All Blacks 2023
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@nzzp said in All Blacks 2023:
I think his only real weakness at hte moment is his ongoing propensity to run upright. He had success at lower levels doing it, but it's a terrible habit for higher honours.
That said, he's had storming games in black; MOTM on more than one occasion, but you wouldn't know it with the blinders some folk wear.
Yep. He's come along hugely in the last 2-3 years and his propensity for dickheadedness has almost vanished. He's clearly worked hard so credit to him and the coaching team for that. Some of his D this year has been fantastic.
If there's any criticism it's that he he seems to go off the boil at times in Tests and you get the sense can still lose his composure at times.
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@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2023:
you get the sense can still lose his composure at times.
I think it's maybe a hangover from his "bad" years. I'd thought he'd been starting to get niggly again, but there's a lot less handbags and seems to be more measured - he's not half as bad as Coles anyway.
As soon as I see him scruffing someone's hair though, I'm raising my scope.
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I am not convinced by Lio-Willie. Big workrate but not big enough physically if you have to face the French or SA loose forwards, especially when you already have two smallish (Cane and Savea) players.
I am not convinced either by Scott Barrett playing with the 6 jersey, as Iose showed it two weeks ago. -
@Chris-B said in All Blacks 2023:
@Bovidae I reckon he will be. Fozzie happily picked two rookies last year.
My main question mark is Christie or Weber?
Is Folau out of the equation?
I reckon it will be the hardest decision. I hope Roigard because he’s an abrasive type and whilst not the finished product, he has all the ingredients. But taking a rookie has some risk.
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@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks 2023:
@Chris-B said in All Blacks 2023:
@Bovidae I reckon he will be. Fozzie happily picked two rookies last year.
My main question mark is Christie or Weber?
Is Folau out of the equation?
I reckon it will be the hardest decision. I hope Roigard because he’s an abrasive type and whilst not the finished product, he has all the ingredients. But taking a rookie has some risk.
That's why you select Roigard and give him some tests before the RWC. Need to see if he can handle test match footy. See NMS 2015.
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@KiwiMurph Nehe is a bit of an outlier though. Plus wing and halfback are very different propositions when going into a RWC given how the majority of knock out footy is played. Pressure on all players to perform but the halfbacks role is where you need a bit of nous and experience given so much relies on them.
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@ACT-Crusader Folau only has 2 tests so far anyway and Roigard started all year for Canes and played well in a knockout game vs Brumbies.
As a Blues fan Christie scares the hell out of me so they are going to have to go with someone.
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@Bones said in All Blacks 2023:
On locks - was really impressed with Lord last week. Really hope he can stay injury free, was like a young Brodie!
Lord will be a Chiefs starter next season but I'd be surprised if he makes the RWC squad if all locks are fit. Next year though...
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@Bovidae said in All Blacks 2023:
@Bones said in All Blacks 2023:
On locks - was really impressed with Lord last week. Really hope he can stay injury free, was like a young Brodie!
Lord will be a Chiefs starter next season but I'd be surprised if he makes the RWC squad if all locks are fit. Next year though...
I think he's already better than Tupou Vaa'i and has a far higher ceiling. If he can stay injury free over the next few weeks, I would much rather see him selected for the RWC than Vaa'i.
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@Bovidae said in All Blacks 2023:
@Bones said in All Blacks 2023:
On locks - was really impressed with Lord last week. Really hope he can stay injury free, was like a young Brodie!
Lord will be a Chiefs starter next season but I'd be surprised if he makes the RWC squad if all locks are fit. Next year though...
I can see us with 5 locks, with Barrett covering 6.
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@friedrugby said in All Blacks 2023:
@Kiwiwomble I think it is hilairous that we got dumped out the World Cup four years ago, largely because we picked a lock on the blindside (S Barrett) and a first five at fullback (B Barrett) and four years later we look set to do the same thing all over again expecting a different outcome.
I agree 100%.
It has to be Jordan or Stevenson at FB.
We can’t repeat the mistakes of 2019.
Beaudy doesn’t score tries anymore and we can’t have an Allblack fullback who doesn’t score tries.
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@Steve said in All Blacks 2023:
We can’t repeat the mistakes of 2019.
Or even, perhaps, the mistakes of '99 when we played a Fullback in the midfield...
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@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2023:
@Steve said in All Blacks 2023:
We can’t repeat the mistakes of 2019.
Or even, perhaps, the mistakes of '99 when we played a Fullback in the midfield...
@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2023:
@Steve said in All Blacks 2023:
We can’t repeat the mistakes of 2019.
Or even, perhaps, the mistakes of '99 when we played a Fullback in the midfield...
Broke my fucking heart......
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@Steve said in All Blacks 2023:
Broke my fucking heart......
You don't know what pain is. I was in Cardiff for the 2007 QF.
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@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2023:
@Steve said in All Blacks 2023:
Broke my fucking heart......
You don't know what pain is. I was in Cardiff for the 2007 QF.
I have a vague memory of being there as well, though I’m still hoping it’s a dream.
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@scribe said in All Blacks 2023:
I have a vague memory of being there as well, though I’m still hoping it’s a dream.
"vague memory" ?
You lucky bastard.
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@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2023:
@Steve said in All Blacks 2023:
Broke my fucking heart......
You don't know what pain is. I was in Cardiff for the 2007 QF.
Barnes didn't see one penalty infringement from France in the last 50 odd minutes in that game.
Truly remarkable given how pedantic he has gone on to become.
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@Steve said in All Blacks 2023:
@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2023:
@Steve said in All Blacks 2023:
Broke my fucking heart......
You don't know what pain is. I was in Cardiff for the 2007 QF.
Barnes didn't see one penalty infringement from France in the last 50 odd minutes in that game.
Truly remarkable given how pedantic he has gone on to become.
I don't think he has become pedantic. He's actually quite a good ref now (except he saves up errors for one big brain fart decision a game).
He simply wasn't ready to ref a game of that magnitude at the time and he's not to blame for his selection.
His main trait that he has never really fixed is that he gets in the way of play quite a bit. Whether that is simple positioning or poor 'feel' for the game I'm not sure but he really does seem to get into tangles more than others.
