All Blacks vs Pumas II
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@chris-b said in All Blacks vs Pumas II:
@tim said in All Blacks vs Pumas II:
@old-samurai-jack said in All Blacks vs Pumas II:
@tim Are you kidding. One of my favourite players.
I absolutely do not believe that you ever expressed that sentiment until now.
In 2018, when Steve Hansen, riding Henry's coat tales, selected every player in NZ other than Ioane - was he one of your favourites then? He was just as good. Were you lamenting the selection of awful players like Luke Whitelock, Gareth Evans (fuck me!), and Shannon Frizzel over Akira Ioane?
This was his form then:
His form was irrelevant - because Hansen obviously blackballed him.
He was picked to train with the ABs for the France series in an apprentice role. In one of the Fern's big scoops, we got told at the time he got caught by Hansen sneaking back into the hotel at 2am (and he was drinking with a Ferner earlier in the evening).
And then he never appeared again - not even when Hansen took every man and his dog to Japan.
I'm sure that was part of the reason they didn't likeh im but it wasn't just that. I would have said on here at the time (which was probably around that time can't be arsed fact checking exact time) that I was at a presso given by Reuben Thorne showing all the software and tech they use for analysis and training. He specifically used Akira as an example to show in his words, why the AB's would always take Luke Whitelock over him. Gist of it was.. ball in hand awesome.. no surprises.. pretty much every other workrate stat they tracked he was at the bottom of the pile.
He would have been given some pretty clear messaging on his workons, and if they weren't seeing any improvements in those stats they wouldn't take him.for example Samis workons given to him at the start of the year were improving his throwing and increasing his ball carry. Now strengths and clear to see on the weekend.
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@williethewaiter I remember you posting about that at the time - I'd forgotten who posted it - thought it was one of the Cantabs.
Certainly wouldn't have been the full story, because it was the same weekend that Jordie was caught eating McDonalds uninvited in someone's flat - and he didn't get blackballed.
Hansen made some pretty public comments more recently about Akira needing to get hungry and get fitter - though after 2018.
It would be bloody interesting to see data from those workrate software - it's a whole level beyond (several levels) what you can follow on the TV.
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@chris-b said in All Blacks vs Pumas II:
@arhs I honestly have no idea about small towns north of Taupo. They occasionally ask which one is furthest north in the Stuff quiz. I'm like WTF - these are actual places?
Speaking of small towns is it true that Nelson is so named because everyone there is one-eyed but relatively (h)armless?
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@antipodean said in All Blacks vs Pumas II:
Agreed. He looks safe under the high ball and that goes a long way to defusing South Africa's game.
Is this the reason Fozzie kept selecting Jordie at 14, I wonder?
Strategy seems to make sense now he has an actual winger at 14 and not a 15.
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@themojoman said in All Blacks vs Pumas II:
I was at the game on the weekend at Suncorp, he does alot of off the ball work as well which is good to see. Constantly talking to his outsides and communicating with Tupaea.
Good for him There's been a lot more communicating and leadership going on in the last 4-5 AB games from the senior players, which is good to see. As a result, there seems to be far less headless-chook play when the team are under pressure.
Is Reiko in the leadership group?
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@victor-meldrew said in All Blacks vs Pumas II:
@themojoman said in All Blacks vs Pumas II:
I was at the game on the weekend at Suncorp, he does alot of off the ball work as well which is good to see. Constantly talking to his outsides and communicating with Tupaea.
Good for him There's been a lot more communicating and leadership going on in the last 4-5 AB games from the senior players, which is good to see. As a result, there seems to be far less headless-chook play when the team are under pressure.
Is Reiko in the leadership group?
Not that I know of, nope
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@arhs said in All Blacks vs Pumas II:
@chris-b Spot on there. Hard to tell where Auckland ends now though with Hampton Downs Te Kauwhata and Ohinewai moving on. But Maramarua is swamp land Counties
I consider Te Kauwhata as Counties country for rugby and other sports and anything south of there Waikato.
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@victor-meldrew said in All Blacks vs Pumas II:
@antipodean said in All Blacks vs Pumas II:
Agreed. He looks safe under the high ball and that goes a long way to defusing South Africa's game.
Is this the reason Fozzie kept selecting Jordie at 14, I wonder?
Strategy seems to make sense now he has an actual winger at 14 and not a 15.
I think he mainly picked Jordie on the wing on the perception he'd be a low mistake/low risk option - compared to Sevu and Jordan.
As it turned out, I think Jordie's limitations as a genuine threat on the wing meant Fozzie's risk assessment was a bit flawed.
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@chris-b said in All Blacks vs Pumas II:
I think he mainly picked Jordie on the wing on the perception he'd be a low mistake/low risk option - compared to Sevu and Jordan.
Might make sense - though Jordie was hardly brain-fart free when he was picked at 14.
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Anybody else catch when Jordan (I think) went and got in the Bargy Hooker's face after winning a penalty and and the hooker told him to "stop showing off .... you're too young to show off".
Thought that was an interesting sledge at international level! I remember as a kid I hated being told that I was showing off.
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@chris-b said in All Blacks vs Pumas II:
@victor-meldrew said in All Blacks vs Pumas II:
@antipodean said in All Blacks vs Pumas II:
Agreed. He looks safe under the high ball and that goes a long way to defusing South Africa's game.
Is this the reason Fozzie kept selecting Jordie at 14, I wonder?
Strategy seems to make sense now he has an actual winger at 14 and not a 15.
I think he mainly picked Jordie on the wing on the perception he'd be a low mistake/low risk option - compared to Sevu and Jordan.
As it turned out, I think Jordie's limitations as a genuine threat on the wing meant Fozzie's risk assessment was a bit flawed.
Where on earth would he get that perception from? Making it up in his head?
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@nepia Well, Jordan had never played a test, and I don't think Sevu was in as good a form last year as this.
So, experience and having a good Super season.
At the time, I thought it wasn't a bad plan given we'd had no warm up AB games.
History showing it was pretty flawed.
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@chris-b said in All Blacks vs Pumas II:
@nepia Well, Jordan had never played a test, and I don't think Sevu was in as good a form last year as this.
So, experience and having a good Super season.
At the time, I thought it wasn't a bad plan given we'd had no warm up AB games.
History showing it was pretty flawed.
Those two don’t matter, it’s the perception Jordie that’s the issue. It’s like Foster had never seen him play.
I should have finish the bold before those two.
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I'm still puzzled by where the loosies should play, Savea in particular, their versatility gets in the way of working out the best combos.
7/8(6?) Ardie and possibly Paps
6/8 or 8/6 Jacobson Ioane and possibly Blackadder (sure he's been there at 7 but I think that is his weakest and the most competitive position). Sotutu will only be selected at 8 so probably goes down the Foster ranking system.
If Cane returns (and as ex AB captain probably has some pull for Foster) he is also a 7/6 and I think may have played/temped as 8.Seems to me
6AIoane/Blackadder
7 Savea*/Paps
8 Jacobson/Savea*/Sotutu
are the likely rankings against the Boks so that means AIoane Savea Jacobson with probably Paps or Blackadder riding the pine.Gee, not that much between them.
