2021 Māori All Blacks

[Crucial]

@bovidae said in 2021 Māori All Blacks:

@gt12 Maybe because their first game is on June 26. Perhaps they will add a couple of players once the AB squad is named?

Edit: There is the bare minimum of hookers, halfbacks and loose forwards. And where does TJP fit in?

Fullback also. Two half-fullbacks (Stevenson/Trask) make one.

[Bovidae]

@crucial Ioane is also an option at fullback.

[Crucial]

@bovidae said in 2021 Māori All Blacks:

@crucial Ioane is also an option at fullback.

May not be if Black's injury amounts to something.

[Bovidae]

Preparation for the first game against Manu Samoa is going to be compromised anyway with a large number of the squad involved in the SR TT final this Sat. There will be a few dusty heads after the weekend and they likely only assemble on Monday.

[Stargazer]

[Stargazer]

From that article:

It’s unlikely the Māori All Blacks will play any overseas games at the end of the year, so the two games against Samoa, at Sky Stadium in Wellington on June 26 and a double header alongside the All Blacks v Tonga at Mt Smart Stadium in Auckland on July 3, will be it for 2021.

[Bovidae]

[Bovidae]

[Tim]

@nepia said in 2021 Māori All Blacks:

I'm surprised not to see Zarn Sullivan there, unless he's a surprise AB inclusion.

I assume ABs will supplement the squad even when named in the ABs.

Curious that all the outside backs are from the Chiefs. You could hardly say that Stevenson or Trask were in-form.

[Crucial]

@tim said in 2021 Māori All Blacks:

@nepia said in 2021 Māori All Blacks:

I'm surprised not to see Zarn Sullivan there, unless he's a surprise AB inclusion.

I assume ABs will supplement the squad even when named in the ABs.

Curious that all the outside backs are from the Chiefs. You could hardly say that Stevenson or Trask were in-form.

Slim pickings really. CGB would have been nice to have.
Zarn Sullivan is the big omission but that could be for other reasons.

[Stargazer]

@tim It may have to do with the fact that the Chiefs have most Māori outside backs. There aren't that many in other squads. I can only think of Connor Garden-Bachop (injured), NMS (hardly played), Bryce Heem and Zarn Sullivan at other franchises (not including Rieko and Dmac, who'll be with the ABs).

[Bovidae]

Skipwith-Garland was used as a winger last year, which shows that the options are limited.

[Stargazer]

@bovidae Yeah, he came in as an injury replacement for Jonah Lowe.

[Bovidae]

TTT and Poihipi are the backs from last year's initial squad that have missed out.

[Stargazer]

@bovidae Nock and Nankivell were injured, last December, weren't they?

[Bovidae]

@stargazer Nankivell had a broken hand. After checking, Fletcher Smith was also in the squad but wasn't in the 23 that played.

1.Pouri Rakete-Stones, 2.Ash Dixon (captain), 3.Josh Hohneck, 4.Isaia Walker-Leawere, 5.Manaaki Selby-Rickit, 6.Whetukamokamo Douglas, 7.Billy Harmon, 8.Liam Messam, 9.Bryn Hall, 10.Otere Black, 11.Sean Wainui, 12.Quinn Tupaea, 13.Billy Proctor, 14.Shaun Stevenson, 15.Kaleb Trask.

Substitutes: 16.Kurt Eklund, 17.Ross Wright, 18.Tamaiti Williams, 19.Ethan Roots, 20.Mitchell Karpik, 21.Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, 22.Rameka Poihipi, 23.Mathew Skipwith-Garland

Wright was a late replacement for Renata.

[bobily2]

Not suggesting he should make the All Blacks, but does that exclusion of Heem from this squad suggest he could be in the running?

He's been playing well, and I would've thought he'd be there ahead of Stevenson and Lowe.

[Machpants]

@bobily2 said in 2021 Māori All Blacks:

Not suggesting he should make the All Blacks, but does that exclusion of Heem from this squad suggest he could be in the running?

He's been playing well, and I would've thought he'd be there ahead of Stevenson and Lowe.

Ugh I hope not

[Bovidae]

Heem is on the wrong side of 30.

McMillan is being loyal to those players that have served him well in recent seasons. I have no problem with that.

[Nepia]

Is Heem Maori? I thought he was PI.