Exodus
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How on earth does a player go from a lock in the AB squad one year to not getting a new contract from his franchise and buggering off overseas the next?
Because he was incorrectly getting selected ahead of better players last year. I blame Foster & Robertson. At least they both realised their error this year
Doesn't help when you aren't even a lock in your Super team
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I rate Bridge. High work rate, usually low error rate, versatile and usually dependable. Doesn’t have the x-factor of Jordan or Fainga’anuku so I can understand why he was overlooked especially when his form dipped.
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@TheMojoman said in Exodus:
I rate Bridge. High work rate, usually low error rate, versatile and usually dependable. Doesn’t have the x-factor of Jordan or Fainga’anuku so I can understand why he was overlooked especially when his form dipped.
Yeah but when those qualities let him down there was nothing to fall back on.
Dropping him is one of the only things Foster has gotten right.
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@TheMojoman said in Exodus:
usually low error rate
I'm not sure I buy that. Does this just mean he doesn't drop it? Because he definitely makes errors ball in hand - things like getting chucked over the sideline, somehow not scoring when the line is wide open, etc, etc.
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@TheMojoman said in Exodus:
usually low error rate
I'm not sure I buy that. Does this just mean he doesn't drop it? Because he definitely makes errors ball in hand - things like getting chucked over the sideline, somehow not scoring when the line is wide open, etc, etc.
Agree. Even at Super level I never fully trusted him. I guess I still had PTSD from his effort against the BIL where he dropped nearly every high ball that went his way. Yes, I hold a grudge.
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@TheMojoman said in Exodus:
usually low error rate
I'm not sure I buy that. Does this just mean he doesn't drop it? Because he definitely makes errors ball in hand - things like getting chucked over the sideline, somehow not scoring when the line is wide open, etc, etc.
Perhaps Bridge was just playing to the AB coaching strategy and it is only now the current ABs have caught up?
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@nostrildamus said in Exodus:
@TheMojoman said in Exodus:
usually low error rate
I'm not sure I buy that. Does this just mean he doesn't drop it? Because he definitely makes errors ball in hand - things like getting chucked over the sideline, somehow not scoring when the line is wide open, etc, etc.
Perhaps Bridge was just playing to the AB coaching strategy and it is only now the current ABs have caught up?
No, they were definitely doing so last year and the year before.
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@nostrildamus said in Exodus:
@TheMojoman said in Exodus:
usually low error rate
I'm not sure I buy that. Does this just mean he doesn't drop it? Because he definitely makes errors ball in hand - things like getting chucked over the sideline, somehow not scoring when the line is wide open, etc, etc.
Perhaps Bridge was just playing to the AB coaching strategy and it is only now the current ABs have caught up?
No, they were definitely doing so last year and the year before.
Yes but he was more consistent. Plus he had more natural empathy, jogging directly into the opposition so they could see what he was doing more clearly.
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According to Rugbyrama, Lyon has announced during a press conference that they have signed Fletcher Smith on an injury replacement contract (joker medical) for injured Lima Sopoaga, who required surgery.
Sopoaga contraint de subir une opération : un autre Néo-Zélandais le supplée à Lyon
TRANSFERTS - Ce lundi avait lieu la conférence de presse de début de saison à Lyon. L'occasion pour Yann Roubert, président du Lou, de présenter les enjeux de la saison, et pour Xavier Garbajosa de se présenter en...
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Didn't expect Super Rugby Aupiki to lead to a female player exodus that quickly.
Matatū and Canterbury back Liv McGoverne has signed with Exeter Chiefs Women.
https://www.exeterchiefs.co.uk/news/appleby-confirms-six-new-arrivals
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I have a different view on Laumape. I think he was never really given a full shot to develop at test level.
A few consecutive games starting with the same 13 could have been a different story. He was always comparable to Nonu, with the difference that Nonu was fortunate enough to start constantly with his Canes team mate, Smith.
Not saying he defo would have kicked on and nailed the 12 jersey (in my view, that is a distinct possibility though) but I don't think he was ever really given a proper full shot at it.
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@MajorRage but the other contenders played consistently better than him when he had his chance. So why on earth would you give him a prolonged run to develop a combo and leave one of them out?
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@MajorRage but the other contenders played consistently better than him when he had his chance. So why on earth would you give him a prolonged run to develop a combo and leave one of them out?
Who played better than him at 12? Our most selected player during that period was ALB? Who seems to have been shifted between 12 and 13 all the time.
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@MajorRage Agreed. ABs just never committed to him. Looked like the kind of player they just tried to find faults with instead of just letting him run. Initially, with SBW around it made some kind of sense but post 2019 he wasn’t given the crack he deserved and had to take the bag. If he had left for Ireland 6 years ago, we all know how it would have ended up.
