TRC squad
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Kirky's view on loosies:
When I saw this post, and that it was from Kirkpatrick who I've never seen anything from in 40 years since he finished playing (was he a selector in the 80s? I think he may have been assistant coach on the Cavaliers tour). It made me wonder what position is the most different and most similar now to 30/40 years ago.
Most similar = halfback. Only real difference is more a rugby league style dummy half role for every 10 phases before a proper rugby union style halfback skillset is required.
Most different = Loose forward. No more ruck chasing and support running and late hits on the first-five. Now it is pods, zones, dominant tackles, pretend jackaling, cleanouts.
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@rapido I think Kirky used to do comments for TV3 rugby shows.
OK, cheers.
I didn't watch them. I had a few years 'off rugby' in the mid 2000s, and a few years overseas.
I had some years off rugby too, from 1998-2002.... and so did the ABs
I’ll be here all week
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@act-crusader said in TRC squad:
@rapido I think Kirky used to do comments for TV3 rugby shows.
OK, cheers.
I didn't watch them. I had a few years 'off rugby' in the mid 2000s, and a few years overseas.
I had some years off rugby too, from 1998-2002.... and so did the ABs
I’ll be here all week
pity you did that, the Crusaders had a decent little run in that period, you would have loved it
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Maybe Kirkpatrick sees some of himself in Fifita? Every bloke I've ever met who is around my old man's age wanks on about this try....
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Extended 70s highlights, including the Kirky try. When Lawrie Knight scored the last one my dad exploded out of the armchair and took out a low hanging chandelier!
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I Have broken a ceiling fan leaping out of my chair in excitement when the ABs scored one time, also woke a sleeping child, so I became doubly popular that night!
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Extended 70s highlights, including the Kirky try. When Lawrie Knight scored the last one my dad exploded out of the armchair and took out a low hanging chandelier!
Not sure I saw the video you said you posted. No Kirky nor Knight.
Some pretty good tries I. That lot though.
One or two (only) I didn't remember...
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And mostly 80s & 90s ...
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Fork! Try this:
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So there will be 33 in the squad.
If we take the wider squad and add in the Chch possibles we get:
Hookers: Dane Coles, Liam Coltman and Nathan Harris. Codie Taylor.
Props: Jeffery Toomaga-Allen, Karl Tu'inukuafe and Ofa Tuungafasi. Owen Franks and Joe Moody.
Locks: Brodie Retallick and Patrick Tuipulotu. Sam Whitelock, Scott Barrett and Luke Romero.
Loose forwards: Sam Cane, Vaea Fifita, Shannon Frizell, Jackson Hemopo, Akira Ioane, Ardie Savea, Liam Squire and Luke Whitelock. Kieran Read.Backs
Halfbacks: TJ Perenara, Aaron Smith and Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi.
First five-eighths: Beauden Barrett and Damian McKenzie. Ritchie Mo'unga.
Midfielders: Ngani Laumape, Anton Lienert-Brown and Sonny Bill Williams. Ryan Crotty and Jack Goodhue.
Outside backs: Jordie Barrett, Rieko Ioane, Nehe Milner-Skudder, Waisake Naholo and Ben Smith. George Bridge.That's 41, so eight to be 'deselected'.
My thoughts:
Coles to be training with whilst playing Mitre 10.
Patty T and Luke Romero to be monitored in Mitre 10.
I'm assuming an 18/15 split so seven loosies to be permed from nine above. Starters Cane/Squire/Read. Extra 7 Savea (A). Two 6/locks from Fifita/Frizzell/Hemopo -- assume the former two, but Hemopo has definitely caught the eye. One back up 8 -- assume Whitelock (L), but they may decide Read will play all games and leave him and Ioane to play Mitre 10, which would allow Hemopo to be included.
In backs only have to lose two.
Expect SBW will be left out of squad owing to injury, but will be attached.
Also assume NMS will get another shot, leaving Bridge as a FAB.
That leaves us with:
Coltman/Harris/Taylor/Toomaga-Allen/Tu'inukuafe/Tuungafasi/Franks/Moody/Retallick/Whitelock/Barrett (S)/Cane/Fifita/Frizell/Hemopo/Savea (A)/Squire/Read/Perenara/Smith (A)/Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi/Barrett (B)/McKenzie/Mo'unga/Laumape/Lienert-Brown/Crotty/Goodhue/Barrett (J)/Ioane (R)/Milner-Skudder/Naholo/Smith (B)
Training with squad: Coles/Ioane (A)/SBW.
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Good work @pakman
May be worth taking into account that the official squad named has an impact on how players are payed during the year (if the same system as previous applies from the RPA agreement). From memory being named in the squad locks you in as an AB for the whole international season and you are paid accordingly.
Because of that I would expect that 'temporary' players will be treated as such while those not available yet but expected to play a majority of games will get named then released.
eg Coles and SBW should be on the official 33 list but someone else will be named as cover. -
Good work @pakman
May be worth taking into account that the official squad named has an impact on how players are payed during the year (if the same system as previous applies from the RPA agreement). From memory being named in the squad locks you in as an AB for the whole international season and you are paid accordingly.
Because of that I would expect that 'temporary' players will be treated as such while those not available yet but expected to play a majority of games will get named then released.
eg Coles and SBW should be on the official 33 list but someone else will be named as cover.Thanks @crucial. You make a good point.
The most typical response by Wise Men on Coles would be to once again attach Coltman.
More juicy with SBW. Seniority would suggest Goodhue attached, which seems harsh. The alternative is Laumape, which might make (slightly) more sense as the WM seem to have RC and SBW as preferred 12s.
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Pretty likely with Pakman/Crucial's additions, however I think that they'll select L. Whitelock and leave out another 6/lock, just in case Read goes down in a heap. And before any Blues fans jump up and down, I'd select A. Ioane, but I suspect that won't happen until the end of year tour. Hope to be proven wrong.
Based on what I've seen so far, Hemopo looks a better prospect, so they'll select Frizzell instead no doubt. Fifita doesn't have much going for him either.
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@gt12 I like Hemopo's workrate and injections. I wonder how much better he'd be with an extra 5-7kg on his frame.
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@antipodean said in TRC squad:
@gt12 I like Hemopo's workrate and injections. I wonder how much better he'd be with an extra 5-7kg on his frame.
Release him to provincial rugby and get him playing 8 I say.
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I'm only concerned about his speed - is he a short lock or was he too slow getting around to play 6? Either way, I like his hustle and the way he throws himself around.
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@antipodean said in TRC squad:
@gt12 I like Hemopo's workrate and injections. I wonder how much better he'd be with an extra 5-7kg on his frame.
Release him to provincial rugby and get him playing 8 I say.
What's his height/weight ratio?
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Pakman's assessment seems pretty close to the mark.
I expect the selectors will be overly cautious with returning players from injuries given it is the third year of the cycle. In past campaigns the goal was to peak for the EOYT as a dry run for the RWC, so they will use TRC get good looks at players who have been in the picture but haven't had that many tests. The injuries are almost a blessing as it gives them the necessary openings to do that.
Picking a RWC 31-man squad assuming everyone were fit is a more entertaining task at this point.
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@antipodean said in TRC squad:
@gt12 I like Hemopo's workrate and injections. I wonder how much better he'd be with an extra 5-7kg on his frame.
Release him to provincial rugby and get him playing 8 I say.
What's his height/weight ratio?
Yes indeed and are the stats 100% accurate or are we looking at an Adam Thompson being listed as heavier than Jerome Kaino fiasco like we have in the past?
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@antipodean said in TRC squad:
@gt12 I like Hemopo's workrate and injections. I wonder how much better he'd be with an extra 5-7kg on his frame.
Release him to provincial rugby and get him playing 8 I say.
What's his height/weight ratio?
Nothing like Carl Hayman's
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when's the squad named?
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got one!
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@machpants said in TRC squad:
got one!
In my Mo'unga defence I did pause to ponder if @taniwharugby was runnning the old Fern gag, but decided as I'd already typed it to send it anyway! 🐡
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@machpants said in TRC squad:
@pakman dunno what time it is announced tho....
12 midday nz time (or about 45 minutes time).
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no real surprises, a couple can consider themselves lucky, but nothing too controversial (that hasnt been discussed already) it'll be the team naming some time next week might generate some chatter.
edit: JUst realised no LAumape, but then he has been called in to cover SBW anyway....
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With age, teams, caps and position:
Forwards:
Hookers
Dane Coles (31, Hurricanes / Wellington, 56)
Nathan Harris (26, Chiefs / Bay of Plenty, 13)
Codie Taylor (27, Crusaders / Canterbury, 32)Props
Owen Franks (30, Crusaders / Canterbury, 98)
Joe Moody (29, Crusaders /Canterbury, 34)
Tim Perry (30, Crusaders / Ta$man, uncapped)
Karl Tu'inukuafe (25, Chiefs / North Harbour, 3)
Ofa Tuungafasi (26, Blues / Auckland, 17)Locks
Scott Barrett (24, Crusaders / Taranaki, 19)
Brodie Retallick (27, Chiefs / Hawke's Bay, 68)
Samuel Whitelock (29, Crusaders / Canterbury, 99)Loose Forwards
Sam Cane (26, Chiefs / Bay of Plenty, 55)
Shannon Frizell (24, Highlanders / Ta$man, 1)
Jackson Hemopo (24, Highlanders / Manawatu, 1)
Kieran Read (32, Crusaders / Counties Manukau, 109) - Captain
Ardie Savea (24, Hurricanes / Wellington, 25)
Liam Squire (27, Highlanders / Ta$man, 17)
Luke Whitelock (27, Highlanders / Canterbury, 5)Backs:
Halfbacks
TJ Perenara (26, Hurricanes / Wellington, 45)
Aaron Smith (29, Highlanders / Manawatu, 74)
Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi (23, Chiefs / Taranaki, uncapped)First five-eighths
Beauden Barrett (27, Hurricanes / Taranaki, 65)
Damian McKenzie (23, Chiefs / Waikato, 15)
Richie Mo'unga (24, Crusaders / Canterbury, 1)Midfielders
Ryan Crotty (29, Crusaders / Canterbury, 37)
Jack Goodhue (23, Crusaders / Northland, 1)
Anton Lienert-Brown (23, Chiefs / Waikato, 24)
Sonny Bill Williams (33, Blues / Counties Manukau, 46)Outside backs
Jordie Barrett (21, Hurricanes / Taranaki, 5)
Rieko Ioane (21, Blues / Auckland, 16)
Nehe Milner-Skudder (27, Hurricanes / Manawatu, 11)
Waisake Naholo (27, Highlanders /Taranaki, 19)
Ben Smith (32, Highlanders /Otago, 67)As well as the 33-man squad, two other players will assemble with the squad as injury cover. Hooker Liam Coltman comes in as cover for Dane Coles, who is expected to return to Test match rugby some time during the Investec Rugby Championship, while midfielder Ngani Laumape comes in for Sonny Bill Williams, who is recovering from a shoulder injury. The squad also features two uncapped players. Crusaders and Ta$man prop Tim Perry, who played two non-Tests on last year's Vista Northern Tour, was named in this year's Steinlager Series squad but missed the series with injury, while young Chiefs and Taranaki halfback Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi has also been selected.
Players Kane Hames, Nepo Laulala, Atu Moli and Jordan Taufua were not considered for selection due to injury.
Squad breakdown The All Blacks squad is made up of 18 forwards (three hookers, five props, three locks and seven loose forwards) and 15 backs (three halfbacks, three first five-eighths, four midfielders and five outside backs) and has a total of 1078 Test caps experience. The squad is made up of three Blues players, seven Chiefs, six Hurricanes, 10 Crusaders and seven Highlanders while 13 of New Zealand's Mitre 10 Cup provinces are represented, with seven Canterbury players, five from Taranaki, three each from Wellington, Manawatu and Ta$man, Auckland, Counties Manukau, Waikato and Bay of Plenty have two players each while there is one player from Northland, North Harbour, Hawke's Bay and Otago. The All Blacks squad will assemble in Christchurch on Thursday this week with the team taking on the Canterbury and Otago provincial sides in the Game of Three Halves match at AMI Stadium on Friday night. A squad of 32 will head to Sydney on Sunday to prepare for the first Bledisloe Cup Test.
http://www.allblacks.com/News/32796/all-blacks-squad-named-for-2018-investec-rugby-championship
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So only 3 locks with Hemopo covering lock.
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@kiwimurph Ardie probably covers lock too...
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