The Māori All Blacks' tour to the Americas
-
@kiwimurph said in The Māori All Blacks' tour to the Americas:
@nepia he's got a better case than Drummond.
That's not saying anything.
Edit: Although you have to give Drummond his dues, he's made the ABs at 9 despite not meeting the selection criteria of being Maori.
-
@kiwimurph said in The Māori All Blacks' tour to the Americas:
@nepia who would you pick instead of Hall?
Weber, Fakatava (JK about Fakatava). Weber has come back into form in the NPC whereas Hall has gone the other way.
-
@kiwimurph said in The Māori All Blacks' tour to the Americas:
@nepia yeah potentially. I just don't see Hunt as a test quality 10. A tidy provincial/Super 10 - sure. I just think in the overall scheme of things it's one game against Japan (which he likely won't even play in). They've already said Perofeta is ahead of Cameron, I'm not sure how much Super game time Cameron is realistically going to get next year to push his claims (insert joke about Frizell here) so I wouldn't read too much into it in the short term.
There is a bit of an issue with who the next quality 10 outside the ABs is so they want to take a look at this guy - cool.
Yeah - it's a huge bonus for whomever the fourth first five who got picked is. None of them are close to AB quality at present. None of them are really ready to helm a Super team. Cameron the lucky one who's won Lotto.
Mitch Hunt has improved quite a lot on this time last year though. He's a sensible guy - signed up for another growing season at the Crusaders - after which, he'll probably be a reasonable first choice Super rugby 10.
-
@chris-b my concern with Hunt is that he doesn’t seem to have a lot of speed.
Look at our top 3 10s and they all have gas to burn. Coincidence? Perhaps. But I think wanting to play at pace you need a 10 with it. Especially given their role in dropping back in the field of play for opposition kicks.
-
Probably why they like Perofeta, he’s got very quick feet
-
@act-crusader said in The Māori All Blacks' tour to the Americas:
@chris-b my concern with Hunt is that he doesn’t seem to have a lot of speed.
Look at our top 3 10s and they all have gas to burn. Coincidence? Perhaps. But I think wanting to play at pace you need a 10 with it. Especially given their role in dropping back in the field of play for opposition kicks.
It's also needed as part of the package to deal with rush defences. If a rush defence doesn't get it right and leaves a gap we need a 10 that can take advantage and rip through. We can also try and manipulate a gap out wider if the defence has to stay eagle eyed on 10
-
@act-crusader I think Mitch is pretty quick, but I wouldn't back him in a foot race against any of those three - they could probably all play on the wing if necessary!
He is pretty small - even compared to DMac. And he pushes the envelope a lot - without having that same elusiveness to get himself out of trouble.
He's a bit unlucky to miss out to Cameron - but, Cameron has hit jackpot when it comes to luck!
-
Size at 1st 5 I don’t think is much of an issue with these coaches. Other than Barrett I can’t think of too many that have been 6’0 or above. I think you have to go back to Spencer as the last guy who was 6’0.
Mitch is about the same size as Richie, Lima, DMac etc.
-
@act-crusader Donald would be the last one
-
@duluth said in The Māori All Blacks' tour to the Americas:
@act-crusader Donald would be the last one
Who?
Yeah forgot about him. No wonder the jersey was so short for him....
-
@act-crusader said in The Māori All Blacks' tour to the Americas:
@duluth said in The Māori All Blacks' tour to the Americas:
@act-crusader Donald would be the last one
Who?
Yeah forgot about him. No wonder the jersey was so short for him....
don't you even slightly besmirch the good name of a World Cup hero. You bow down to the guy that heard the call of a nation from a whitebaiting batch, and strode in to our rescue. This man was the hero that we needed after all those Canterbury/Crusader 10s had failed us over and over again.
-
@mariner4life said in The Māori All Blacks' tour to the Americas:
@act-crusader said in The Māori All Blacks' tour to the Americas:
@duluth said in The Māori All Blacks' tour to the Americas:
@act-crusader Donald would be the last one
Who?
Yeah forgot about him. No wonder the jersey was so short for him....
don't you even slightly besmirch the good name of a World Cup hero. You bow down to the guy that heard the call of a nation from a whitebaiting batch, and strode in to our rescue. This man was the hero that we needed after all those Canterbury/Crusader 10s had failed us over and over again.
Amen Brother! Amen!!!
-
@act-crusader I'd say he's a bit smaller, a bit slower, a bit less experienced, a bit less elusive, perhaps a bit less naturally talented - compared to Richie and DMac - and all those edges count.
I wouldn't be panicking about not making this tour to Japan, though. Choosing Cameron is a huge punt that a few consistent performances next year would help others surge ahead of him.
-
@mariner4life said in The Māori All Blacks' tour to the Americas:
@act-crusader said in The Māori All Blacks' tour to the Americas:
@duluth said in The Māori All Blacks' tour to the Americas:
@act-crusader Donald would be the last one
Who?
Yeah forgot about him. No wonder the jersey was so short for him....
don't you even slightly besmirch the good name of a World Cup hero. You bow down to the guy that heard the call of a nation from a whitebaiting batch, and strode in to our rescue. This man was the hero that we needed after all those Canterbury/Crusader 10s had failed us over and over again.
It was all part of Wayne Smiths cunning plan to put Chiefs rugby back on the map prior to the 2012 season. Turncoat
-
Record crowds await the Maori All Blacks in South America. The New Zealand side will play against Brazil in São Paulo and Chile in Santiago. The matches are part of a three match tour of the Americas which begins this coming Saturday against the USA at Chicago’s Soldier Field.
Americas Rugby News has learned that ticket sales for both matches in South America have been very encouraging. Both games are to break the respective official attendance records for rugby in Brazil and Chile.
Chile will play host to the Maori All Blacks on Saturday November 17 at the Estadio San Carlos de Apoquindo. Located in the Las Condes district of Santiago the venue is a soccer stadium owned by the Club Deportivo Universidad Católica.
The official attendance capacity at the Estadio San Carlos de Apoquindo is 15,000 for sport. When the Federation de Rugby de Chile confirmed the venue they were seeking a record attendance and they have succeeded. The largest recorded crowd for rugby in Chile is 8,000. At present ticket sales for the match stand at 9,000.
The Confederação Brasileira de Rugby announced a record attendance of 10,480 on December 04 2015. The actual number is not known as the figure was estimated rather than counted by Brazil rugby based on admission being free for the fixture. The game was Brazil’s home match at the Estádio do Pacaembu against Germany.
For the upcoming match against the Maori All Blacks Brazil will have a larger crowd. Sources have told Americas Rugby News that ticket sales for the fixture at São Paulo’s Estadio do Morumbi are approaching 20,000.
The Estadio Morumbi is the largest privately owned stadium in Brazil. It is also the largest stadium in São Paulo and the third in Brazil overall with a capacity for 72,039 people. Brazil’s largest venues are the FIFA World Cup stadiums in Brasilia and Rio de Janeiro.
Both of the Maori All Blacks matches in South America are thereby to set national attendance records and are highly encouraging for the future of rugby in both Brazil and Chile.