AB "What could have been" XV

MN5

@bones said in AB "What could have been" XV:

@mn5 said in AB "What could have been" XV:

Bruce Reihana and Roger Randle cos there were so many other good outside backs in that era.

I thought the thread was about blokes with promise that could have gone further... Not blokes who played to the best of their ability but weren't a patch on those ahead of them..

You've always gotta shoot down my posts and make me feel bad about myself.

Surely both of them were better than Caleb Ralph though?

Bovidae

@canefan said in AB "What could have been" XV:

I might be recollecting through my Hurricanes/Lions goggles, but I remember Filo Tiatia pressing hard for AB selection in 1999. He just missed out on the RWC squad, then missed a call up when Carlos got hurt before the tourney. I can't remember who the replacement was (I seem to recall it was a back, Auckland?), but we could have used his physicality in the semi vs France

Reihana was the replacement player.

Tiatia was more a no.8, and Randell was the only no.8 named in that squad. The other loosies were Kronfeld, Blowers, Robertson, Mika and Thorne. Anyone else at no.6 vs France would have helped.

Magpie_in_aus

Benji Marshall....

mikedogz

Joeli Vidiri

MN5

@mikedogz said in AB "What could have been" XV:

Joeli Vidiri

Quite a few guys could step Jonah but I'm pretty certain JV was the only one who ran over the top of him when Counties played Wellington. Fuck he was awesome.

Bones

@mn5 I hear Ralph can climb a rope one handed.

Chris B.

Dale Atkins.

MN5

@bones said in AB "What could have been" XV:

@mn5 I hear Ralph can climb a rope one handed.

He's my friend on FB. Can confirm.

KiwiMurph

@rotated Anscombe wasnt already signed up for overseas when he got picked up for the Chiefs. He played 2 years for the Chiefs. They played him at fullback cos they had Cruden at 10. A big part of him playing 10 for the U20s was his old man was the coach.

Kirwan

@kiwimurph said in AB "What could have been" XV:

@rotated Anscombe wasnt already signed up for overseas when he got picked up for the Chiefs. He played 2 years for the Chiefs. They played him at fullback cos they had Cruden at 10. A big part of him playing 10 for the U20s was his old man was the coach.

Same for Auckland. When Dad wasn’t involved he ended up as fullback, where was good without being great. Very good goal kicker rubbish ten.

canefan

Someone mentioned Bleyendaal. He won an age group WC at 10 didn't he? Seemed to be touted as the next big thing then disappeared

raznomore

Who was that guy that could have been an amazing ABs no8? Just can't remember his name. Carl something....

Tim

@dice He looked really good in those few games he played at halfback.

ACT Crusader

@derm-mccrum said in AB "What could have been" XV:

Bent

McCartney

Ah You

Hayden Triggs

Ezra Taylor

Nepia Fox-Matamua

Sean Reidy

George Naoupu

Gibson-Park

Joey Carbery

James Lowe

Bundee Aki

Jared Payne

Pita Ahki

Isa Nacewa

Rhys Marshall

Peter Borlase

Nathan White

A. N. Other

Jake Heenan

Isaac Boss

Tyler Bleyendaal

Ben Te’o

Looks like an ITM cup ‘all-star’ team. Nothing more.

Fruean, Atiga, Whopper are three guys that were there abouts, could’ve been 20+ test players and never kicked on for a range of reasons.

Tim

Derren Whitcombe.

gt12

Off the top of my head:

Afoa
Afeaki
Paterson
Hopa
Holah
Blackie
Luatua
Fotualii
Evans
Nacewa
King
Vidiri
Piutau

Pretty much all of them stuck behind All Black greats, except Piutau, Luatua, and perhaps Afoa who I think all went too early.

SynicBast

Duane Monkley . The Ultimate What If.

pukunui

@gt12 said in AB "What could have been" XV:

Off the top of my head:

Afoa
Afeaki
Paterson
Hopa
Holah
Blackie
Luatua
Fotualii
Evans
Nacewa
King
Vidiri
Piutau

Pretty much all of them stuck behind All Black greats, except Piutau, Luatua, and perhaps Afoa who I think all went too early.

Yeah Afoa is a good one. Maybe Tialata from that same era too.

Yeahtheboys

Mike Delaney

Bovidae

Tom Willis

The Silver Fern

AB "What could have been" XV