Argentina Two: Newcastle, 28 November
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@Chris-B said in Argentina Two: Newcastle, 28 November:
@pakman said in Argentina Two: Newcastle, 28 November:
Pakman 15:
Moody/Taylor/Laulala/Whitelock/Patty T (if 100%, otherwise Barrett (S))/Cane/Aoane/Sotutu/Smith/Mo'unga/ALB(12)/Goodhue/Clarke/Jordan (if 100%, otherwise Reece)/Barrett(B)
That's my team, except Patty T. goes to the bench and Scott Barrett starts.
Time to see what Ioane, Sotutu and Jordan can bring.
To be honest, I'm not particularly bothered if we don't win the Tri-Nations, because it will be a bit of a limp victory, regardless - so, in my mind this test should be much more about looking to the future.
I daresay Fozzie will be much more desperate to collect the silverware, but so far his selection strategy (which I might even have followed myself) has dug him into a hole, so let's see if he's willing to be bold.
Until we lose.
Hiding to nothing ...
Lose: sky is falling, Foster must go
Win: we should have, means nothing, sky is falling, Foster must go -
I don't think selections will fix shit, we need the coach to stand up and change a game plan we are playing into certain teams hands.Every team that can defend and match or dominate us up front know Foster has a game plan of running those teams off their feet.
That game plan is obvious and has-been shut down now,Time to sort out another way of beating these teams.The AB's have to go back to finding a dominate forward pack so we can then release our X factor backs.
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@Chris-B said in Argentina Two: Newcastle, 28 November:
@nzzp Now might be a bit too late for Luke, but I think he could have played a sort of Brad Thorn power role.
We didn't often lose when he did play.
Isn't the power role assigned to Patty T? Luke won't have to worry about having big shoes to fill (I think he is a size 17).
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I'm not an AB coach, I like exercise. But if I was an AB coach I'd probably suggest spending 70 minutes running into a tireless wall that pushes you back without a penalty indicates you need a plan B but you also need to execute it sooner. Oh and use your bench at the right time, not just enough to get their boots dirty,
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@Chris said in Argentina Two: Newcastle, 28 November:
That game plan is obvious and has-been shut down now,Time to sort out another way of beating these teams.The AB's have to go back to finding a dominate forward pack so we can then release our X factor backs.
100% this.
Our thinking should be about how we can rethink ourselves to get ahead of the pack who have closed in on us.
Argentina played well, and we nearly did enough to get past them. On replay, it looks even better frankly - we were some sloppy passing and handling away from pulling it out. The big question for me is are we in a 2009, where we roared back, evolved our game, and dominated the next 6 years? Or are we 1998, where it turned to custard for another few years, bookended by failure at RWC once again?
One thing's for sure, it's going to be an interesting few years ahead...
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@bayimports said in Argentina Two: Newcastle, 28 November:
@Donsteppa said in Argentina Two: Newcastle, 28 November:
Initial thinking:
- Moody
- Taylor
- Laulala
- Vaa'i
- Whitelock
- A Ioane
- Cane
- Sotutu
- Smith
- Mo'unga
- Clarke
- ALB
- Goodhue
- R Ioane
- B Barrett
Haven't thought through the reserves yet, but S. Barrett and TJP aren't in them. Tuipulotu needs to bring some more physicality back to his game off the bench. For a big unit with a lot of potential, he sometimes plays under his weight at the top level.
No chance in my mind, as it is close to what most people have asked from the start and Foster has consistently done things differently to what we have been asking for. Where I do think you will be close is that there wont be many changes. If we had won the last two then yes, but we didn't and the pressure is on.
I suspect we will still see fullbacks on the wing, inside and outside centers around the other way and I doubt we finally get a balanced back row. I also suspect big name players that were not dominant in their last game get a chance to redeem themselves.
and no this is a guess, not a source guess
So given what I said, I guess I should try pick a team as if I was Ian Foster.
Given a must win, I would expect a XV looking much the same with no balance in backrow, like we have seen but maybe change in a couple of areas where physicality has been mentioned openly, but no changes in the backline
1, JM, 2. DC, 3, NL, 4. SB, 5.SW, 6.AI, 7. SC, 8.A.S, 9.A.S, 10.R.M, 11. C.C, 12.JG, 13. ALB, 14.JB, 15. BB
The bench probably mostly the same as well, just Patty coming off bench for impact
16.CT, 17.KT, 18.TL, 19. PT, 20.HS, 21.TJP/B.W, 22.RI, 23.WJ
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@bayimports I reckon you are pretty much bang on there. I can't Foster starting 2 rookies in his loosies in a must win game - he's way too conservative for that.
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@KiwiMurph said in Argentina Two: Newcastle, 28 November:
@bayimports I reckon you are pretty much bang on there. I can't Foster starting 2 rookies in his loosies in a must win game - he's way too conservative for that.
the last "must win" game he put his "best team" out and they got fucking hammered. maybe do the opposite of what you have been doing aye Ian?
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The Argy defensive system is pretty annoying. They are ignoring the rucks and just fanning out, rushing up and making tackles. There is little space, and outflanking it is nigh impossible.
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@bayimports That's close to what I'd expect - I don't think we'll get two changes in the starting loosies, either - but, maybe we will.
I'm thinking Hodgman still ahead of Big Karl.
I think Fozzie might have enough gumption to replace Jordie with Rieko to give us a bit more offensive threat. Which would leave probably TJP, NL and JB as our "safe" back reserves.
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@mariner4life said in Argentina Two: Newcastle, 28 November:
The Argy defensive system is pretty annoying. They are ignoring the rucks and just fanning out, rushing up and making tackles. There is little space, and outflanking it is nigh impossible.
Pick Kevvy Mealamu to punch through the middle of the ruck, ala a dummy half run in league.
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@Gunner said in Argentina Two: Newcastle, 28 November:
@mariner4life said in Argentina Two: Newcastle, 28 November:
The Argy defensive system is pretty annoying. They are ignoring the rucks and just fanning out, rushing up and making tackles. There is little space, and outflanking it is nigh impossible.
Pick Kevvy Mealamu to punch through the middle of the ruck, ala a dummy half run in league.
Yep, a series of quick pick'n'go's without a certain halfback in the way slowing things down. Hopefully that will bring some of their fatties closer to the ruck, and introduce a bit more uncertainty to the defence.
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@Donsteppa and mix it up with A Smith doing his thread the needle pass to the pod standing outside 1st receivers spot too, put indecision into the defence about where we are going, make them think about who has to make the tackle, who has to drift, or who shouldnt drift.
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@bayimports I like your confidence by not selecting a left winger.
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@taniwharugby said in Argentina Two: Newcastle, 28 November:
@Donsteppa and mix it up with A Smith doing his thread the needle pass to the pod standing outside 1st receivers spot too, put indecision into the defence about where we are going, make them think about who has to make the tackle, who has to drift, or who shouldnt drift.
Argies defence doesnβt bother drifting. They rush hard on the mark.
We have spent so long with patterns to negate the drift D that we have forgotten how to manipulate a direct one. -
@Bovidae said in Argentina Two: Newcastle, 28 November:
@bayimports I like your confidence by not selecting a left winger.
lol cheers, I did so no changes.. but good spotting edited
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@Chris said in Argentina Two: Newcastle, 28 November:
That game plan is obvious and has-been shut down now,Time to sort out another way of beating these teams.The AB's have to go back to finding a dominate forward pack so we can then release our X factor backs.
That is almost exactly how England crushed Ireland, except replace 'X factor backs' (plural) with 'X factor back' (May)