All Blacks vs Fiji 2
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So, what might we expect ?
- More mongrel and physicality up front
- slicker play in the backline
For expectation Nr.1 : get rid of the Dunedin starting front row. They scrummed well but had zero impact in the rucks and in the loose. Bring back Whitelock, Ioane and Jacobson.
I would go with :De Groot
Coles
Ta'avao
Retallick
Whitelock
Ioane
Savea (Paps is unlikely to recover in time)
JacobsonSubs : Aumua, Ross, Laulala, Vaa'i, Blackadder
For expectation Nr.2 :
Smith
Mounga
Ioane
Tupaea
ALB
Jordan
DMacSubs : Weber, B. Barrett, Havili
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If ALB is fit as reported and gets through a contact training session then I’d like to see him start with Havili. Ioane on the bench.
It was interesting to see Havili take the ball as a first receiver quite a bit.
Mo’unga back at 10 and Beaudie at 15? Beaudie certainly spent a bit of time back there on Saturday night.
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@act-crusader
Tupaea did well against Tonga so it could be interesting to watch him against Botia. Moreover, ALB is his usual partner in midfield. But I also like the idea of a Havili - ALB combo. -
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@cgrant said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
- More mongrel and physicality up front
I don't think we need"more mongrel", I think we need to be cleverer at the breakdown. Don't get isolated which gives the opposition the chance to jackal. We ran into space too often which allowed them to get their hands on the ball in the breakdown (sometimes legally!). We need to not be that good.
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@bovidae said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
While the coaches will want to give other players an opportunity they really need to focus on the combinations that will play in Bled 1.
This a thousand times.
Foster & co. must have a pretty good idea of their top 23 and their top combinations by the end of the match and field - otherwise they might as well give up and go home.
I'd also like to see the game-plan become a bit clearer...
Prepared to cut him some slack last year and this Fiji side isn't a complete pushover, but he really needs to show some progress in the coming weeks.
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@booboo said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
@cgrant said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
- More mongrel and physicality up front
I don't think we need"more mongrel", I think we need to be cleverer at the breakdown. Don't get isolated which gives the opposition the chance to jackal. We ran into space too often which allowed them to get their hands on the ball in the breakdown (sometimes legally!). We need to not be that good.
Yeah, exactly that. It's not just those hitting the breakdown too, it's the guys getting tackled - Laulala did a couple of examples of attempted ball presentation that most coaches would be disgusted to see in their under 15s team. I remember one where he somehow started with the ball in two hands above his head, when his head was towards the the Fiji defence... and then just threw it away.
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@booboo said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
@cgrant said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
- More mongrel and physicality up front
I don't think we need"more mongrel", I think we need to be cleverer at the breakdown. Don't get isolated which gives the opposition the chance to jackal. We ran into space too often which allowed them to get their hands on the ball in the breakdown (sometimes legally!). We need to not be that good.
Good point. But mongrel is needed in the collisions and in defense. This was lacking seriously last Saturday.
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the thing that makes me wonder about foster the most
areas like loosies and midfield, we're trying to find new incumbents...but he never plays the same combos more than once, play Ioane 3-4 time in a row, let him settle in! playing someone for one games...then not even 23, then bench, then starting again is never going to get the comfortable
There was no need to play frizell on sat, i like him, think he doesn't get enough credit around here...but we know what he can do int the black jersey, we dont need to keep testing him
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@kiwiwomble said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
the thing that makes me wonder about foster the most
areas like loosies and midfield, we're trying to find new incumbents...but he never plays the same combos more than once, play Ioane 3-4 time in a row, let him settle in! playing someone for one games...then not even 23, then bench, then starting again is never going to get the comfortable
There was no need to play frizell on sat, i like him, think he doesn't get enough credit around here...but we know what he can do int the black jersey, we dont need to keep testing him
Injuries have played a huge part in the midfield selections over the past number of years. Plus the fact we came to the end of a period where we had two pretty durable players in Smith and Nonu that were constants for a long time.
During that era though we did try a number of players around those two, with mixed success mind you.
Trying to find that right combination with players that have relative inexperience, plus injuries, is not an easy one for the coaches, whether that be Henry, Hansen and now Foster.
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@yeetyaah said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
Heading to this one. Will be the first time I've ever been to an All Blacks game.
Enjoy it mate.
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@yeetyaah said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
Heading to this one. Will be the first time I've ever been to an All Blacks game.
I'll be there too but I've been to a few more tests. The first test I ever went to live also featured Fiji (vs Argentina at the 1987 RWC).
Let's hope there is a good crowd and the weather is OK.
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@yeetyaah said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
Heading to this one. Will be the first time I've ever been to an All Blacks game.
first of many
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@kiwiwomble hopefully haha, I'm just too much of a tight ass and don't wanna sit behind the posts. This one was $80 to sit on the 22, so reasonable enough.
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@yeetyaah said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
@kiwiwomble hopefully haha, I'm just too much of a tight ass and don't wanna sit behind the posts. This one was $80 to sit on the 22, so reasonable enough.
That’s about $78 more than I paid for my first test
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@yeetyaah said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
@kiwiwomble hopefully haha, I'm just too much of a tight ass and don't wanna sit behind the posts. This one was $80 to sit on the 22, so reasonable enough.
Jesus I hate hearing kiwis moan about ticket prices in New Zealand...£40 to go to a test and sit on the 22. Never.
