Pumas v All Blacks

Bones

@Kruse We picked up tickets for the Italy match off seatwave or similar if you want to check those options out.

Wairau

I'm jealous, I'd love to fly over for the France game. I looked online and couldn't find any tickets.

TeWaio

@TeWaio said in Pumas v All Blacks:

Work thing - being taken by a broker

Dammit - that is a good option, but probably not one open to me just now. Bad timing to split with the broker ladyfriend.
And now, even the package from AllBlacks Tours is sold out.

Eurostar from London was only £80 return as well! Absolute steal.

Billy Tell

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All Blacks new mascot.

Lemur Sopoaga.

Frye

@Billy-Tell go back to bed Billy !

Billy Tell

@Frye Night is dawning here in Europe...

booboo

It's Thursday. When's the team named?

pakman

Friday.

Gunner

Thursday morning Argentinean time one would assume?

taniwharugby

@booboo said in Pumas v All Blacks:

It's Thursday. When's the team named?

think I heard they were just gonna wing it this week, turn up on Saturday, see who can get in the changing rooms first and claim a jersey

Crucial

I'm currently in Malta. When is the team named here?

No Quarter

This is really stressing me out.

Duluth

Liam Napier on the game from 2006:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/84771350/leon-macdonald-recalls-the-day-the-all-blacks-almost-lost-in-buenos-aires

I found the last couple of mins of this match on youtube. That last kick from Weepu was terrible

Stargazer

The matchday 23 is (with Test caps in brackets. New caps in bold

Joe Moody (17)
Dane Coles (43)
Owen Franks (84)
Patrick Tuipulotu (9)
Brodie Retallick (54)
Liam Squire (3)
Ardie Savea (6)
Kieran Read - captain (91)
TJ Perenara (23)
Beauden Barrett (43)
Julian Savea (47)
Ryan Crotty (21)
Anton Lienert-Brown (3)
Israel Dagg (55)
Ben Smith (55)
Codie Taylor (8)
Wyatt Crockett (52)
Ofa Tu'ungafasi (1)
Samuel Whitelock (79)
Elliot Dixon (1)
Tawera Kerr-Barlow (21)
Lima Sopoaga (3)
Damian McKenzie

http://www.allblacks.com/News/29874/all-blacks-team-named-for-test-against-argentina

mariner4life

well it's about time we got an interesting team.

No Whitelock and no Kaino will put pressure on our lineout. Great to see Tuipolutu wrecking shit up from the start. Ofa against the Puma scrum later in the game will be, well, interesting.

Interesting to see our midfield without a "power" player

DMac getting a run!

Stargazer

There's a lot to like about this line-up, especially:

Tuipulotu, TJ & ALB getting a start
DMac getting his first minutes in the black jersey
Dixon getting his second cap (although I had preferred him to get a start instead of Squire)
The Crotty-ALB combo

Stargazer

Hansen's explanation of the selection:

Billy Tell

It's clear the AB selectors didn't rate Dixon's solitary appearance to date...6 jersey handed straight to Squire. He has the most to prove off the bench than anyone...otherwise he could see the likes of Ioane off to Europe in his place.

At last Tuipulotu gets a run!, and hopefully DMac does some tearing to shreds off the bench.

Cantab79

In terms of Elliot Dixon, I think it's more a matter of balance. With Kaino out, Squire provides a stronger defensive presence and a slightly bigger body at the collisions. Also, one of Dixon's strengths is his lineout ability. He was the most prolific lineout winner and stealer in the NZ conference. This skill isn't really needed in the ABs right now, with Read and our locks doing the business.

KiwiMurph

It also gives Dixon a chance to see if he can provide some oomph of the bench and conversely see if Squire can a) play 6 at this level and b) be effective as a starter.

So there's two 10/15s on the bench. Ben Smith is midfield cover then?

The Silver Fern

Pumas v All Blacks