All Blacks v Ireland - 1st Test
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Sotutu is the most unlucky IMO, he was sublime this season and should be starting with Ardie on the bench and bringing impact later. Paps should be starting 6 and SB on the bench to cover lock and 6.
But I guess Fozzie and co know best so I am sure the starters will all have blinders.
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So the last big game at 6 he got exposed for pace at six, has he gotten faster in the past three years?
SR games at 6 against weaker sides leave us in the Frizzel realm. Effective, even good, at SR level and a damp squib at the next level up.
Now at lock he’s proven himself (even with regular brain farts).
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This conversation is driving me fucking nuts.
We're playing a lock at 6 to hopefully make up for the fact that we are playing an impact 7 at 8.
At what point are the selectors going to man up and make a choice that it would be better for AB rugby to lose Ardie Savea, so that we could get some fucking balance?
Fuck him if he leaves because he has to play off the bench. We'd be better off.
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@gt12 said in All Blacks v Ireland - 1st Test:
This conversation is driving me fucking nuts.
We're playing a lock at 6 to hopefully make up for the fact that we are playing an impact 7 at 8.
At what point are the selectors going to man up and make a choice that it would be better for AB rugby to lose Ardie Savea, so that we could get some fucking balance?
Fuck him if he leaves because he has to play off the bench. We'd be better off.
He's absolutely not the answer to the question of how to improve the performance of our forward pack, so that our world class backline can get more ball with more time and more space. Ardie's entire USP is looking really good playing in a shit team. He's just not worth throwing out the entire balance of our forward pack.
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@Frank said in All Blacks v Ireland - 1st Test:
@Bones said in All Blacks v Ireland - 1st Test:
And the Taylor selection is a disgrace.
No, you see, because Samisoni is the better player, we give him 20 minutes off the bench for IMPACT!!!!!!
You're doing this wrong.
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Now is the time to do some serious pruning. Takes courage.
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@Frank said in All Blacks v Ireland - 1st Test:
@Bones said in All Blacks v Ireland - 1st Test:
And the Taylor selection is a disgrace.
No, you see, because Samisoni is the better player, we give him 20 minutes off the bench for IMPACT!!!!!!
Yep, he's crucial to delivering the front foot ball in that last 20 so Christie can put Ennor into space
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@Chris-B said in All Blacks v Ireland - 1st Test:
@Kirwan Don't think that's right. In one of our few big plays in the game, Scott ran down the English wing!
He has good pace. For a lock.
Same reason I'm not convinced about Vaai at 6 either, much slower than Akira, Dalton, PGS, Cane, Savea, Blackadder, Grace (I could keep going).
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@Kirwan said in All Blacks v Ireland - 1st Test:
@Chris-B said in All Blacks v Ireland - 1st Test:
@Kirwan Don't think that's right. In one of our few big plays in the game, Scott ran down the English wing!
He has good pace. For a lock.
Same reason I'm not convinced about Vaai at 6 either, much slower than Akira, Dalton, PGS, Cane, Savea, Blackadder, Grace (I could keep going).
Vai'i as a 6 was a stopgap and he did a pretty good job. I liked what I saw but more in potential rather than where he currently is. I'd imagine that he has room to up his speed work training wise.
His future is far more prescribed at lock though and unless he's presented with a clear plan to move position he should stay where he is. -
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@Bones said in All Blacks v Ireland - 1st Test:
@Chris-B said in All Blacks v Ireland - 1st Test:
@Bones Read my post above on Vaa'i.
Scott Barrett is a rookie at 6 full stop. Vaai has been an AB for two years now isn't it? And has shown he's more than capable at test level, as Well as showing he's a better 6 than Barrett (at least at SR). We have different definitions of rookie...
Scott barrett would of played more at 6 than Vai'i wouldn't he? Vai'i (whom I a fan of) has only played there on 2-3 occasions. Barrett has played there a reasonable amount of times as he he has been used as cover for 6 at both ABs and Crusaders if my memory serves me right.
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Christ on a bike, I've just read back the last few pages of the thread and am forming a mental picture of a bunch of posters sitting in a padded cell banging their heads against the wall mumbling "Foster! fucking Foster! Fat Foster! wah Foster!"
I'm not for one minute saying that he is beyond debate or discussion but some of the stuff is deranged thinking based on complete lack of knowledge of what is happening in camp. A rough example got like this...
"He's an idiot for not selecting Akira"
"Akira has a foot injury"
"He's an idiot anyway"
Pause
"He's an idiot for not selecting Akira"
"..and he's fat"Any chance we can lift the level of commentary back up to the usual low Fern standards? These depths are PR like.
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@Bovidae said in All Blacks v Ireland - 1st Test:
Vaa'i would be the quickest of all the AB locks but I don't see him as a long-term specialist no.6.
Me neither Bovidae, I see him as a very similat style lock to Itoje, not real big , but a all round player. I have said so on posts here early in year.
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My 2c on the issues:
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props: no comment. Think we have issues regardless
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hooker: I get the philosophy of ST coming on later, not saying that's what I'd pick, just I understand the apparent intent.
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6: I'm hoping the philosophy is to bolster our tight forwards. I like how SB has been carrying on the SR finals. I don't think it's a case of covering for the 7s, more making our tighties better. Again, wouldn't have done it but see potential merit.
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PGS: Odd for me. Given Akira is out I'd have gone Sotutu or Vaa'I. May be the token debutant in the squad. Debut for squad development sake.
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Ennor: if you're picking RTS in the squad, pick RTS in the squad. Saw argument that Jordie would cover 12 so Ennor was needed for something. Not a hater on Ennor, as is the norm for The Fern, but the obvious counter is if you have RTS on the bench perhaps he covers 12. There's plenty of versatility in the poof division, and it seems the numbers are fairly interchangeable as phases develop anyway.
Otherwise fine. Otherwise just dandy.
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@gt12 said in All Blacks v Ireland - 1st Test:
This conversation is driving me fucking nuts.
We're playing a lock at 6 to hopefully make up for the fact that we are playing an impact 7 at 8.
At what point are the selectors going to man up and make a choice that it would be better for AB rugby to lose Ardie Savea, so that we could get some fucking balance?
Fuck him if he leaves because he has to play off the bench. We'd be better off.
So if Ardie is a 7 playing at 8, why is he picked in world VXs at 8, why does he look to be the first player named in any super team while playing at 8? He is a pretty capable 8, and because he can also play 7 doesn't stop him being a bloody good 8. Who has said he will bugger off if he is on bench, that is just making shit up and seemingly trying to make Ardie look like an arsehole.
