All Blacks 2023
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@KiwiMurph Just an opinion , Fozzie aint listening to anything i say
Just highlighting a kid thats got better each outing , 14 x games in a row to be exact
And it would be fair to say close to the best looseforward on the paddock last night -
@Steven-Harris This is what annoys me about the ABs being named on Sunday. I'd love to see how he goes in a final vs Chiefs or Brumbies before selecting the team.
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@KiwiMurph i think its probably more of a timing thing with the Rugby Championship starting on the 9th July in the case of the ABs their first game is an away fixture which means travel
To pick the team next weekend would leave very little time i guess
But yes it would have been great to see a Saders v Chiefs match up , and i am precursing on that one famous last words , but i do expect they will win -
@Steven-Harris said in All Blacks 2023:
@KiwiMurph Just an opinion , Fozzie aint listening to anything i say
Just highlighting a kid thats got better each outing , 14 x games in a row to be exact
And it would be fair to say close to the best looseforward on the paddock last nightHarmon is at least twice the player if we just want another openside sized loose forward.
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I was reading this and mostly agreed with it but got down to #9 and I was
Super Rugby power rankings: The best players in NZ right now
New Zealand's most in-form players this Super Rugby Pacific season.
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@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks 2023:
@Steven-Harris This is what annoys me about the ABs being named on Sunday. I'd love to see how he goes in a final vs Chiefs or Brumbies before selecting the team.
Mate let's face it team was written on paper last week, or should of been. No way is team named on one game etc.
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has DMac the best kicking stats of the 3 NZ leading 10s in Super 2023? (Asking, don't know).
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@nostrildamus said in All Blacks 2023:
has DMac the best kicking stats of the 3 NZ leading 10s in Super 2023? (Asking, don't know).
Surprisingly, he's not even close - but he's 12/12 throughout the finals series so far, which is impressive.
Kicking strike rate Super Rugby 2023
see kicking strike rate for super rugby 2023 - rugby stats from statbunker
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Interesting! I see Zarn is the best kicker for the Blues! 100%! (It's quality not quantity as the bishop said to the actress)...
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Starting point ought to be 35 named for 2022 Northern Tour.
Comments in each position. My selections in bold, including a bolter.
Hookers
Dane Coles (35, Hurricanes / Wellington, 84)
Samisoni Taukei’aho (25, Chiefs / Waikato, 17)
Codie Taylor (31, Crusaders / Canterbury, 72)
Unchanged.
Props
George Bower (30, Crusaders / Otago, 19)
Ethan de Groot (24, Highlanders / Southland, 10)
Nepo Laulala (31, Blues / Counties Manukau, 42)
Tyrel Lomax (26, Hurricanes / Ta$man, 20)
Fletcher Newell (22, Crusaders / Canterbury, 4)
Ofa Tu’ungafasi (30, Blues / Northland, 48)
Moody, Newell & Bower injured. I’d like to see a TH and a LH/utility. Williams as the latter seems likely, although Ross has been very good in play offs. For TH could Ainsley, Jager or even Ma’u or Dyer be worth a shot?
Locks
Scott Barrett (28, Crusaders / Taranaki, 55)
Brodie Retallick (31, Chiefs / Hawke’s Bay, 98)
Tupou Vaa’i (22, Chiefs / Taranaki, 15)
Samuel Whitelock (33, Crusaders / Canterbury, 140)
Unchanged.
Loose Forwards
Sam Cane – Captain (30, Chiefs / Bay of Plenty, 85)
Shannon Frizell (28, Highlanders / Ta$man, 21)
Akira Ioane (27, Blues / Auckland, 19)
Dalton Papali’i (24, Blues / Counties Manukau, 18)
Ardie Savea (28, Hurricanes / Wellington, 67)
Hoskins Sotutu (24, Blues / Counties Manukau, 12)
No one out. Huge competition. Not sure Jacobson, Finau or Blackadder have done enough to force their way in ahead of Sotutu or Akira.
Backs:
Halfbacks
Finlay Christie (27, Blues / Ta$man, 12)
Folau Fakatava (22, Highlanders / Hawke’s Bay, 2)
Aaron Smith (33, Highlanders / Manawatu, 111)
Fakatava playing without ACLs! I’d instead be inclined to give Roigard a shot.
First five-eighths
Beauden Barrett (31, Blues / Taranaki, 109)
Richie Mo’unga (28, Crusaders / Canterbury, 41)
Stephen Perofeta (25, Blues / Taranaki, 1)
DMac can’t be left out and BB looks a lock, so even though I really like Perofeta, expect him to miss out.
Midfielders
Braydon Ennor (25, Crusaders / Canterbury, 5)
David Havili (27, Crusaders / Ta$man, 21)
Rieko Ioane (25, Blues / Auckland, 56)
Anton Lienert-Brown (27, Chiefs / Waikato, 56)
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (29, Blues / Auckland, 2)
RTS is off the pace and Havili out. I’d be inclined to try Aumua in place of the former and Goodhue for the latter. Or one of these and select Jordie as a midfielder. Heem and Proctor outside shots.
Outside backs
Jordie Barrett (25, Hurricanes / Taranaki, 45)
Caleb Clarke (23, Blues / Auckland, 11)
Leicester Fainga’anuku (22, Crusaders / Ta$man, 2)
Will Jordan (24, Crusaders / Ta$man, 21)
Sevu Reece (25, Crusaders / Ta$man, 21)
Shaun Stevenson is a cert for no. 36. Telea in for Reece. On form case for bringing in Narawa for Clarke. -
@pakman Lots of concerns for me re Ofa, Nepo, Frizell, Christie and BB, their form has been pretty average to be honest. On the other hand Williams, Ross, Jacobson, Christie, Weber, Dmac, Goodhue, Poihipi, Narawa, Sullivan have been playing well. It will be interesting to see what way they go.
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@Stargazer said in All Blacks 2023:
@chimoaus You've watched another Christie than I have.
How very dare you besmirch Tom. I thought he'd be your boy.
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Hookers: Samisoni Taukei'aho, Codie Taylor, Dane Coles
Props: Ethan de Groot, Tyrel Lomax, Ofa Tuungafasi, Nepo Laulala, Aidan Ross, Tamaiti Williams
Locks: Sam Whitelock, Brodie Retallick, Tupou Vaa'i, Scott Barrett, Josh Lord
Loose forwards: Sam Cane, Ardie Savea, Shannon Frizell, Dalton Papalii, Luke Jacobson, Christian Lio-Willie
Halfbacks: Aaron Smith, Brad Weber, Cam Roigard
No 10s: Richie Mo'unga, Beauden Barrett, Damian McKenzie
Midfielders: Anton Lienert-Brown, Jordie Barrett, Rieko Ioane, Braydon Ennor, Bryce Heem
Outside backs: Will Jordan, Mark Telea, Shaun Stevenson, Leicester Fainga'anuku, Caleb Clarke
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@Bovidae said in All Blacks 2023:
The selection of the props and loose forwards will tell us if Foster/Ryan/Schmidt are conservative or bold. I'm expecting the former.
I feel we could find out our World Cup fate by the end of the announcement based on the above.
The likes of Stevenson, Fainga'anuku, Roigaad are "weather vanes" for me.
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@Bovidae On the props - they could go two ways - either they decide Moody and Newell are both likely to be ready by RWC, so no need to develop more - or decide that they know what one or two of their experienced guys bring, so they'll give someone else a go who might bring more.
Regardless, I think Big Tamaiti will get picked - he's been outstanding and they're short on looseheads.
I think most likely, de Groot, Ross, Williams, Lomax, Ofa, Nepo - but, they might pick someone else instead of the latter two - and they might decide Williams is playing tighthead for the ABs.
On the loose forwards, I'm mainly wondering if they like Blackadder enough to take him without match play.
Won't surprise me if there are a couple of extras picked to "train with" or "injury cover" - Whitelock and Blackadder open that door for a start.
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Folau Fakatava was running around for Dunedin yesterday in club rugby. So good to see he is keeping himself up to scratch
