Foster, Robertson etc
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@KiwiMurph said in Foster:
I think Nonu gets unfairly labelled as a bash and crash merchant but people forget he had wonderful footwork and vision in his running - that was evident right from when he burst on the scene playing wing for Canes in 03 (and obviously this got better and better and more refined as his career went on - especially from 08 onwards).
Nonu really worked at his game after he was dropped for the 2007 RWC and his range of skills just grew and grew. His passing became as good as, if not better, than BOD and the way he set up Beauden Barrett's try in the RWC2015 semi by feinting to pass 2 or 3 times was simply sublime.
Speed, size, footwork, nous, canniness, distribution, kicking, defence, communication - easily the best 12 I've ever seen.
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@Victor-Meldrew I reckon it was they EOYT in 2008 where I thought Nonu’s game had turned the corner from a good player to the makings of a great one.
In that 2008 3Ns I thought the Aussies did a number on him particularly that Sydney test where they really crowded him and he didn’t play well. But on that EOYT his defence had really tightened up and him and Carter started to really play off each other.
Became a phenomenal player and one of a few really reliable members of a pretty good squad.
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@ACT-Crusader said in Foster:
@Victor-Meldrew I reckon it was they EOYT in 2008 where I thought Nonu’s game had turned the corner from a good player to the makings of a great one.
In that 2008 3Ns I thought the Aussies did a number on him particularly that Sydney test where they really crowded him and he didn’t play well. But on that EOYT his defence had really tightened up and him and Carter started to really play off each other.
Became a phenomenal player and one of a few really reliable members of a pretty good squad.
And I think he actually got better after 2011. Much more subtle player.
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@MiketheSnow said in Foster:
Nonu is as great as DC and McCaw and I’ll fight anyone who claims otherwise
He and Smith are the greatest midfield pair to wear the AB jersey
Nope
Bunce and Little for me
I know it's the wrong way round but if reads better
They right in the conversation for sure
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Both very good midfield combos but what this highlights for me is that such combos are quite rare. You often get a great inside centre OR a great outside centre but rarely both at the same time for any length of time.
Carling and Guscott for England is probably the only one of ours I could name. We had Greenwood for a number of years who was great but the 12 was either a rotating doorway or Tindall - solid but no world beater.
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Nonu is as great as DC and McCaw and I’ll fight anyone who claims otherwise
He and Smith are the greatest midfield pair to wear the AB jersey
Some older guys would put the Bill Osborne/Bruce Robertson combination as a serious alternative to any other one offered.
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@MiketheSnow said in Foster:
Nonu is as great as DC and McCaw and I’ll fight anyone who claims otherwise
He and Smith are the greatest midfield pair to wear the AB jersey
Nope
Bunce and Little for me
I know it's the wrong way round but if reads better
It's not even close, Nonu's skills blow Little's out of the water, Smith easily matches Bunce.
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Nonu is as great as DC and McCaw and I’ll fight anyone who claims otherwise
He and Smith are the greatest midfield pair to wear the AB jersey
Some older guys would put the Bill Osborne/Bruce Robertson combination as a serious alternative to any other one offered.
Yep. They were great, but I think the Conrad/Ma'a combo was a stronger one.
Bruce Robertson was similar to Conrad but probably a bit better (particularly on attack), but Ma'a is fair bit ahead of Bill Osborne. And that's no reflection on Conrad or Bill - far from it.
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@MiketheSnow said in Foster:
Nonu is as great as DC and McCaw and I’ll fight anyone who claims otherwise
He and Smith are the greatest midfield pair to wear the AB jersey
Nope
Bunce and Little for me
I know it's the wrong way round but if reads better
It's not even close, Nonu's skills blow Little's out of the water, Smith easily matches Bunce.
Hmmm
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Bunce was great but there was real guile to Ma'a's play which Bunce didn't have so much
If you check out the last minute Ireland win a few years back there's a point where the ball is passed from the RHS and is bobbling towards Nonu. Rather than rush up, he waits for the ball to come to him which confuses the defence, then runs a 45 degree angle, feigns a pass, straightens up slightly, ties up 3 defenders and two passes later Crotty scores.
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@Victor-Meldrew said in Foster:
Bunce was great but there was real guile to Ma'a's play which Bunce didn't have so much
If you check out the last minute Ireland win a few years back there's a point where the ball is passed from the RHS and is bobbling towards Nonu. Rather than rush up, he waits for the ball to come to him which confuses the defence, then runs a 45 degree angle, feigns a pass, straightens up slightly, ties up 3 defenders and two passes later Crotty scores.
So Nonu and Bunce it is
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If I was a Time Lord, Nonu & Bruce Robertson. Robertson at his best
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@MiketheSnow said in Foster:
@MiketheSnow said in Foster:
Nonu is as great as DC and McCaw and I’ll fight anyone who claims otherwise
He and Smith are the greatest midfield pair to wear the AB jersey
Nope
Bunce and Little for me
I know it's the wrong way round but if reads better
It's not even close, Nonu's skills blow Little's out of the water, Smith easily matches Bunce.
Hmmm
Like I said, easily.
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@MiketheSnow said in Foster:
Nonu is as great as DC and McCaw and I’ll fight anyone who claims otherwise
He and Smith are the greatest midfield pair to wear the AB jersey
Nope
Bunce and Little for me
I know it's the wrong way round but if reads better
It's not even close, Nonu's skills blow Little's out of the water, Smith easily matches Bunce.
Ooof, I'll give you Nonu over Walter, but I thought Bunce was special. I have a lot of time for Smith, don't get me wrong. But Bunce just had something extra.
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@MiketheSnow said in Foster:
Nonu is as great as DC and McCaw and I’ll fight anyone who claims otherwise
He and Smith are the greatest midfield pair to wear the AB jersey
Nope
Bunce and Little for me
I know it's the wrong way round but if reads better
It's not even close, Nonu's skills blow Little's out of the water, Smith easily matches Bunce.
Ooof, I'll give you Nonu over Walter, but I thought Bunce was special. I have a lot of time for Smith, don't get me wrong. But Bunce just had something extra.
Kinda like Smith had something extra.
