Are Akira Ioane and Jackson Hemopo the answer?
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@KiwiMurph said in Are Akira Ioane and Jackson Hemopo the answer?:
Squire was highly overrated. He was made to look good against the slumping Wallabies/Boks in 16/17 but when the going got tough he went missing. Flat track bully.
Don't forget that his selection was a part in how we lost Luatua.
https://www.allblacks.com/news/all-blacks-squad-named-for-2016-steinlager-series/
https://www.allblacks.com/news/all-blacks-squad-named-for-2016-investec-rugby-championship
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/opinion/82673550/five-unlucky-all-black-omissions
When you look at how those selections turned out, you really realize what at a fucking mess they created by imposing non-selections on key players. What the fuck did they expect from him after he signed for two years in 2015? I'm still fucking fuming about it.
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@Stargazer said in Are Akira Ioane and Jackson Hemopo the answer?:
LOL, is this the new Akira bandwagon thread?
Do you disagree with @sparky? I mean, it's not like any of the other 6's did anything meaningful. Akira had to cop some, but Hansen doesn't escape the online blame we're dishing out
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@Stargazer If he played for Hawke's Bay or the Crusaders you'd be all over him too.
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@African-Monkey TBF, if he was playing for the Crusaders in that period, I'd say his game would have been better utilised and not run into the ground
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@Kirwan said in Are Akira Ioane and Jackson Hemopo the answer?:
But anyway, new coaches for the Blues and ABs and he's back to his 2018 form, maybe even better.
There is no maybe. He is a hugely improved player.
It's fairly straight forward eh - while there's lots of people that insist he should've been selected - there's also lots of people that disagree or just didn't care that he wasn't selected as he wasn't quite the superstar that people saw.
He's certainly earned his spot now though and it really would be a travesty if he isn't selected this time. You can actually see he's in a much better place mentally and is all about doing his job - when was the last time he was the cause of any proper niggle (Parete doesn't count).
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@Bones said in Are Akira Ioane and Jackson Hemopo the answer?:
@Kirwan said in Are Akira Ioane and Jackson Hemopo the answer?:
But anyway, new coaches for the Blues and ABs and he's back to his 2018 form, maybe even better.
There is no maybe. He is a hugely improved player.
It's fairly straight forward eh - while there's lots of people that insist he should've been selected - there's also lots of people that disagree or just didn't care that he wasn't selected as he wasn't quite the superstar that people saw.
He's certainly earned his spot now though and it really would be a travesty if he isn't selected this time. You can actually see he's in a much better place mentally and is all about doing his job - when was the last time he was the cause of any proper niggle (Parete doesn't count).
To me he’s playing pretty much the same as two years ago, just with less 40m trys.
Always was this good defensively, hardly misses a tackle, usually at the top of tackle counts. Big work rate.
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@Kirwan said in Are Akira Ioane and Jackson Hemopo the answer?:
@Bones said in Are Akira Ioane and Jackson Hemopo the answer?:
@Kirwan said in Are Akira Ioane and Jackson Hemopo the answer?:
But anyway, new coaches for the Blues and ABs and he's back to his 2018 form, maybe even better.
There is no maybe. He is a hugely improved player.
It's fairly straight forward eh - while there's lots of people that insist he should've been selected - there's also lots of people that disagree or just didn't care that he wasn't selected as he wasn't quite the superstar that people saw.
He's certainly earned his spot now though and it really would be a travesty if he isn't selected this time. You can actually see he's in a much better place mentally and is all about doing his job - when was the last time he was the cause of any proper niggle (Parete doesn't count).
To me he’s playing pretty much the same as two years ago, just with less 40m trys.
Always was this good defensively, hardly misses a tackle, usually at the top of tackle counts. Big work rate.
Yes and when Lomax played for the Highlanders he was the best tighthead in the country
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@KiwiPie said in Are Akira Ioane and Jackson Hemopo the answer?:
Back on Akira Iaone, it was very entertaining to watch the endless times he ran straight at, over, through Aaron Smith from the back of the scrum - credit to Smith for doing his best to stop him.
It made me laugh when the commentator said something like "Well done, Aaron Smith, for holding on there." When in fact Akira had sent Nugget flying.
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@Stargazer said in Are Akira Ioane and Jackson Hemopo the answer?:
Fifita is not having a great SRA season (wasn't great pre-covid either). Frizell on the other hand, is really putting his hand up for that 6 jersey.
My hunch is that consistent game time has been a significant factor. Clan had Squire/Frizzell/Lucky Luke on rotation and none of them really hid their strides.
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He knew his 7 and 8. Any diversion from them was due to injury.
Except apparently in a world cup semi...
Read's decline certainly hurt us in hindsight, he went from one of the world's best players to a shadow of his former self that seemed to struggle with elements of being a captain (like controlling the ref). Still a fine player at the end and no doubt would've been starting regardless of whether Akira had forced his way in, but putting a lock at 6, arguably our 2nd best openside at 7(who seems much more effective against tired legs) and a declining Read was a weak loose forward trio.
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@Stargazer said in Are Akira Ioane and Jackson Hemopo the answer?:
LOL, is this the new Akira bandwagon thread?
Says the forum's biggest MMT fanboi
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@KiwiMurph I'm hardly the only one who sees MMT as a good prospect; just like Sotutu.
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@Stargazer said in Are Akira Ioane and Jackson Hemopo the answer?:
@KiwiMurph I'm hardly the only one who sees MMT as a good prospect; just like Sotutu.
Absolutely. I think there is a lot of growth potential in MMT's game too.
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@Kirwan said in Are Akira Ioane and Jackson Hemopo the answer?:
@Bones said in Are Akira Ioane and Jackson Hemopo the answer?:
@Kirwan said in Are Akira Ioane and Jackson Hemopo the answer?:
But anyway, new coaches for the Blues and ABs and he's back to his 2018 form, maybe even better.
There is no maybe. He is a hugely improved player.
It's fairly straight forward eh - while there's lots of people that insist he should've been selected - there's also lots of people that disagree or just didn't care that he wasn't selected as he wasn't quite the superstar that people saw.
He's certainly earned his spot now though and it really would be a travesty if he isn't selected this time. You can actually see he's in a much better place mentally and is all about doing his job - when was the last time he was the cause of any proper niggle (Parete doesn't count).
To me he’s playing pretty much the same as two years ago, just with less 40m trys.
Always was this good defensively, hardly misses a tackle, usually at the top of tackle counts. Big work rate.
I think he’s far more accurate in his play this year, particularly defensively. It’s the kind of tackles he’s making, knocking players back after stopping them in their tracks. I’ve watched him as much as the next fan and there is a quiet confidence in his game that has brought a real edge. I like him at 6.
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@ACT-Crusader yeah, the mabo he's giving off is more Kaino than Flavell these days.
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I think the positives that Akira brings , that raw physicality ,winning collisions , hitting bodies and driving them back ,
Is more valuable at test level than SR level , and something we have lacked
Love to see him get a gig against South Africa to see how he goes
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@kiwiinmelb said in Are Akira Ioane and Jackson Hemopo the answer?:
I think the positives that Akira brings , that raw physicality ,winning collisions , hitting bodies and driving them back ,
Is more valuable at test level than SR level , and something we have lacked
Love to see him get a gig against South Africa to see how he goes
Be fun watching him make Vunipola look like a midget...
