All Blacks Vs England, Twickenham
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Think most of the starting side picks itself. Big question is who takes the last back position I reckon.
EDG/Taylor/Lomax
Barrett/Vaa'i
Sititi/Savea/Cane
Ratima/?
J Barrett/Ioane
Clarke/?/?B Barrett and Jordan will take two of those spots, where they play depends on who fills the other spot. Suspect it will be Reece on the right wing, but could easily be Perofeta at 15 or DMac at 10.
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I think the 23 will be the below, will be surprised if it isn't.
- EDG
- Taylor
- Lomax
- Barrett (C)
- Va'ai
- Sititi
- Cane
- Savea
- Ratima
- McKenzie
- Clarke
- Barrett
- Ioane
- Jordan
- Barrett
- Aumua
- Williams
- Tosi
- Tuipolotu
- Finau
- Roigard
- Leinert-Brown
- Reece
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Given that McKenzie played the full 80 against Japan, I suspect Barrett will start at 10. I wouldn't have him in the 23 at all, to be honest.
Likely Jordan at fullback and either Reece or Tele'a on the wing, but Reece has been given a few opportunities and Tele'a agility might win him the start for this match.
Expecting Ratima, Barrett, Clarke, Barrett, Ioane, Tele'a, Jordan with a bench of Perenara, McKenzie, Lienert-Brown.
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I actually like the idea of McKenzie off the bench. If used correctly he could really make a big difference.
Unfortunately the other utility back bench role seems to rotate between a guy who never looks good off the bench in ALB and a guy who hasn't been in form in 2 years in Havili.
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@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks Vs England, Twickenham:
Given that McKenzie played the full 80 against Japan, I suspect Barrett will start at 10. I wouldn't have him in the 23 at all, to be honest.
Likely Jordan at fullback and either Reece or Tele'a on the wing, but Reece has been given a few opportunities and Tele'a agility might win him the start for this match.
Expecting Ratima, Barrett, Clarke, Barrett, Ioane, Tele'a, Jordan with a bench of Perenara, McKenzie, Lienert-Brown.
You wouldn't have Mckenzie in the 23 at all? Who covers 10?
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@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks Vs England, Twickenham:
Given that McKenzie played the full 80 against Japan, I suspect Barrett will start at 10. I wouldn't have him in the 23 at all, to be honest.
Likely Jordan at fullback and either Reece or Tele'a on the wing, but Reece has been given a few opportunities and Tele'a agility might win him the start for this match.
Expecting Ratima, Barrett, Clarke, Barrett, Ioane, Tele'a, Jordan with a bench of Perenara, McKenzie, Lienert-Brown.
Hasn't McKenzie played pretty much the full 80 in every game except the dead rubber Bledisloe?
I would be astonished if BB's mediocre performance at 10 in that game has seen him move to the top of the ladder. Our backs looked better the minute McKenzie came on. -
yay. we'll go from not scoring in the last 20 to not scoring in the first 60.
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@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks Vs England, Twickenham:
@brodean Sorry, I meant I wouldn't have Barrett in the 23.
Perofeta at fullback with Jordan on the right wing is the go for me.
I don't get the love for Perofeta at fullback, he wasn't a standout at all in Super rugby in that position, especially in a dominant team. I don't even think many had him as even being apart of the AB squad, let alone a starter in tests of this magnitude. They rested Beaudy for a reason against Japan, he will definitely be in the 23.
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@reprobate I am with you on that but I think you may be in for a shock, we'd be asking a LOT of McKenzie to play the full 80 against Japan and then back up against England a (short) week later given the time zone changes. Beauden going to England early is a pretty strong indicator they have him penned in at 10. But we shall see, where is the sauce??
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The sweat was pouring off our props like oriental waterfalls (and the Japanese front row was as well) even before the end of the first half-if they can maintain that for 40 minutes I am not so worried about their fitness in England. But I think given our bench props's* size NZ will be tempted to go for a 6-2 split.
Despite being a scrummaging newbie, I'd put Tosi on the bench, how can they stop him in the last 10 minutes metres out from the tryline?
I'm interested in how the ABs locks are ranked now and if Situtu has really made them rethink the loosies (Finau wasn't too bad this game, but he seems a bit languid at times). I'm guessing they will stick to Cane but this could result in another lack of speed issue.
The young 9s are so good I'd choose either to start (probably Ratima actually). TJP can lead the haka.
I really don't know how they rate the 10s, but if BB starts I think we are a bit light on reliable goal kickers which could be important against England.
The midfield is still a concern, I thought we were outplayed and ALB wasn't very dominant. If we could combine Preston's distribution with Ioane's tackling we'd have a world-class 13, but, we can't. And I am beginning to think the real problem is at 12, nobody has consistently impressed there recently.
Tele'a played better but for me Jordan and Clarke (and then Ioane) are our best wingers. I'd be a bit radical and keep Love at 15 (if the NZXV hadn't taken him) but after him I'd rank Jordan, BB or Perofeta (who I thought looked a bit indecisive against Japan).*With EdG form/fitness/injury issues, has The Mighty Williams become our #1 loosehead?
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