TRC squad
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@kiwimurph Agreed. I am nervous about the first Bledisloe. Was impressed with the physicality shown by the Wallaby pack against the Irish and like you said, they won't be underdone like they have been in previous years. It wouldn't surprise me if we end up losing this game.
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@act-crusader said in TRC squad:
@mariner4life said in TRC squad:
I just had this horrible, horrible vision of BBBR and Read not making the first Bledisloe.
And we turn up to Telstra Stadium with a pack of Moody, Taylor, Franks, Whitelock, Barrett, Squire, Whitelock and Cane. With a midfield of Crotty and ALB.
It's got the powerless 2003 team written all over it. With a worse back 3.
ABs by 20 instead of 30 then. Some of you are hard to please
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@rocky-rockbottom at least daylight doesn’t have an attitude problem
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So going by what Hansen has said, they'll stick with BB at 10 (not surprising) and - more contentious - Dmac on the bench. Yuck.
"We've got a player who's been the world best the last two years, so we won’t be in any rush to shift him," Hansen told the assembled, referring to Barrett's consecutive nods as World Rugby's Player of the Year. Hansen acknowledged Mo'unga's eye-catching form as arguably the catalyst for the Crusaders’ second-straight Super Rugby title win. However, as the selectors have shown in the past, the value they place on experience can never be overlooked. Hansen used the example of 2015's hotly-debated contest at 10 before the Rugby World Cup, when Barrett’s red-hot form had the general rugby public calling for him to usurp regular Dan Carter. "Mo'unga's 24 years old and he's played one test match, and he's got competition from the specialist five-eighth in Barrett, who's played 64 and has been World Rugby Player of the Year twice. "I think about a bloke prior to a World Cup we went to and everyone wanted us to drop Carter. "But he had one ingredient that the other blokes didn't have and that was experience, and I think you saw that experience come out in the big moments in the tests." And with Damian McKenzie's ability to cover several backline positions, Hansen agreed it would be difficult for Mo'unga to force his way into a spot onthe bench. "McKenzie has that ability to play two positions when you want your five-eighth to be able to stay up front, which is where we want Barrett to play. "Again, we've got versatility, so our job is to grow them and by the time we get to where we need to get to, both of them, I think, will be firing." It's the kind of problem that the section team welcomes and Hansen suggested Mo'unga's time would come. "They're both very good rugby players," Hansen said of Mo'unga and Barrett. "Richie couldn't have done anything more than he did this year for the Crusaders. He's been outstanding. "Our job is to maximise the talent they've got and over time, you’ll see Richie play more test matches, I'm sure. "We have to build slowly with Richie and build his experience."I mostly disagree with the word "slowly" in the last sentence. This sounds like the way they've treated Lima.
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@donsteppa said in TRC squad:
However, as the selectors have shown in the past, the value they place on experience can never be overlooked.
Which is why NMS will be partnered on the wing by Stu Wilson.
The funny thing is that when you look at the backline players in the squad and their test experience, one could argue that we are rebuilding. Outside back experience other than Bender is pretty low when it comes to test caps.
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@stargazer quoted Hansen in TRC squad:
McKenzie has that ability to play two positions
Fullback and scrumhalf? Because first five-eighth isn't it.
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@stargazer said in TRC squad:
So going by what Hansen has said, they'll stick with BB at 10 (not surprising) and - more contentious - Dmac on the bench. Yuck.
"We have to build slowly with Richie and build his experience."
I mostly disagree with the word "slowly" in the last sentence. This sounds like the way they've treated Lima. https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/sport/2018/08/rugby-steve-hansen-dismisses-suggestions-richie-mo-unga-should-replace-beauden-barrett.htmlI agree with Hansen.
IMO (and I'm pretty sure Hansen agrees) barring a catastrophic loss of form or an injury, Beauden is the man to take us to RWC 2019. Richie won't displace him simply by playing a bit better (if he can).
If you're Hansen, you've got to back your key play-maker and give him the confidence to play with freedom - not leave him anxious about whether or not he's actually going to make the team.
Richie will have to bide his time until after the RWC now, because he can't match the experience factor. So the key for Hansen is to give Richie and Damien enough game time time each that they can step in if Beaudy gets broken.
I don't think the ABs need to be an equal opportunities employer, so I don't think Lima has been treated badly. He's just been treated as someone who is not the number one option.
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@chris-b This is not about Mo'unga vs Barrett. It's about Mo'unga vs Dmac on the bench.
And with Damian McKenzie's ability to cover several backline positions, Hansen agreed it would be difficult for Mo'unga to force his way into a spot onthe bench. -
@rocky-rockbottom said in TRC squad:
well, great, yeah that's just fucken great. Luke Shartlock as backup #8. So dynamic. So just..... there. "But he can tackle!" Yeah so they keep fucken telling me. Tackle? Akira doesnt even need to bother grounding the fluffybunnies when he's a one-man held-up maul turnover ball vortex of death for any prick that goes near him. Yeah there's your fucken tackle. fluffybunny. We now have the fucken ball. Or didnt you want it coach?
"Umm, we want you to work on things. You have some work-ons."
What, like being completely ineffectual ball in hand, and letting the opposition keep the fucken ball?
fluffybunnies.
Hansen's order for next cabs off the rank backup to Read:
- Luke Shartlock
- 10-minute cameo superstar Dick Frizzle can probably do it,
- HemopoTrialKaino
- FFSFifitafailedTrialKainoRecall
- George Whitelock
- any other Whitelock
- any another Barrett.
- what's Mex up to these days?
- daylight
- fuck do we have to?
- Peter Saili
- even more daylight
- any man, woman or child in Canterbury
- Akira Ioane
List is missing some Kurt Sherlock.
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@stargazer said in TRC squad:
The only real 10 in the squad needs game time.
this is a startling admission of opinion
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@mariner4life The opinion part of my post is that Mo'unga needs game time because he's the only specialist in the squad.
Barrett isn't a specialist 10. There's quite a lot of consensus about that. Dmac is a fullback they're trying to convert into a utility 10/fullback. Mo'unga is the only specialist 10 in the squad. That's a fact.
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@rocky-rockbottom said in TRC squad:
well, great, yeah that's just fucken great. Luke Shartlock as backup #8. So dynamic. So just..... there. "But he can tackle!" Yeah so they keep fucken telling me. Tackle? Akira doesnt even need to bother grounding the fluffybunnies when he's a one-man held-up maul turnover ball vortex of death for any prick that goes near him. Yeah there's your fucken tackle. fluffybunny. We now have the fucken ball. Or didnt you want it coach?
"Umm, we want you to work on things. You have some work-ons."
What, like being completely ineffectual ball in hand, and letting the opposition keep the fucken ball?
fluffybunnies.
Hansen's order for next cabs off the rank backup to Read:
- Luke Shartlock
- 10-minute cameo superstar Dick Frizzle can probably do it,
- HemopoTrialKaino
- FFSFifitafailedTrialKainoRecall
- George Whitelock
- any other Whitelock
- any another Barrett.
- what's Mex up to these days?
- daylight
- fuck do we have to?
- Peter Saili
- even more daylight
- any man, woman or child in Canterbury
- Akira Ioane
List is missing some Kurt Sherlock.
He was required to do a bit of tackling in league but he's probably a wee bit small for a 6 - so he'd clearly only fit in the list after women and children from Canterbury.
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@donsteppa said in TRC squad:
DMac was fantastic in the June series. He is easily the bench spot.
I must send you some of the Chiefs quarterfinal highlights sometime.
The only problem with that is our current starting 10 was average in that match as well, and then really average a week later.
Oh well, Mo'unga it is then I guess.
