What’s out there at Second Five?
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@mofitzy_ said in What’s out there at Second Five?:
I know this sounds crass but silver lining of the global situation is most Euro clubs will tighten their purse strings for a few years.
I don't think it is crass at all. It's realistic.
Reduced salaries and less attractive living overseas will shift the point where supply meets demand. Result - more experience staying in NZ, better Super and M10, and should result in better AB depth.
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@taniwharugby said in What’s out there at Second Five?:
not sold on Laumape, doesnt seem to have the defensive nous required.
Laumape is listed as 97kg
ALB 96kg
JG 100kg
Faiane 92kg
Jordie 95kgJordie bulked up last off season - he's noticeably bigger. I read somewhere that he's 102kgs now.
I wonder what Razor will do with David Havili next season. He's not a big second-five - and that seems to be part of the rationale for swapping Jack and ALB around - but, he's one of the better ones there. Second five rather than inside centre.
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@Chris-B said in What’s out there at Second Five?:
@taniwharugby said in What’s out there at Second Five?:
not sold on Laumape, doesnt seem to have the defensive nous required.
Laumape is listed as 97kg
ALB 96kg
JG 100kg
Faiane 92kg
Jordie 95kg**Jordie bulked up last off season - he's noticeably bigger. I read somewhere that he's 102kgs now.
**
I wonder what Razor will do with David Havili next season. He's not a big second-five - and that seems to be part of the rationale for swapping Jack and ALB around - but, he's one of the better ones there. Second five rather than inside centre.Any Rugby player that tall needs to be 100kg at an absolute minimum.
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i love that people think they need to "see what Laumape can bring"
dude, you know exactly what Laumape can do. He plays one way, and one way only. And that is to run as hard as he can in to the nearest defender.
Which, while i am not exactly a fan of that, will at least provide a point of difference over the "samey samey" types we have at the moment.
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@mariner4life said in What’s out there at Second Five?:
i love that people think they need to "see what Laumape can bring"
dude, you know exactly what Laumape can do. He plays one way, and one way only. And that is to run as hard as he can in to the nearest defender.
Which, while i am not exactly a fan of that, will at least provide a point of difference over the "samey samey" types we have at the moment.
... and it is remarkably successful. Good coaching would help him develop other parts of his game.
I'm going to go on my grumpy old man rant now, but FFS if you are a professional back in Union, you should be doing half an hour of kicking practice off either foot multiple times a week. You'll suck to start with, but within a few years you will have a touch on the ball if you ever need to do it.
Too much gym time, not enough skill time.
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@nzzp said in What’s out there at Second Five?:
@mariner4life said in What’s out there at Second Five?:
i love that people think they need to "see what Laumape can bring"
dude, you know exactly what Laumape can do. He plays one way, and one way only. And that is to run as hard as he can in to the nearest defender.
Which, while i am not exactly a fan of that, will at least provide a point of difference over the "samey samey" types we have at the moment.
... and it is remarkably successful. Good coaching would help him develop other parts of his game.
I'm going to go on my grumpy old man rant now, but FFS if you are a professional back in Union, you should be doing half an hour of kicking practice off either foot multiple times a week. You'll suck to start with, but within a few years you will have a touch on the ball if you ever need to do it.
Too much gym time, not enough skill time.
I'm going to disagree here.
Being able to physically kick and pass when by yourself on the training paddock is waaay different to being able to execute that skill under pressure on a test pitch. And that's assuming that the player develops the mental game to know when to do it, and to where.
Nonu's transformation from bash merchant with suspect hands to a triple threat 2nd 5 tricks so many of us in to thinking it's possible. I think, in the vast majority of occassions, what you arrive with is what you leave with, you just tweak it here and there. And experience helps you be in the right spot.
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@nzzp Laumape is doing that, he mentions it often. But it takes time and if you are getting the most success with your running game, then you don;t practise it in the heat of battle often. Not sure that he did many, but he put a few through in SRA, mostly good if not excellent. But the fact he can run through the weak shoulder, and around even fast players (ahem the slow blues version of Beuady) means the kick doesn’t come out often. Fat Bishop does enough for both of them
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@mariner4life said in What’s out there at Second Five?:
@nzzp said in What’s out there at Second Five?:
@mariner4life said in What’s out there at Second Five?:
i love that people think they need to "see what Laumape can bring"
dude, you know exactly what Laumape can do. He plays one way, and one way only. And that is to run as hard as he can in to the nearest defender.
Which, while i am not exactly a fan of that, will at least provide a point of difference over the "samey samey" types we have at the moment.
... and it is remarkably successful. Good coaching would help him develop other parts of his game.
I'm going to go on my grumpy old man rant now, but FFS if you are a professional back in Union, you should be doing half an hour of kicking practice off either foot multiple times a week. You'll suck to start with, but within a few years you will have a touch on the ball if you ever need to do it.
Too much gym time, not enough skill time.
I'm going to disagree here.
Oooh nice one.
sounds like a opportunity for a squabble in another thread... can you meaningfully improve your skills at the top level or not?
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just throwing this out there...Michael Collins is 100kg...i'll see myself out
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@Kiwiwomble Collins at 12? I'd rather shit in my hands and clap.
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@Stargazer said in What’s out there at Second Five?:
@Kirwan Would be nice, because then JG would have to move back to 13, where we all want him.
Exactly, combinations are even more important in the midfield. Would help RM’s game as well.
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I guess the other thing though, what are we as fans missing that that AB coaches are seeing?
They clearly have something in mind (this doesnt just apply to the mid-field) about how they want these players who are 'out of position' to play, especially when they persist.
I dont buy they are too stubborn to make changes, they want to win too.
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@taniwharugby said in What’s out there at Second Five?:
I guess the other thing though, what are we as fans missing that that AB coaches are seeing?
And we also have to accept that we do not understand rugby, despite over 50 years of watching it and being on the sideline of the playing field pretty much every Saturday during the season in my case. Who are we to argue with the All Black captain when he tells us we do not understand the sport?
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@Higgins well if you read some of the comments online (FB) after the team naming, there is a good portion of people who clearly have zero idea.
