All Blacks Squad for France
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if thats what we have got , thats what we have got ,
Good coaches will design the gameplan around , making the most of your strengths ,
Still rather be in our position than anyone elses
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@chester-draws said in All Blacks Squad for France:
@rancid-schnitzel said in All Blacks Squad for France:
That's reaching in the extreme. Yeah, despite carving up the Chiefs, his clearing kicks needed another metre. This is beyond ridiculous.
You don't think we can find highlight reels of Cruden cutting the Hurricanes apart? For that matter I could put 15 minutes showing Ihaia West carving up sides, let alone someone like Sopoaga. Highlights reels aren't worth much as evidence.
No-one disputes his ability with ball in hand.
It's whether he can run a backline.
Your claim was that the Chiefs easily contained him. That video clearly showed your claim was a complete load of nonsense, just like the rest of your claims.
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@rapido said in All Blacks Squad for France:
@chris-b said in All Blacks Squad for France:
@mn5 said in All Blacks Squad for France:
It's probably about time I ask the same question I do every year.
What the hell does Luke Romano do to keep getting in the team?
Be better than any of the other options. Patty T. is the apparent next cab off the rank, so the bar isn't set that high.
But it's an interesting question as to who else might be in contention, because it's not a bad place to look for a bolter. Who is the next best available option at each of the Franchises? Strange, Allardice, Franklin? Who at the Canes and Blues?
Pity Big Bird is injured. He's got the frame to be an excellent international option.
I like Strange.
who doesn't/didn't like a bit of Strange!
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@mikedogz said in All Blacks Squad for France:
@rapido said in All Blacks Squad for France:
I only have a complex with props and bad hair.
I guess props need to be grown-up men.
When your getting you're neck rammed back through you're ass by other 20 year-olds on a world stage .... you don't want to stand out by having plaits and beads etc ..... it sticks in the mind and forms a complex in right-thinking god-fearing folk like me.
One thing I hate at all levels is a prop with a "Man Bun".
I wondered what the Tahs loosehead thought of having the strands wrapped around his face. Not a pleasant thought!
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@chester-draws said in All Blacks Squad for France:
Cruden got dropped for two reasons. Firstly, and most importantly, he was too frequently injured. Secondly, he made a fool of when he missed that flight overseas, and as much as I think he was a great player he's a lot fond of himself as a person. The "no dickheads" rule may have been an issue.
While Cruden was fit, Beauden was always behind him.
What a load of bullshit. Cruden didn't get dropped because he was injured often or missed a plane. His form dropped off and BB kept on improving. BB was clearly the better player when he overtook Cruden.
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@stargazer said in All Blacks Squad for France:
@chester-draws said in All Blacks Squad for France:
Cruden got dropped for two reasons. Firstly, and most importantly, he was too frequently injured. Secondly, he made a fool of when he missed that flight overseas, and as much as I think he was a great player he's a lot fond of himself as a person. The "no dickheads" rule may have been an issue.
While Cruden was fit, Beauden was always behind him.
What a load of bullshit. Cruden didn't get dropped because he was injured often or missed a plane. His form dropped off and BB kept on improving. BB was clearly the better player when he overtook Cruden.
Personally I'd have had Cruden inside SBW all day long. But BB inside Crotty. BB was effective as a super sub. Cruden was really an injury replacement.
I think it came down to BB having such an influence that AB selectors wanted him to get as many touches as possible.
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Cruden didn't really 'dropped', he got injured, he got reselected by the ABs as soon as he got over his injury, then he promptly got injured again and BB got his chance and found his stunning form in the test series and passed him. Then Cruden decided the writing was on the wall and signed overseas.
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@nepia said in All Blacks Squad for France:
Cruden didn't really 'dropped', he got injured, he got reselected by the ABs as soon as he got over his injury, then he promptly got injured again and BB got his chance and found his stunning form in the test series and passed him. Then Cruden decided the writing was on the wall and signed overseas.
Apparently it was because he missed a plane. Hansen and co were so incensed by this that they made him starting flyhalf in 2016.
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@nepia said in All Blacks Squad for France:
Cruden didn't really 'dropped', he got injured, he got reselected by the ABs as soon as he got over his injury, then he promptly got injured again and BB got his chance and found his stunning form in the test series and passed him. Then Cruden decided the writing was on the wall and signed overseas.
That's a long winded way to say he was dropped from the starting line up.
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@toddy said in All Blacks Squad for France:
@nepia said in All Blacks Squad for France:
Cruden didn't really 'dropped', he got injured, he got reselected by the ABs as soon as he got over his injury, then he promptly got injured again and BB got his chance and found his stunning form in the test series and passed him. Then Cruden decided the writing was on the wall and signed overseas.
That's a long winded way to say he was dropped from the starting line up.
Particularly from a selection panel that is at great pains to say you can’t go backwards when you are injured. He was clearly dropped.
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@kiwimurph said in All Blacks Squad for France:
It would have been interesting to see what would have happened if Cruden never blew out his ACL in 2015.
Or if Troy Flavell hadn't stomped on Greg Smith back in 03 and been labelled a thug and a liability...
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Got tickets for the Wellington game - stoked this is game two in the series... but also a smidge worried... because France!
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In the midfield the tricky position is the long term 13. All the contenders play 12 as well, and at twelve the problem is who to leave out.
For me Crotty is inferior to ALB at 13. Goodhue is the incumbent Great White Hope, so I'd shoot for him and ALB.
SBW is a lock at 12.So, for me, second 12 comes down to choice between Crotty, who always makes BB better at 10, and Laumape, who provides old fashioned grunt. I'd go for the former, but suspect it won't come down to that.
At 10, if the go for three, there are two slots potentially available. Can't see Mo'unga not being there.
DMac is not an international 10 and I don't think he ever will be. Very content to see him as a back up 15 -- but would have to get past Jordie. If there is a third 10, it needs to be a specialist.
We need a big hitting 6/8 to even up the loosie balance. If Squire not fully fit we are exposed. None of Fifita/Ioane/Taufua/Whitelock strike me as defensive enforcers.
Have mainly watched Blues and Chiefs this year -- is there any emerging big hitter? Frizell is big and was highly impressive against Blues (know that's not saying that much!), but haven't seen enough of him to know how dominant his D is.
When is team named?
