All Blacks 2022
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@stargazer said in All Blacks 2022:
As I've written earlier in this thread, it's all about balance and whichever players complement each other and gel best.
I'd like to see in at least one test a 10-12-13 trio of Mo'unga, Havili and Fainga'anuku. I don't care whether that's as the starting trio or for a significant part of the second half, but I think it's worth seeing how that goes in a test match. It worked a treat in the Crusaders win over the Chiefs.
RM and Havilli are poor on defence at super level, so playing them together at the level above is not a great idea.
And against a willing defence LM was pretty anonymous. RI has been streets ahead of him at 13 and CC ahead of him at 11. I’d have him in the squad ahead of Ennor though.
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@machpants said in All Blacks 2022:
@crazy-horse said in All Blacks 2022:
@kirwan who is LM?
LF maybe?
That makes sense.
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@kirwan LF played mostly on the wing; I'm suggesting they try them together at 10-12-13 (as in the Chiefs v Crusaders game, and where they finished last night). When they started ringing in the changes in the second half, and he moved to the midfield, the Crusaders started playing much better, including all the players I mentioned.
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@stargazer said in All Blacks 2022:
@kirwan LF played mostly on the wing; I'm suggesting they try them together at 10-12-13 (as in the Chiefs v Crusaders game, and where they finished last night). When they started ringing in the changes in the second half, and he moved to the midfield, the Crusaders started playing much better, including all the players I mentioned.
At the next level, I believe Rieko has cemented his place at 13, which means we need the right 12 for him, not the right 13 to make RM and Havili work.
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@gt12 said in All Blacks 2022:
@stargazer said in All Blacks 2022:
@kirwan LF played mostly on the wing; I'm suggesting they try them together at 10-12-13 (as in the Chiefs v Crusaders game, and where they finished last night). When they started ringing in the changes in the second half, and he moved to the midfield, the Crusaders started playing much better, including all the players I mentioned.
At the next level, I believe Rieko has cemented his place at 13, which means we need the right 12 for him, not the right 13 to make RM and Havili work.
We'd still need Rieko's pace to cover their defence...
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Hopefully the ABs have given the Canes the word to play Jordie at 12 for the rest of the season. Wouldn't want him to be learning the trade at test level because if it doesn't consistently come off we might be in a bit of a pickle for the WC.
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@stargazer just taking a leaf out of the Crusaders book when it comes to arrogance.
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@crazy-horse said in All Blacks 2022:
@kirwan who is LM?
Combination of bartman typing syndrome and posting while watching TV
LF.
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@stargazer said in All Blacks 2022:
@kirwan LF played mostly on the wing; I'm suggesting they try them together at 10-12-13 (as in the Chiefs v Crusaders game, and where they finished last night). When they started ringing in the changes in the second half, and he moved to the midfield, the Crusaders started playing much better, including all the players I mentioned.
And I’m pointing out the channel between 10 and 12 would be a revolving door at Test level, and LF at 13 is well behind RI.
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@stargazer said in All Blacks 2022:
@number9 The Fern is too much of a hostile environment to them to be arrogant on here. But maybe you mean in the real world. That could be entirely true.
Do you have Chris on ignore?
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While I don't necessarily disagree with this, but according to the Fern a first 15 AB team would arguably only have Whitelock, Jordan and possibly Reece from the Crusaders. Yet, they have been the bench mark as a team for the last few years and last night the Blues scraped home. Somebody must be doing something right. Coaching? A team being better than the sum of its parts?
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@crazy-horse said in All Blacks 2022:
While I don't necessarily disagree with this, but according to the Fern a first 15 AB team would arguably only have Whitelock, Jordan and possibly Reece from the Crusaders. Yet, they have been the bench mark as a team for the last few years and last night the Blues scraped home. Somebody must be doing something right. Coaching? A team being better than the sum of its parts?
The Saders are the Melbourne Storm of super rugby. Good players, some stars, well coached and disciplined. Decent players are given the chance to look much better than that
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@crazy-horse Scott Barrett too. Blues forwards were rather dominant at ruck and tackle situations last night. It was when we kicked the ball away continually that the Crusaders came right back into it.
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@crazy-horse said in All Blacks 2022:
While I don't necessarily disagree with this, but according to the Fern a first 15 AB team would arguably only have Whitelock, Jordan and possibly Reece from the Crusaders. Yet, they have been the bench mark as a team for the last few years and last night the Blues scraped home. Somebody must be doing something right. Coaching? A team being better than the sum of its parts?
Good coaching, sure (I’d be happy with Razor as AB coach with the right assistants).
But also some players are good at Super level and don’t make the step up.
Add in talent is spread around the country, one on one matchups change the make up too.
Final thing to consider is players like Taylor might be going backwards individually, or at least being overtaken. Just because the Crusaders as a team are playing well doesn’t mean all their players get in the All Blacks.
That’s more a feather in the coaching groups cap. Individual selection then factors in form and the ability or potential to play Test rugby. And some players, like Bridge, have been tried and found wanting.
