Bledisloe II
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@taniwharugby said in Bledisloe II:
I just had a look on TAB but they dont seem to have put odds up yet for Franks to score 'a' try, might be worth a dollar or 2, if it blows out might be a sentimental pass to him over the tryline for him to fumble...
Who was that prop the Poms had in 2013 who kept dropping the ball? Every time it came near him he freaked out. It was like someone was throwing a bomb at him.
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@kiwimurph Dont get the logic there. So ALB has a good game off the bench so he is a natural 23. I guess I am not sold of Laumape and see no reason why a player who perform well coming off the bench can not assume the starting position. Will maybe Laumape will show me that he is more than a direct runner.
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@shark said in Bledisloe II:
@bovidae said in Bledisloe II:
@taniwharugby Injury was not a factor according to the Stuff article.
"We wanted a specialist second five," explained Hansen. "Alby (Lienert-Brown) has been playing a lot of his rugby at 13. Whilst we're very happy with his performance [in Sydney], we love what he does for us off the bench.
"He brings a security, a sense of understanding of what's needed in that area and Ngani is more of a starting-type player. It just made sense."
Yep nice one Shag. You may as well put the NH contact under ALB's fucken nose yourself. You could have equally said: "We didn't pick Ngani in the initial squad and wanted him instead to go away and work on his communication, which he's done for an entire game. Alby was outstanding for us at 12 in Bledisloe 1 in what was virtually a starting role but despite that we've brought Ngani straight back in ahead of him".
ALB, Laumape and Goodhue would have to be the three blind mice if they can't see that SBW and Crotty are just hanging on for next year's RWC and then the field is open for them to fight out who sits on the bench.
Given the rate at which the first two are accruing injuries, it will be pretty surprising if all three of these guys don't get to the RWC and probably play in whatever knockout matches we participate in.
This one is throwing Laumape a bone while they can. When SBW comes back, NL will have to head back to Mitre 10 Cup - unless they decide to put Crotty in cotton wool for the rest of the year, which isn't a bad idea.
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Good to see the gloves come off a bit this week.
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@stargazer See, when Steve explains it, it almost makes sense.
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@broughie If you are looking for evidence just watch a replay of the Hurricanes vs Chiefs quarter final this year. Laumape blew Ngatai and ALB off the park and shut down everything they threw at him. He is far from one dimensional and your comment probably suggests you haven't watched any Hurricanes games this year. There was a reason he was named Canes player of the year - he has been brilliant and probably deserves an opportunity more than ALB.
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Half the forum will have to say "I was wrong" after the match on Saturday
Will it be those who think Laumape is a one-dimensional battering ram...
...or those who think Laumape is a bit better than that?
Humble in victory, gracious in defeat - let's see which poster have the goods...
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@billy-tell said in Bledisloe II:
Half the forum will have to say "I was wrong" after the match on Saturday
Will it be those who think Laumape is a one-dimensional battering ram...
...or those who think Laumape is a bit better than that?
Humble in victory, gracious in defeat - let's see which poster have the goods...
what about those of us who think Laumape is more than a one-dimensional battering ram, but that ALB is still a better player? How will that be proven on Saturday?
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Hansen is being a little precious over the Whitelock presentation. If someone looked back when the other centurions were presented with their caps, not all the opposition players would have stayed on the field either. But I'm sure there will be more than 4 Wallabies out there on Sat night.
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@mariner4life said in Bledisloe II:
@billy-tell said in Bledisloe II:
Half the forum will have to say "I was wrong" after the match on Saturday
Will it be those who think Laumape is a one-dimensional battering ram...
...or those who think Laumape is a bit better than that?
Humble in victory, gracious in defeat - let's see which poster have the goods...
what about those of us who think Laumape is more than a one-dimensional battering ram, but that ALB is still a better player? How will that be proven on Saturday?
I suspect you'll have to wait a little bit longer there lad.
Only a fool would use 1 single game to decide that sort of question. ALB has a heap more tests than Laumape, so that would be comparing apples and pears.
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@billy-tell said in Bledisloe II:
@mariner4life said in Bledisloe II:
@billy-tell said in Bledisloe II:
Half the forum will have to say "I was wrong" after the match on Saturday
Will it be those who think Laumape is a one-dimensional battering ram...
...or those who think Laumape is a bit better than that?
Humble in victory, gracious in defeat - let's see which poster have the goods...
what about those of us who think Laumape is more than a one-dimensional battering ram, but that ALB is still a better player? How will that be proven on Saturday?
I suspect you'll have to wait a little bit longer there lad.
Only a fool would use 1 single game to decide that sort of question. ALB has a heap more tests than Laumape, so that would be comparing apples and pears.
so your earlier post was all bullshit then? okay, cleared up.
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If Laumape shows he's up to it, then the one to fall may well be Crotty. While fit he is worth his place, if his eternal breakdowns disrupt the team then maybe not. Especially if he is playing at 12, which I don't think is his best position.
SBW is often broken but is a much better player anyway IMO and at least finishes if he starts, so doesn't disrupt pre-game plans.
However, lots of players get second-year blues, so we need to wait on Goodbye. It gives me confidence that his rise has been steady, not meteoric like ALB or NMS, but next year people will do rather a lot more homework on him and we might see his faults exposed.
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@bovidae said in Bledisloe II:
Laumape was kept quiet in the 3rd Lions test so an organised defence can negate his runs. He'll be running down Beale's channel a lot.
All of the AB backs were kept quiet against the Lions, though I remember him making a break or two in the third test so not completely contained. He also wrecked havoc against their B team which is why he was selected for the 3rd test.
His form hasn't been great this year, I was really hoping he'd develop his game further, but he is very far from one-dimensional. In his 2nd Super season he displayed all the skills - hard running, deft chips and a great passing game putting the likes of Aso away on a regular basis. Hence the comparisons with Nonu.
I do think ALB deserves the starting spot given his form this year, but this isn't the most controversial selection - Laumape has the goods and if the AB coaches think they can get the best out of him then he will be a force to be reckoned with.
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@crucial said in Bledisloe II:
I did think they may go ALB on the bench as a known quality with versatility and a desire to develop Laumape.
Seems to me they've had a desire to develop players at 12 & 13 since the Nonu/Smith departure 3 years ago - and we still don't have a settled, reliable midfield combination.
Big worry IMHO.
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@victor-meldrew said in Bledisloe II:
@crucial said in Bledisloe II:
I did think they may go ALB on the bench as a known quality with versatility and a desire to develop Laumape.
Seems to me they've had a desire to develop players at 12 & 13 since the Nonu/Smith departure 3 years ago - and we still don't have a settled, reliable midfield combination.
Big worry IMHO.
I'd disagree with that. I think Crotty & SBW are clearly the desired first team combination. It's just that both are made of glass and that option isn't available to us as often as we'd like.
Goodhue looked fine last week, ALB has also been good, and now Laumape is given another shot.
For me, it's a long way down our list of worries. I'd have blind side, aging of Ben Smith, inability of our props to keep their fists to themselves, Beauden Barret to kick goals and Naholo to avoid yellow card brain farts all as worries far above and beyond our centres.
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@beardie said in Bledisloe II:
@bovidae I seem to remember the ABs actually making presentations to centurions in the opposition ranks after tests?
Yes, they showed that on the TV news tonight. I'm talking about whether all the opposition stayed on the field for the presentation to the other AB centurions. It was great that the ABs did acknowledge JdV but I'm not sure they have done that on every previous occasion. George Smith and Adam Ashley-Cooper also played their 100th tests against NZ.
