AB Props
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Alex Fidow is arguably the best ball carrying prop in New Zealand. However, his weakness in terms of scrummaging is a crippling flaw for higher honors. On Tuesday, his switch to the loose head gave interesting results as the Canes scrum was dominant. But it was only Moana Pasifika. I'd like to see him there against harder opposition (Reds, Brumbies). If he can hold his own against THPs like Tupou or Ala'atoa, then he could be considered for the national squad as the All Blacks do need a good ball carrying prop who can also do his core duties well enough.
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@cgrant Alex Fidow is overrated. His scrummaging is not the best, his work rate around the paddock and at the breakdown is not up to the same standard as Alex Hodgman or Daniel Leniert-Brown. Basing your observation one one game against an exhausted Moana Pasifika who have been playing short turn around games against the Blues and Hurricanes is not a good example.
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@stargazer a shift to 6 could be a master stroke.
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@number9 said in Alex Fidow's switch to the loose head : good news for the All Blacks ?:
@cgrant Alex Fidow is overrated. His scrummaging is not the best, his work rate around the paddock and at the breakdown is not up to the same standard as Alex Hodgman or Daniel Leniert-Brown. Basing your observation one one game against an exhausted Moana Pasifika who have been playing short turn around games against the Blues and Hurricanes is not a good example.
I think he’s perfectly rated. He may or may not be a good super player (let alone AB) - the jury is completely out on him.
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@gt12 said in Alex Fidow's switch to the loose head : good news for the All Blacks ?:
@number9 said in Alex Fidow's switch to the loose head : good news for the All Blacks ?:
@cgrant Alex Fidow is overrated. His scrummaging is not the best, his work rate around the paddock and at the breakdown is not up to the same standard as Alex Hodgman or Daniel Leniert-Brown. Basing your observation one one game against an exhausted Moana Pasifika who have been playing short turn around games against the Blues and Hurricanes is not a good example.
I think he’s perfectly rated. He may or may not be a good super player (let alone AB) - the jury is completely out on him.
Yeah can't recall seeing him rated.
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We have a good young ball carrying loosehead in Ethan de Groot
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This article discusses which props have been contributing the best to general play etc
Similar to what has been discussed in this thread and the (merged) Fidow thread
Is Ian Foster prepared to make a big call in the front row?
All Blacks head coach Ian Foster will have likely already seen enough throughout the first half of the Super Rugby Pacific season to begin pencilling in his props for upcoming July series with Ireland.
When it comes to work at the breakdown, the two standout performers in NZ are Tyrel Lomax and 2020 All Black Alex Hodgman.Possible props for All Blacks July squad: Joe Moody, Alex Hodgman, Ethan de Groot, Tyrel Lomax, Fletcher Newell, Ofa Tuungafasi -
@duluth having genuine ball running props has been a huge issue for a few years now, given when the ABs dominated everything, having skillful props was a cornerstone of our game.
If we get preops doing more of that, takes the heat off other players to carry the load of getting over the gainline.
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@taniwharugby said in AB Props:
@duluth having genuine ball running props has been a huge issue for a few years now, given when the ABs dominated everything, having skillful props was a cornerstone of our game.
If we get preops doing more of that, takes the heat off other players to carry the load of getting over the gainline.
Shifting bodies at breakdowns is the other issue. The whole tight five, but in particular the props, were terrible at it last year.
We get that right and several other problems with the AB general play will disappear
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@duluth The Breakdown highlighted the way the NH players were cleaning out rucks differently from the ABs and were getting quicker, cleaner ball. The AB forwards were going off their feet and the NH players were staying on their feet and clearing out people beyond the ball clearing space for their big ball runners. Basically, a small technical shift making a big difference.
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@old-samurai-jack said in AB Props:
clearing out people beyond the ball clearing space for their big ball runners
that is often illegal, but not always policed.
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@taniwharugby said in AB Props:
@old-samurai-jack said in AB Props:
clearing out people beyond the ball clearing space for their big ball runners
that is often illegal, but not always policed.
The NH teams have struck a deal
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@taniwharugby Yeah, I am sure it is a fine line but I think it is the act of staying on your feet and driving over the ball which is the letter of the law. That creates space and gets the defending team on the backfoot. Obvious but going off your feet stops the momentum forward, takes your own players out of the game, and gives the defending team time to fan out.
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@old-samurai-jack said in AB Props:
@taniwharugby Yeah, I am sure it is a fine line but I think it is the act of staying on your feet and driving over the ball which is the letter of the law. That creates space and gets the defending team on the backfoot.
How do you do that if the opposition forwards have fallen over the ball and sealed it off?
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@canefan The way I understood it is they were going in low and exploding upwards on their feet making clearing the breakdown more efficient. Maybe I took too much from the explanation but it made sense after watching the ABs get blown away by both the Irish and French in that area and the resultant space it created behind the AB pack.
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Ruck arrivals don't tell you everything (how effective are they once they get there etc)
Still, I thought these stats were interesting
Lomax is the first player to the ruck seven times per game on average – a stat more typical of a loose forward than a front-rower, while Hodgman averages 5.3 first arrivals per match. No other prop has been managing the same feat more than four times per game on average in the current season (with Joe Moody, Jermaine Ainsley, Ollie Norris and Aidan Ross all hitting that mark). In terms of overall offensive rucks hit, Lomax is again head and shoulders ahead of the flock, managing 106 this season (17.7 per game). Irish-born Crusaders prop Oli Jager’s 16.7 rucks per game is not far behind but only on seven occasions has Jager been the first player to a ruck – and therefore the most important player in the breakdown contest. On the defensive side of the breakdown, Chiefs loosehead Ollie Norris (3.5 attended per game) and Hodgman (3.3) lead the charts in terms of industriousness, while they’re part of a five-strong group who have secured two turnovers each throughout the season.
