RWC: All Blacks v Italy (Cancelled) (Pool B)
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@Stargazer Very deliberate. Look who I was talking to. His pet hate.
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@Snowy said in RWC: All Blacks v Italy (Pool
:@Stargazer Very deliberate. Look who I was talking to. His pet hate.
You write this as if I only have one...
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@ACT-Crusader said in RWC: All Blacks v Italy (Pool
:It’s only Italy.....
9 - A. Smith
10 - Mo’unga
11 - Bridge
12 - SBW
13 - Crotty
14 - Ioane
15 - B. BarrettVery likely based on the first 3 games.
SA: Crotty and ALB (SBW)
Canada: SBW and Goodhue (Crotty)
Namibia: ALB and Goodhue -
Team I'd pick
Moody, Taylor, Laulala, Patrick T, Retallick, S. Barrett, Todd, Read, A.Smith, R. Mo'unga, Bridge, SBW, Crotty, Reece, B.Smith
Coles, Moli, Ta'avao, S.Whitelock, Cane, TJP, B.Barrett, J.Barrett.
Given week off: Ardie Savea, ALB and Ofa T.
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Really hard to know what will take precedence in this game - the need to conserve energy for a potential long play-off run or the need to give our top team game time and a dress rehearsal (bearing in mind that this game has to be won). Bit of mix and match, I think.
Maybe something like:
Tuúngafasi, Coles, Laulala, Retallick, SBarrett, Cane, Todd, Read, ASmith, Mo'unga, Bridge, SBW, Crotty, Reece, BBarrett
Moody, Coltman, Taávao, Whitelock, Frizell, Weber, Lienert-Brown, JBarrett
Leaving Taylor, Moli, Tuipolotu, Savea, Perenara, Goodhue, BSmith and Ioane out.
Taylor, Savea, Perenara and BSmith to come back into the top 23 for the play-offs.
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@Chris-B said in RWC: All Blacks v Italy (Pool
:Really hard to know what will take precedence in this game - the need to conserve energy for a potential long play-off run or the need to give our top team game time and a dress rehearsal (bearing in mind that this game has to be won). Bit of mix and match, I think.
Maybe something like:
Tuúngafasi, Coles, Laulala, Retallick, SBarrett, Cane, Todd, Read, ASmith, Mo'unga, Bridge, SBW, Crotty, Reece, BBarrett
Moody, Coltman, Taávao, Whitelock, Frizell, Weber, Lienert-Brown, JBarrett
Leaving Coles, Moli, Tuipolotu, Savea, Perenara, Goodhue, BSmith and Ioane out.
Coles, Savea, Perenara and BSmith to come back into the top 23 for the play-offs.
Because everyone loves a corrector ...
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@Bones Spot on with lots of early subs.
I think if Brodie is playing 60 minutes then Whitelock can have 20 off the bench to groove him for the play-offs.
I initially had BFA in for Reece, but I think Ben has had time in all three games so far - so I've subbed him out.
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I've given up trying to pick the teams, but I really hope Rieko gets some time, even if just off the bench. I think he still has something to offer in this tourney, I would not be at all surprised to see him picked and deliver in the knockout stages
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@voodoo said in RWC: All Blacks v Italy (Pool
:I've given up trying to pick the teams, but I really hope Rieko gets some time, even if just off the bench. I think he still has something to offer in this tourney, I would not be at all surprised to see him picked and deliver in the knockout stages
Bridge may have opened the door just a crack after his last performance.
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@Crucial said in RWC: All Blacks v Italy (Pool
:@voodoo said in RWC: All Blacks v Italy (Pool
:I've given up trying to pick the teams, but I really hope Rieko gets some time, even if just off the bench. I think he still has something to offer in this tourney, I would not be at all surprised to see him picked and deliver in the knockout stages
Bridge may have opened the door just a crack after his last performance.
I don't think Bridge has been nearly as good as people are making out. He's had a pretty good run, especially being involved in games where our forwards bitch slapped the opposition, but he's been far from error free and has butchered a few tries with poor option taking.
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@No-Quarter said in RWC: All Blacks v Italy (Pool
:@Crucial said in RWC: All Blacks v Italy (Pool
:@voodoo said in RWC: All Blacks v Italy (Pool
:I've given up trying to pick the teams, but I really hope Rieko gets some time, even if just off the bench. I think he still has something to offer in this tourney, I would not be at all surprised to see him picked and deliver in the knockout stages
Bridge may have opened the door just a crack after his last performance.
I don't think Bridge has been nearly as good as people are making out. He's had a pretty good run, especially being involved in games where our forwards bitch slapped the opposition, but he's been far from error free and has butchered a few tries with poor option taking.
Surprisingly he had game high metres run against Namibia but I don’t recall him being anywhere near as assertive as would be expected against them.
I guess the coaches will have a better idea from training but if Rieko is showing any signs of exploding back into form then it wouldn’t surprise me if Bridge is swapped out. -
@No-Quarter said in RWC: All Blacks v Italy (Pool
:@Crucial said in RWC: All Blacks v Italy (Pool
:@voodoo said in RWC: All Blacks v Italy (Pool
:I've given up trying to pick the teams, but I really hope Rieko gets some time, even if just off the bench. I think he still has something to offer in this tourney, I would not be at all surprised to see him picked and deliver in the knockout stages
Bridge may have opened the door just a crack after his last performance.
I don't think Bridge has been nearly as good as people are making out. He's had a pretty good run, especially being involved in games where our forwards bitch slapped the opposition, but he's been far from error free and has butchered a few tries with poor option taking.
At the moment his workrate is far superior, he puts himself about on defence as well as attack. Rieko just looks out of sorts, and dare I say it slow right now. He just doesn't seem to be able to beat his man
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@canefan said in RWC: All Blacks v Italy (Pool
:@No-Quarter said in RWC: All Blacks v Italy (Pool
:@Crucial said in RWC: All Blacks v Italy (Pool
:@voodoo said in RWC: All Blacks v Italy (Pool
:I've given up trying to pick the teams, but I really hope Rieko gets some time, even if just off the bench. I think he still has something to offer in this tourney, I would not be at all surprised to see him picked and deliver in the knockout stages
Bridge may have opened the door just a crack after his last performance.
I don't think Bridge has been nearly as good as people are making out. He's had a pretty good run, especially being involved in games where our forwards bitch slapped the opposition, but he's been far from error free and has butchered a few tries with poor option taking.
At the moment his workrate is far superior, he puts himself about on defence as well as attack. Rieko just looks out of sorts, and dare I say it slow right now. He just doesn't seem to be able to beat his man
It's like he's lost his Rugby Vision on where to be and how to time it. This will be compounded by the pressure of trying to get his position back.
I agree that all it will take is one good game/half to get his mojo back. Italy will prolly be last chance saloon unless Bridge has an absolute howler.
