All Blacks vs Boks

pakman

The matchday 23 (with Test caps in brackets) is:

Kane Hames (2)
Dane Coles (51)
Nepo Laulala (6)
Brodie Retallick (67)
Samuel Whitelock (90)
Liam Squire (10)
Sam Cane (47)
Kieran Read (103) - Captain
Aaron Smith (64)
Beauden Barrett (56)
Rieko Ioane (6)
Sonny Bill Williams (39)
Ryan Crotty (29)
Nehe Milner-Skudder (9)
Damian McKenzie (5)
Codie Taylor (22)
Wyatt Crockett (64)
Ofa Tu'ungafasi (7)
Scott Barrett (10)
Ardie Savea (19)
TJ Perenara (36)
Lima Sopoaga (10)
Anton Lienert-Brown (16)

Bones

@pakman the well trodden "Crotty isn't a physical threat" line is an absolute myth.

booboo

The matchday 23 (with Test caps in brackets) is:

Kane Hames (2)

Dane Coles (51)

Nepo Laulala (6)

Brodie Retallick (67)

Samuel Whitelock (90)

Liam Squire (10)

Sam Cane (47)

Kieran Read (103) - Captain

Aaron Smith (64)

Beauden Barrett (56)

Rieko Ioane (6)

Sonny Bill Williams (39)

Ryan Crotty (29)

Nehe Milner-Skudder (9)

Damian McKenzie (5)

Codie Taylor (22)

Wyatt Crockett (64)

Ofa Tu'ungafasi (7)

Scott Barrett (10)

Ardie Savea (19)

TJ Perenara (36)

Lima Sopoaga (10)

Anton Lienert-Brown (16)

Pretty much the A team given availbilty IMO.

Surprised Hames over Crockett. Maybe that's a starter v best bench option option.

Difficult to quibble with the rest. It would really only be twraking around the edges to fit Fifita in. And BB at fullback really isn't a starting option.

Not that I'm advocating him (i like these eing options) but what's happened to Naholo?

Milk

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11922022

JayCee

Hames didn't win much game time through a combination of form, injury and suspension - what was he suspended for?

Edit: ha, punching current team mate: http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/super-rugby/66546721/highlanders-prop-kane-hames-suspended-for-five-weeks-for-punching-dominic-bird

Milk

@JayCee In Hames' defense, Bird does have one of those faces. Besides, they should have been knocked a few weeks off as a reward for Hames being able to jump that high.

Unco

Thought for sure Fifita's performance would've scored him a bench spot, especially since Ardie doesn't really offer a whole lot of impact when he comes on.

nzzp

@Milk said in All Blacks vs Boks:

@JayCee In Hames' defense, Bird does have one of those faces.

Your honour, he had a hittable face.

Love it

taniwharugby

@Unco Hansen was saying on the news this morning his shoulder isn't right...

Unco

@taniwharugby Ah, that'd make sense then. Pity, I would've liked to see what he can do against better opposition.

Chris B.

Some of that Gregor Paul article isn't really correct. Hames came to Ta$man for the 2015 NPC season and, as I recall, pretty much smashed everyone he came up against. I thought he was a good shot to be called up to the ABs when they took Paulasi Manu to the RWC.

There was quite a bit of amazement on here (especially by me) when he didn't get a Super contract in 2016, but eventually it got clarified that he was re-habbing serious knee injuries and wasn't expected to play the 2016 Super season. Eventually he got called up late by the Chiefs and progressed to getting a Bledisloe test.

Be interesting to see how he goes. In another article Marc Hinton is saying he's not a renowned scrummager, which again I think is incorrect. He gets pinged a lot, but he's also pretty destructive - especially at NPC level - he's smashed most tightheads in the two seasons he's played for Ta$man - especially with Hammer's tactic of bringing him off the bench. Obviously not test rugby, but nonetheless. If he goes well he's got a chance to give big Wyatt's place in the pecking order a nudge.

Chris B.

This AB team looks about the best that we can field, though I'm a bit surprised Hames is starting and Crockett is on the bench.

Missing about a third of our best starting XV though - with Franks, Moody, Kaino, and two of Dagg, Ben Smith and Jordie ahead of DMac and NMS in my opinion.

Tim

Ioane should be ahead of Savea.

Chris B.

@Tim He is!

Ah - you mean the other one. Might not be a game for a debutant.

Tim

@Chris-B. Ioanes >> Saveas

Chris B.

@Tim Wouldn't surprise me. I doubt we'll see Jules play for the ABs again unless there's an awful lot of injuries - so Rieko is a banker.

Ardie's got a fight on his hands - and not just with Akira.

taniwharugby

@Chris-B. especially as his 'impact' as a sub has been rather average this season, and even the Ardie > Cane brigade seem to have quietened as well.

He still has a lot to offer, but his form is off right now.

Chris B.

Jesus - the ABs have called Tim Perry into the squad. I'd missed that piece of news.

Can't anyone else produce props except Ta$man?!!!

Hansen is sending our Mitre10 Cup campaign to Davy Jones locker.

ACT Crusader

Crockett has been a very good finisher and will be a good insurance blanket for Hansen if Hames is struggling.

Whilst I was hopeful Fifita would be fit, Hansen and co are investing plenty into Ardie. Hopefully he has a big one off the bench this weekend.

Just on the midfield, it's clear that Sonny Bill is a senior AB in this squad and unlikely to lose his starting spot unless for suspension or injury. What I'd like to see is some adjustment in the attack with SBW and Crotty interchanging a bit more at both set piece and phase play. Sonny is like an extra forward out there and you can see why the coaches love having him close to the ball. But he's pretty effective with a bit more space as well.

ACT Crusader

@Chris-B. It's pretty amazing to think that we are going into a test match against the Boks with Hames and Laulala as the starting props and a tighthead back up that is still trying to establish himself at this level.

The Silver Fern

All Blacks vs Boks