Discussion of AB 9s. Best ever All Blacks Half Back?
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@act-crusader said in Discussion of AB 9s. Best ever All Blacks Half Back?:
In my lifetime:
1 - Aaron Smith
2 - Graeme Bachop
3 - Justin Marshall
4 - David Kirk
5 - Dan Carter 😎——————-
Next rung:
1 - Dave Loveridge
2 - Byron Kelleher
3 - Piri Weepu
4 - TJ Perenara——————-
I'd go:
1- Aaron Smith
2 - David Loveridge
3 - David Kirk
4 - Graeme Bachop.
5 - Justin MarshallNext rung : Byron Kelleher, Piri Weepu, Jimmy Cowan, Kerr-Barlow, TJ Perenera.
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@kiwiinmelb said in Discussion of AB 9s. Best ever All Blacks Half Back?:
@beardie I was pretty young , and I might be getting going and laidlaw a little mixed up ,
I remember going having that funky reverse pass though
Yes. From what I have seen and read Laidlaw was the passer and Going the runner.
I remember watching a video from the 1980s that my uncle had which was about the greatest AB team to that point. IIRC Des Connor was their pick at halfback ahead of Laidlaw, Going, Loveridge etc. Way before my time.
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@victor-meldrew I'm too young to have watched Sid. Trapper is the first AB half back I can remember.
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@bovidae said in Discussion of AB 9s. Best ever All Blacks Half Back?:
Yes. From what I have seen and read Laidlaw was the passer and Going the runner.
Can vaguely remember Laidlaw on TV and certainly remember Sid. Nugget is pretty near the top at running and passing.
And when did he last have a game which wasn't top-notch or even bad?
Best by some margin for me.
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@sparky said in Discussion of AB 9s. Best ever All Blacks Half Back?:
@victor-meldrew I'm too young to have watched Sid. Trapper is the first AB half back I can remember.
Remember watching Trapper playing in a rain-soaked match in the mid 80's (I think)
Unbelievable display. Probably up there with DC against the Lions in 2005
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@victor-meldrew 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?:
Yes. From what I have seen and read Laidlaw was the passer and Going the runner.
Can vaguely remember Laidlaw on TV and certainly remember Sid. Nugget is pretty near the top at running and passing.
And when did he last have a game which wasn't top-notch or even bad?
I thought Nug was off his game for the Yokohama RWC semi final in 2019 but he was not alone in that.
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@sparky said in Discussion of AB 9s. Best ever All Blacks Half Back?:
I thought Nug was off his game for the Yokohama RWC semi final in 2019 but he was not alone in that.
Please don't mention that game - it triggers me. I get visions of rugby players and coaching staff aiming guns at their feet.
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@act-crusader said in Discussion of AB 9s. Best ever All Blacks Half Back?:
In my lifetime:
1 - Aaron Smith
2 - Graeme Bachop
3 - Justin Marshall
4 - David Kirk
5 - Dan Carter 😎——————-
Next rung:
1 - Dave Loveridge
2 - Byron Kelleher
3 - Piri Weepu
4 - TJ Perenara——————-
Everyone else (no order, just for fun)
Jimmy Cowan, Steve Devine, Brendon Leonard, Junior Tonu’u, Andy Ellis, Tawera Kerr-Barlow, Mark Robinson, Mark Donaldson, Kevin Senio, Mitch Drummond, Brad Weber, Andrew DonaldSid only played a couple of tests in my lifetime.
Preston?
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I saw Laidlaw play, excellent. But Aaron Smith is easily best AB 9 of my lifetime.
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@bovidae said in Discussion of AB 9s. Best ever All Blacks Half Back?:
@kiwiinmelb said in Discussion of AB 9s. Best ever All Blacks Half Back?:
@beardie I was pretty young , and I might be getting going and laidlaw a little mixed up ,
I remember going having that funky reverse pass though
Yes. From what I have seen and read Laidlaw was the passer and Going the runner.
I remember watching a video from the 1980s that my uncle had which was about the greatest AB team to that point. IIRC Des Connor was their pick at halfback ahead of Laidlaw, Going, Loveridge etc. Way before my time.
Yeah I think my memory was getting things a little mixed up ,
And the debate around his passing game was in fact the other way around ,but he was a popular AB , well he was a cult hero at primary school anyway
On another note , anyone remember the going brothers together for northland and the maoris ? Sid , brian and Ken at 9, 10 and 15 pulling off their triple scissor moves ….. Good times .
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@booboo 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?:
In my lifetime:
1 - Aaron Smith
2 - Graeme Bachop
3 - Justin Marshall
4 - David Kirk
5 - Dan Carter 😎——————-
Next rung:
1 - Dave Loveridge
2 - Byron Kelleher
3 - Piri Weepu
4 - TJ Perenara——————-
Everyone else (no order, just for fun)
Jimmy Cowan, Steve Devine, Brendon Leonard, Junior Tonu’u, Andy Ellis, Tawera Kerr-Barlow, Mark Robinson, Mark Donaldson, Kevin Senio, Mitch Drummond, Brad Weber, Andrew DonaldSid only played a couple of tests in my lifetime.
Preston?
Yeah, he should have played a lot more tests. So many also forget the part he played in the 96 series win over the Boks. Although he think he came on as a 10. Farking good player anyway and didn't deserve to ride the pine behind the likes of Strauchan and Forster.
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Smith
Loveridge
Laidlaw
BachopGoing massively over-rated. Great fringe runner, brave defender, good box kicker - average at best elsewhere. Good behind a dominant pack as his slow loopy pass was OK. Very predictable but was worthwhile on wet muddy grounds.
Fantastic 10 man rugby which became a massive problem once our pack lost dominance and we couldn't find a 1st 5
A second rate Marshall. Failing to move on from Going even though there were a number of viable options turned the 70's into NZ's worst ever decade of test rugby
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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.
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@act-crusader What the hell????
Where is Bruce Deans?!!
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@chris-b problem is he only got his chance when Kirk left. But good player.
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@nostrildamus I'm more shaken that ACT Crusader has forgotten him!
Maybe an imposter has hacked his account!!!
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@chris-b said in Discussion of AB 9s. Best ever All Blacks Half Back?:
@act-crusader What the hell????
Where is Bruce Deans?!!
Even @ACT-Crusader knows that he wasn't all that great?
