All Blacks 2024
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@reprobate said in All Blacks 2024:
@frugby said in All Blacks 2024:
@reprobate said in All Blacks 2024:
@frugby said in All Blacks 2024:
Assuming Sititi keeps progressing nicely, then by this time next year we could potentially build the loose forward trio around him. I think he will eventually move to 8, and IMO, to counteract that we need a huge blindside... Oli Haig will be in the NZ XV squad, and to me he looks like the obvious up and comer to balance it. That would give you room to play a defensive behemoth at 7... haven't looked at the stats close enough, but that could be Blackadder (please no), Papalii or Lakai. Savea then ready in 20 to come on for the last 25.
I think someone mentioned Sititi had played more 7 than 6? I think that might be his best spot for our combinations, as he's not physically that large. In fact he's small for an international 6 or 8, so if you play him in one of those spots - as you say - you need at least one other loosie to be genuinely big.
Locking someone in and that meaning other positions must have certain attributes is exactly what has been wrong with our loosies for the past few years. Cane was locked in at 7 and captain, even though Ardie was the better 7. That meant Ardie moved to 8, then he got locked in. That meant we needed a big lineout blindside - so we got the underperforming Frizzell and no other options, and we were shit. Now we're even more shit, because two of them are still playing and they're both older and playing worse, our balance is still fucked so as a group they're getting outplayed on a weekly basis, and the only guy really killing it individually is a kid playing out of position.
I hope Haig is the next big thing, but to rely on someone that unproven for your balance is a huge stretch when NZ doesn't produce a lot of that style of player. Hoskins is my preference at 8 as he has dominated at super level and has international size. He lets you play Sititi / Lakai sized guys on the flank against the big teams because he is a genuine lineout forward, and a big lump. Hoskins won't play 80, but if you have Savea and Sititi in the mix then that's not a problem.I think though he is a similar height to Savea, I think Sititi has a much bigger frame, which would allow him to play 8. Definitely wouldn't want to limit him at 7, and I actually think that would lead to an unbalanced trio.
Long-term, all going well, it will be Sititi, Lakai + 1... that +1 will be a big guy, so I guess it just depends who is available and in form. And furthermore, IMO, it does not really matter, who plays 6,7 or 8, because tactics/how you use them overrides that - the trio complimenting each other is far more important.
My point is, what if we don't have a big guy who is good enough? You select a mediocre player, or you have a very small loose trio. It's also an issue because we typically struggle for locking height and consequently frequently have a shorter lock e.g. Barrett, Thorn - which makes loosie lineout options even more important: Kieran Read.
It's kinda like a toned down version of the Waugh + Smith Aussie move. As individuals both are good enough to be on the field, but put them together and the balance is shit because you just don't have what you need to make the combinations work. The other option is picking one of the smaller guys, and two good slightly larger guys, and I think that usually works out better.Who are the medium-sized guys that you'd be picking over someone like Sititi?
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He still scored a try and won two turnovers which you conveniently ignore for your ineffectiveness claim.
Do you think 2.4 metres per carry isn't good? Sititi has 2.1 metres per carry for his AB's career so far.
I doubt Blackadder has won more than two turnovers his entire AB career. He hasn't scored any tries.
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@MajorRage said in All Blacks 2024:
Granted, I've only seen the highlights on the weekend
Fuck I love this sort of analysis
Top Ferning 
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@frugby said in All Blacks 2024:
. I liked what Tosi brought, but I think those big NH tests come too soon for him, and his weakness in the scrum could be exposed.
Not against England's shit scrummaging bench props.
Are Ireland's reserve props good at scrummaging? -
@brodean said in All Blacks 2024:
He still scored a try and won two turnovers which you conveniently ignore for your ineffectiveness claim.
Do you think 2.4 metres per carry isn't good? Sititi has 2.1 metres per carry for his AB's career so far.
I doubt Blackadder has won more than two turnovers his entire AB career. He hasn't scored any tries.
Blackadder made two turnovers in Argentina 2. It's not his real strength, but I don't know why you'd mention him repeatedly in that facet when Dalton, Cane, Jacobson, Finau are all pretty mediocre at it too.
And try scoring... well you must not have thought much of the likes of Jerry Collins etc then eh?If you want to go by stats, then surely you should be advocating for Hoskins to get a run ahead of Ardie anyway - Super player of the year based on stats, and by some margin I reckon.
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@brodean said in All Blacks 2024:
He still scored a try and won two turnovers which you conveniently ignore for your ineffectiveness claim.
Do you think 2.4 metres per carry isn't good? Sititi has 2.1 metres per carry for his AB's career so far.
I doubt Blackadder has won more than two turnovers his entire AB career. He hasn't scored any tries.
His try was fine - good backing up on the turnover. About 1min in here
But it gets rubbed out completely by his miss on Paisami for me.
The turnovers need to be taken in context - he attempts a STACK of them every game - at the expense of putting in a dominant tackle or counter-rucking. I think they cost us significantly on a net/net basis. I would so much rather he put in 3-4 hard shoulders into some prick running at us.
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@voodoo said in All Blacks 2024:
The turnovers need to be taken in context - he attempts a STACK of them every game - at the expense of putting in a dominant tackle or counter-rucking. I think they cost us significantly on a net/net basis. I would so much rather he put in 3-4 hard shoulders into some prick running at us.
Similar story with his ball running. He hangs off cleaning rucks to be in position to hit the ball up. There's a trade off.
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@reprobate said in All Blacks 2024:
That meant we needed a big lineout blindside - so we got the underperforming Frizzell and no other options, and we were shit.
We had quite a few other guys who played at blindside - it seems a bit harsh to describe them as "no other options".
For example, here'a couple of interesting sequences of games along with the guy who started at blindside (and the result).
Ireland 2021, Dublin, Blackadder LOST
France 2021, Paris, Ioane LOST
Ireland, 2022, Auckland, SBarrett, WON
Ireland, 2022, Dunedin, Papalià LOST
Ireland 2022, Wellington, Ioane, LOST
South Africa 2022, Mbombela, Ioane, LOST
South Africa, 2022, Joburg, Frizell, WON (Fozzie keeps his job).Argentina, 2023, Mendoza, Frizell, WON
South Africa 2023, Auckland, Frizell, WON
Australia, Melbourne, Frizell, WON
Australia, Dunedin, Finau, WON
South Africa, Twickenham, Jacobson, LOST
France, Paris, Vaai, LOST
Namibia, Tolouse, Jacobson, WON
Italy, Lyon, Frizell, WONLittle known fact, we only lost three times with Frizell as our starting blindside (he started 26 times).
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@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks vs Wallabies 2:
@gt12 I'm pretty sure Sotutu had to play in the backs for the Blues in the second half of a game at some stage this season.
Yup the Canes game, where Taufa Funaki had to play on the wing.
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That's always been Savea's role at 8 - to look for turnovers. His role has never been a heavy hitter or a primary cleaner and it's not his strength.
You can't say he's been playing badly because he's not fulfilling what you believe should be the role of No 8. He's clearly not been picked for that type of No 8 role.
Personally I do think the the Kaino, McCaw and Read combo is the template and something we have the players in NZ to aim for in terms of a balance.
I do agree that Savea at 8 upsets the balance but I disagree he has been playing badly and I disagree he hasn't been delivering what he's been selected for.
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@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks vs Wallabies 2:
@gt12 I'm pretty sure Sotutu had to play in the backs for the Blues in the second half of a game at some stage this season.
Yep, he went pretty well too.
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@Chris-B said in All Blacks 2024:
@reprobate said in All Blacks 2024:
That meant we needed a big lineout blindside - so we got the underperforming Frizzell and no other options, and we were shit.
We had quite a few other guys who played at blindside - it seems a bit harsh to describe them as "no other options".
For example, here'a couple of interesting sequences of games along with the guy who started at blindside (and the result).
Ireland 2021, Dublin, Blackadder LOST
France 2021, Paris, Ioane LOST
Ireland, 2022, Auckland, SBarrett, WON
Ireland, 2022, Dunedin, Papalià LOST
Ireland 2022, Wellington, Ioane, LOST
South Africa 2022, Mbombela, Ioane, LOST
South Africa, 2022, Joburg, Frizell, WON (Fozzie keeps his job).Argentina, 2023, Mendoza, Frizell, WON
South Africa 2023, Auckland, Frizell, WON
Australia, Melbourne, Frizell, WON
Australia, Dunedin, Finau, WON
South Africa, Twickenham, Jacobson, LOST
France, Paris, Vaai, LOST
Namibia, Tolouse, Jacobson, WON
Italy, Lyon, Frizell, WONLittle known fact, we only lost three times with Frizell as our starting blindside (he started 26 times).
We lost when it counted, he was a non-entity in a game where we needed him to be huge.
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@brodean Which is why he was and should always have been a 7 - but couldn't play there because we locked Cane in as captain.
What I don't get is why they aren't keen on reversing Foster's stupid decision and putting him back there - especially when we have 2 guys banging the door down at 8. -
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@Chris-B said in All Blacks 2024:
@reprobate said in All Blacks 2024:
That meant we needed a big lineout blindside - so we got the underperforming Frizzell and no other options, and we were shit.
We had quite a few other guys who played at blindside - it seems a bit harsh to describe them as "no other options".
For example, here'a couple of interesting sequences of games along with the guy who started at blindside (and the result).
Ireland 2021, Dublin, Blackadder LOST
France 2021, Paris, Ioane LOST
Ireland, 2022, Auckland, SBarrett, WON
Ireland, 2022, Dunedin, Papalià LOST
Ireland 2022, Wellington, Ioane, LOST
South Africa 2022, Mbombela, Ioane, LOST
South Africa, 2022, Joburg, Frizell, WON (Fozzie keeps his job).Argentina, 2023, Mendoza, Frizell, WON
South Africa 2023, Auckland, Frizell, WON
Australia, Melbourne, Frizell, WON
Australia, Dunedin, Finau, WON
South Africa, Twickenham, Jacobson, LOST
France, Paris, Vaai, LOST
Namibia, Tolouse, Jacobson, WON
Italy, Lyon, Frizell, WONLittle known fact, we only lost three times with Frizell as our starting blindside (he started 26 times).
I don't think it is that harsh. Jacobson and Blackadder medium sized (and always injured). Scott Barrett and Tupou Vaai are locks - their selections at 6 are a symptom of the lack of big 6 options, not an argument that we had options.
Finau not ready and had one run in the game where Foster played a complete B team.So Frizzell, or Akira - neither of whom were ever consistently convincing.
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@gt12 said in All Blacks vs Wallabies 2:
@reprobate said in All Blacks vs Wallabies 2:
@BerniesCorner said in All Blacks vs Wallabies 2:
@nostrildamus said in All Blacks vs Wallabies 2:
But I have to concur, Ioane's passing is at risk of being difficult and inaccurate. He seems slow to note others nearby and his instinct is still not to distribute. A shame, he was a tiger on defence (and so was ALB near the end of the game).
He's a weapon on the wing.
Sititi has a great ability to think and pass under pressure. Aware where others are.If we pick Hoskins as well our loosies will literally have better ball skills than our midfield.
If we go 6-2, Hoskins could probably cover midfield.
Before people drop their shit, I’m talking about in an emergency here.
Jerry Collins shifted out to 12 in club footy. Sure, it was club footy but there's no reason why Ardie or Hos couldn't do that too as you said if and when required. They certainly have the speed and power.
