AB RWC Squad
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Interesting fact from the last game
Note how Smith, at the completion of his 118th Test match, the last at his home ground, an occasion where he might reasonably have been celebrating with family and friends on the sideline, chose to do extra run-throughs with the non-playing Barrett family and other squad members.
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@chimoaus said in AB RWC Squad:
Can they not bring in a winger to simply train with the team but no intention of playing or being part of the 33? Or is that against the rules? There must be plenty of NZ wingers floating around France.
They don't need to. Heck even one of the 47 coaches can stand on the blindside wing.
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@canefan said in AB RWC Squad:
I assume he won't play the lesser teams, they might use a flanker as a lock
Maybe even a tall prop like Hayman in 2007. Lomax is taller than him
In two of the pool games it really doesn’t matter who we pick
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@Chris said in AB RWC Squad:
What worries me as well as being down one lock is Whitelocks Achilles if that flares up we are really exposed.
Literally the ABs Achilles heel
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@frugby said in AB RWC Squad:
@Chris-B said in AB RWC Squad:
@mariner4life said in AB RWC Squad:
@ACT-Crusader said in AB RWC Squad:
There are some pretty unlikely scenarios being thrown about. We have to operate with a smaller squad and yes the outside back contingency seems like overkill. But were they ever going to select 5 locks regardless? Nope. Hey we only took 3 locks to 2015!
i get this, but
As it stands, with Retallick out for 2 or 3 games, we have 3 locks and 5 loosies. You need a combination of 7 of these for every match. It just means that we're putting a lot of load on the first stringers early in the tournament.
It does help that the two hardest pool games are pretty early, and it's likely the top side plays them anyway. 1 more injury and you are out of options. two and you are out of players, not matter what their positions are.
I think the only significant problem is if one of the indispensable locks (or Frizell) gets a short run injury against South Africa. Then we'd go into the game against France with two big guys having to play 80 minutes and no proper injury cover.
Otherwise, we can surely manage short-handed vs the minnows and Italy - and Retallick hopefully back by then anyway.
But, why take the risk? The fifth wing will maximum play vs Namibia and Uruguay.
As much as anything it's the lack of logic that annoys me. I just can't see how you'd think this balance was the best idea (short of Will Jordan and a wing friend really are going by ship and they expect them to be stuck in Suez for some considerable time)!
Foster said it was all to do with training, which makes sense I guess. Even if the 33rd guy with a loose forward, he too would probably be limited to a couple of pool matches.
I kind of struggle to see that having a 15th back to help out with training is going to outweigh the value of having someone like Josh Lord available to sit on the bench if we were to end up with only two locks available vs France.
Usually, I can at least see the logic behind Fozzie's selections, but this one has me beat.
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@Chris-B said in AB RWC Squad:
@frugby said in AB RWC Squad:
@Chris-B said in AB RWC Squad:
@mariner4life said in AB RWC Squad:
@ACT-Crusader said in AB RWC Squad:
There are some pretty unlikely scenarios being thrown about. We have to operate with a smaller squad and yes the outside back contingency seems like overkill. But were they ever going to select 5 locks regardless? Nope. Hey we only took 3 locks to 2015!
i get this, but
As it stands, with Retallick out for 2 or 3 games, we have 3 locks and 5 loosies. You need a combination of 7 of these for every match. It just means that we're putting a lot of load on the first stringers early in the tournament.
It does help that the two hardest pool games are pretty early, and it's likely the top side plays them anyway. 1 more injury and you are out of options. two and you are out of players, not matter what their positions are.
I think the only significant problem is if one of the indispensable locks (or Frizell) gets a short run injury against South Africa. Then we'd go into the game against France with two big guys having to play 80 minutes and no proper injury cover.
Otherwise, we can surely manage short-handed vs the minnows and Italy - and Retallick hopefully back by then anyway.
But, why take the risk? The fifth wing will maximum play vs Namibia and Uruguay.
As much as anything it's the lack of logic that annoys me. I just can't see how you'd think this balance was the best idea (short of Will Jordan and a wing friend really are going by ship and they expect them to be stuck in Suez for some considerable time)!
Foster said it was all to do with training, which makes sense I guess. Even if the 33rd guy with a loose forward, he too would probably be limited to a couple of pool matches.
I kind of struggle to see that having a 15th back to help out with training is going to outweigh the value of having someone like Josh Lord available to sit on the bench if we were to end up with only two locks available vs France.
Usually, I can at least see the logic behind Fozzie's selections, but this one has me beat.
Especially when they can and are taking extra players. So, why not take an extra outside to help with training and guarantee having enough locks/loosies?
Got me beat.
I wonder whether it is as simple as that they couldn't decide between Leicester, Emoni, and Caleb so took them all.
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@gt12 said in AB RWC Squad:
@Chris-B said in AB RWC Squad:
@frugby said in AB RWC Squad:
@Chris-B said in AB RWC Squad:
@mariner4life said in AB RWC Squad:
@ACT-Crusader said in AB RWC Squad:
There are some pretty unlikely scenarios being thrown about. We have to operate with a smaller squad and yes the outside back contingency seems like overkill. But were they ever going to select 5 locks regardless? Nope. Hey we only took 3 locks to 2015!
i get this, but
As it stands, with Retallick out for 2 or 3 games, we have 3 locks and 5 loosies. You need a combination of 7 of these for every match. It just means that we're putting a lot of load on the first stringers early in the tournament.
It does help that the two hardest pool games are pretty early, and it's likely the top side plays them anyway. 1 more injury and you are out of options. two and you are out of players, not matter what their positions are.
I think the only significant problem is if one of the indispensable locks (or Frizell) gets a short run injury against South Africa. Then we'd go into the game against France with two big guys having to play 80 minutes and no proper injury cover.
Otherwise, we can surely manage short-handed vs the minnows and Italy - and Retallick hopefully back by then anyway.
But, why take the risk? The fifth wing will maximum play vs Namibia and Uruguay.
As much as anything it's the lack of logic that annoys me. I just can't see how you'd think this balance was the best idea (short of Will Jordan and a wing friend really are going by ship and they expect them to be stuck in Suez for some considerable time)!
Foster said it was all to do with training, which makes sense I guess. Even if the 33rd guy with a loose forward, he too would probably be limited to a couple of pool matches.
I kind of struggle to see that having a 15th back to help out with training is going to outweigh the value of having someone like Josh Lord available to sit on the bench if we were to end up with only two locks available vs France.
Usually, I can at least see the logic behind Fozzie's selections, but this one has me beat.
Especially when they can and are taking extra players. So, why not take an extra outside to help with training and guarantee having enough locks/loosies?
Got me beat.
I wonder whether it is as simple as that they couldn't decide between Leicester, Emoni, and Caleb so took them all.
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@gt12 They just seem to have ended up in an unusual place.
I suspect they did the whole thing down the pub.
Afterwards Fozzie emailed them the team.
Ryan replied, "Hey Foz, looks good, but we've only got 32 players, we need another LF".
Foz emails back, "Oh fuck, thanks - that would have been embarrassing - sorted now".
Foz: Now how do you spell Lester?
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@Chris-B said in AB RWC Squad:
@gt12 They just seem to have ended up in an unusual place.
I suspect they did the whole thing down the pub.
Afterwards Fozzie emailed them the team.
Ryan replied, "Hey Foz, looks good, but we've only got 32 players, we need another LF".
Foz emails back, "Oh fuck, thanks - that would have been embarrassing - sorted now".
Foz: Now how do you spell Lester?
... Ryan: I don't know but whatever you do, don't write Mo in front of it.
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@Jailbreak7 said in AB RWC Squad:
What has Havili done lately
Dumb selection.
Pick on form FFS.
Alex Nankivell, Billy Proctor, Peter Umaga-Jensen all played well in the super Rugby
shame Braydon Ennor got injured.
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Shit yes Procter another who missed out, and was involved in the ABXV along with the likes of Harmon and Akira..
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@Jailbreak7 As much as I like Harmon, he's unfortunately left his run too late and is just another in a long line of opensides that can cover 6/8. He'd be the most like for like replacement for Ardie, but he's still gotta get past Jacobson, Blackadder, Papalii.
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@canefan said in AB RWC Squad:
@Dan54 said in AB RWC Squad:
@canefan said in AB RWC Squad:
@bayimports said in AB RWC Squad:
@Bovidae said in AB RWC Squad:
I assume that there is still a stand-down period for replacement players? It will be interesting if Finau, Weber and Bell stay in the UK or return to NZ.
I suspect they will be touring..
Could be needed early too if a Fern sniper takes out the Ginger
Yup. Doesn't appear to be anything in the rules that stops us having a small group of players holed up somewhere in France, training by themselves, at least to keep fit just in case. That avoids the cross globe flight to join the squad if needed
The best thing is get them on a short term contract with a club, I don't think you can get away with having a few in country training, think the rules cover that.
I think I heard some of the boys saying they planned to go on a "holiday" for a couple of weeks in September October...
Maybe one way around it, but sure they not allowed anything to do with team? Would stuff training etc, better either getting a club (as some of Aussies have) or come back home and play NPC and get game time under belt. You can get on plane and fly there in 24 hrs.
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@Dan54 said in AB RWC Squad:
@canefan said in AB RWC Squad:
@Dan54 said in AB RWC Squad:
@canefan said in AB RWC Squad:
@bayimports said in AB RWC Squad:
@Bovidae said in AB RWC Squad:
I assume that there is still a stand-down period for replacement players? It will be interesting if Finau, Weber and Bell stay in the UK or return to NZ.
I suspect they will be touring..
Could be needed early too if a Fern sniper takes out the Ginger
Yup. Doesn't appear to be anything in the rules that stops us having a small group of players holed up somewhere in France, training by themselves, at least to keep fit just in case. That avoids the cross globe flight to join the squad if needed
The best thing is get them on a short term contract with a club, I don't think you can get away with having a few in country training, think the rules cover that.
I think I heard some of the boys saying they planned to go on a "holiday" for a couple of weeks in September October...
Maybe one way around it, but sure they not allowed anything to do with team? Would stuff training etc, better either getting a club (as some of Aussies have) or come back home and play NPC and get game time under belt. You can get on plane and fly there in 24 hrs.
Yup I think we agree
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@Bovidae said in AB RWC Squad:
@ACT-Crusader I wouldn't be surprised to see Vaa'i used at 6 in one of the lesser pool games. Ryan and Foster both mentioned that two of the locks can also play 6 to justify selecting one less loose forward.
By definition Frizell won't play that match.
