2019 Rugby Championship

Nepia

@taniwharugby said in 2019 Rugby Championship:

@Nepia not that we want to go into discussing this and detract form his stellar seasonl, but given how slow the judicial system moves, I expect the incident would have happened a long time prior to the court hearings...and just as likely signed an offshore contract in the interim??

He signed in May 2018 so I think it’s fair to say he wasn’t committed to NZ rugby regardless of whether he was due in court facing DV charges - which happened in July 2018 IIRC.

Bovidae

I still believe the NZ sevens team missed a trick by not selecting Reece once he was eligible. His Waikato contract wouldn't have been huge, hence the temptation to look overseas.

Remember than when he signed for Connacht Keane was the coach.

broughie

@Bones Why did I think you were talking about D Pap? Yes Jacobson was pretty impressive at six when he played so yes worth the try.

KiwiMurph

Papalii is a fair bit bigger than Gibson - has about 10kgs on him and is taller.

Now that we are talking about the size of loose forwards I'm sure there's an Ardie comment coming along any moment now.

taniwharugby

@Nepia ah ok, didnt realise it had all moved that quickly given how slow other much higher profile cases have moved.

Wurzel

@Bovidae I think he only came eligible for NZ7s around March/April this year, by which stage he was entrenched at the Crusaders

Bovidae

@Wurzel IIRC Reece's 3 years stand-down were up from Nov 2018.

antipodean

@Magpie_in_aus said in 2019 Rugby Championship:

Better players make better all blacks.....Sevu touches up his misses last year and is rewarded as an AB this year....rightio Hansen

He's a better person now than when he wasn't an All Black...

mariner4life

@antipodean said in 2019 Rugby Championship:

@Magpie_in_aus said in 2019 Rugby Championship:

Better players make better all blacks.....Sevu touches up his misses last year and is rewarded as an AB this year....rightio Hansen

He's a better person now than when he wasn't an All Black...

rest of the country catching up with the Cantabs

(fuck, there is a sentence i never thought i would type)

antipodean

@MN5 said in 2019 Rugby Championship:

@canefan said in 2019 Rugby Championship:

@MN5 said in 2019 Rugby Championship:

@sparky said in 2019 Rugby Championship:

Steve Hansen rates SBW as the best player athletically he's worked with. He will give him every opportunity to show form ahead of the RWC.

Problem is that time is running out for Sonny. I wished he had done the same as Liam Squire and pulled out. Can't see him in the squad if Ryan Crotty is fit.

He's going if he's not broken. I think we all know that.

Always intrigues me how he is supposedly so much more "athletic" than everyone else too.

Stories abound regarding his professionalism and work ethic. My mate saw him run out in a club game last weekend, said he is farken huge up close

I’m sure. But none of this really answers my query.

Because when fit he can open up defences - he's a genuine threat.

Higgins

So can all the other players he is competing against for the very few midfield spots available, most of who are fully fit (Ryan Crotty excepted).

broughie

@KiwiMurph Wow. Got that horribly wrong. On the field you would thing the other way around but thanks for the correction.

mariner4life

@Higgins said in 2019 Rugby Championship:

So can all the other players he is competing against for the very few midfield spots available, most of who are fully fit (Ryan Crotty excepted).

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antipodean

@Higgins said in 2019 Rugby Championship:

So can all the other players he is competing against for the very few midfield spots available, most of who are fully fit (Ryan Crotty excepted).

I don't think they can in the same way - he's unique. That's not to pretend he doesn't have his downsides but the upside can't be denied.

Darren

I think they want SBW as a counter to the fast rushing defense.
He hits the line and they have to cover his offload, I guess it helps create indecision and pulls in defenders.

taniwharugby

@Darren yep, I think they see his game as the ultimate foil to the rush defence that has hampered us, just a shame he has had so many injuries of late that we havent been able to see if they are in fact right or they have invested so much into a lost cause...

Nepia

TBH it’s hard for us all to know where SBW is at because he’s barely played in 2 years. In that time he’s made Crotty look like a man of steel who doesn’t get injured.

It could work out for us because he’ll be fresh. Or it could go pear shaped because he’s underdone.

I feel there’s some people going a little overboard on his selection though. These coaches have 95% kept injured players around and given them a chance to get up to speed.

Chris

SBW is a point of difference compared to the other 2nd five options.He adds something different to attack those inside channels with.
Not a great fan of his selection But I understand why.

Magpie_in_aus

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nzzp

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The Silver Fern

2019 Rugby Championship