All Blacks 2021

Tim

@kiwimurph Watched extended highlights from last year's game vs. Argentina in Newcastle. We had so many opportunities and breaks we couldn't finish off. It was like watching a poor Blues performance.

Frank

WTF did Bridge and Ennor do this year to earn selection?
Or last year for that matter.

Stargazer

@frank Being injured?

Edited to add that their selection is consistent with the practice the ABs have followed for years, i.e. you can't lose your spot in the squad if you're injured.

Chris B.

@kiwimurph I don't really mind any of the individuals that have been picked per se.

The big deficiency - especially without Clarke (and even Goodhue) - is the scarcity of power players.

We could have Smith, Mo'unga, Bridge, Havili, Ennor, Reece, McKenzie!

All decent in their own right, but as a collective, Snow White might be on the selection panel!

Tim

402 days since Argentina last played. Destroyed the ABs in the worst performance I've seen since the Mains era. Lomax smashed up front, Frizell had the worst performance by an AB 6 since Todd Blackadder, and actually probably a lot further back. Really hope neither of those bums ever play for NZ again.

This type of effort can never be tolerated again. Foster should probably have resigned after this disaster.

Those are the stakes when you select favourite project players and "workrate" chumps.

Tim

In the rematch, Akira Ioane handled Pablo Matera to such a degree that he was on top physically. This was a big part of the ABs dominating possession.

After the SR-TT final, Aaron Smith noted that they were surprised by how well the Blues controlled the wider channels they targeted, and in fact were on top physically out there. The less than astute observers of NZ rugby didn't notice that Akira Ioane was dominating collisions on defence and offence in those channels - his role for the Blues - and thought he had an average game. They are also bums. They want the inept Frizell to start again. They are stupid and have the memory of a goldfish.

Nevorian

Looking at the test cap numbers this would have to be one of the most inexperienced AB sides in quite a while

Nevorian

Have to agree there must have been someone more in form than Bridge and Ennor

Frank

@stargazer said in All Blacks 2021:

@frank Being injured?

Edited to add that their selection is consistent with the practice the ABs have followed for years, i.e. you can't lose your spot in the squad if you're injured.

So a couple of injured safe white boys come back, do jack shit, and get selected. Foster loves mediocre.

Tim

@frank Every time Fainga'anuku ran at the Blues I was thinking "here's trouble, he'll get over the advantage line". Can't see why he wasn't selected.

Stargazer

@frank White boys? WTF?

Tim

@stargazer It's an old Fern cliche from some commentator's (pretty ill informed) quip about "safe white boys" in the backline. It's generally used ironically or semi-ironically here.

Frank

@stargazer said in All Blacks 2021:

@frank White boys? WTF?

It's a phrase used here in the past (begun by me I think) to describe no flair safe players (who often happen to be Cantabrians and white- but not always) Think George Bridge, Aaron Mauger kind of vibe. Shannon Frizell falls into the category of a safe brown boy.

Stargazer

@frank I don't see the need to add skin colour. Just keep it to "safe" if you feel the need to use a stupid comment from a stupid commentator.

Frank

@stargazer said in All Blacks 2021:

@frank I don't see the need to add skin colour. Just keep it to "safe".

Nah - safe white boy is way funnier.

Toddy

@tim said in All Blacks 2021:

402 days since Argentina last played. Destroyed the ABs in the worst performance I've seen since the Mains era. Lomax smashed up front, Frizell had the worst performance by an AB 6 since Todd Blackadder, and actually probably a lot further back. Really hope neither of those bums ever play for NZ again.

This type of effort can never be tolerated again. Foster should probably have resigned after this disaster.

Those are the stakes when you select favourite project players and "workrate" chumps.

No call out for Tuipulotu? The guy was fucking terrible in that game. One of the laziest All Black locking performances you'll ever see.

Tim

@toddy said in All Blacks 2021:

.

He was poor in that game too. But Frizell and Lomax were abysmal. Unlike those two, he's had strong games for the ABs too.

Additionally, Matera had a completely free reign in that match.

Stargazer

@toddy Can't criticise a Blues player, don't you know that?

Bovidae

Who were the ABs playing when Clarke dropped the ball on the goal line?

Toddy

@tim I'd argue that Frizzel and Tuipulotu are about evens in their AB performances to date.

Lomax shouldn't be in the team full stop.

The Silver Fern

All Blacks 2021