Ireland v NZ - Chicago Showdown & Dublin Duel
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@da_grubster said in Ireland v NZ - Chicago Showdown:
How many games has guys like Barrett played for example?
We like to think we are at the forefront of player welfare but we are puting some big workloads on ABs
They seem to track the player workload/output more than ever before.
On Barrett, he's played 11 tests this year and every super rugby game (18 matches). So 29 matches. He's been pretty injury free this year so available for selection. He's started pretty much all those matches bar a couple of early season tests against Wales. He played 80 almost every week for the Canes and has only been subbed off three times in test matches.
On the face of it, it does seem like a lot of rugby. Back in 2012 when the Chiefs won the title, Cruden played every super game (17 matches) and also played in 11 tests.
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Couple of interesting articles from 42. At least one of the Irish tries involved some crafty interference! http://www.the42.ie/analysis-how-did-ireland-beat-the-all-blacks-2016-3070365-Nov2016/ Late five metre scrum would appear to have arsien by Bus's wrong call to ignore the wide open side. http://www.the42.ie/analysis-ireland-new-zealand-henshaw-try-3067060-Nov2016/
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So Barrett will pay 31 games this by the looks of it. That's a big workload by modern standards.
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@da_grubster is it, well for NZ players?
Dont Europe based players play closer to 40 games a year?
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@taniwharugby Doesn't that depend on how much they rotate players? In France, rotation is fucking annoying.
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@da_grubster will he play against France?
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One thing I haven't seen commented on is (amazing to note) how well Ofa T went at LH in Chicago. Before the last Irish try the Irish replacement TH was lifted completely off the ground. And tidy at TH against Italy, albeit they are not the scrummaging team they were. Huge around the park, so worth persevering with.
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Yep Ofa T has scrummed well for the ABs. He looks like a natural replacement for Faumuina if he heads overseas post Lions.
The problem is he suffers from a lag - fans remember his early career form and reputations stick. Same thing happened to Toeava and TKB (his first AB end of year tour).
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@KiwiMurph said in Ireland v NZ - Chicago Showdown:
Yep Ofa T has scrummed well for the ABs. He looks like a natural replacement for Faumuina if he heads overseas post Lions.
The problem is he suffers from a lag - fans remember his early career form and reputations stick. Same thing happened to Toeava and TKB (his first AB end of year tour).
Isn't he the same age that Charlie was when he couldn't even get an Auckland contract?
Massive upside to Ofa.
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@KiwiMurph Yep true. Ofa's scrummaging went alright during the Super Rugby season. There were 2 games where he got dominated which were against the Reds where he and Charlie were taught a lesson (as were most scrums that came up against the Reds), and the Waratahs in the last round which stuck out badly for him as he had just been called up to the ABs but other than that his scrummaging has been fine.
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The thing about good props is that they take a few hidings in the scrum before they become the real deal. It seems to be a rights of passage thing. I remember Steve McDowell getting absolutely monstered in SA (Cavaliers?) but came back the few years unmovable. Crockett got a beating from that scruffy Italian dude (illegally according to some but he failed to adjust). The best props learn their trade by coming up and learning from older bulls and are better for it.
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@KiwiMurph said in Ireland v NZ - Chicago Showdown:
Yep Ofa T has scrummed well for the ABs. He looks like a natural replacement for Faumuina if he heads overseas post Lions.
The problem is he suffers from a lag - fans remember his early career form and reputations stick. Same thing happened to Toeava and TKB (his first AB end of year tour).
Atu Moli is a better bet IMO.
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@cgrant Best scrummagers are Moody and Hames on LH, Franks and Laulala TH.
Crockett is superb bench LH, as Charlie is TH, but developing replacements for both pressing. Moli great promise and will benefit from being in Chiefs squad with Crafty Hoeft. But do need a punchy ball carrier for bench and Ofa certainly is that. -
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@Pot-Hale superb
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@Pot-Hale I think Ireland won the wit competition.
"Green is the new black! 😉" Classic.
And I am downmarking AirNZ for shamrock cliche..
