If we win Bled 2, are you happy heading into the end of year tour?
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Yikes I don't think I read the room
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@BerniesCorner I appreciate your positivity and optimism, it helps balance out all of the grumpy old men on here
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I'll cast my vote
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Surely beating a team ranked tenth in the world at home is expected, not a cause for celebration?
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I'll be happier if we put on a organised, disciplined eighty minute performance, with some innovative patterns/moves. But the fact the a big chunk of this team won't be around for the RWC means is not as meaningful as it could've been, and is only the tenth ranked team in the world
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this question is far too binary, so my answer is they/them
There are some real positives. The tight 5 is coming along pretty well, the set piece is in the main pretty good. Caleb Clark has emerged as the player we hoped he was. Ratima is a nice halfback. Sititi looks to have a future at test level. Our attack looks sick at times, carving even the over-hyped springboks up.
There is a shit of a lot wrong though. Senior, rusted on selections are off the pace to the detriment of the team. We fall apart in the 2nd half of nearly every test. Our defence is shockingly leaky. We are playing with fire on our ruck ball. Our discipline is still very average. And these things are adding up to a fairly average set of results.
A continuation of the same old shit up North could get very ugly with hostile crowds baying for cards all day.
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This game largely means nothing to me, due to the selections, so I don't think it'll change my uncertainty with where we are heading. I'll be satisfied if we win, if McKenzie and Ratima come on and carve it up in the last 20, and if guys like Aumua and Tosi get some meaningful minutes.
The EOYT squad announcement is where I'll cast judgement I think, in terms of whether Robertson is learning his lessons. -
@reprobate said in If we win Bled 2, are you happy heading into the end of year tour?:
The EOYT squad announcement is where I'll cast judgement I think, in terms of whether Robertson is learning his lessons
i expect very little change. What are the guys coming in going to be able to add given over the past 3.5 months all they have had is a few games of park football?
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@mariner4life It's more about getting some confidence that Robertson recognises some of the issues he's created with his loosie selections, and the lack of form of e.g. Telea, and ditching the old dead wood and building for the future.
As you say, I don't expect that to massively change how successful the EOYT is, but I would have a lot more faith that he knows what he is doing, and therefore in what comes after. -
@mariner4life said in If we win Bled 2, are you happy heading into the end of year tour?:
@reprobate said in If we win Bled 2, are you happy heading into the end of year tour?:
The EOYT squad announcement is where I'll cast judgement I think, in terms of whether Robertson is learning his lessons
i expect very little change. What are the guys coming in going to be able to add given over the past 3.5 months all they have had is a few games of park football?
I'm expecting some new faces.
Tight five will be the same, but think there is potential to see Lakai and/or Haig in the loose forwards.
Roigard will be back, presumably in place of Perenara
Could potentially see a bolter in Jacomb in the backline.
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I'm happy to give a period of grace as Robertson and co. to become detached from the Crusaders. For example, I think the selections of Bower, Havili and Fihaki are really as simple as, these guys know our (The Crusaders) systems, they are there in the case of an emergency, so we might as well have a guy we know we can trust. I think to a degree that makes an element of sense, particularly when you are trying to insert totally new systems into the All Blacks for the first time since Graham Henry took over in 2004.
However, they have to learn, and be brave by the EOYT next year. I'll be concerned if the All Blacks XV squad is just 'the boys' there is real potential that the squad could include:
McAllister, Hannah, Gallagher, Hannah, Grace, Christie, Lio-Willie, Gardiner, McLeod, Ennor, Fihaki and Springer all feature on top of the guys already in the All Blacks Squad. Some of those guys are obviously fringe and would deserve their selections, and would be picked by any coach. The concern to me, is that all the fringe selections are the Crusaders players, which as I say is understandable to a degree, but they need to develop a degree of objectivity to move past that at sooner rather than later.
Naturally over time that will happen, because the bias (IMO) has nothing to do with the fact the players are from Canterbury and the Crusaders, and everything to do with the fact they have previously coached them.
Jase Ryan likes Shannon Frizell (trusts him and coached him), Jase Ryan (seemingly) does not like Hoskins Sotutu (Presumably a personal issue to do with his behaviour after non-selection last year) We can debate whether it is fair to hold a grudge. Personally I don't really care, but more concerning was the whole Sam Darry situation. They did everything to avoid picking him (Pissed them off by picking the Blues over the Crusaders) finally were forced to pick him, lone behold he isn't shit and now they have no problem with him.
If this time next year the All Blacks squad still includes George Bower and David Havili, and the fringe players being favoured are still Crusaders players, I think that is an issue, because more than anything it is personnel which will hold the All Blacks (or any sporting side) back. That is why I think we should really wait before judging the Razor regime, because time is needed for them to insert their systems, and then to work out the best players to carry those out are.
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@frugby said in If we win Bled 2, are you happy heading into the end of year tour?:
McAllister, Hannah, Gallagher, Hannah, Grace, Christie, Lio-Willie, Gardiner, McLeod, Ennor, Fihaki and Springer all feature on top of the guys already in the All Blacks Squad. Some of those guys are obviously fringe and would deserve their selections, and would be picked by any coach.
Please list them:
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@antipodean said in If we win Bled 2, are you happy heading into the end of year tour?:
@frugby said in If we win Bled 2, are you happy heading into the end of year tour?:
McAllister, Hannah, Gallagher, Hannah, Grace, Christie, Lio-Willie, Gardiner, McLeod, Ennor, Fihaki and Springer all feature on top of the guys already in the All Blacks Squad. Some of those guys are obviously fringe and would deserve their selections, and would be picked by any coach.
Please list them:
McAllister is within the top six hookers in New Zealand.
One of Hannah or Gallagher to be fair is probably in the next best four locks
Lio-Willie (and maybe Christie) would be in the next six best loose forwards
McLeod got an All Blacks cap last year for a reason. I'd have him in the next 4 best midfielders
Think you could also make a pretty legitimate argument based on potential to select Springer too. -
@Crazy-Horse said in If we win Bled 2, are you happy heading into the end of year tour?:
@frugby refresh my memory, what was the 'everything' the selectors did to avoid picking Darry?
I think the fact that they only named him as injury cover (even though there was only three locks in the squad), and choosing to have the injured Josh Lord assembled with them was a pretty fair indicator that they weren't interested in him.
