All Blacks 2021
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@sparky I though Retallick was off the pace when he left. Injuries a part of it - but not seeing him play, you wonder whether the game has moved on? Interested to see what they do with him - how he is worked back. Will he make next World Cup? Great players find a way, if the body is up to it.
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Certainties, probables, possibles and wild cards: Who will Ian Foster name in the first All Blacks squad of the year?
Ian Foster will name the first All Blacks squad of 2021 on Monday evening. Who will be the lucky men who received the call-up, and who will be left wondering about what could have been?
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@taniwharugby said in All Blacks 2021:
@tim Grace is the incumbent...
@mn5 yes, definitely, maybe someone reported him to spca too?
Depends if he gets like Mitchell Pearce on the piss
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@kev said in All Blacks 2021:
Conrad Smith and Joe Stanley would have same said. But top speed is his weakness. Honestly he is much better at Centre because he reads the game on defence and attack better than the others, and is a good distributor. Apart from ALB, the others are lacking.
Have any two quality midfielders been mucked about by the selectors as much as as ALB &JG? Ma'a only become the player he was when he treated with some consistency.
Think the 12/13 stocks are getting better though. Reiko's played much better at 13 this year and Havilli is def. worth a run out at 12 with ALB.
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Okay, Sparky's squad.
Ethan De Groot, Tupou Vaa'i, Tom Robinson and Zarn Sulivan just miss out.
Hookers: Taylor, Coles, Aumua
Props: Laulala, Karl T, Hodgman, Angus T, Newell, Ross
Locks: S. Whitelock, S. Barrett, Tuipulotu, Retallick, PPP
Loosies: Papali'i, Sotutu, Savea, A. Ioane, Blackadder, Grace, Jacobson
Half Back: Weber, Drummond, Smith (won't play)
First Fives: Mo'unga, B. Barrett
Midfield: Havili, R. Ioane, PUJ, Nankivell
Back 3: DMac, J. Barrett, Jordan, Reece, Fainga'anuku, Nareki
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@bovidae said in All Blacks 2021:
@sparky PPP won't be in the AB squad as he has already been named in the Maori squad. Same for Nankivell.
I expect that ALB will be included and another player (probabaly PUJ) will be added as cover.
Nothing stopping the coaches moving PPP and Nankivell from the Maori squad to the AB squad and naming replacements for the Maori, especially in Nankivell's case with ALB out. I thought PPP was excellent for the Highlanders on Saturday.
My squad is what I would name not what I think Foz and Co will name on Monday.
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I am not convinced by PPP, yet. I have my doubts about his fitness, and dare I say it his heart. He was struggling to move around last night before he got that knock. He was doing a lot of walking and taking his time getting off the ground.
His lineout work on his own throw and his ability to win the contact is pretty bloody good so I haven't written him off yet. Aren't I nice.
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@sparky said in All Blacks 2021:
Okay, Sparky's squad.
Ethan De Groot, Tupou Vaa'i, Tom Robinson and Zarn Sulivan just miss out.
Hookers: Taylor, Coles, Aumua
Props: Laulala, Karl T, Hodgman, Angus T, Newell, Ross
Locks: S. Whitelock, S. Barrett, Tuipulotu, Retallick, PPP
Loosies: Papali'i, Sotutu, Savea, A. Ioane, Blackadder, Grace, Jacobson
Half Back: Weber, Drummond, Smith (won't play)
First Fives: Mo'unga, B. Barrett
Midfield: Havili, R. Ioane, PUJ, Nankivell
Back 3: DMac, J. Barrett, Jordan, Reece, Fainga'anuku, Nareki
PPP over Vaa'i?
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@crazy-horse said in All Blacks 2021:
I am not convinced by PPP, yet. I have my doubts about his fitness, and dare I say it his heart. He was struggling to move around last night before he got that knock. He was doing a lot of walking and taking his time getting off the ground.
His lineout work on his own throw and his ability to win the contact is pretty bloody good so I haven't written him off yet. Aren't I nice.
Yeah me too - he has a severe case of concrete feet. When he makes it to the contact, he's brilliant and bloody strong, but man he's a worry on defence if there's even a hint of direction change.
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@booboo Yes, but we have lots of good locks.
The way I see our lock situation is three 2m + guys: Whitelock, Retallick, PPP
Four 1.98 guys: Tuipulotu, Scott Barrett, Tupou Vaa'i, Tom Robinson.
I'd always pick the three big guys for the AB squad because that extra height and physicality are a huge advantage at Test Level.
All four of the other guys are very good players (Robinson can also cover 6), but their leadership skills and smarts give Tuipulotu and Scott Barrett the edge.
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@bones Parkinson's defence is much improved in 2021. He made 12 tackles last night and missed 0.
I think they'll give the nod to Tupou Vaa'i who is an exceptional player. No significant complaints with that selection, although I see PPP as a more natural partner to Whitelock or Retallick if one of them can't play.
