Discussion of AB 9s. Best ever All Blacks Half Back?
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@mariner4life said in Discussion of AB 9s. Best ever All Blacks Half Back?:
Smith is not only the best 9 i've seen play for the ABs, he's the best 9 i have ever seen (and i thought Joost would take that mantle forever)
His speed to the ruck, his ability to maintain that speed for a whole game, his support lines, his ruck organisation, his organisation of his forward pods (when allowed) is absolutely top shelf. He also has a pretty handy kicking game, and a good run game if the opposition opens up.
But that pass... the speed and width allows us to attack of 2-ball at the lineout FFS. He's creating space for his first receiver no one else gets. And that's 2 tries in 2 games that occur as a direct result of him delivering a wide flat ball putting a guy on an outside shoulder right on the line.
People always seem tob e looking for reasons not to call him the best (oooh, Connor Murray can box kick, ooooh) but Smith is the fucking man. By far and away our most important player right now.
Great post, agree with all but one thing I want to add is Azza's vision.
He has the ability to see the open man where a good player would only see bodies.
And then he unleashes the bullet pass straight to the player he intended after it whizzes past 2 or 3 players who have the sense to let it go past them.
Amazing!
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@roninwc said in Discussion of AB 9s. Best ever All Blacks Half Back?:
@mariner4life said in Discussion of AB 9s. Best ever All Blacks Half Back?:
Smith is not only the best 9 i've seen play for the ABs, he's the best 9 i have ever seen (and i thought Joost would take that mantle forever)
His speed to the ruck, his ability to maintain that speed for a whole game, his support lines, his ruck organisation, his organisation of his forward pods (when allowed) is absolutely top shelf. He also has a pretty handy kicking game, and a good run game if the opposition opens up.
But that pass... the speed and width allows us to attack of 2-ball at the lineout FFS. He's creating space for his first receiver no one else gets. And that's 2 tries in 2 games that occur as a direct result of him delivering a wide flat ball putting a guy on an outside shoulder right on the line.
People always seem tob e looking for reasons not to call him the best (oooh, Connor Murray can box kick, ooooh) but Smith is the fucking man. By far and away our most important player right now.
Great post, agree with all but one thing I want to add is Azza's vision.
He has the ability to see the open man where a good player would only see bodies.
And then he unleashes the bullet pass straight to the player he intended after it whizzes past 2 or 3 players who have the sense to let it go past them.
Amazing!
Watched a programme about him on tv, and he actually got this game he plays to sharpen his mind and to get him to try and see things quickly, he seems to leave no stone unturned to try and make himself better.
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@act-crusader said in Discussion of AB 9s. Best ever All Blacks Half Back?:
@kiwiwomble said in Discussion of AB 9s. Best ever All Blacks Half Back?:
I’ll add, Stu Forster had a lovely passing game, would obviously struggle size wise in the modern game
Always have, always will rate smith as one of if not the best
Forster, yeah. The old memory couldn’t remember them all. I’d have him in the third category but probably higher than most of them.
Absolutely imperious in some glorious Otago sides in the early to mid 90s. He'd have been a Super Rugby star but was only a fringe AB. So much fun to watch the wee guy go.
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@roninwc said in Discussion of AB 9s. Best ever All Blacks Half Back?:
He has the ability to see the open man where a good player would only see bodies.
That was one of Piri's strenghts too - hitting the right body in traffic. It was nuts.
Smith is just the complete package though, hard to see a weak area - there are only areas that are 'very very good' rather than 'world class'
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QUIZ ALERT
In the last 500 players selected for the All Blacks (ie players #698 to #1198), how many halfbacks have there been?
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Was in awe at what Trapper Loveridge did on the field as a young fella. The second test against the Lions in 1983 (?) where he took control was one of the greatest halfback performances you'll ever see (thanks to The Breakdown for the reminder).
And now, I also think A.Smith is something really special. He is just the complete package who influences the game just like Loveridge did.
The others I saw, Donaldson, Bachop, Marshall, Kelleher (sp?) etc, all had strong points whether passing, running or defense but were not the complete package like Loveridge or Smith.
I never saw Going or Laidlaw- too young
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@old-samurai-jack said in Discussion of AB 9s. Best ever All Blacks Half Back?:
Was in awe at what Trapper Loveridge did on the field as a young fella. The second test against the Lions in 1983 (?) where he took control was one of the greatest halfback performances you'll ever see (thanks to The Breakdown for the reminder).
And now, I also think A.Smith is something really special. He is just the complete package who influences the game just like Loveridge did.
The others I saw, Donaldson, Bachop, Marshall, Kelleher (sp?) etc, all had strong points whether passing, running or defense but were not the complete package like Loveridge or Smith.
I never saw Going or Laidlaw- too youngyeah I think i would go Smith first , Loveridge second ,
if it was pissing with rain I might go Marshall , great wet weather half back
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@act-crusader said in Discussion of AB 9s. Best ever All Blacks Half Back?:
QUIZ ALERT
In the last 500 players selected for the All Blacks (ie players #698 to #1198), how many halfbacks have there been?
Mathematically, there probably should have been 35-40 - but, due to Smith and Marshall's long tenures especially, I'm going to say less than that. 30.
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@chris-b said in Discussion of AB 9s. Best ever All Blacks Half Back?:
@act-crusader said in Discussion of AB 9s. Best ever All Blacks Half Back?:
QUIZ ALERT
In the last 500 players selected for the All Blacks (ie players #698 to #1198), how many halfbacks have there been?
Mathematically, there probably should have been 35-40 - but, due to Smith and Marshall's long tenures especially, I'm going to say less than that. 30.
I wonder how many years that is? More games in recent years should mean more new ABs
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@chris-b said in Discussion of AB 9s. Best ever All Blacks Half Back?:
@act-crusader said in Discussion of AB 9s. Best ever All Blacks Half Back?:
QUIZ ALERT
In the last 500 players selected for the All Blacks (ie players #698 to #1198), how many halfbacks have there been?
Mathematically, there probably should have been 35-40 - but, due to Smith and Marshall's long tenures especially, I'm going to say less than that. 30.
Closer on your first assumption. It’s 38.
I thought low 30s before doing the research, given this dates back to selections first made in the early 70s when there were tour games and starting XVs that played 80 minutes.
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QUIZ ALERT #2
Name the 38 halfbacks? If you can pick where they are in the order then an extra virtual chocolate fish for you.
I’ll get things started with a couple of hints:
1 - Finlay Christie
18 - Byron Kelleher
29 - David Kirk -
@act-crusader Given how vocal and annoying some halfbacks can be, I thought that the correct answer was "too many".
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@bovidae said in Discussion of AB 9s. Best ever All Blacks Half Back?:
@act-crusader Given how vocal and annoying some halfbacks can be, I thought that the correct answer was "too many".
As a former halfback that was quietly spoken, respectful to the ref and opponent, I do not know what you are talking about.
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@act-crusader said in Discussion of AB 9s. Best ever All Blacks Half Back?:
@bovidae said in Discussion of AB 9s. Best ever All Blacks Half Back?:
@act-crusader Given how vocal and annoying some halfbacks can be, I thought that the correct answer was "too many".
As a former halfback that was quietly spoken, respectful to the ref and opponent, I do not know what you are talking about.
gentleman, i present to you, a unicorn
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@act-crusader said in Discussion of AB 9s. Best ever All Blacks Half Back?:
QUIZ ALERT #2
Name the 38 halfbacks? If you can pick where they are in the order then an extra virtual chocolate fish for you.
I’ll get things started with a couple of hints:
1 - Finlay Christie
18 - Byron Kelleher
29 - David Kirkfuck off
i just googled when #698 got capped. And the player i thought was 501 was actually 1001. There were 80-odd before i was even born. And 250-odd before i can even remember watching rugby
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@act-crusader said in Discussion of AB 9s. Best ever All Blacks Half Back?:
QUIZ ALERT #2
Name the 38 halfbacks? If you can pick where they are in the order then an extra virtual chocolate fish for you.
I’ll get things started with a couple of hints:
1 - Finlay Christie
I'm thinking that Tahuriorangi was before him and Drummond and Weber before that.
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@bovidae said in Discussion of AB 9s. Best ever All Blacks Half Back?:
@act-crusader said in Discussion of AB 9s. Best ever All Blacks Half Back?:
QUIZ ALERT #2
Name the 38 halfbacks? If you can pick where they are in the order then an extra virtual chocolate fish for you.
I’ll get things started with a couple of hints:
1 - Finlay Christie
I'm thinking that Tahuriorangi was before him and Drummond and Weber before that.
In order of last picked first, Christie is number 1
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@act-crusader said in Discussion of AB 9s. Best ever All Blacks Half Back?:
@bovidae said in Discussion of AB 9s. Best ever All Blacks Half Back?:
@act-crusader said in Discussion of AB 9s. Best ever All Blacks Half Back?:
QUIZ ALERT #2
Name the 38 halfbacks? If you can pick where they are in the order then an extra virtual chocolate fish for you.
I’ll get things started with a couple of hints:
1 - Finlay Christie
I'm thinking that Tahuriorangi was before him and Drummond and Weber before that.
In order of last picked first, Christie is number 1
That is what I am meaning going from most recent to the next most recent, etc.
