All Blacks v Italy
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@KiwiMurph yea, I didn't see last week except for about 15 mins, where Savea did 2 really, really shit things. Not sure Naholo has exactly been a step up either, he just gets marked a lot easier.
My feeling is Cruden really needs rugby, so hopefully he allows himself to settle in to the game before trying too much.
I still think we'll win, it's the All Blacks they always win. But this team is certainly the hard way of going about it.
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Video with Hansen answering questions in this article:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11745611&ref=NZH_Tw
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My read is that Luatua will be expected to play a full 80. Shag certainly made it clear that this is his big chance. Most interesting element of selection is how bench will work if any injuries to him. If Luatua off one of Pat T or Barrett ends up in loose trio.
If a midfielder hurt (please, God, no) it would seem Rieko slots in to 13 (I really don't like thought of Naholo there).Also interesting implications for rematch. Am assuming Whitelock will be expected to play French, so bench at most there. Barrett and Pat T competing for start against Irish. Reserve lock would mean one loose forward reserve. With both Savea and Squire being rested that would suggest both are in contention for a start, and maybe that there is an undisclosed injury issue. In backs one would presume Dagg would be favoured to counter Irish kicking game. Rest of starters are fairly plain. Midfield cover the big query. To me it's too early for Ioane. Seta T, who's also played wing, would be the obvious, but no role in 23 throws that into doubt. That would leave Naholo -- see above!
Crockett, Coles, Franks
BBBR, Barrett/Pat T
Cane, Kaino, Read
TJP, Barrett,
ALB, Fekitoa
Savea, Smith, DaggTaylor, Moody, Faumuina, Pat T/Barrett/Whitelock/Luatua/Squire, Savea/Dixon, Smith, Cruden, Seta T/Ioane/Naholo
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Seriously lack of faith shown by some people.
How many people here actually watched every Italy game in the 6N? How many people watch Treviso and Zebre play in the Pro 12?
Very few I imagine.
They are shit!
Italy would be happy to beat the Southern KIngs.
Yes, it's a NZ A side, but if we can't beat Italy with a NZ A side, then our fabled depth is paper-thin.
Personally, I look forward to seeing the new faces have a run out...although I will almost certainly switch to England vs SA after 30 minutes...
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@Billy-Tell said in v Italy:
Seriously lack of faith shown by some people.
How many people here actually watched every Italy game in the 6N? How many people watch Treviso and Zebre play in the Pro 12?
Very few I imagine.
They are shit!
Italy would be happy to beat the Southern KIngs.
Yes, it's a NZ A side, but if we can't beat Italy with a NZ A side, then our fabled depth is paper-thin.
Personally, I look forward to seeing the new faces have a run out...although I will almost certainly switch to England vs SA after 30 minutes...
Is Sergio Parisse playing ? I hear he can turn water into wine ( or whatever the equivalent is on a rugby field )
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@Billy-Tell said in v Italy:
Seriously lack of faith shown by some people.
How many people here actually watched every Italy game in the 6N? How many people watch Treviso and Zebre play in the Pro 12?
Very few I imagine.
They are shit!
Italy would be happy to beat the Southern KIngs.
Yes, it's a NZ A side, but if we can't beat Italy with a NZ A side, then our fabled depth is paper-thin.
Personally, I look forward to seeing the new faces have a run out...although I will almost certainly switch to England vs SA after 30 minutes...
Is Sergio Parisse playing ? I hear he can turn water into wine ( or whatever the equivalent is on a rugby field )
You'll have to get someone to point him out to you, as I'm sure you've never actually watched him play....
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@ACT-Crusader said in v Italy:
@Billy-Tell said in v Italy:
Seriously lack of faith shown by some people.
How many people here actually watched every Italy game in the 6N? How many people watch Treviso and Zebre play in the Pro 12?
Very few I imagine.
They are shit!
Italy would be happy to beat the Southern KIngs.
Yes, it's a NZ A side, but if we can't beat Italy with a NZ A side, then our fabled depth is paper-thin.
Personally, I look forward to seeing the new faces have a run out...although I will almost certainly switch to England vs SA after 30 minutes...
Is Sergio Parisse playing ? I hear he can turn water into wine ( or whatever the equivalent is on a rugby field )
You'll have to get someone to point him out to you, as I'm sure you've never actually watched him play....
That is completely untrue, fairly certain he was on the field in tests I've seen against the ABs and Scotland, he was the one with the halo right ?
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@Billy-Tell I don't think anyone here doubts the ability of the players but as we know, chucking a bunch of good players in a test match where there is a lack of combinations and experience can be dicey, even against lesser opponents.
Italy might have performed poorly and I did watch those 6N tests, but they look a settled lineup.
I think some are concerned it's going to be some disjointed rugby out there.
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@ACT-Crusader especially if Italy get some good bounces early on, could be very ugly.
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i've been a big fan of hansen's policy of keeping a core unit and rotating only a couple of players in and out at a time. now we're back to the same old shit. learn nothing about the new guys, combinations aren't there, messy rugby. seems like a knee-jerk to the loss to me.
maybe that's a good thing if they're all knackered, obviously i don't have the inside knowledge on that, but i don't like the change in approach.
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My philisophy: whatever it takes to beat Ireland in Dublin.
All that bonhomie will go right out the window if we lose back to back tests to Ireland.
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@reprobate said in v Italy:
i've been a big fan of hansen's policy of keeping a core unit and rotating only a couple of players in and out at a time. now we're back to the same old shit. learn nothing about the new guys, combinations aren't there, messy rugby. seems like a knee-jerk to the loss to me.
maybe that's a good thing if they're all knackered, obviously i don't have the inside knowledge on that, but i don't like the change in approach.
I'm fairly sure that this regime have always looked for an opportunity during the EOYT against a weaker side to through a bunch of new players in to see what they can see about them. Then they get put back in the box with work ones for later use when required
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Interesting bit in the Guardians weekly rugby mailshot (the Breakdown) -
"Racing 92, who move to their new ground in Paris next season, inquired about the All Blacks playing a match to mark the opening of a new venue but balked at the requested fee of €2m. Depending on how the tour schedule after 2019 pans out, others may have no choice."
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There is no coverage of this game in Australia ?
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No, but the French game and the one against Ireland will be shown on Fox/beIN sports. I can live with that.
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@KiwiMurph said in v Italy:
@mariner4life I'm not a fan of McKenzie, but at least he should provide some positive aspects to counter out his bad stuff, which is more than can be said for Savea last week. As for TKB I think comments on his decision making are well overblown - plus he's played a heap of rugby with Cruden over the years (who himself should be a huge step up on Barrett's performance at 10 last week, which wouldn't be hard).
Not sure about that. If Barrett was poor last week, then Cruden was even poorer.
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Interesting bit in the Guardians weekly rugby mailshot (the Breakdown) -
"Racing 92, who move to their new ground in Paris next season, inquired about the All Blacks playing a match to mark the opening of a new venue but balked at the requested fee of €2m. Depending on how the tour schedule after 2019 pans out, others may have no choice."
That's a shame. I'd quite like to see a game like that. Think NZRU need to be flexible, it isn't Twickenham, so 2m euro is surely too much for a 40k stadium.
This would be a one off opportunity, where as 4th out-of-window internationals for the bigger cut is probably an ongoing annual opportunity.
Could even play it midweek, if need be. If have an 'easy' test that Saturday. Who am I kidding, modern coaches accepting a midweek distraction .....
