All Blacks vs Fiji 2
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Media release: https://www.fijirugby.com/leone-nakarawa-to-lead-flying-fijians-in-the-second-test-match-as-cotter-makes-a-few-changes/Leone Nakarawa has been given more responsibility as he will lead the Flying Fijians against the All Blacks in their final test match on Saturday in Hamilton.
Nakarawa replaces Levani Botia for the captaincy role after the hard-hitting center was ruled out due to a knee injury earlier this week. -
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@nepia said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
@chris-b said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
@dan54 said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
Like the look of team. Understand no Blackadder really, he went well last week, but happy to see Jacobson cover 7. Can even understand Barrett at lock, think they probably feel we need to shift bodies at ruck time, and BR can keep working on getting back up to where he needs to be, give Akira another chance to show what he can do or maybe depart, and I thought Frizell went better than many gave him credit for last week, so happy with him on bench.
Only thing is I hope they put on good performance so we (or I) have to admit we don't know as much as we think!
I think Shannon gets a rougher ride on here than he's merited - but, I think the backrow would be more balanced if Blackadder was on the bench. As Bovidae points out - Frizell is probably a better option to sub on, but less versatile in case of injury.
Getting close to the best team we could field on Saturday (though if we were playing Australia, I reckon we'd find the much maligned Bridge on the wing).
It's a bit concerning to look through the starting XV and only find half a dozen players that are genuinely world class (would start for most test teams) - the others are either not or yet to prove it. Go back not many years and I reckon we would have had a dozen or more.
I think the post you quoted kind of highlights why Shannon gets a rougher ride on here. @Dan54 is suggesting Akira gets another chance or he maybe depart. Shannon has had multiple starts yet Akira has had two and he's apparently on his last chance.
I think even the diehardest of Ta$man fans, you and your boy TJ, can admit that Shannon hasn't set the world on fire at test level, and certainly not up to his Super standard.
Shannon's had some good tests and some not so good ones. In this day and age, with 14 tests, he's really only just getting started at test level.
He didn't have his most dynamic game last week, but it was his first game back from injury.
With due respect to Fiji, I'm not sure they're better than the SRA teams, so there's no reason any of our guys can't play well against them.
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@old-samurai-jack said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
Jordie does seem a bit ponderous compared to DMac at this level and although DMac is of small stature compared to lot of international players, he seems to punch well above his weight. I can understand this selection.
Also is Jordie really that physical ?? Sure he’s very tall but he’s not exactly a Jonah/Julian type wrecking ball…..
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@dan54 Really? Frizell lacks power in contact, unlike Akira. Yes, Frizell's stats look good tackle wise but if he had more sting in the tackle, opposition players would probably think twice before running at him so much.
I think most on here including myself rate Sam Cane very highly and would be one of the first picked at full strength.
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@african-monkey thats the issue though, he was super physical in his first season and at super rugby level, he scored some great tries with a couple of tacklers hanging off him, he was/is very physical, he just hasn't shown it over the last two international seasons
part of me thinks some of it is game plan, fozzie doesnt ask the same things of him as the Highlanders
But if he's going to play im not unhappy with him on the bench, against a tiring team he might shine more and get some vibe back
by god i wish they would stop swapping around so much though, let the guys settle into a position
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@gt12 said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
@victor-meldrew said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
@taniwharugby said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
@victor-meldrew to be fair, it took a long time to settle on Ma'a-Conrad, IIRC it was something like 25 consecutive tests without ever starting the same pair.
Yep. We played a fullback at 13, tried a Flat Back Line approach (remember Casey Laulala?) and mucked about with Isaia Toeava.
But at some stage you have to stop experimenting, make a decision and stick to it.
I know this is heresy, but Nonu is lucky that they didn't try Toeava at 12 and give him 5 tests there.
At that time in Nonu's career, that would have made for some very interesting discussions, because Toeava was lethal at 12 (he was just almost never used there).
Yes I think way back when Tana Umaga said 12 could be his best position. Oh well.
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I like this team as well! But I hope they are testing the starting props as they were well outdone around the field by their Fijian opponents-I thought Fiji used their props far better than we did.
I've gone to the 'Shannon isn't so bad but he doesn't seem to synch well with others' frame of mind. I suspect he is a real fave with the coaching staff but he needs for me to reproduce the impact he had for the Highlanders.
Also I've fallen into the 'Jordie is pretty good actually as AB fullback' camp. Sure his kicking game wasn't perfect but when you are booting it 20m further than the others your mistakes don't get capitalized on so much. He might not tackle like Jerry Collins but he is far more likely to stop the big bllokes than the mulleted Jack Russell from the Waikato.
And a good-looking midfield! How often does that happen lately!! Well ok, more often recently, but a gripe is a gripe..
Still, I hope I don't see Mr Foster looking out of his depth, passive, frustrated, but motionless in the coaching box. In the last test on the cutaway tv movements he looked like a passenger, not an engaged coach.
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@antipodean Bower and Laulala seem to be best rated of available props, but bench better in loose, and I thought they might mix and match with Ta’avao staring to provide pep. Nepo is the ideal built, though, for some serious clean out work.
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@machpants said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
Often doesn't work out playing against opposite numbers, but...
Sevu Reece: 179/98 v Setariki Tuicuvu: 179/94
Damn similarWill Jordan: 188/94 v Nemani Nadolo: 195/137
Ouch!DMac: 176/81 v Kini Murimurivalu: 184/101
More ouch!Is Nadolo 137kgs now?!!!
We'd have to put Ben Tamiefuna on the wing for that not to be ouch!!!
He'll take some stopping if he can get a roll on, but if I were Jordan I'd fancy my chances of running round him.
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@frank said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
@dan54 said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
yep I not sure I agree Shannon has been that bad anyway, he is actually generally a more physical type 6 than Akira.
You watch rugby?
Yep usually watch 2-3 games live on Saturday, and everything on TV. I repeat Frizell is generally more physical than Akira, because he does a shit load more work in rucks and mauls where most physical rugby is.
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@nostrildamus said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
I like this team as well! But I hope they are testing the starting props as they were well outdone around the field by their Fijian opponents-I thought Fiji used their props far better than we did.
I've gone to the 'Shannon isn't so bad but he doesn't seem to synch well with others' frame of mind. I suspect he is a real fave with the coaching staff but he needs for me to reproduce the impact he had for the Highlanders.
Also I've fallen into the 'Jordie is pretty good actually as AB fullback' camp. Sure his kicking game wasn't perfect but when you are booting it 20m further than the others your mistakes don't get capitalized on so much. He might not tackle like Jerry Collins but he is far more likely to stop the big bllokes than the mulleted Jack Russell from the Waikato.
And a good-looking midfield! How often does that happen lately!! Well ok, more often recently, but a gripe is a gripe..
Still, I hope I don't see Mr Foster looking out of his depth, passive, frustrated, but motionless in the coaching box. In the last test on the cutaway tv movements he looked like a passenger, not an engaged coach.
Really? I don't really care what any coach looks like in the box, some bounce around, some are animated some sit there quietly, geez I didn;t think that was how anyone judged coahes.
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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 ..
Don't worry, they're going to make full use of his distribution skills to distribute the water
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@machpants said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
Often doesn't work out playing against opposite numbers, but...
Sevu Reece: 179/98 v Setariki Tuicuvu: 179/94
Damn similarWill Jordan: 188/94 v Nemani Nadolo: 195/137
Ouch!DMac: 176/81 v Kini Murimurivalu: 184/101
More ouch!Reece has to be the smallest looking 98kg guy I've ever seen.
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A lot of you blokes will be too young to remember Grant Batty streaming down the right wing, but he is (according to his Wikipedia page) about 1.65m (5 foot 1) and (was) 65 kgs (just over 10 stone). He makes me (170cm and 70 kgs) look like Brodie Rettalick.
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@machpants said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
Often doesn't work out playing against opposite numbers, but...
Sevu Reece: 179/98 v Setariki Tuicuvu: 179/94
Damn similarWill Jordan: 188/94 v Nemani Nadolo: 195/137
Ouch!DMac: 176/81 v Kini Murimurivalu: 184/101
More ouch!I would be absolutely amazed to stand next to Reece and have him only an inch shorter than me. I don't buy it...
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@dan54 said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
@nostrildamus said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
I like this team as well! But I hope they are testing the starting props as they were well outdone around the field by their Fijian opponents-I thought Fiji used their props far better than we did.
I've gone to the 'Shannon isn't so bad but he doesn't seem to synch well with others' frame of mind. I suspect he is a real fave with the coaching staff but he needs for me to reproduce the impact he had for the Highlanders.
Also I've fallen into the 'Jordie is pretty good actually as AB fullback' camp. Sure his kicking game wasn't perfect but when you are booting it 20m further than the others your mistakes don't get capitalized on so much. He might not tackle like Jerry Collins but he is far more likely to stop the big bllokes than the mulleted Jack Russell from the Waikato.
And a good-looking midfield! How often does that happen lately!! Well ok, more often recently, but a gripe is a gripe..
Still, I hope I don't see Mr Foster looking out of his depth, passive, frustrated, but motionless in the coaching box. In the last test on the cutaway tv movements he looked like a passenger, not an engaged coach.
Really? I don't really care what any coach looks like in the box, some bounce around, some are animated some sit there quietly, geez I didn;t think that was how anyone judged coahes.
I understand what you are saying, and you are right, the results count. He has won 50% of his games against Argentina and Australia...
... And he still looked like a spectactor.
