All Blacks v Argentina II
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@Stargazer said in All Blacks v Argentina II:
@Chris said in All Blacks v Argentina II:
Foster Hinted at some new players to be selected we may see some changes for the EOYT.
I don’t see any stand outs outside the squad yet
Some young guns coming through but vastly inexperienced.Maybe a couple of projects will be selected.
Isn't that what the ABs XV team will be used for?
Additions to the senior squad, I'd say that points at players who are experienced and in some cases may have already been there. I sure hope not it's Asafo Aumua, but it's a possibility (I'd prefer George Bell, but he's very green). Dmac is another one, although he's been hot and cold in the NPC, too, thus far. If they need another halfback, maybe Weber. Not sure whether Cullen Grace will be fit in time, but he'd be another option if he's available. At lock, maybe Josh Dickson.
@Paekakboyz said in All Blacks v Argentina II:
@Chris PUJ if fit? I know he's been in the mix but I hope we see some more 12/13s in the squad. I wonder if Aidan Morgan maybe be bolter as well. We seem to collect 10/15 so having another specialist 10 to check out could be good.
PUJ hasn't been very convincing. Maybe his twin, although he breaks often. Morgan, same comment as Dmac but way too green (even for the ABs XV).
@Chris Did Foster also hint at players being dropped?
Not really,He mentioned when they selected the new props after the SA 2nd test in an interview,He was asked about how well he thought they played and he mentioned it would be followed by some new faces to be selected this season in a view to the WC.
He mentioned new caps and fresh blood new enthusiasm to be added .I assume the EYOT is the time do that.
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@Chris-B said in All Blacks v Argentina II:
@Paekakboyz said in All Blacks v Argentina II:
@Chris PUJ if fit? I know he's been in the mix but I hope we see some more 12/13s in the squad. I wonder if Aidan Morgan maybe be bolter as well. We seem to collect 10/15 so having another specialist 10 to check out could be good.
We're only allowed a RWC squad of 33 - I'd imagine an 18/15 split - which will allow four midfielders.
I reckon, barring injury, you can just about lock in ALB, Havili and Rieko - so we need one more from Goodhue, Tupaea, RTS and anyone else - plus potential need for injury cover. There's not much time to build the guys we have - the current combo, plus Tupaea and RTS. I'd be a bit surprised to see anyone else new in the equation unless Schmidt has a plan that necessitates a big munter like TUJ.
Versatility will be the Key,You need to cover all options a long way to get players over to France if anyone goes down.
Blackadder would be the type of player needed plays all 3 positions.
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@Frank said in All Blacks v Argentina II:
Rieko played well and put his outsides away, albeit with his passes generally being harder to take than what they should have been.
Yeah, it feels wrong to nit pick, he was great as was the whole team. But it was pretty noticeable that his delivery was just a bit off, nothing sympathetic there. Easy work-on though, the rest of his game was ace
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@Chris-B said in All Blacks v Argentina II:
@Paekakboyz said in All Blacks v Argentina II:
@Chris PUJ if fit? I know he's been in the mix but I hope we see some more 12/13s in the squad. I wonder if Aidan Morgan maybe be bolter as well. We seem to collect 10/15 so having another specialist 10 to check out could be good.
We're only allowed a RWC squad of 33 - I'd imagine an 18/15 split - which will allow four midfielders.
I reckon, barring injury, you can just about lock in ALB, Havili and Rieko - so we need one more from Goodhue, Tupaea, RTS and anyone else - plus potential need for injury cover. There's not much time to build the guys we have - the current combo, plus Tupaea and RTS. I'd be a bit surprised to see anyone else new in the equation unless Schmidt has a plan that necessitates a big munter like TUJ.
I am not into projects and RTS should be no where near the All Blacks at the moment. Nothing but league reputation and desire to promote talent before performance gets him in the squad. He was stood up and run around by Murray yesterday playing Northland. Not the first time his defence has shown to be poor - and he had the same issues playing league. They have wasted the opportunity to develop someone else who has been playing rugby for the last decade. If he comes right then pick him but the free pass he is getting just doesn’t stack up.
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@Chris said in All Blacks v Argentina II:
@Chris-B said in All Blacks v Argentina II:
@Paekakboyz said in All Blacks v Argentina II:
@Chris PUJ if fit? I know he's been in the mix but I hope we see some more 12/13s in the squad. I wonder if Aidan Morgan maybe be bolter as well. We seem to collect 10/15 so having another specialist 10 to check out could be good.
We're only allowed a RWC squad of 33 - I'd imagine an 18/15 split - which will allow four midfielders.
I reckon, barring injury, you can just about lock in ALB, Havili and Rieko - so we need one more from Goodhue, Tupaea, RTS and anyone else - plus potential need for injury cover. There's not much time to build the guys we have - the current combo, plus Tupaea and RTS. I'd be a bit surprised to see anyone else new in the equation unless Schmidt has a plan that necessitates a big munter like TUJ.
Versatility will be the Key,You need to cover all options a long way to get players over to France if anyone goes down.
Blackadder would be the type of player needed plays all 3 positions.
There will be some harsh decisions in the loose forwards.
Quite likely they'll only take five (unless they only take 14 backs).
Cane, Savea, Frizell, Papali'i, Ioane, Sotutu, Blackadder, Sowakula, Grace, Jacobson.
Quite a few of these guys won't be going.
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OK, next day match report from the stadium.
HTown was great fun. What an awesome day out - in the sun, charcoal lamb rotisserie at a mates, helped smash a keg of beer, and then down to the ground. FMG is one of the good rugby watching grounds in the country (proper rectangle; NH and Dunedin are in the mix), but fark me the crowd was all over the place. Peopel are just up and down all the time, don't care what's happening on the field, and hte low angles mean it's really easy to have the view blocked. On the other hand, vocal, and 7 pitch invaders (!) so ya get that. @NTA no issues yelling at the kicker, Ireland can do the quiet, people can do whatever they hell they want at the ground... it's more our mindset than rule following.
That said, we were about 2 rows away from being in teh rain, so happy times
First time in teh stand, normally we like to stand in the green zone, but got lucky getting seats with the weather.So, ABs were very clinical, very accurate, and low error rate. The chip is a legit tactic to find space against the rush; you could see why it was being done. Sometimes worked, sometimes didn't - but the threat of the little dink puts people in two minds, and that slows down a defensive line.
Forward pack were sensational. Really committed and dominant. ST a monster, rest of the tigh went well. Set piece was strong. Loosies good, and particularly Sam Cane who monstered people all night, and actually linked and got aroudn the paddock well. Good work. Ardie played the Savea position again, and Fritzel got into plenty of work in the dark spaces. Cane was amazing I thought, particularly with the weight he has carried
Aaron was good, but got run over 2-3 times in defence. Noticeable that his box kick was going for length from the 22 - and it generally worked to exit us to about the 40. His pass was sweet. RM was a mix ... some really good stuff, but also some brave Test match decisions. Still small... which goes to the downside of Havili - his size. He's not a bail out option, and with Smith and Mounga that's quite undersized inside backs. Played well, some smart decisions, but at risk of getting ragdolled on both sides of the ball. That said, (like at 6), picking someone and sticking with them is better than chopping and changing ... that led to 2019 and no idea about our midfield or 6.
Rieko was sensational. Pace, skill and positioning. His defensive work is very strong and folk often don't see it. His pace is sublime, and turning that argie inside out for his try was magnficent.
Will Jordan seems very off, and has a hgih error rate. Would see Reece there instead. Clarke was solid on kickoffs (most went to him), did his best to hurt people when running, but otherwise didnt' see a lot of ball. Jordie isn't what he was, but seems more likely to bring his A game. We were talking about it - I'd take Jordie over Jordan because of teh defence, the punt and the aerial skills. Jordan with ball in hand at lower levels is sensational ... but struggles to put that out there in tests against good opposition, particularly this year.
Ref was fine.
Honestly, the abiding memory was the backs actually doing something - and the accuracy rate through the roof. The last try was sweet; we'd run the Jordie play onto the ball earlier, so ran the same play with a different option. Was bloody good to watch. So fair play Foster, I thought you should have gone a long time ago, but string some of these performances together and I'll have to eat humble pie.
Good fun, lovely day out, the newish expressway makes getting to HTown so smooth.
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@chimoaus said in All Blacks v Argentina II:
Ryan clears up the handshake fail. Seems like a top bloke.
Very impressed he made himself accountable but didn't say what the actual mistakes were
Don't give future opposition any hints! -
I wonder with his comment about Frizzel being a bit dinged up they throw Akira at the Aussies, he carved them up last year.
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@ARHS Not a fan of Papali'i in there unless he's a starting 7. He's ineffective off the bench and would rather have someone who adds a bit of punch like Sotutu, and would have Akira starting. Hes been fine this year despite the usual criticisms.
I do think they'll go with Barrett at 6 with Retallick in the starting lineup though and keep Papalii on the bench sadly.
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@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks v Argentina II:
It is refreshing to have Christie coming off of the pine instead of Perenara of past seasons.
Thought his passing was quicker than smith tbh. I would personally prefer either smith or Christie with Fakatava on the bench as he has a different style to the other two. Another player who seems to have been forgotten.
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@Billy-Tell said in All Blacks v Argentina II:
@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks v Argentina II:
It is refreshing to have Christie coming off of the pine instead of Perenara of past seasons.
Thought his passing was quicker than smith tbh. I would personally prefer either smith or Christie with Fakatava on the bench as he has a different style to the other two. Another player who seems to have been forgotten.
Fakatava hasn't been particularly good in Black - struggling to reproduce the form that got everyone excited over the last few years. He'll come back, but Christie is ahead at the moment for me
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@Stargazer said in All Blacks v Argentina II:
@nzzp LOL, as if you can judge a player's performance on his first 18 and 19 minutes of his test career, coming on when the ABs were already being hammered.
can only call it a I see it. I expected more - my memory was loose passing and not great decision making. He's a talent, but hasn't put it out there recently.
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@nzzp "Recently", again that was 18 and 19 minutes off the bench in the 2nd and 3rd test against Ireland, at a stage of the game when we were already under the pump big time. He hadn't played since his last Highlanders game (4 June). Since July, he has only had an excellent second half for the Magpies. That's all the rugby he has played.
