All Blacks vs Fiji
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@Bovidae said in All Blacks vs Fiji:
Itoje
Bio
Maro ITOJE is a 29-year-old English rugby player standing at 1.95 m tall (6 ft 5 in) and weighing in at 115 kg (18 st 1.53 lb; 253.53 lb) , who currently plays for Saracens in England as lock. -
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@Bones there was a conversation earlier, possibly in another thread about the height of our locks.
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@taniwharugby said in All Blacks vs Fiji:
@Bones there was a conversation earlier, possibly in another thread about the height of our locks.
Yeah I know I'm trying to figure out what winger is trying to say. Bovidae said Itoje is under 2m and all winger did was add his bio?
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@Bones said in All Blacks vs Fiji:
@taniwharugby said in All Blacks vs Fiji:
@Bones there was a conversation earlier, possibly in another thread about the height of our locks.
Yeah I know I'm trying to figure out what winger is trying to say. Bovidae said Itoje is under 2m and all winger did was add his bio?
I for one appreciated it, in fact I’m off to give it an upvote
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@mariner4life said in All Blacks vs Fiji:
I think it's a bit shit that, in a 14-test year, with 6 "home" games, we decide to play one in the US. And not even against the US. 5 tests for the year? Talk about short changing your own fans.
What is the point of this fixture? Is there a massive, cashed up Fijian diaspora located in San Diego I've been ignorant of all this time?
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@mariner4life said in All Blacks vs Fiji:
I think it's a bit shit that, in a 14-test year, with 6 "home" games, we decide to play one in the US. And not even against the US. 5 tests for the year? Talk about short changing your own fans.
I get $ and all, but it also feels a bit shit to me that we have only played Fiji 7 times in a 639 test career - and not in Fiji since 1984
Samoa and Tonga also 7 times each
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@pakman said in All Blacks vs Fiji:
In this new age of enlightened PR would it be too much for NZR+ to publish details of who’s in San Diego and who stayed back?
I suspect a few fans might even be interested.And release the team on a Wednesday. Esp when it's known on Tuesday
It's bordering on gross incompetence. So simple and almost no cost and still not being done
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@Bones said in All Blacks vs Fiji:
@taniwharugby said in All Blacks vs Fiji:
@Bones there was a conversation earlier, possibly in another thread about the height of our locks.
Yeah I know I'm trying to figure out what winger is trying to say. Bovidae said Itoje is under 2m and all winger did was add his bio?
Are you being serious bones. The locks could be 1.99 or less. I looked up the height of one and added the details for those that are interested.
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@pakman said in All Blacks vs Fiji:
In this new age of enlightened PR would it be too much for NZR+ to publish details of who’s in San Diego and who stayed back?
I suspect a few fans might even be interested.Has anyone said anything to indicate there would be any changes to the squad? The one they named at the start of the year was for all three Tests, they didn't do a big squad announcement after the first Test so why would they do one after the second?
The only question mark is really TJ Perenara but with Hotham in San Diego, seems fairly clear that Perenara isn't fit to play?
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@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks vs Fiji:
@pakman said in All Blacks vs Fiji:
In this new age of enlightened PR would it be too much for NZR+ to publish details of who’s in San Diego and who stayed back?
I suspect a few fans might even be interested.Has anyone said anything to indicate there would be any changes to the squad? The one they named at the start of the year was for all three Tests, they didn't do a big squad announcement after the first Test so why would they do one after the second?
The only question mark is really TJ Perenara but with Hotham in San Diego, seems fairly clear that Perenara isn't fit to play?
There was a comment which I took to mean that Darry and Lakai would travel so a couple of squad members with a lot of minutes on clock could stay behind and recuperate.
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It's interesting all the chat around the blindside position, compared to say, the second row - potentially because there are more candidates putting their hand up to play in the loose forwards than at lock.
Patrick Tuipulotu was back to his usual international quality over the weekend after fading a little bit in the second half of the first game. He was far less effective than Samipeni Finau in the second Test but all the focus has been on No 6.
I still think that with quicker delivery from the base (i.e. not TJ Perenara or Finlay Christie playing at halfback), the current forward pack and midfield could do very well.
I would like to see someone like ALB or Billy Proctor given a run at centre against Fiji (and ideally retain them for the following game against Argentina), simply to see how they operate outside Jordie Barrett at Test level. Lienert-Brown has only once played at 13 with Barrett at 12, and that was against Uruguay during the World Cup. That doesn't mean I think Ioane isn't up to snuff, but I think Lienert-Brown definitely deserves a run in his preferred jersey alongside NZ's first-choice inside centre.
Fiji won't be easy-beats on Friday but they certainly shouldn't pose as strong a challenge as England. Hopefully everyone in the main squad who's yet to get a run will get some minutes on the board this week (except maybe Bell, I'd like to see Aumua/Taylor play again).
I think Beauden Barrett's performance was incredible but I also believe it's the exception to his normal showings. Perofeta has done well enough at fullback so far to hold onto the jersey (bar not passing in-field, he's not made many mistakes). McKenzie was great at 10 and the majority of the issues the All Blacks had at controlling the play was due to the forward pack/halfback not delivering quick ball.
For the next big game (which, I suppose is the following Test against Argentina, although I'm possibly thinking as far ahead as South Africa), I'd like to see...
1 De Groot
2 Taukei'aho (or Taylor, if Taukei'aho still isn't fit)
3 Lomax
4 Barrett
5 Vaa'i
6 Finau
7 Papali'i
8 Savea
9 Ratima
10 McKenzie
11 Clarke
12 Barrett
13 Lienert-Brown
14 Narawa
15 PerofetaReserves: Aumua, Williams, Newell, Tuipulotu, Sititi, Christie, Ioane, Barrett.
Maro ITOJE profile and stats
