AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?
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@ACT-Crusader said in AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?:
@Bones yeah the Northland guy...whoever that is 😎
I think Collins has retired.
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@Nepia said in AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?:
@gt12 said in AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?:
I was yelling it from the stands after about 5 minutes.
It took him another 35 minutes to listen to you unfortunately.
No. For those minutes he was thinking, ‘I wish that noisy prick would STF up!’.
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@Bones said in AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?:
Cane
Savea
Aoane
Frizzel
Sotutu
Papali'i/BoshierIf it's six loosies that's what I would go for (assuming Dalton over Boshier)
The first 4 would be in the 23 for the big matches
Sotutu would get less game time but is worth getting into the AB system
The 6th loosie is an all rounder mostly as injury coverMMT, Boshier, Robinson all worthy of a spot. I expect plenty of tantrums on the forum about who misses out.
Foster won't pick that though..
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No idea what Foster wants. Maybe he's really keen on a 6/lock option and Robinson makes it despite missing so many games? Maybe he dislikes Akira's facial expressions or hates Fortnite?
If it's a 50/50 call between Papali'i and Boshier I doubt the deciding vote goes to Papali'i
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@Duluth said in AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?:
@Bones said in AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?:
@Duluth wuss.
Ok you talked me into it. Ok my prediction for Fosters squad:
Cane
Savea
Sotutu
Frizzel
Robinson
BoshierThat would be fucken spiteful and possibly dangerous to his health!
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@Duluth said in AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?:
@Bones said in AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?:
@Duluth wuss.
Ok you talked me into it. Ok my prediction for Fosters squad:
Cane
Savea
Sotutu
Frizzel
Robinson
Boshier“We’re coming to you live from Queen Street, where there have been riots around Auckland and masked men wearing blues jerseys burning effigies of Ian Foster“
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@Duluth said in AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?:
If it's a 50/50 call between Papali'i and Boshier I doubt the deciding vote goes to Papali'i
The only journo I have seen selecting Boshier in an AB squad was a Cantab no less (Knowler). But that was in place of Cane!
Boshier might make the NI squad but would be no certainty to start in that game either. IMO he is on the outside looking in for AB selection too.
The wildcard amongst the selectors is Plumtree, and he will have as much say as Foster on the forward selections. As long as Plumtree picks locks that are taller than our props and loose forwards.
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Boshier is like Pocock, a one trick pony (in that he's still great but what stands him out is turn-overs), and his trick is not so good with new 'interpretations'. I really hope he's not in when we see other players much better around the field and still out turn-overing him. Sotuto, until his injury, for ex. I really don;t rate - ABs wise. Great player but not one of our top 7 loosies
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@Bones said in AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?:
@ravens88 said in AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?:
Second First Five
Waaaaait a miiinute....
He was excellent for the canes throughout the noughties.
Don't disagree. But his play for the AB's was on another level entirely, particularly in his later career.
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It's been a while since short back and sides was a prerequisite. This year looks like quite the opposite; terrible haircuts are a must.
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@mariner4life said in AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?:
J Barrett has improved massively on last year, and absolutely should be in the frame. Does he have the wheels to play wing?
Clark and 2 Barrets back 3
Reiko at centre, with laumape
Mounga at 10Rock star backline.
Who is your half back?
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@Machpants said in AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?:
Boshier is like Pocock, a one trick pony (in that he's still great but what stands him out is turn-overs), and his trick is not so good with new 'interpretations'. I really hope he's not in when we see other players much better around the field and still out turn-overing him. Sotuto, until his injury, for ex. I really don;t rate - ABs wise. Great player but not one of our top 7 loosies
Boshier has scored a few tries in SRA.
Some like 7s who fetch and 6s who smash and crash.
In more recent times TWM seem to prefer hybrids?
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@junior said in AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?:
@Machpants said in AB squad for the Bledisloe Cup?:
I think every squad people post should be prefixed with either 'what I'd pick' versus 'what will be picked' often a big difference. We've got a coach who got in on a ‘continuity and experience’ ticket, I can see him picking a ‘continuity and experience’ team - recently the ABs coaches went for form rather than experience. Maybe that didn’t work so well at RWC in their minds. Expecially after many years of trusting experience did so well for them? So I think we will see very conservative selections, but I hope they are bold
There's absolutely no reason why in this of all years a "form over experience" approach shouldn't be tried for most positions. If you look at the guys currently playing well, they're all pretty young guys either at the beginning of the SR or AB careers and who are likely to be at their peaks in 2023. Now is the perfect opportunity to take a punt on some of these guys and set them on the path to be the incumbents for 2023.
This is the one problem with 2 year contracts, I am not sure incentives are aligned for this approach. I don't believe the priority for Foster will be to develop through 2023, his first priority is to win, especially given that he does not know how many chances he is going to get in the next two seasons. Not saying there will be no new caps this year just think he will pay a lot of attention to experience and combinations.
