All Blacks squad - The Rugby Championship
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I can’t remember what test it was last year but I remember the All Blacks looked at their very best when they had a trio of Blackadder, Ardie and Sotutu. I wouldn’t mind seeing that trio again with Dalton off the bench.
Then again, I think Blackadder is out for the season so that won’t happen anyway.
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@Crucial said in All Blacks squad - The Rugby Championship:
@The-Docter said in All Blacks squad - The Rugby Championship:
Cane needs to lose captaincy, therefore at the very least doesn’t start. Simple!
I think you have it arse about face. I have no issue with his captaincy or mana in the team. My questions are simply whether he’s our best option in the 7 jersey.
That’s either because they think Ardie can move back to openside (which I’m not convinced on. He has to be there but is neither a 7 or 8 in the traditional setups) or Ardie stays 8 and DP gets more time.
I agree that if DP is going to take over openside then he needs to get up to speed before the RWC but that solves nothing in regards to the balance of the looses.Loose forward balance is important. And we need to be conscious of the fact that NH refs rucks differently, so skills needed may be a bit different.
For me Ardie is not a starting eight. Not a ruck disrupter, lineout goto, big hitter, etc.. can see a role at 8 later in game as things open up.
Two obvious 8s for squad are Hoskins and Grace. If we take two bashers at 6 then Akira and PGS (who in my mind is in competition with Frizzel).
So Ardie ought to start at 7 if at all. IMO we need ruck physicality in our starting 7 so Cane or Paps.
So if Paps is starting 7, then Cane should be dropped completely. Or start with Cane and put Ardie on bench.
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@The-Docter seriously, does anyone on this this forum truly believe we can win the next world cup with Sam Cane as captain?
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@booboo said in All Blacks squad - The Rugby Championship:
@Machpants said in All Blacks squad - The Rugby Championship:
@Chris said in All Blacks squad - The Rugby Championship:
@Bovidae said in All Blacks squad - The Rugby Championship:
The squad assembles in Wellington on Monday so I am sure that the players know who is going to SA, or not.
With this management lot probably they don't know.
A few txts on Monday morning where are you the plane is leaving in 5 min.I dunno once you're in Foster's squad it's hard to get kicked out. So it'll be the same 34/36 placyers with replacements for Brodie and Karl.
Probs Gus (misses first test doesn't he? And probably still concussed)
And how is Ofa's noggin?That Angus, not PGS
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@The-Docter said in All Blacks squad - The Rugby Championship:
@The-Docter seriously, does anyone on this this forum truly believe we can win the next world cup with Sam Cane as captain?
Talking to yourself? That’s a new one even for here.
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There is clearly some enmity between Cane and Foster.
Stories that mood of team dropped when Foster returned for second test training.
Also suggestions Captain’s Run on Friday first rate, which suggest team supports him.
That said, if Foster backed for now, not unreasonable that he have a captain who’s a believer.
Then again, Ardie is not the saviour of everything, which appears to be a Foster mantra.
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@Crucial said in All Blacks squad - The Rugby Championship:
@Machpants said in All Blacks squad - The Rugby Championship:
@Crucial said in All Blacks squad - The Rugby Championship:
BTW if my sauce is correct the reason for delaying the announcement of the team has no conspiracy attached. It is for far more normal and “human” reasons.
It may become evident soon.Foster is pregnant?
Close.
Who’s the dirty prick?
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@pakman said in All Blacks squad - The Rugby Championship:
@Crucial said in All Blacks squad - The Rugby Championship:
@Machpants said in All Blacks squad - The Rugby Championship:
@Crucial said in All Blacks squad - The Rugby Championship:
BTW if my sauce is correct the reason for delaying the announcement of the team has no conspiracy attached. It is for far more normal and “human” reasons.
It may become evident soon.Foster is pregnant?
Close.
Who’s the dirty prick?
It was a Shag. That’s all I know.
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@Crucial said in All Blacks squad - The Rugby Championship:
The journos have it all wrong anyway. Ardie is the new captain. You heard it on the fern first.
I have a sauce.If correct, I will definitely throw all my toys out of the cot.
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Loose forwards seem self evident to me, but it means playing players in their best positions, which the brains trust won't even fucking entertain.
Start with Akira - Cane - Sotutu with Ardie off the bench to dominate the final 30. That's world class.
The others are in the mix and could well displace the above depending on form and opposition. But for fucks sakes play them in their best positions. For example both Sotutu and Grace are better 8s than Ardie.
Longer term I think Paps will replace Cane as the starting 7 and captain, but I it's a bit early for that yet. Needs to finds his feet at test level first.
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@No-Quarter said in All Blacks squad - The Rugby Championship:
Loose forwards seem self evident to me, but it means playing players in their best positions, which the brains trust won't even fucking entertain.
Start with Akira - Cane - Sotutu with Ardie off the bench to dominate the final 30. That's world class.
The others are in the mix and could well displace the above depending on form and opposition. But for fucks sakes play them in their best positions. For example both Sotutu and Grace are better 8s than Ardie.
Longer term I think Paps will replace Cane as the starting 7 and captain, but I it's a bit early for that yet. Needs to finds his feet at test level first.
I agree but Grace needs to prove himself still as AB 8..
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@nostrildamus so does Sotutu but they're not going to get a fucking chance are they
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It's funny how Grace has become the flavour of the month based on his performance in the final and for the Maori. Up to that point not many people on here were saying he should be in the squad.
I like him, but he still has a lot to learn. I think he's caught between a 6 and an 8 at the moment.
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@Crazy-Horse said in All Blacks squad - The Rugby Championship:
It's funny how Grace has become the flavour of the month based on his performance in the final and for the Maori. Up to that point not many people on here were saying he should be in the squad.
I like him, but he still has a lot to learn. I think he's caught between a 6 and an 8 at the moment.
For all the talk of ruck watching it’s funny to mention Grace. Lineout will get better though.
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@Kiwiwomble said in All Blacks squad - The Rugby Championship:
@FakatavaAllBlack said in All Blacks squad - The Rugby Championship:
@Bovidae hope Hoskins Sotutu makes the plane to South Africa🤞
why? they wont play him, better off staying and playing NPC
Sad indictment isn't it really, Sotutu should be in the 23 against the Boks but he's more of a chance playing in pukekohe
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@No-Quarter said in All Blacks squad - The Rugby Championship:
@nostrildamus so does Sotutu but they're not going to get a fucking chance are they
The last part yeah but Hoskins has had 10 appearances for the ABs (maybe he came off the bench once or twice) but as I recall Grace had 1?
But scary they both debued in 2020.. -
@Crazy-Horse said in All Blacks squad - The Rugby Championship:
It's funny how Grace has become the flavour of the month based on his performance in the final and for the Maori. Up to that point not many people on here were saying he should be in the squad.
I like him, but he still has a lot to learn. I think he's caught between a 6 and an 8 at the moment.
Remember how Luke Jacobsen after zero big games was the next Richie McCaw on here pre-WC?
Grace had a big first year, a mediocre 2nd year, and showed up in the big games this year. He's a decent size and uses it, and plays for a winning team - which is enough to have him in the conversation for 8s in NZ. That's an understandable reaction when we are picking lightweight trios and losing. But then we're also occasionally doing the exact opposite and throwing a lock on the blindside - which clearly shows the coaches know what direction we want to go in, doesn't it?
I like MMT - he should be getting a bit more attention I reckon. -
@antipodean said in All Blacks squad - The Rugby Championship:
@Crucial said in All Blacks squad - The Rugby Championship:
The journos have it all wrong anyway. Ardie is the new captain. You heard it on the fern first.
I have a sauce.If correct, I will definitely throw all my toys out of the cot.
As I have said elsewhere, if Ardie is the answer to the leadership question, then the question is wrong. He is the perfect example of all that is wrong with this team at the moment - an individually brilliant player who plays like an individual and not to any apparent plan that he or his team mates are able to follows. This is not meant to be a slight on him, but more a reflection of the fact that this team needs a leader who is both (a) the best in his position (hence, not Cane and probably not Ardie either), and (b) able to get the team playing to the plan (whatever it may be). Everything brilliant that Ardie does is based on instinctive induvial moments of play - he simply cannot be the guy to lead the team in implementing any kind of plan.
