AB RWC squad
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@Tim said in RWC squad. Who's in, who's out?:
No f*cking idea what Todd is there for.
Playing the final 20 minutes of the big tests at pace.
They'll be starting Ardie, Cane and Read, with Todd (and others) providing fresh legs and increasing the tempo with 20 minutes to go. Backing our fitness to run other teams off their feet.
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@Bones I wouldn't say he is well proven at Super level (just checked Wiki he has 21 appearances dating back to 2018, so a fair bit more than I expected) - but I did like what I saw.
I am happy for him to be there and I don't doubt his pedigree at the underage level. None of the others were screaming 'pick me' and really, given his lack of game time I don't think he was either. Unless he was outstanding at training, and if he was, why wasn't he played more?
Edit - just remembered his concussion as a reason he may not have been played more.
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No issues with the squad..
2 most unlucky players are Nani Laumape and Jackson Hemapo in my opinion
It’s just bad luck for Laumape that there’s 4 other quality midfielders around at the minute on saying that he’s only an injury away from a call up.Jackson Hemapo is just plain unlucky that Brodie Retallick is injured but is still going..hence Patrick Tuipulotu has become the beneficiary of having to carry an extra lock..
..love the selection of Luke Jacobson, anybody who saw his game for the chiefs against the Highlanders at Forsyth Bar during super rugby would have witnessed easily the best all round performance from a number 6 the accuracy of his performance that night was not lost on the All Black coaches .
Throw in the fact he as great leadership skills which was seen when he skipped the 2017 Baby Blacks to World Cup glory
An inspired selection ..! -
@Steven-Harris said in RWC squad. Who's in, who's out?:
No issues with the squad..
2 most unlucky players are Nani Laumape and Jackson Hemapo in my opinion
It’s just bad luck for Laumape that there’s 4 other quality midfielders around at the minute on saying that he’s only an injury away from a call up.Jackson Hemapo is just plain unlucky that Brodie Retallick is injured but is still going..hence Patrick Tuipulotu has become the beneficiary of having to carry an extra lock..
True, but he's also the beneficiary of taking full advantage of the opportunity when given it. He was unstoppable in Bled II.
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@MajorRage my only doubt about Tuipulotu..Can he string together consecutive quality performances ..?,based on history,I am not that convinced..!.
One thing Hemapo gives you is 100% every time he takes the field, was consistently one of the Highlanders best players during super rugby. -
@Steven-Harris said in RWC squad. Who's in, who's out?:
@MajorRage my only doubt about Tuipulotu..Can he string together consecutive quality performances ..?,based on history,I am not that convinced..!.
One thing Hemapo gives you is 100% every time he takes the field, was consistently one of the Highlanders best players during super rugby.Based on historical form, I have doubts as well.
But, like Luatua before him, I think he's got an x-factor which not all players have, in that his ceiling as a player is much higher than others. Just needs to be managed right to get the best out of him.
I even trolled once last year that I thought he had future AB captain potential ...
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@Crazy-Horse said in RWC squad. Who's in, who's out?:
@Bones I wouldn't say he is well proven at Super level (just checked Wiki he has 21 appearances dating back to 2018, so a fair bit more than I expected) - but I did like what I saw.
I am happy for him to be there and I don't doubt his pedigree at the underage level. None of the others were screaming 'pick me' and really, given his lack of game time I don't think he was either. Unless he was outstanding at training, and if he was, why wasn't he played more?
Edit - just remembered his concussion as a reason he may not have been played more.
Geez, what's proven then? All of his performances I saw this year were very impressive, he was one of the form NZ loosies...in most loose forward positions!
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@MajorRage said in RWC squad. Who's in, who's out?:
True, but he's also the beneficiary of taking full advantage of the opportunity when given it. He was unstoppable in Bled II.
Hansen mentioned that they changed Tuipulotu’s nutrition recently and he’s a bit lighter. He would have been following instructions before, but maybe they had it slightly wrong?
He was always a guy who took a few games to get into a groove. I was surprised when he played well with no lead up games.
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@Steven-Harris said in RWC squad. Who's in, who's out?:
..love the selection of Luke Jacobson, anybody who saw his game for the chiefs against the Highlanders at Forsyth Bar during super rugby would have witnessed easily the best all round performance from a number 6 the accuracy of his performance that night was not lost on the All Black coaches .
Throw in the fact he as great leadership skills which was seen when he skipped the 2017 Baby Blacks to World Cup glory
An inspired selection ..!I'm sure I saw that Chiefs'game - it was the first time I'd really paid attention to Jacobson.
I think the selectors are deserving of a bit of a boot in the backside in regard to his selection though, given that he's on the plane with 22 minutes of test rugby under his belt.
Better selecting would have seen him start that test vs Argentina instead of Fifita and start the next one vs the Boks instead of Frizell. And he would be on the plane with two test starts under his belt, instead of none!
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Happy with that team, big gamble with 10, especially since our preferred option is to have them both on the field at the same time. Would think we could have dropped a hooker or halfback or a loosie.
I suppose Savea can cover 10, its not that different to playing 12. -
@Chris-B I think the selectors need a boot up the arse that its taken 4 years to work out who there next number 6 was going to be after Kaino
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@Steven-Harris said in RWC squad. Who's in, who's out?:
@Chris-B I think the selectors need a boot up the arse that its taken 4 years to work out who there next number 6 was going to be after Kaino
Agree, but no one has stood up, lots have had chances.
Savea has to be the form 6, but I really think Jacobson is the longterm answer, just had a lot of injuries so never really had a chance. -
@Steven-Harris Yeah!
Without doubt it's a much tougher job when you've only got reality to deal with
rather than the wild theories the rest of us can expound - but, with hindsight they've made some cock-ups and that's one of them. -
@Darren said in RWC squad. Who's in, who's out?:
Would think we could have dropped a hooker or halfback or a loosie.
Can't drop a hooker because it's compulsory to have a spare on the bench.
If someone pulls a hamstring in the warm-ups you need the third one to step in or otherwise you're playing with 14 men and uncontested scrums if you lose your starting hooker.
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@Steven-Harris said in RWC squad. Who's in, who's out?:
@Chris-B I think the selectors need a boot up the arse that its taken 4 years to work out who there next number 6 was going to be after Kaino
You think they should have chosen 18 year old Jacobson back in the day...
The boltiest of bolters!
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@TeWaio said in RWC squad. Who's in, who's out?:
Like the squad. With 31 players you have to take a risk somewhere, and two 10s is the best risk to take given the players available, as others have said above.
Would be a different story if DMac was fit, he'd cover 10, replace Jordie Barrett in the outside backs, and allow them to take an extra midfielder in Laumape given how often SBW and Crotty are injured. So Laumape is the unluckiest man. Franks' time has passed sadly, but its the right call. Moli lucky Big Karl is still too crook.
No one has really stepped up to 6 (aside from Savea from an unconventional pathway), so taking one of Frizell/Fifita/Jacobson/Papali'i/Squire/Hemopo is all pretty much of a muchness; Jacobsen will get to beat up on some minnows and that's about it barring injuries.
If you take DMac instead of J Barrett...that still doesn't make room for Laumape. Just saying.
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@Billy-Tell said in RWC squad. Who's in, who's out?:
@Steven-Harris said in RWC squad. Who's in, who's out?:
@Chris-B I think the selectors need a boot up the arse that its taken 4 years to work out who there next number 6 was going to be after Kaino
You think they should have chosen 18 year old Jacobson back in the day...
The boltiest of bolters!
I don't think we totally appreciate how hard it is to replace so many legendary players. Any other team in the world loses all time greats like GOAT, DC, Nonu and Snake, and Kevvie, would be poked for a whole cup cycle. We go into the cup with a strong win % over the last 4 years and are one of the favorites again
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@Steven-Harris said in RWC squad. Who's in, who's out?:
@Chris-B I think the selectors need a boot up the arse that its taken 4 years to work out who there next number 6 was going to be after Kaino
They probably had a fair idea earlier who the number 6 or 6s were going to be come Webb Ellis Trophy time. It's simply called keeping your powder dry.
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Ummm well done Owen. Quite a fall from grace but by feck you were a rock for about a decade and never once showed off or sought an undue spotlight. Stoic, silent and strong is how we like our props and you were bloody good for a long time.
Well done young man, and thanks
