All Blacks vs Wallabies Bledisloe 1 Eden Park 7th Aug
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Media release: https://www.allblacks.com/news/all-blacks-team-named-for-opening-bledisloe-cup-test-against-australia/
It will be a special night for halfback Aaron Smith, who will play his 100th Test, after making his Test debut against Ireland back in 2012.
The starting front row is unchanged from the last Test outing against Fiji, with loosehead prop George Bower, hooker Codie Taylor and tighthead Nepo Laulala supported by props Karl Tu’inukuafe and Angus Ta’avao, together with hooker Dane Coles.
Brodie Retallick is back at starting lock alongside captain Samuel Whitelock with Scott Barrett on the bench.
In the loose forwards, Ardie Savea is at eight, with Dalton Papalii at seven and Akira Ioane in the six jersey. Luke Jacobson is loose forward cover.
In the backs, Richie Mo’unga is again at ten, outside Smith. Second five eighth David Havili and centre Anton Lienert-Brown are the midfield combination. Rieko Ioane moves to the left wing, Sevu Reece is on the right and Damian McKenzie is at fullback. Halfback Brad Weber, Beauden Barrett and Jordie Barrett are the back reserves.
Props Joe Moody and Ofa Tuungafasi weren’t considered for selection as they return from injuries, while the selectors have also taken a considered approach with outside back Will Jordan’s return from a slight hamstring strain. -
that backline is going to do some damage
The rest of the world is probably really confused how/why we have the three barretts on the bench
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@bovidae said in All Blacks vs Wallabies Bledisloe 1 Eden Park 7th Aug:
DO NOT like Ardie being used as a no.8 again.
One good change, Rieko back on the wing, has to be balanced out by one dumb one, Ardie at 8.
Put Ardie at 7, Jacobsen at 8, Jordan in place of Reece and I'm good. Edit: Jordan has a hamstring injury. JB for the right wing then.
This was much closer to my selection than I expected.
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Bower isn't the future, so I'm not sure why they aren't investing in the Groot. With Bower and Laulala we will get fuck all out of our front rowers.
Apart from that, I think they are shoe-horning in Ardie rather than making a choice about specialists.
After that, I don't see why we need Mo'unga, Dmac, Barret x 2 in the 23. There are better options that could use here. We could actually have a 6/2 bench.
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Tu’inukuafe not starting is also a strange selection. Usually you start with your strongest scrummagers and bring on mobile props as subs. It can only be to use Bower's ball-carrying to compensate for Laulala's lack of it. The same for reserve props, with Ta'avao much better with ball in hand.
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@bovidae said in All Blacks vs Wallabies Bledisloe 1 Eden Park 7th Aug:
Tu’inukuafe not starting is also a strange selection. Usually you start with your strongest scrummagers and bring on mobile props as subs. It can only be to use Bower's ball-carrying to compensate for Laulala's lack of it. The same for reserve props, with Ta'avao much better with ball in hand.
Bahahaha - the guy has 3 metres from two games! He's no ball runner!!
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jesus, it's like they make a couple of decisions just to fuck with the public. It all looks so good, and then we end up with fucking Ardie at 8 again. And seriously, if DMac's last test didn't play him out of the spot, then it is impossible to get dropped from the ABs
We are desperately short at fullback.
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@gt12 said in All Blacks vs Wallabies Bledisloe 1 Eden Park 7th Aug:
Bower isn't the future, so I'm not sure why they aren't investing in the Groot. With Bower and Laulala we will get fuck all out of our front rowers.
Apart from that, I think they are shoe-horning in Ardie rather than making a choice about specialists.
After that, I don't see why we need Mo'unga, Dmac, Barret x 2 in the 23. There are better options that could use here. We could actually have a 6/2 bench.
yeah, dont get when these older guys get a shot in anything other than a world cup year and after a whole lot of injuries when experience might outweigh potential...and even then someone like Ash dixon with several years of awesomeness and leadership rather than at best "solid" bower (obviously not for each other seeing as different positions)
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@tim said in All Blacks vs Wallabies Bledisloe 1 Eden Park 7th Aug:
@bovidae said in All Blacks vs Wallabies Bledisloe 1 Eden Park 7th Aug:
Tu’inukuafe not starting is also a strange selection.
To be brought on to counter Tupou, who also is a replacement?
Good point. Slipper can co have talked up attacking the AB scrum.
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@bovidae said in All Blacks vs Wallabies Bledisloe 1 Eden Park 7th Aug:
@gt12 I was going to add "relatively" compared to Nepo. Our props suck, even when compared to the Wallaby props as ball-carriers.
Big Karl is a better ball runner than both - in one game this year he made more metres than both of them made in the other two games (Karl: 6 runs, 9 metres, 1 defender beaten).
Laulala also has more runs (5 versus 1) and the same amount of metres (3) as Bower from those two games.
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@tim said in All Blacks vs Wallabies Bledisloe 1 Eden Park 7th Aug:
@bovidae said in All Blacks vs Wallabies Bledisloe 1 Eden Park 7th Aug:
Tu’inukuafe not starting is also a strange selection.
To be brought on to counter Tupou, who also is a replacement?
That's the only logical reason IMO.
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@mariner4life ffs aye, leave the guy at 7. So Jacobsen plays out of his skin and gets dropped, totally makes sense Foster.
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@canes4life he honestly doesn't think most players can play more than one game in a row, make me worried when we get to a world cup when they have to play several in a few weeks, no one will be settled or battle hardened
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@bovidae said in All Blacks vs Wallabies Bledisloe 1 Eden Park 7th Aug:
DO NOT like Ardie being used as a no.8 again.
He's not the best 8, not the best 7 and certainly not the best 6. It seems like the selectors hare terrified of being criticised on social media. He should be on the bench where given his athleticism he can make a real impact in any of those positions towards the final quarter of a match if required.
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Ardie at 8 isn't a big deal. Papali'i was the form openside in SR and they are having another look at him.
At this stage they clearly aren't comfortable having Papali'i/Jacobson/Ioane as a trio because of their lack of Tests. Maybe that changes later in the year.
They need to get more Tests into all three of those players so I expect some rotationI expect Jacobson will probably start again in the second Eden Park Test
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@mariner4life said in All Blacks vs Wallabies Bledisloe 1 Eden Park 7th Aug:
And seriously, if DMac's last test didn't play him out of the spot, then it is impossible to get dropped from the ABs
The coaches must go to bed watching fan videos of DMac Super Rugby highlights.
