2019 Rugby Championship
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@mariner4life said in 2019 Rugby Championship:
@antipodean said in 2019 Rugby Championship:
@mariner4life said in 2019 Rugby Championship:
@antipodean said in 2019 Rugby Championship:
@Hooroo said in 2019 Rugby Championship:
@antipodean said in 2019 Rugby Championship:
@Hooroo said in 2019 Rugby Championship:
@KiwiMurph said in 2019 Rugby Championship:
@Hooroo said in 2019 Rugby Championship:
@Stargazer said in 2019 Rugby Championship:
@Hooroo In case this is a serious question: Highlanders, Ta$man and Maori ABs TH prop.
Never heard of him.
Just clicked there is no Nonu so fairly safe to say he won't be there.
He's already a test capped AB - played for the ABs v Japan last year
That doesn't help me remember. I'm not even a hundred that I managed to watch that test.
Effectively a modern midweek fixture anyway. And to think people used to get upset about caps being handed out.
How big is the WC squad you are allowed to take? Be a fun game to see who we think out of that lot, don't get a plane ticket
31, so
Forwards: Dane Coles,
Liam Coltman, Nathan Harris, Codie Taylor, Owen Franks, Nepo Laulala,Tyrel Lomax, Joe Moody,Angus Ta'avao, Karl Tu'inukuafe, Ofa Tuungafasi, Scott Barrett,Jackson Hemopo, Brodie Retallick, Patrick Tuipulotu, Samuel Whitelock, Sam Cane,Vaea Fifita, Shannon Frizell, Akira Ioane, Kieran Read, Ardie Savea,Liam Squire,Matt ToddandLuke Whitelock.Backs: TJ Perenara, Aaron Smith, Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, Beauden Barrett, Damian McKenzie, Richie Mo'unga, Ryan Crotty, Jack Goodhue, Ngani Laumape, Anton Lienert-Brown, Sonny Bill Williams,
Jordie Barrett,George Bridge, Rieko Ioane, Waisake Naholo and Ben Smith.Maybe swap Ta'avao for Laulala if he can't get back his form by the RC.
not bad. Pretty much the only change i would personally make is SBW out, Bridge in.
I'd love to see Bridge get game time on the right wing to make it his. SBW simply isn't getting enough time on the field at the Blues, but I think they'll still take him. Naholo's injury has come at a bad time, so his inclusion in the RC would be opportunity because he was an All Black. If he didn't play the house down I feel they'd leave him at home. But we still don't have a right winger make the position his own. Easily the weakest position in NZ at the moment.
But it's inevitable that we are going to leave one of our best midfielders at home to take the two sicknotes.
And it's probably also inevitable that the wildly underwhelming J Barrett is going to get an undeserved ticket.
and the third travesty is that B Barrett will likely start ahead of Mouanga
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@Hooroo said in 2019 Rugby Championship:
@mariner4life said in 2019 Rugby Championship:
@antipodean said in 2019 Rugby Championship:
@mariner4life said in 2019 Rugby Championship:
@antipodean said in 2019 Rugby Championship:
@Hooroo said in 2019 Rugby Championship:
@antipodean said in 2019 Rugby Championship:
@Hooroo said in 2019 Rugby Championship:
@KiwiMurph said in 2019 Rugby Championship:
@Hooroo said in 2019 Rugby Championship:
@Stargazer said in 2019 Rugby Championship:
@Hooroo In case this is a serious question: Highlanders, Ta$man and Maori ABs TH prop.
Never heard of him.
Just clicked there is no Nonu so fairly safe to say he won't be there.
He's already a test capped AB - played for the ABs v Japan last year
That doesn't help me remember. I'm not even a hundred that I managed to watch that test.
Effectively a modern midweek fixture anyway. And to think people used to get upset about caps being handed out.
How big is the WC squad you are allowed to take? Be a fun game to see who we think out of that lot, don't get a plane ticket
31, so
Forwards: Dane Coles,
Liam Coltman, Nathan Harris, Codie Taylor, Owen Franks, Nepo Laulala,Tyrel Lomax, Joe Moody,Angus Ta'avao, Karl Tu'inukuafe, Ofa Tuungafasi, Scott Barrett,Jackson Hemopo, Brodie Retallick, Patrick Tuipulotu, Samuel Whitelock, Sam Cane,Vaea Fifita, Shannon Frizell, Akira Ioane, Kieran Read, Ardie Savea,Liam Squire,Matt ToddandLuke Whitelock.Backs: TJ Perenara, Aaron Smith, Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, Beauden Barrett, Damian McKenzie, Richie Mo'unga, Ryan Crotty, Jack Goodhue, Ngani Laumape, Anton Lienert-Brown, Sonny Bill Williams,
Jordie Barrett,George Bridge, Rieko Ioane, Waisake Naholo and Ben Smith.Maybe swap Ta'avao for Laulala if he can't get back his form by the RC.
not bad. Pretty much the only change i would personally make is SBW out, Bridge in.
I'd love to see Bridge get game time on the right wing to make it his. SBW simply isn't getting enough time on the field at the Blues, but I think they'll still take him. Naholo's injury has come at a bad time, so his inclusion in the RC would be opportunity because he was an All Black. If he didn't play the house down I feel they'd leave him at home. But we still don't have a right winger make the position his own. Easily the weakest position in NZ at the moment.
But it's inevitable that we are going to leave one of our best midfielders at home to take the two sicknotes.
And it's probably also inevitable that the wildly underwhelming J Barrett is going to get an undeserved ticket.
and the third travesty is that B Barrett will likely start ahead of Mouanga
and may god help us all
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@mariner4life said in 2019 Rugby Championship:
@antipodean said in 2019 Rugby Championship:
@mariner4life said in 2019 Rugby Championship:
@antipodean said in 2019 Rugby Championship:
@Hooroo said in 2019 Rugby Championship:
@antipodean said in 2019 Rugby Championship:
@Hooroo said in 2019 Rugby Championship:
@KiwiMurph said in 2019 Rugby Championship:
@Hooroo said in 2019 Rugby Championship:
@Stargazer said in 2019 Rugby Championship:
@Hooroo In case this is a serious question: Highlanders, Ta$man and Maori ABs TH prop.
Never heard of him.
Just clicked there is no Nonu so fairly safe to say he won't be there.
He's already a test capped AB - played for the ABs v Japan last year
That doesn't help me remember. I'm not even a hundred that I managed to watch that test.
Effectively a modern midweek fixture anyway. And to think people used to get upset about caps being handed out.
How big is the WC squad you are allowed to take? Be a fun game to see who we think out of that lot, don't get a plane ticket
31, so
Forwards: Dane Coles,
Liam Coltman, Nathan Harris, Codie Taylor, Owen Franks, Nepo Laulala,Tyrel Lomax, Joe Moody,Angus Ta'avao, Karl Tu'inukuafe, Ofa Tuungafasi, Scott Barrett,Jackson Hemopo, Brodie Retallick, Patrick Tuipulotu, Samuel Whitelock, Sam Cane,Vaea Fifita, Shannon Frizell, Akira Ioane, Kieran Read, Ardie Savea,Liam Squire,Matt ToddandLuke Whitelock.Backs: TJ Perenara, Aaron Smith, Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, Beauden Barrett, Damian McKenzie, Richie Mo'unga, Ryan Crotty, Jack Goodhue, Ngani Laumape, Anton Lienert-Brown, Sonny Bill Williams,
Jordie Barrett,George Bridge, Rieko Ioane, Waisake Naholo and Ben Smith.Maybe swap Ta'avao for Laulala if he can't get back his form by the RC.
not bad. Pretty much the only change i would personally make is SBW out, Bridge in.
I'd love to see Bridge get game time on the right wing to make it his. SBW simply isn't getting enough time on the field at the Blues, but I think they'll still take him. Naholo's injury has come at a bad time, so his inclusion in the RC would be opportunity because he was an All Black. If he didn't play the house down I feel they'd leave him at home. But we still don't have a right winger make the position his own. Easily the weakest position in NZ at the moment.
i agree with everything you just said. Except maybe i don't really rate Naholo all that highly so couldn't give a stuff if he goes or not. However, if they are fit, Smith, Naholo and Ioane are nailed on selections.
But it's inevitable that we are going to leave one of our best midfielders at home to take the two sicknotes.
And it's probably also inevitable that the wildly underwhelming J Barrett is going to get an undeserved ticket.
Are they? I'll be interested to see whether they use Dmac at FB and put B Smith to the wing - they played around with that combination last year and it wouldn't surprise me to see it used in the RC and WC.
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I think barring injury, SBW is on the plane...I think they see him as a key to unlock those NH defences...but getting him on the park for a sustained period with the same mid field partner is another issue.
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@taniwharugby said in 2019 Rugby Championship:
I think barring injury, SBW is on the plane...I think they see him as a key to unlock those NH defences...but getting him on the park for a sustained period with the same mid field partner is another issue.
Yep, you know what he's going to do -- you just can't stop him.
Was really keen on a SBW - Goodhue midfield last year. That would have been magic to see
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@mariner4life said in 2019 Rugby Championship:
And it's probably also inevitable that the wildly underwhelming J Barrett is going to get an undeserved ticket.
The new Toeava.
Chucked around the entire backline? Check.
Divisive on the fern? Check.
MR on the negative side ? Check.Wonder what davidav view is
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@Canes4life said in 2019 Rugby Championship:
@Hooroo yawn. If Barrett's in top form he starts every day of the week.
If Barrett played behind a Crusaders pack we wouldn't be having this discussion.
Haha he hasn't been in form for 2 years. No matter what pack he gets
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@Stargazer said in 2019 Rugby Championship:
@antipodean Yes, we're very light on good "10s".
Edit: considering what happened during the 2011 RWC, I'd like Mitch Hunt and Josh Ioane to get more game time. Thinking that they capped Cameron ahead of them and might be tempted to call him up in case of injuries, gives me nightmares.
Don't think any of the others are even on a very distant radar, yet.
If only Dagg hadn't retired.
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@mariner4life So you are saying the year that he won World Player of the year for the second time, he wasn't in form?
Barrett can do things that Mo'unga can only dream of and he isn't a turnstyle on defence like Mo'unga is.
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@Canes4life ah canes supporters, never change
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@mariner4life so I make a valid point and you come back with a pointless statement. Lol.
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As we have been saying for a while now, much of the squad is determined, however with there being question marks over starting blindside, starting fullback and best midfield combination - first answering those will likely determine who the other additional players in the squad are.
Hemopo v Tuipulotu - who makes it?
Frizell, Akira, L. Whitelock, Squire - how many of those 4 make it when I think they see Ardie as a no8 backup in a Chris Masoe sort of way and they may well use S. Barrett as the lock/6.
Bridge v Laumape? I’ll be very surprised if SBW isn’t included. He’ll have to be broken to not make it, so it’s a case of an additional midfielder v outside back.
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@nzzp said in 2019 Rugby Championship:
@taniwharugby said in 2019 Rugby Championship:
I think barring injury, SBW is on the plane...I think they see him as a key to unlock those NH defences...but getting him on the park for a sustained period with the same mid field partner is another issue.
Yep, you know what he's going to do -- you just can't stop him.
And what exactly does SBW do that is unstoppable? I have seen nothing in his game during the last few years that suggest he is a threat to the rush defence, let alone unstoppable. I think those days are well and truly gone, if they were ever here in the first place.
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@Crazy-Horse I’m far from his biggest supporter, but he still attracts attention and when he wants to take on the line he still has a top drawer offload. We’ve seen this year for the Blues.
I like him as a bench option.
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@ACT-Crusader said in 2019 Rugby Championship:
@Crazy-Horse I’m far from his biggest supporter, but he still attracts attention and when he wants to take on the line he still has a top drawer offload. We’ve seen this year for the Blues.
I like him as a bench option.
Do people forget how shit he was last year though ? and that was only when he wasn't injured.....
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Good SBW is pretty bloody good.
But there is a lot of hoping good SBW turns up. And not a huge amount of recent evidence. Time gets everyone eventually.
There is a bit of "hoping" in that squad
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Good SBW is a pretty bloody good league forward who does the ocassional pretty bloody good thing in Union.
I am a massive SBW fan, but I have come to think that perhaps league is his game, not Union. To me, he has not developed the instincts to be anything consistently special in union.
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@Crazy-Horse said in 2019 Rugby Championship:
@nzzp said in 2019 Rugby Championship:
@taniwharugby said in 2019 Rugby Championship:
I think barring injury, SBW is on the plane...I think they see him as a key to unlock those NH defences...but getting him on the park for a sustained period with the same mid field partner is another issue.
Yep, you know what he's going to do -- you just can't stop him.
And what exactly does SBW do that is unstoppable? I have seen nothing in his game during the last few years that suggest he is a threat to the rush defence, let alone unstoppable. I think those days are well and truly gone, if they were ever here in the first place.
Ways to deal with a rush defence:
a) ignore it and batter way with forwards v forwards in a game of attrition
b) kick in behind hoping you find a gap
c) kick deep and chase hard
d) have strong athletic player hit the line, get arm free and offload (preferably after first receiver has taken ball forward)
e) bend line in midfield and hope for quick recycleSBW is our only good option for d)