Bledisloe 3
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At least the injuries and unavailabilities allow us to rotate and blood players without actual rotation.
Props ranked 2 and 3 on both sides get game time.
Barrett and Tuipolutu get game time.
Another 10 gets a start (probably Lima).
We run out another wing (probably Waisake).
Expect Havili to get more time.
I'm not a fan of trying to guess the selection but if the best available team is picked I reckon it would go something like:
- Hames
- Coles
- Laulala
- Barrett
- Whitelick
- Squire
- Cane
- Read
- Smith
- Sopoaga
- Ioane
- Williams
- Crotty
- Naholo
- McKenzie
- Taylor
- Crockett
- Tu'ungafasi
- Tuipolutu
- Savea
- Perenara
- Mo'unga/Lienert-Brown
- Havili
22 is an interesting case. Do we go for DMac to cover 10, or Rieko and Naholo to cover midfield? I think the latter and pick Mo'unga. Is also a 3rd goal kicker. And introduces yet another debutant in the interests of building depth.
Where we're not building depth currently is hooker and halfback. And No.8.
Not sure how you could rejig the bench to accommodate an 8. Fifita to cover lock/6? Next best 8 is probably Kaino, but that's hardly an eye out to the future. And two tight-loose forwards might leave us a little slower against the Aussie loosies.
Also not sure Ardie is adding as much off the bench this year as he did last. But I still think he is a better bench option than Todd.
But I'm rambling ...
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Just further to that, currently unavailable are:
B Smith
Dagg
Milner-Skudder
Barrett
Retallick
Romano
Moody
FranksAnyone else?
6 of the 7 were first choice v Lions
Edit: updated for NMS (but spelt correctly), thanks @family-man
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@booboo Milner skuddar unavailable aswell
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@family-man said in BLEDISLOE 3:
@booboo Milner skuddar unavailable aswell
Any relation to Milner-Skudder?
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@family-man no worries. Just being a smart arse.
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@bones said in BLEDISLOE 3:
@booboo Surely Jonah Lowe and Blake Gibson are unavailable.
And Ngatai....
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As has been said , has all the ingredients of a banana skin game this one ,
just gone through a few consecutive wins , very little on the line , not a lot of interest in the game overall , injuries , up against a side that is craving a win against us ,
Has a similar vibe to when we went into that Chicago game ,
But having said all that , it usually happens when you least expect it
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Not that I think he’s been terrible as some commentators have said, but I wouldn’t mind if Sonny got a spell and we saw Laumape start at 2nd 5 with Crotty at centre.
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@act-crusader said in BLEDISLOE 3:
Not that I think he’s been terrible as some commentators have said, but I wouldn’t mind if Sonny got a spell and we saw Laumape start at 2nd 5 with Crotty at centre.
I would like to see that combo as well but I really doubt the selectors are going to take the guy with the best backline defensive numbers out of this game.
I think they are well aware that if through circumstance or good play the convict crew get a decent amount of ball to play with they will be throwing everything at us. We need to be well prepared to blunt them and start eroding whatever confidence they have built up. Make them try and force the issue. -
@family-man get up to them being smart arses. They're a chippy bunch.
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@crucial Tend to agree. One thing that we seem likely to see for an extended is the Nugget-Lima-SBW-Crotty combo, and it will be interesting to see if Lima's presence adds fluidity to what has been quite clunky from set piece.
Main selection interest is whether or not Kaino gets a run and third reserve back: Laumape or Albie. -
@pakman said in BLEDISLOE 3:
@crucial Tend to agree. One thing that we seem likely to see for an extended is the Nugget-Lima-SBW-Crotty combo, and it will be interesting to see if Lima's presence adds fluidity to what has been quite clunky from set piece.
Main selection interest is whether or not Kaino gets a run and third reserve back: Laumape or Albie.I think Laumape might get a run as ALB has clocked up a lot of playing minutes already this year. Laumape's numbers were also high after Super but he will have have more time refreshing. There is also the aspect of forward planning for the EOYT and the required rotation.
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@pakman said in BLEDISLOE 3:
Main selection interest is whether or not Kaino gets a run and third reserve back: Laumape or Albie.
I reckon Mo'unga is in that mix ... see rationale above.
I'm not really a fan but can see the arguments in favour.
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@kiwimurph said in BLEDISLOE 3:
@booboo Foster seemed to heavily indicate DMac will cover 10 and that Mounga was there to learn about the environment.
Righto
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@kiwimurph That's what I thought, too. Don't think they'll throw him into the deep end with only 5 days in camp for a test match (even a Bledisloe dead rubber test), unless there's an emergency. Dmac was in the squad for months, before getting his first cap; Havili several weeks; even Scott Barrett got more time, although they capped him pretty quickly (forced by injuries to Retallick & Whitelock, and Romano on bereavement leave).
I can imagine that, apart from having Mo'unga there as injury cover, they wanted to have a closer look at him for a possible EOYT spot and having more time to bring him up to speed with structures etc. The first game against the Baabaas is already in 18 days. Having him in the squad this early, might indicate that they're considering giving him game time in that game.
