All Blacks 2022
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@Chris-B Interestingly Foster said
“36 [players] for the first squad, that’s sort of a standard Steinlager Series-sized squad, but that can change,” Foster told The Breakdown.
“Maybe it won’t go up, but it could change slightly down based on injuries and who we have left standing after Super Rugby.”
To me that means if, say, ALB is unavailable they may not pick someone to cover him unless they really need to - they are going to tightly focus on who they want. Really any non capped players have got the proverbial ice cubes hope in hell I think
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@ARHS said in All Blacks 2022:
@Crucial said in All Blacks 2022:
@Chris-B DMac has to play NPC before he can be selected
What about for NZ Maoris?
Same rules, I would imagine
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@Machpants said in All Blacks 2022:
@ARHS said in All Blacks 2022:
@Crucial said in All Blacks 2022:
@Chris-B DMac has to play NPC before he can be selected
What about for NZ Maoris?
Same rules, I would imagine
It's to do with how NZRPA contracts work. You must get an NZR contract and play for your province of choice before you are eligible for higher (representative) selection (unless you have a signed Super Rugby contract)
Same situation as TJP had. Let your conttact expire and you have to qualify for a new one. -
@Machpants said in All Blacks 2022:
@Chris-B Interestingly Foster said
“36 [players] for the first squad, that’s sort of a standard Steinlager Series-sized squad, but that can change,” Foster told The Breakdown.
“Maybe it won’t go up, but it could change slightly down based on injuries and who we have left standing after Super Rugby.”
To me that means if, say, ALB is unavailable they may not pick someone to cover him unless they really need to - they are going to tightly focus on who they want. Really any non capped players have got the proverbial ice cubes hope in hell I think
I reckon he'll pick 36 if he's allowed to - unless there's a whole heap of injured players and he's reaching the point in the barrel where he'd have to start picking people who are pretty clearly never going to be test standard.
I think there will be one or two uncapped players. I could easily see Newell making it and maybe a loosehead prop. RTS or Sullivan in the midfield - maybe even TUG. Faingaanuku or Perofeta in the outside backs.
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@pakman said in All Blacks 2022:
On LH much harder. Karl best scrummager, but signed for France. Hodgman superb around field/lineouts but not top level test standard in scrum. De Groot and Bower seem a bit in between. Ross seems good in scrum and pretty useful round field. Norris similar but strengths the other way around.
You've got to think he got the word to leave the year before the RWC
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If you want New Zealand’s best performing scrum, it is an all-Blues front row you need with Hodgman/Laulala, Eklund and Tuungafasi. They have the highest dominant scrum percentage of all the Kiwi teams at 31 per cent while conceding the fewest scrum penalties.
At hooker, the option that would give the All Blacks the most punch in defence is Blues rake Kurt Eklund, which is a bold call as few are likely to give him a shot.
He has made 112 tackles at a 93 percent completion rate, with just nine misses whilst generating eight turnovers, six of them at the breakdown from 22 ruck contests. He has only given away two penalties from those 22 ruck contests.
On every defensive metric, Eklund has been better than incumbent Codie Taylor and adds turnover-generating potential.
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@Tim said in All Blacks 2022:
If you want New Zealand’s best performing scrum, it is an all-Blues front row you need with Hodgman/Laulala, Eklund and Tuungafasi. They have the highest dominant scrum percentage of all the Kiwi teams at 31 per cent while conceding the fewest scrum penalties.
At hooker, the option that would give the All Blacks the most punch in defence is Blues rake Kurt Eklund, which is a bold call as few are likely to give him a shot.
He has made 112 tackles at a 93 percent completion rate, with just nine misses whilst generating eight turnovers, six of them at the breakdown from 22 ruck contests. He has only given away two penalties from those 22 ruck contests.
On every defensive metric, Eklund has been better than incumbent Codie Taylor and adds turnover-generating potential.
Someone needs to email this to Foster, this is a well written article which makes total sense.
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@number9 said in All Blacks 2022:
@Tim said in All Blacks 2022:
If you want New Zealand’s best performing scrum, it is an all-Blues front row you need with Hodgman/Laulala, Eklund and Tuungafasi. They have the highest dominant scrum percentage of all the Kiwi teams at 31 per cent while conceding the fewest scrum penalties.
At hooker, the option that would give the All Blacks the most punch in defence is Blues rake Kurt Eklund, which is a bold call as few are likely to give him a shot.
He has made 112 tackles at a 93 percent completion rate, with just nine misses whilst generating eight turnovers, six of them at the breakdown from 22 ruck contests. He has only given away two penalties from those 22 ruck contests.
On every defensive metric, Eklund has been better than incumbent Codie Taylor and adds turnover-generating potential.
Someone needs to email this to Foster, this is a well written article which makes total sense.
Article lost credibility when it suggested that Pat T needed to come back into the side.
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@Tim said in All Blacks 2022:
Will he actually do anything to justify selection? All indicators so no.
…..because there’s every chance he’s hit his ceiling and it’s all downhill from here.
Whitelock and Retallick have combined for over 200 test matches and performed magnificently but how long can they go on for ?