What’s out there at Second Five?
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ALB is the best 12 in the country. Hands down. Outside him for the All Blacks we have a ton of options in Goodhue, Ennor, PUJ and Ioane. In a 23 either Goodhue provides cover for 12 as the starting 13, or off the bench, or we have the impact of Laumape off the bench, or try Havili'i off the bench. It's not really that bad. Even Dallas McLeod has shown signs this season of settling into SR level and then potentially making the leap.
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@bones said in What’s out there at Second Five?:
@chris gun starters, but I almost threw up on your bench. Clarke, Faingaanuku, McKenzie, Laumape might be some better names to throw in there somewhere (at least at the end).
To be fair I forgot about Clarke which shows me he has been underwhelming this season.
But I wouldn’t mind Clarke,Faingaanuku or McKenzie in that last bench position.
Reece has been good though high work rate recently.
Laumape I just wouldn’t pick him ahead of the others. -
@chris said in What’s out there at Second Five?:
Havilli at 2nd Five,ALB centre would be what I would like to see.
Smith,Mounga,Havilli,ALB,Jordan, Rieko,JB
Weber,BB,Reece on the Bench
- Would consider swapping RM & BB.
- Reece starts or nothing, so nothing. I'd have e Clarke and DMac and even Bridge in front of him on the bench
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@shark said in What’s out there at Second Five?:
ALB is the best 12 in the country. Hands down. Outside him for the All Blacks we have a ton of options in Goodhue, Ennor, PUJ and Ioane. In a 23 either Goodhue provides cover for 12 as the starting 13, or off the bench, or we have the impact of Laumape off the bench, or try Havili'i off the bench. It's not really that bad. Even Dallas McLeod has shown signs this season of settling into SR level and then potentially making the leap.
half right ALB is best midfielder we have the question which position to play him and who with
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I firmly believe Thomas Umaga-Jensen from Highlanders will be the eventual long-term All Blacks 12, pairing with ALB or Goodhue at 13.
Was really gutted when he got injured. Tony Brown reckoned he could've been an All Black as early as this year..
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@kiwi_expat said in What’s out there at Second Five?:
I firmly believe Thomas Umaga-Jensen from Highlanders will be the eventual long-term All Blacks 12, pairing with ALB or Goodhue at 13.
Was really gutted when he got injured. Tony Brown reckoned he could've been an All Black as early as this year..
What's the basis of that?
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@nzzp said in What’s out there at Second Five?:
@crucial said in Blues 2021:
Wish we still had him in the mix.
He was looking so good before the injuries. Such rotten luck. 2016 should have been his year
He has been tremendous for Lyon.
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@kiwi_expat said in What’s out there at Second Five?:
I firmly believe Thomas Umaga-Jensen from Highlanders will be the eventual long-term All Blacks 12, pairing with ALB or Goodhue at 13.
Was really gutted when he got injured. Tony Brown reckoned he could've been an All Black as early as this year..
Umaga-Jenson twin centres?
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@bones said in What’s out there at Second Five?:
@kiwi_expat said in What’s out there at Second Five?:
I firmly believe Thomas Umaga-Jensen from Highlanders will be the eventual long-term All Blacks 12, pairing with ALB or Goodhue at 13.
Was really gutted when he got injured. Tony Brown reckoned he could've been an All Black as early as this year..
What's the basis of that?
He was outstanding vs Crusaders. He looked very useful.
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@kiwimurph said in What’s out there at Second Five?:
@bones said in What’s out there at Second Five?:
@kiwi_expat said in What’s out there at Second Five?:
I firmly believe Thomas Umaga-Jensen from Highlanders will be the eventual long-term All Blacks 12, pairing with ALB or Goodhue at 13.
Was really gutted when he got injured. Tony Brown reckoned he could've been an All Black as early as this year..
What's the basis of that?
He was outstanding vs Crusaders. He looked very useful.
Fair enough, I hadn't picked up that he was that good!
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@bones said in What’s out there at Second Five?:
@kiwimurph said in What’s out there at Second Five?:
@bones said in What’s out there at Second Five?:
@kiwi_expat said in What’s out there at Second Five?:
I firmly believe Thomas Umaga-Jensen from Highlanders will be the eventual long-term All Blacks 12, pairing with ALB or Goodhue at 13.
Was really gutted when he got injured. Tony Brown reckoned he could've been an All Black as early as this year..
What's the basis of that?
He was outstanding vs Crusaders. He looked very useful.
Fair enough, I hadn't picked up that he was that good!
He’s a decent sized unit.
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@pakman said in What’s out there at Second Five?:
@bones said in What’s out there at Second Five?:
@kiwimurph said in What’s out there at Second Five?:
@bones said in What’s out there at Second Five?:
@kiwi_expat said in What’s out there at Second Five?:
I firmly believe Thomas Umaga-Jensen from Highlanders will be the eventual long-term All Blacks 12, pairing with ALB or Goodhue at 13.
Was really gutted when he got injured. Tony Brown reckoned he could've been an All Black as early as this year..
What's the basis of that?
He was outstanding vs Crusaders. He looked very useful.
Fair enough, I hadn't picked up that he was that good!
He’s a decent sized unit.
Not really fair is it, twins are supposed to be small.
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@ploughboy said in What’s out there at Second Five?:
@shark said in What’s out there at Second Five?:
ALB is the best 12 in the country. Hands down. Outside him for the All Blacks we have a ton of options in Goodhue, Ennor, PUJ and Ioane. In a 23 either Goodhue provides cover for 12 as the starting 13, or off the bench, or we have the impact of Laumape off the bench, or try Havili'i off the bench. It's not really that bad. Even Dallas McLeod has shown signs this season of settling into SR level and then potentially making the leap.
half right ALB is best midfielder we have the question which position to play him and who with
It's exactly that kind of thinking that has created to the mess our midfield is in. ALB is clearly our best second-five but is just one of a number of guys in the upper tier of centre options. So you play him at 12 and pick the best available centre from the rest of the group to play outside him.
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@shark said in What’s out there at Second Five?:
@ploughboy said in What’s out there at Second Five?:
@shark said in What’s out there at Second Five?:
ALB is the best 12 in the country. Hands down. Outside him for the All Blacks we have a ton of options in Goodhue, Ennor, PUJ and Ioane. In a 23 either Goodhue provides cover for 12 as the starting 13, or off the bench, or we have the impact of Laumape off the bench, or try Havili'i off the bench. It's not really that bad. Even Dallas McLeod has shown signs this season of settling into SR level and then potentially making the leap.
half right ALB is best midfielder we have the question which position to play him and who with
It's exactly that kind of thinking that has created to the mess our midfield is in. ALB is clearly our best second-five but is just one of a number of guys in the upper tier of centre options. So you play him at 12 and pick the best available centre from the rest of the group to play outside him.
Kind of agree but not so much in this case. You lose very little by playing ALB in either spot. The question is then who is the best 12 or 13 to pair him with and how would that combo look. I agree that it gets messy though and injuries don't help the planning.
Options are:
12
Laumape - I know it is a cliched judgement but IMO his skillset isn't broad enough and he only seems to be able to tap into his A game every now and then. If he can develop better distribution and a kicking game he would be a good foil for ALB. Just doesn't seem to show signs of doing that.
Havili - needed his arm twisted to play there but if Mounga is at 10 he is a good option. I believe RM plays best with a strong tackling second-five outside him that also has a kicking game.
Goodhue - a better 13 but not creative enough. 12 kind of wastes what skills he does have except covering for RM in defence.
Others - still in development.
ALB - If Foster doesn't bow to the inevitable that Razor will be taking over and putting Goodhue or Havili in at 12 he may look at this option with someone else at 13.13
Ioane: changes the dynamic and if the coaches can find a gameplan that is right for him then I'd like to see it. Just can't quite picture the combo unless BB is at 10. BB holds the defence from drifting more than RM does which means that distribution and a running threat from ALB could create a little space for Ioane to get metres.
Ennor: has never really rocked my boat. Lets see how he goes when back.
PUJ: hard to tell when his super coaches think he is a bench player.
ALB: has the distribution and defence to assist our back three.The more I think about it the more it comes down to who is at 10 and the attack plan from the back three.
Combos I like :
BB, ALB, Ioane
RM, DH, ALBOff those two an option of starting with RM/DH/ALB then moving to BB/ALB/Ioane during the game is one that I like.
That would mean no DMac on the bench or Ioane as a starting wing.
