Possible All Blacks 2020
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@antipodean said in Possible All Blacks 2020:
I think the way things have transpired, perhaps what the brains trust saw in Akira had some grounding.
Really? You don't think his physical gifts meant it was worth investing in his mental side? I dunno, from the outside seemed a very hands off approach. Honest question - would you rather have peak Luke Whitelock, or peak Akira?
Whitelock L got 8 caps....
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@antipodean said in Possible All Blacks 2020:
I think the way things have transpired, perhaps what the brains trust saw in Akira had some grounding.
At the end of last season, sure. The two years before that, not so much. Especially when they started trying to pull rabbits out hats with players like Fifta and Frizzell who were barely getting game time.
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@Kirwan said in Possible All Blacks 2020:
@antipodean said in Possible All Blacks 2020:
I think the way things have transpired, perhaps what the brains trust saw in Akira had some grounding.
At the end of last season, sure. The two years before that, not so much. Especially when they started trying to pull rabbits out hats with players like Fifta and Frizzell who were barely getting game time.
and Luke dubya as well (see my comment above).
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@nzzp said in Possible All Blacks 2020:
@Kirwan said in Possible All Blacks 2020:
@antipodean said in Possible All Blacks 2020:
I think the way things have transpired, perhaps what the brains trust saw in Akira had some grounding.
At the end of last season, sure. The two years before that, not so much. Especially when they started trying to pull rabbits out hats with players like Fifta and Frizzell who were barely getting game time.
and Luke dubya as well (see my comment above).
Yep. Definition of a journeyman, and all that time wasted on him and then - look a rabbit! - lets play Savea there.
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This is going to be a fascinating watch as the AB 2020 squad comes together.The activity on the fern may ramp up to a new extreme.
Always seems to be a bit of a bolter who has a big SR season and forces his way in under the last regime.
Loose Forward looks the space for that sort of selection.Is there a left field selection sitting somewhere who is going to claim the bolter's potential spot.?Robinson,Grace,Boshier,Sotutu,Tu'u. or someone else waiting for a chance.May have been Blackadder if not for injury
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@Chris said in Possible All Blacks 2020:
This is going to be a fascinating watch as the AB 2020 squad comes together.The activity on the fern may ramp up to a new extreme.
Always seems to be a bit of a bolter who has a big SR season and forces his way in under the last regime.
Loose Forward looks the space for that sort of selection.Is there a left field selection sitting somewhere who is going to claim the boaters potential spot.?Robinson,Grace,Boshier,Sotutu,Tu'u. or someone else waiting for a chance.May have been Blackadder if not for injury
Yeah, as the All Blacks have weakened the old provincial battlegrounds have opened up.
For a period there everyone pretty much agreed on all the selections. Now we seem to have dropped back to the Broomhall days with players like Bridge getting selected.
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I find it strange how people say that Akira didn't get chances. He's been in and out of ABs camps over the last few years. I'm sure the coaches have had a good look at him, worked with him and gave him work-ons. Apparently, he didn't deliver and didn't do what was expected of him. Also, we only know what we've seen or read via the media. Maybe they did work with him and we just don't know about it?
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@Stargazer said in Possible All Blacks 2020:
I find it strange how people say that Akira didn't get chances. He's been in and out of ABs camps over the last few years. I'm sure the coaches have had a good look at him, worked with him and gave him work-ons. Apparently, he didn't deliver and didn't do what was expected of him. Also, we only know what we've seen or read via the media. Maybe they did work with him and we just don't know about it?
You can only see so much in training, and he didn't get the same opportunities as the players mentioned above.
Some players need the carrot as well as the stick, so it might have been a limitation of the coaching staff. Henry mentioned in the past having to change his style to get the most out his players, maybe Hanson couldn't do that after being so long in the job?
At the very least, having a look at him against lessor teams would have been useful. They had no issue doing that with players not even starting for other teams (I'd love to know how measures they had met their workons when they were barely playing?)
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@nzzp said in Possible All Blacks 2020:
@Chris-B said in Possible All Blacks 2020:
@Kirwan To be specific - I think pretty much everyone who has played in the 6 jersey in recent times has been marked hard by those who would rather have seen Akira there.
Two years ago he was absolutely carving it up. Frustration for a number of people was that there wasn't a lot of work being done to actually have him deliver his potential, where others (Frizzel) seemed to have a Santner-esque run in the side without really firing a shot.
Edit: 2-3 years ago...
Frizell played five tests before the RWC (which he only made as an injury replacement).
Against Argentina in Nelson he got plenty of votes in the Fern PotM poll - 2nd or 3rd I think.
I don't think he's had any shockers - hasn't played on a losing AB team.
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@Stargazer said in Possible All Blacks 2020:
That's your opinion. Apparently, the ABs selectors had a different opinion.
This is a really stupid post
Yes it is my opinion
Then you follow it with an appeal to authority fallacy
Also there is a new selection panel this year
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@Chris-B said in Possible All Blacks 2020:
@nzzp said in Possible All Blacks 2020:
@Chris-B said in Possible All Blacks 2020:
@Kirwan To be specific - I think pretty much everyone who has played in the 6 jersey in recent times has been marked hard by those who would rather have seen Akira there.
Two years ago he was absolutely carving it up. Frustration for a number of people was that there wasn't a lot of work being done to actually have him deliver his potential, where others (Frizzel) seemed to have a Santner-esque run in the side without really firing a shot.
Edit: 2-3 years ago...
Frizell played five tests before the RWC (which he only made as an injury replacement).
Against Argentina in Nelson he got plenty of votes in the Fern PotM poll - 2nd or 3rd I think.
I don't think he's had any shockers - hasn't played on a losing AB team.
No shockers, and a good game against Argentina.
He had two full winters with the ABs in 2018/2019, but never really kicked on. It was just a bit bizarre, pickign him off the bench for the Highlanders. It certainly wasn't a McCaw left field selection!
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@Duluth I've seen way more stupid posts. Like the constant fanboying and victim card playing regarding poor Akira.
And yes, I've way more confidence in the ability of ABs selectors to assess a player's abilities and shortcomings than that of some people on the Fern who haven't been present at trainings and who don't know the players. Who knows, he may have discipline issues or character flaws we don't know about. They'll hardly say that in public, won't they?
The new selection panel still has Foster and Fox, but yes, Akira may get another shot at it, if he deserves one. Let's hope he grabs that opportunity with both hands if it comes.
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Hard not to think there wasn't a personality clash between Akira and one or more of the coaches. He's shown he can dominate at the highest level. Frizzel getting so mamy chances after doing absolutely nothing at Super level is bizarre. They've made Akira work far harder than anyone else for a proper shot.
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@nzzp said in Possible All Blacks 2020:
@antipodean said in Possible All Blacks 2020:
I think the way things have transpired, perhaps what the brains trust saw in Akira had some grounding.
Really? You don't think his physical gifts meant it was worth investing in his mental side? I dunno, from the outside seemed a very hands off approach. Honest question - would you rather have peak Luke Whitelock, or peak Akira?
Easily Akira based on physical impact. But plenty of players have been brought into the environment and prospered so it's not like the coaches didn't have form in that area. What they saw in that space required improvement and from when he was slaying it on the field to now has not seen an improvement. Quite the opposite.
And yes he clearly needed a rest last year. But what's the excuse now?
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@Stargazer This does not relate to anything I have said in this thread. You are assigning opinions to me and then arguing against them
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@nzzp said in Possible All Blacks 2020:
@antipodean said in Possible All Blacks 2020:
I think the way things have transpired, perhaps what the brains trust saw in Akira had some grounding.
Really? You don't think his physical gifts meant it was worth investing in his mental side? I dunno, from the outside seemed a very hands off approach. Honest question - would you rather have peak Luke Whitelock, or peak Akira?
Whitelock L got 8 caps....
I think maybe too much stick and not enough carrot for Akira.
After Auckland won the NPC, I think even Sir Ted said Hansen should show him some love.
