All Blacks vs Fiji 2
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@bovidae said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
That's why I would continue to use Ta'avao. His scrummaging is no worse than Lomax (probably better) and offers so much more around the field. Not a liability with his tackling technique either.
I think he’s better in a bench role though, as he can do that role without being too exposed at scrum time. Ofa plus Ta’avao could be the best we’ve got but if Moli was fit I’d quite like him in that bench role.
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@victor-meldrew Yes I think he was faster than most
People thought. It wasn’t until later he slowed which is normal. -
Team I'd go with, assuming Paps is out.
De Groot, Coles, Laulala, Whitelock (c) , Retallick, A. Ioane, A. Savea, Jacobson, A. Smith, Mo'unga, R. Ioane, Havili, ALB, W. Jordan, D. Mac
Ross, Taylor, Angus T, S. Barrett, Blackadder, Weber, B. Barrett, J. Barrett
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@sparky said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
Team I'd go with, assuming Paps is out.
De Groot, Coles, Laulala, Whitelock (c) , Retallick, A. Ioane, A. Savea, Jacobson, A. Smith, Mo'unga, R. Ioane, Havili, ALB, W. Jordan, D. Mac
Ross, Taylor, Angus T, S. Barrett, Blackadder, Weber, B. Barrett, J. Barrett
That must be close to the best 23 we could field right now, though you could arguably swap DMac, BB & JB around.
Just hope Foster is thinking along the same lines
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@victor-meldrew Yep, hardest call was whether to go for DMac, BB or Jordie at Fullback.
A full house at the Tron will bring out the very best in DMac so went with him.
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@victor-meldrew I feel a bit bad leaving out Hoskins Sotutu, so much talent, what a prospect, great for the Blues.
But thoroughly mediocre at international level so far......
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@sparky said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
@victor-meldrew I feel a bit bad leaving out Hoskins Sotutu, so much talent, what a prospect, great for the Blues.
But thoroughly mediocre at international level so far......
Give him time - might come right. Took Akira a good few years. I think we're blessed for talent at 6/7/8 and the hard bit for Foster is to get his combinations right.
Hope he picks a DH/ALB combination as think they could compliment each other really well and DH def. deserves/needs another outing at 12
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@victor-meldrew said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
@sparky said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
@victor-meldrew I feel a bit bad leaving out Hoskins Sotutu, so much talent, what a prospect, great for the Blues.
But thoroughly mediocre at international level so far......
Give him time - might come right. Took Akira a good few years. I think we're blessed for talent at 6/7/8 and the hard bit for Foster is to get his combinations right.
Hope he picks a DH/ALB combination as think they could compliment each other really well and DH def. deserves/needs another outing at 12
According to plumtree alb,savea,tuuinukuafe and popoali’i are doubtful for the game
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Hope ALB is fit - he's our one really experienced player in midfield.
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@victor-meldrew said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
Hope ALB is fit - he's our one really experienced player in midfield.
If h isn’t we get Roane again. Great for his development but if he isn’t the answer in 13 then it’s another lost opportunity.
I know he sees himself as a centre now but under this gameplan so is Bridge. Roane brings the wing/centre role a bit more wing and centre. -
@crucial said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
@victor-meldrew said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
Hope ALB is fit - he's our one really experienced player in midfield.
If h isn’t we get Roane again. Great for his development but if he isn’t the answer in 13 then it’s another lost opportunity.
I know he sees himself as a centre now but under this gameplan so is Bridge. Roane brings the wing/centre role a bit more wing and centre.One key question for me is who are your centres likely to be in two years time at the RWC? For me, that's likely to be ALB, RIoane, and probably JG. Havili if he stays there. Savea (or Messam) if we want to make a joke
Tupaea a real possibility. This far out though, aside from ALB, you're lookign at the attributes to see who could build to a higher level.Rieko has potential because of his pace. Tana managed the shift, and became seriously good there. Rieko could get there, and is stepping up year on year. Can't see Bridge in tha tmix unless he starts playing there consistently
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@nzzp said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
@crucial said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
@victor-meldrew said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
Hope ALB is fit - he's our one really experienced player in midfield.
If h isn’t we get Roane again. Great for his development but if he isn’t the answer in 13 then it’s another lost opportunity.
I know he sees himself as a centre now but under this gameplan so is Bridge. Roane brings the wing/centre role a bit more wing and centre.One key question for me is who are your centres likely to be in two years time at the RWC? For me, that's likely to be ALB, RIoane, and probably JG. Havili if he stays there. Savea (or Messam) if we want to make a joke
Tupaea a real possibility. This far out though, aside from ALB, you're lookign at the attributes to see who could build to a higher level.Rieko has potential because of his pace. Tana managed the shift, and became seriously good there. Rieko could get there, and is stepping up year on year. Can't see Bridge in tha tmix unless he starts playing there consistently
Sorry if I confused you. I don’t see Bridge In the centre mix at all. Just saying that under this structure he appears as much (if not more) in a distribution role midfield as he does as a winger.
Therefore if they want to continue with having the winger add to the midfield during a game then surely Roane does that better? At least he has the ability to beat a defender. -
Numbers on backs/positions are becoming blurred. I don't think it matters as much any more what 'position' a player is. How often do we see the backs lined up in the traditional 9,10, 12,13,15,11 or 14 way? Foster and co seem to be taking the mixing of roles up another level.
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@crazy-horse said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
Numbers on backs/positions are becoming blurred. I don't think it matters as much any more what 'position' a player is. How often do we see the backs lined up in the traditional 9,10, 12,13,15,11 or 14 way? Foster and co seem to be taking the mixing of roles up another level.
Which is why the ABs have no fucking structure. They're trying to be too clever for their own good and it puts the players under pressure.
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@nzzp said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
@crucial said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
@victor-meldrew said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
Hope ALB is fit - he's our one really experienced player in midfield.
If h isn’t we get Roane again. Great for his development but if he isn’t the answer in 13 then it’s another lost opportunity.
I know he sees himself as a centre now but under this gameplan so is Bridge. Roane brings the wing/centre role a bit more wing and centre.One key question for me is who are your centres likely to be in two years time at the RWC? For me, that's likely to be ALB, RIoane, and probably JG. Havili if he stays there. Savea (or Messam) if we want to make a joke
Tupaea a real possibility. This far out though, aside from ALB, you're lookign at the attributes to see who could build to a higher level.Rieko has potential because of his pace. Tana managed the shift, and became seriously good there. Rieko could get there, and is stepping up year on year. Can't see Bridge in tha tmix unless he starts playing there consistently
Of all the midfielders, the most experienced, consistent and, well, just bloody good, is ALB so it makes sense to build your pairings around him. Problem is they've had 5 years and haven't figured out his best position yet...
FWIW, I think he's best at 13 so my top pairing could be DH/ALB with the second pairing being ALB/RI or DH/RI and if JG gets back into the groove, ALB/JG.
Havili has only had one Test, hence the use of the word "could". I just think his skillset compliments ALB well.
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@crazy-horse said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
Numbers on backs/positions are becoming blurred. I don't think it matters as much any more what 'position' a player is. How often do we see the backs lined up in the traditional 9,10, 12,13,15,11 or 14 way? Foster and co seem to be taking the mixing of roles up another level.
Or down a level, depending on your point of view....
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@victor-meldrew said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
@crazy-horse said in All Blacks vs Fiji 2:
Numbers on backs/positions are becoming blurred. I don't think it matters as much any more what 'position' a player is. How often do we see the backs lined up in the traditional 9,10, 12,13,15,11 or 14 way? Foster and co seem to be taking the mixing of roles up another level.
Or down a level, depending on your point of view....
Thing is that they talk about physicality and being dominant around the tackle then come up with a system that needs ball running loose forwards positioned out wide.
Muddled thinking from what I can see.
