2020 All Blacks Squad
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@Canes4life Do you really have to ask? He already is a miniature lock at SR level, let alone test level.
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@Stargazer I know he isn’t a lock, he’s a blindside flanker and he made a pretty good impression there before Plumtree and co somehow felt he needed to be in the second row. He played most of his school career at 6 and I think if he gets a chance to move back there he has a good shot at getting to the next level.
I remember Blackwell had as many wraps on him as Grace when he came into the Hurricanes, too bad the Hurricanes have poor judgement of height.
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https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=12325722
Romain Poite can eat a bag of dicks. He's right down there, probably lower than Wayne Barnes
Rugby: British and Irish Lions star Ken Owens reveals snub from All Blacks captain Kieran Read
17 Apr, 2020 7:35pm
NZ Herald
By RugbyPassA British and Irish Lions star at the centre of the penalty controversy that ultimately led to a drawn series against the All Blacks in 2017 has revealed former New Zealand skipper Kieran Read snubbed him following the decisive third test.
Wales hooker Ken Owens was penalised in the 78th minute of the final test of the three-match series for touching the ball in an offside position with the score locked up at 15-all.
However, after reviewing footage of the incident, the ruling was reduced to an accidental offside by referee Romain Poite, who subsequently handed the All Blacks a scrum feed rather than a potential match-winning (and series-winning) penalty shot at goal.
Read, who was playing in his 100th test for the All Blacks, protested the decision, but his cries fell on deaf ears as the All Blacks failed to score from the ensuing set piece, with the match – and series – finishing in a stalemate.
The 127-test veteran described the draw as "heart-wrenching", and claimed that Owens' indiscretion "has been an offside for a long time" in the post-match press conference.
And, speaking on Joe's House of Rugby podcast, Owens revealed Read wasn't in a mood to chat once things had died down after the game.
"I went into the New Zealand changing room afterwards to congratulate Kieran Read on his 100th cap and he wouldn't really speak to me," Owens said.
However, he did get an apology for the snub, two years later.
"To be fair, he did apologise after the third place playoff at the [2019] World Cup. There were obviously emotions running high at the time."
The 33-year-old, who came on as a replacement hooker for England star Jamie George with 11 minutes remaining in the clash at Eden Park, expressed his relief at Poite's change of heart.
"Just before it happened, I was going 'Right boys, exit now, let's restart, get the ball back down the field, switch on' and all the rest of it," he told the podcast.
"Basically, don't f*** up and then I f***** up!"I went straight to Jonathan Davies, who is one of my best mates, and I said I am going to have to move to Trellech – which is about 17 miles out of Carmarthen, the most rural part of the county – and like hide away for the rest of my life."
While he hasn't had to adopt the life of a hermit in the years since the incident, Owens said that referee Poite hasn't forgotten that match in Auckland three years ago.
"When Romain Poite refs me now, he does drop in a little quip every now and again, with 'Stay onside this time, Ken' or something like that!"
This article first appeared on RugbyPass.com and is republished with permission.
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@canefan said in 2020 All Blacks Squad:
Romain Poite can eat a bag of dicks. He's right down there, probably lower than Wayne Barnes
Romain made a conscious decision to abrogate himself of his responsibility. He's always been a shit ref and in that moment decided to actively cheat. That he continued to be a panel ref afterwards spoke volumes about the incompetence of WR.
As for Owens, why would you whine about an opposition player not interested in having a chat? Go speak to someone else.
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@mofitzy_ said in 2020 All Blacks Squad:
Grace was part of the worst NZ U20 team I've seen, so I'm not sure if it's fair to single him out but I don't remember him being anything other than mediocre.
Well he hasn't been mediocre for the Crusaders in 2020
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@Canes4life said in 2020 All Blacks Squad:
@Stargazer I know he isn’t a lock, he’s a blindside flanker and he made a pretty good impression there before Plumtree and co somehow felt he needed to be in the second row. He played most of his school career at 6 and I think if he gets a chance to move back there he has a good shot at getting to the next level.
I remember Blackwell had as many wraps on him as Grace when he came into the Hurricanes, too bad the Hurricanes have poor judgement of height.
Can't see Blackwell as an AB Lock, but interesting he played at 6 in his early years maybe he could be a AB 6
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I'll point out it's probably a good thing that Fozzie is head coach right now. Some continuity in the All Blacks given the disruption may well provide benefit.
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@Chris he's a very tough, consistent and smart footballer and I can see why the Canes use him at lock because of his importance towards line out calling, however for me he's just too short for a next level lock. He's someone I would have in my team more as a six because of his workrate and game smarts. The kid is probably the smartest player in the Canes so it's a shame he hasn't found his true position yet - I just hope it's not his downfall.
Looking down the track I think the Canes will be keen to blood the Taine Plumtree/Isaia Walker-Leawere locking partnership from next year so that may see Blackwell shift to 6, however we also have Flanders playing in that position and he has been very impressive in his debut season. I'm hoping Taine Plumtree has the same impact on the Canes that Cullen Grace had on the Crusaders this year - both very impressive young forwards that will no doubt pull on the All Black's jersey down the track.
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@Canes4life Plumtree is an undersized lock himself (1.95 m from the NZ U20 stats).
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@Bovidae interesting, he looks closer to the 1.98m mark in person. I guess it's better than the 1.9m that Blackwell is though.
Naitoa Ah Koui (playing for the Chiefs now) and Taine Plumtree were identical in height when they played at Wellington College together and Ah Koui is listed at 1.96m on the Chiefs site.
Anyone know any promising 2m + locks coming through? I saw Sam Darry play in the quad tournament in 2018 and he stood out.
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@Canes4life said in 2020 All Blacks Squad:
Anyone know any promising 2m + locks coming through? I saw Sam Darry play in the quad tournament in 2018 and he stood out.
Josh Lord was in the same NZSS team as Darry.
Parkinson is still young.
No surprise that the AB lineout performed better with two 2 m+ locks.
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Last years NZSS team had:
Zach Gallagher - 1.97 m
Allan Craig - 1.95 mEdit: I was also impressed with TK Howden who played for the NZBS team. He looked to have some size to him.
Obviously there won't be a U20 team this year to see who rates at the level above.
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Who is Ken Owens? And why would dual a world cup winner talk to him?
Know your role
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@mofitzy_ A lot of Crusaders players are like that. Take them out of the Crusaders enviroment and they get shown up.
