All Blacks vs Fiji 2
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that has to be close to full strength team (bower an exception), considering it was still a decent score last week...this could be a hiding
I like the idea of reece on the left and Jordan (second fullback) on the right, its tried and true
glad we'll get to see AI start again, will also be interesting to see if Frizell does any better off the bench against a tiring opposition
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@bovidae said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
The matchday 23 is (Test caps in brackets)
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George Bower (2)
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Codie Taylor (57)
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Nepo Laulala (30)
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Scott Barrett (41)
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Samuel Whitelock (124) - captain
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Akira Ioane (3)
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Ardie Savea (49)
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Luke Jacobson (4)
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Aaron Smith (98)
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Richie Mo’unga (23)
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Sevu Reece (9)
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David Havili (4)
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Anton Lienert-Brown (49)
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Will Jordan (4)
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Damian McKenzie (29)
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Dane Coles (76)
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Ethan de Groot (1)
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Angus Ta’avao (15)
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Brodie Retallick (82)
20. Shannon Frizell -
Brad Weber (8)
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Beauden Barrett (90)
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Rieko Ioane (35)
Congrats to Frizell for making his debut. Good luck with your AB career young fella. Upwards and onwards
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About as good a team as they can pick at the moment.
Couple of question for me
Bower seems to get through quite a tackles in a game but I'd be interested to know if any of them are dominant tackles. Seems to have quite a low technique for a big fulla. Better than risking a card but you have to find a balance from your big men.
Barrett will help with the collisions where BBBR was like a wet paper bag but only if he stays on the park.
Savea is coming back from injury and has hardly played 7 since 2019. Are we going to have Savea and AIoane out on the wings with just Jacobson doing the donkey work or will Savea actually play like a 7.
Good to see Smith paired with RM. Seems pretty clear that RM is the number pick so hopefully he gets a sh*tload of game time there now. BB back to his impact role.
Looking at that backline it's full of midgets with 5 players that halfback sized. It's a shame RIoane isn't starting a head of Reece.
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I would have liked to see BBBR have a start alongside Whitelock but I guess there are reasons why not.
It usually takes a few games in a row for him to get going. When the old duo was back together last week they basically pulled a maul backwards for Coles' third(?) try. BBBR in particular put in some huge leg drive for that one.
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@toddy said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
About as good a team as they can pick at the moment.
Couple of question for me
Bower seems to get through quite a tackles in a game but I'd be interested to know if any of them are dominant tackles. Seems to have quite a low technique for a big fulla. Better than risking a card but you have to find a balance from your big men.
Barrett will help with the collisions where BBBR was like a wet paper bag but only if he stays on the park.
Savea is coming back from injury and has hardly played 7 since 2019. Are we going to have Savea and AIoane out on the wings with just Jacobson doing the donkey work or will Savea actually play like a 7.
Good to see Smith paired with RM. Seems pretty clear that RM is the number pick so hopefully he gets a sh*tload of game time there now. BB back to his impact role.
Looking at that backline it's full of midgets with 5 players that halfback sized. It's a shame RIoane isn't starting a head of Reece.
If you are regarding Havilli as one of the 5 midgets at (1.84m and 95kg ) I wouldn't regard him as a midget.Not massive but not a midget.
Pretty much the Same size as ALB at 96kg and 1.85m -
@toddy said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
Looking at that backline it's full of midgets with 5 players that halfback sized. It's a shame RIoane isn't starting a head of Reece.
When Weber comes on they will be bigger than most halfbacks.
Joking aside, they aren't units but aren't exactly midgets either (DMac aside)
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@toddy said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
About as good a team as they can pick at the moment.
Couple of question for me
Bower seems to get through quite a tackles in a game but I'd be interested to know if any of them are dominant tackles. Seems to have quite a low technique for a big fulla. Better than risking a card but you have to find a balance from your big men.
Barrett will help with the collisions where BBBR was like a wet paper bag but only if he stays on the park.
Savea is coming back from injury and has hardly played 7 since 2019. Are we going to have Savea and AIoane out on the wings with just Jacobson doing the donkey work or will Savea actually play like a 7.
Good to see Smith paired with RM. Seems pretty clear that RM is the number pick so hopefully he gets a sh*tload of game time there now. BB back to his impact role.
Looking at that backline it's full of midgets with 5 players that halfback sized. It's a shame RIoane isn't starting a head of Reece.
Yeah Bower is an interesting one. Surprised he actually made the ABs, but they must see something that I don’t.
I’m quietly excited to see how this loose forward trio will go. On paper there is a skill set that complements each other, but they haven’t played together which means we will probably see a little disjointed stuff.
With Havili at 12 and a genuine playmaker, I think this will free up Mo’unga to take on the line a bit more. Again on paper Havili / ALB could be exciting.
On the back 3, Will Jordan is a good 6’2, not Jordie height, but he has more size than most people think.
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@act-crusader said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
Congrats to Frizell for making his debut. Good luck with your AB career young fella. Upwards and onwards
NZR must have ran out of numbers for Shannon.
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@bovidae said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
@act-crusader said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
Congrats to Frizell for making his debut. Good luck with your AB career young fella. Upwards and onwards
NZR must have ran out of numbers for Shannon.
Or debating whether to put down appearances or last chances?
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@chris said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
If you are regarding Havilli as one of the 5 midgets at (1.84m and 95kg ) I wouldn't regard him as a midget.Not massive but not a midget.
Pretty much the Same size as ALB at 96kg and 1.85mThat's the long way of saying midget
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@bovidae said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
The matchday 23 is (Test caps in brackets)
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George Bower (2)
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Codie Taylor (57)
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Nepo Laulala (30)
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Scott Barrett (41)
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Samuel Whitelock (124) - captain
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Akira Ioane (3)
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Ardie Savea (49)
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Luke Jacobson (4)
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Aaron Smith (98)
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Richie Mo’unga (23)
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Sevu Reece (9)
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David Havili (4)
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Anton Lienert-Brown (49)
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Will Jordan (4)
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Damian McKenzie (29)
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Dane Coles (76)
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Ethan de Groot (1)
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Angus Ta’avao (15)
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Brodie Retallick (82)
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Shannon Frizell
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Brad Weber (8)
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Beauden Barrett (90)
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Rieko Ioane (35)
Sheesh, that's a team that's probably only 3 selections away from what I would pick.
Swap Reece out of the team, squad, country completely for Rieko, I'd even allow having both Barrett's on the bench in this scenario.
Swap Retallick and Barrett. Retallick needs game time, Barrett needs fewer chances to get carded.
Start our best hooker in Coles.
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That's pretty much a Crusaders' tight five, which should help with combinations.
I think they are still rotating a few players so as SB wasn't involved last week he gets a chance in this test. We'll get to see the old guard in the 2nd half.
Taylor needs to step up. He played like Tarzan for the Crusaders and Jane for the ABs last season, so we can't afford another repeat of that.
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Is Bridge injured? Its going to make for a boring fern match day thread, without his availablility to distribute ..
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and i put Stan Sport on last night so i will actually watch
Might watch last weeks to see what all the whinging was about
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@bayimports said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
Is Bridge injured? Its going to make for a boring fern match day thread, without his availablility to distribute ..
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Hmmm, I think its closer to our strongest side but there's still plenty of spots up for grabs.
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@bayimports said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
Is Bridge injured? Its going to make for a boring fern match day thread, without his availablility to distribute ..
it will be his fault for not being there
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An important game for the loose forward combination
When Papali'i returns you'd assume SF drops out of the 23. Savea is an almost certain starter for the big matches given the lack of experienced loosies
The question for those big Tests will be does Savea start 7 or 8? Depending on where he starts it will be Jacobson or Papali'i on the bench
At the moment I think Papali'i has his nose on front but that could easily change
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So DMac is regarded as being ahead of Jordie Barrett - or is Jordie injured?
Great to see Akira picked at 6 ahead of Frizell and Jacobsen ahead of Sotutu.I guess they have to play Ardie, but I'd be surprised if he is up to speed (though certainly tall enough)
