Pommie BaaBaa & Froggie XV
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I honestly haven't come across anyone saying Savea should be in the squad for some time now.
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@no-quarter I dont recall anyone here, but were some sections of our media that seemed surprised at his omission.
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BTW, I still think Jules is a fine option. Teams have just worked out how to defend against him and exploit his weaknesses. The main thing working against him is just that Naholo and Reiko Ioane are just better players now. Ioane doesn't always go looking for contact and seems to have no weaknesses. Naholo set up two tries which Savea couldn't have set up last night. I would rather have Savea on the wing than Tamanivalu. However, being the third best power winger in the country won't get you many starts, given we rarely need a power winger on the bench.
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I know it was a team made up of second (and in some cases third and forth) stringers but i was hoping for a bit more composure in this game.
It was the Baabaa's that looked like they were the team that had been together all season not us.This game really highlighted a bit of the deadwood that we are carrying at the moment.
Harris just isn't up to it IMO. Hoping Aumua can go past him on this tour.
ALB has been pretty rubbish this year. Not blaming it all on him but he is a contributing factor in the disjointed, stuttering backline. Hopefully Goodhue is an upgrade.
I don't really rate Havili but given we are missing about 50 fullbacks there isn't much we can do there.
Fifita really needs to work on finding his support. He bombed a near certain try by trying to do it all himself.
Pity Duffie didn't get on earlier. Don't think he touched the ball.
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Smith MOTM head and shoulders. Continued his good Super Rugby form
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@pukunui said in Pommie BaaBaa & Froggie XV:
It was the Baabaa's that looked like they were the team that had been together all season not us.
Yup, they looked well coached too, well done Robbie! Although he did have Crusaders experience which seems to fit nicely with the players selected!
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I enjoyed the game. Thought Naholo really stood out. Speed, power and always contesting for the ball. Laumape also looking great. Have concerns over Kaino, mayve this is his last tour. B Barrett also doesn't look quite right but Sopoanga isn't exactly beating the door down either. Thought Tamanivalu was woeful in the first half, would have loved to see the bus in his place. He got a lot better in the 2nd however, just doesn't seem to have that ability to beat a man that Naholo, Ioane and what the Bus used to have, but I guess being able to cover centre puts him firmy ahead of Jules.
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@rembrandt it would be nice to have a bit of linebreaking power back in the midfield..I thought that was Laumape's job but perhaps he needs support
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@pakman Two passes in three minutes was big for George. But getting serious, shame that huge physical potential hasn't lead anywhere. His elbow injury in Chicago was nail in coffin for us. Seems to have been right off boil this year. Read somewhere he'd bulked up and lost some speed. Selectors seem to have lost interest.
I thought Laumape was good yesterday. That Yaapie marking him seemed quite solid. But Mo'unga has become something of his bunny! -
I'm finding it weird the down on Tamanivalu crowd, I've never been a fan (he should be playing for Fiji - and now he's a bloody Crusader
) but I thought he went pretty well. Barely got any ball in space but always made a few metres. Better than the guy he was marking who showed no ability to beat a man either - yet a cursory watch of Tamanivalu this year would show he can beat a man (as can Savea when he's on form - I think "Jules" form is what puts Seta ahead of him).@nostrildamus Sadly Moala seems to have completely dropped out of the running. But, he didn't have a stand out season so that's to be expected.
@pakman What are you doing there? A reply to nostril with nothing in it and then a reply to yourself :).
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@nepia said in Pommie BaaBaa & Froggie XV:
I'm finding it weird the down on Tamanivalu crowd, I've never been a fan (he should be playing for Fiji - and now he's a bloody Crusader
) but I thought he went pretty well. Barely got any ball in space but always made a few metres. Better than the guy he was marking who showed no ability to beat a man either - yet a cursory watch of Tamanivalu this year would show he can beat a man (as can Savea when he's on form - I think "Jules" form is what puts Seta ahead of him).@nostrildamus Sadly Moala seems to have completely dropped out of the running. But, he didn't have a stand out season so that's to be expected.
I find it weird that a guy who has managed 3 tries and done extremely well at test level at times has completely fallen out of the running as the legend of Charlie Ngatai just grows and grows.
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@rembrandt Tamanivalu did skin Julian on the outside during the game. A little jink and go. Not a lot of play seemed to go his way, and Naholo is demonstrating to all that going looking for work is the expectation.
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@pakman said in Pommie BaaBaa & Froggie XV:
@pakman What are you doing there? A reply to nostril with nothing in it and then a reply to yourself :).
Fat finger syndrome!
Hmm, I think maybe I should be insulted.
Anyway, back to musing on controversial positions. I daresay the problem is not at 12, (everyone and their dog wants to play there) but at 13. Crotty is now un-Crotty like. Fekitoa has run off with his accountant to new enriching pastures, and ALB has been, ah, not outstanding but solid or even stolid.
Enter the out of left field possibility, we now have some good wing options and one of the wings has apparently said he prefers centre.
Ione, come on down..
(TSF reaches for flamethrower).. -
I as per usual will now enter way too late my pathetic observations on the game.
Once Moli lay on the ground no one could move him. Luatua proved a point or three.
I have never seen a bigger bogan womble in a beanie than JTA, lump of a prop (but is he, technically, too tall?)
BB still doesn't seem to take control of the game, or is that just his style?
I don't know how Harris could get a try, every other moment ended badly when the ball got to him. Was he there for scrummaging? I don't see what else..
SB is a good lock but seems to have trouble asserting himself physically, would he be better as a utility lock?
How early was Kaino affected by his injury?
Savea has a weird stutter and mexican arm wave that
a tells people when he is about to try go for a carry or a tackle
b breaks his own momentum
c forces him to be extremely upright
d turns the noble position of openside into a windmilling Sideshow Bob.
As to halfbacks, maybe T. J. Perenara should be in the backline as everything outside of stock halfback requirements (like reliable passing) he does with great athleticism.Oh and Naholo was great. Romano v good. Our midfield was well contained but some sweet passes. I hope Fifita doesn't borrow more running/turning techniques from Quade Cooper.
