AB "What could have been" XV
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Bent
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McCartney
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Ah You
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Hayden Triggs
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Ezra Taylor
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Nepia Fox-Matamua
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Sean Reidy
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George Naoupu
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Gibson-Park
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Joey Carbery
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James Lowe
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Bundee Aki
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Jared Payne
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Pita Ahki
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Isa Nacewa
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Rhys Marshall
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Peter Borlase
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Nathan White
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A. N. Other
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Jake Heenan
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Isaac Boss
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Tyler Bleyendaal
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Ben Te’o
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Biggest one for me what if Martin Johnson hung around another year and completed residency after his stint with King Country?
Others with a unapologetic Blues focus:
Gareth Anscombe beat out Sopoaga and Barrett for the 10 jersey in the star studded 2011 U20s squad. Had a couple of MoTM performances in Lam's last season. Cut inexplicably by SJK sight unseen, picked up by the Cheifs but was already signed overseas so used in a bit part role. With different coaching things go better for him IMO.
Watching Orene Ai'i debut for Auckland against Otago I thought he would at least have a cup of coffee in black.
Would have genuinely been interested to see Luke McAlister develop had he stayed after 2007. His attack was sublime in 2007 and two years in black wasn't enough. The 2009 come back was under a massive injury cloud.
There is another universe where Tom Donnelly, like most locks, is a bit healthier and has a stellar 50 test career.
Glen Osbourne still had a great career but was certainly crowded out much like Holah.
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@gunner said in AB "What could have been" XV:
Whopper was supposed to be the next big thing wasn’t he?
He was in that stretch between 2008-11 when the selectors would pick marginal Super Rugby players and talk them up as if they were the next Lomu. They would make you think you were watching another game all these years! Guildford, Bryn Evans, Hoeata, Mackintosh...
@crucial said in AB "What could have been" XV:
Stretching the criteria a bit but Hayman would have probably gone on to be a centurion AB if he hung around
His form went to pudding so quickly for Newcastle I can't imagine he would have made it had he stayed especially given how centurion Franks was on the ascendancy. Collins and to a lesser extent So'oialo were of a similar vintage and fell off pretty quickly post 2007.
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@derm-mccrum good list although surely Tony Marsh fits the same criteria as Payne and was a better player.
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Expected bigger this of Isitola Maka, Royce Willis, Piutau
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@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..
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@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?
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@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.
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Benji Marshall....
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@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.
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@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.
