies (Stormers),Cheslin Kolbe (Toulouse, France), Jesse Kriel (Bulls), Makazole Mapimpi (Sharks), S'bu Nkosi (Sharks),Willie le Roux (Toyota Verblitz, Japan), Handre Pollard (Bulls), Cobus Reinach (Northampton Saints, England), Frans Steyn (Montpellier, France) -
@nzzp i thought we were 2nd best for most of that South Africa game actually...
I'm not saying we are about to slide down the rankings, but you said destroy. I don't think we have the talent to just rock up and destroy the world champs.
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@mariner4life said in Sam Cane - All Blacks Captain:
@nzzp i thought we were 2nd best for most of that South Africa game actually...
we were second best all of the 2015 game, too. That's kind of the ABs - if you're playing well, you can dominate them physically, but there's a few genius sparks of brilliance that turn the game. That, and our forwards don't get picked on sheer size and physicality, but resilience and skillsets as well.
Fair cop on the 'destroy', but I don't think we'll go backwards that much, and I do think SA will. Don't forget we get DMac back, so have to squeeze BB, RM and DM into two positions...
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@mariner4life said in Sam Cane - All Blacks Captain:
I'm going to get crucified for this but
Ardie Savea is a luxury player at test level against most sides. He's dynamic, good on the run after contact on the fringes, and not bad over the ball. He'll look fantastic in loose games against Australia with their ordinary pack, or teams we are just better than.
Unfortunately test rugby is at least 60 minutes of trench warfare. Mainly played between the 22s, or if it gets close to the line, in close to the ruck. It's aerial kicks, and trying to breach the gain line through force. A Savea is not suited to that game style. S Cane is perfectly suited to it.
A Savea off the bench is a great use of resources, and shouldn't be viewed as a slight. S Cane should start every big test he is available for, and that makes him perfect captaincy material
Look how well we did in the loose with Same Cane and no Ardie last year RC against the Boks.... And who got us back in striking distance in Welly the year before, and won us the game away. Ardie is fine against the Boks, he was MVP against them so often recently (in fact MVP for the ABs heaps recently), that is just stereotyping not looking at those matches. I encourage a re- watch. If Ardie was available in the RC 19 and played full matches the year before we could be looking at better results. He's totally able to play at 100MPH for the full 80.
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Would have loved to see Dane Coles as AB skipper as he is such a focused and intense player and an inspirational captain, but age and some ill-discipline count against him.
Sam Cane, super reliable, great team man and regularly tops tackle count, also seems to give at least a 7/10 performance every match. It was madness to leave him out of the starting XV for the 2019 semi.
Sam Whitelock was a great AB but faded somewhat in 2018 and 2019, didn't perform especially were at RWC. Seemed tired after long Crusaders season. The OE might freshen him up. Perhaps he might benefit from a move to another Super Franchise?
