Possible All Blacks 2020
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@junior said in Possible All Blacks 2020:
@antipodean said in Possible All Blacks 2020:
@junior said in Possible All Blacks 2020:
@shark said in Possible All Blacks 2020:
@junior said in Possible All Blacks 2020:
@booboo said in Possible All Blacks 2020:
@Machpants said in Blues v Crusaders:
@voodoo I dunno I'm with you. Love to watch him and he can be dynamite. But FOster in his interviews (correctly) pointing out ABs have often been physically dominated, says to me tall lock like Fullbacks not smallhalfback like fullbacks. Then again SA have used their small backs to good effect.
Fixing our physicality with a big fullback is akin to picking our spin bowler based on batting ability.
It's ignoring the actual issue.
(Having said that, I'd like to see at least one big powerful winger - Rieko.)
Am a fan of DMac, and can see him and BB interchanging in that role. Wouldn't surprise to see BB at 10 and DMac 15 in some games.
Yes, having a monster at FB is not going to all of the sudden make our blindside flankers and locks more physical. Mounga aside, I think we've got a pretty decent balance between agility, skill and physicality in our backline.
Lol.
You don't agree that Mounga's diminutive size is a potential (or, rather, actual) liability defending the 10 channel?
Anyone watch the traffic through his channel at the RWC? A great player, but defensively closer to Mehrtens...
If Mounga starts, Cane has to be on the side of the scrum.
I think we all noticed it, particularly when they managed to get him in his hiding place defending the wide channel
Watching Cruden come back and defend well has been really interesting, as he wasn't a patch on Carter.
We were just so lucky for a very long time.
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@Chris-B said in Possible All Blacks 2020:
@sparky Those four little guys are rarely going to make dominant tackles - more than a quarter of the team.
Poor old Reiko getting no love?
Reiko Ioane was a disappointing dud in the RWC. His form was fine in his one game this year. Needs more of the same.
I'm disappointed with Braydon Ennor defensive work so far this season. Could make the ABs starting line up if he make dominant tackles on a regular basis. If he remains fit, I am sure Laumape will get lots of game time for the ABs in 2020.
Backs aren't the issue. Lots of very good players. Lock and Back Row is where the cupboard looks thin.
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@sparky said in Possible All Blacks 2020:
@Chris-B said in Possible All Blacks 2020:
@sparky Those four little guys are rarely going to make dominant tackles - more than a quarter of the team.
Poor old Reiko getting no love?
Reiko Ioane was a disappointing dud in the RWC. His form was fine in his one game this year. Needs more of the same.
Ioane only played v Canada and less than 20 minutes vs Namibia. Don't remember how he was in the Canada game but it was 63-0 so essentially meaningless and he scored a try. Can't help but feel that Hansen putting his faith in Bridge and Reece backfired in the semi.
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@Bones said in Possible All Blacks 2020:
@sparky I don't see the need for Ennor at centre in the AB's, Goodhue should be the incumbent. I'd be very interested to see him on the right wing however, especially with a resurgent Ioane on the other side.
Agree re: Ennor. At international level, he should play Wing. Could excel there. Goodhue, ALB, Laumape and Jordie Barrett are ahead of him as midfield options.
Big point. Picking players on January /February form when the Tests aren't until July is pretty meaningless.
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@sparky said in Possible All Blacks 2020:
@Bones said in Possible All Blacks 2020:
@sparky I don't see the need for Ennor at centre in the AB's, Goodhue should be the incumbent. I'd be very interested to see him on the right wing however, especially with a resurgent Ioane on the other side.
Agree re: Ennor. At international level, he should play Wing. Could excel there. Goodhue, ALB, Laumape and Jordie Barrett are ahead of him as midfield options.
Big point. Picking players on January /February form when the Tests aren't until July is pretty meaningless.
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Right now Boshier is the standout loose forward and possibly Sotutu but isn't he only 20? Crazy potential. Akira should have moved for sure, or is he injured?
The hardest thing about selecting the 2020 AB team will be getting the loose forward balance right, we haven't done that since Kaino left.
IWL looks to be the form lock to me, was great to see him stealing so much lineout ball and has plenty of size.
Don't know much about props but seeing the Canes scrum actually win penalties, has to be put down to Lomax, what a huge difference he has made. -
@sparky said in Possible All Blacks 2020:
@Chris-B said in Possible All Blacks 2020:
@sparky Those four little guys are rarely going to make dominant tackles - more than a quarter of the team.
Poor old Reiko getting no love?
Reiko Ioane was a disappointing dud in the RWC. His form was fine in his one game this year. Needs more of the same.
I'm disappointed with Braydon Ennor defensive work so far this season. Could make the ABs starting line up if he make dominant tackles on a regular basis. If he remains fit, I am sure Laumape will get lots of game time for the ABs in 2020.
Backs aren't the issue. Lots of very good players. Lock and Back Row is where the cupboard looks thin.
No he wasn't. As pointed out above he'd been replaced due to form prior to then. And for him to come back in over the top off the form wingers he needed to be Jonah on steroids. The fact he wasn't leads to the opinion he was a dud.
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@mofitzy_ said in Possible All Blacks 2020:
@sparky said in Possible All Blacks 2020:
@Chris-B said in Possible All Blacks 2020:
@sparky Those four little guys are rarely going to make dominant tackles - more than a quarter of the team.
Poor old Reiko getting no love?
Reiko Ioane was a disappointing dud in the RWC. His form was fine in his one game this year. Needs more of the same.
Ioane only played v Canada and less than 20 minutes vs Namibia. Don't remember how he was in the Canada game but it was 63-0 so essentially meaningless and he scored a try. Can't help but feel that Hansen putting his faith in Bridge and Reece backfired in the semi.
Bridge on the wing instead of an on form Rieko was a monumental downgrade that cost us in the end. The coaches should have worked harder to get some confidence back into Rieko instead of dropping him to "send a message" after the Perth game where our forwards got beaten up and SB ended the game as a contest at half time.
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@Darren said in Possible All Blacks 2020:
Don't know much about props but seeing the Canes scrum actually win penalties, has to be put down to Lomax, what a huge difference he has made.
Lomax is looking good.
As is Aumua. He just needs consistent game timeIn the backs
I prefer the Canes back three to the starters vs England. Barrett in particular has been in fine form. Lam's defense Ive been critical of in the past but no lapses this year. But can he keep this up. Goosen offers a Reece type option but he's faster than Reece. And a VG defender. I though Reece was a joke selection but if they want a small wing -
Could've had Superman on the wing during that England game and it would have been irrelevant. The ABs were being dominated at the set piece and breakdown. They were killing any chance of attack.
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@Darren said in Possible All Blacks 2020:
Don't know much about props but seeing the Canes scrum actually win penalties, has to be put down to Lomax, what a huge difference he has made.
It's a tough life in Hurricanes management - trying to appease the squealing in the neighborino provinces, when all they need was a Mako or two!
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@Winger said in Possible All Blacks 2020:
@Darren said in Possible All Blacks 2020:
Don't know much about props but seeing the Canes scrum actually win penalties, has to be put down to Lomax, what a huge difference he has made.
Lomax is looking good.
As is Aumua. He just needs consistent game timeIn the backs
I prefer the Canes back three to the starters vs England. Barrett in particular has been in fine form. Lam's defense Ive been critical of in the past but no lapses this year. But can he keep this up. Goosen offers a Reece type option but he's faster than Reece. And a VG defender. I though Reece was a joke selection but if they want a small wingI like your first two points.
Think your last para is a little ... err ... left field
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@Old-Samurai-Jack said in Possible All Blacks 2020:
Could've had Superman on the wing during that England game and it would have been irrelevant. The ABs were being dominated at the set piece and breakdown. They were killing any chance of attack.
Which is exactly what happened in the Perth game (plus Scott Hansen-Barrett getting a red card) and Rieko and BFA copped the fall out for that..
