All Blacks 2022
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@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks 2022:
@No-Quarter said in All Blacks 2022:
Ardie is a quality player with huge upsides that you could build a trio around. He's also an awesome weapon off the bench.
Problem is instead of maximising his stengths we've decided to shoehorn him into 8 and play him there come hell or high water. Just terrible coaching and selecting.
There is a skill set with Ardie (run off the base, ball playing, good lineout proponent, workrate) that suits modern day number 8 play. He also has a bit of mana about him. Not a classic 8 and some would argue there are issues but a quality player.
So it’s a case of playing him and trying to get the best out of those attributes but potentially at the expense of balance in the trio.
It’s interesting when looking back at when Rodders made the ABs and there were massive question marks over him as a number 8 (he was probably a 6/7 in 2003) and when he came back into the fray in 2005 what was different?
My take on that time is that I think Henry really wanted Lauaki as the starting 8 but the workrate of Rodders became irresistible when they chose to speed the AB play up. So despite having what some called other inadequacies as a number 8, they went for him.
Now I’m not saying Ardie is Rodders, but I think the situation has some similarities.
Does that answer who should be our starting blindside, no 😉
I'd have happily run Ardie alongside Jerry at 6!
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@pakman said in All Blacks 2022:
What a bummer. Wish Joe speedy recovery.
Yeah he'll leave a big gap in the squad even though his form around the field has been questionable
33 years old, turning 34 later this year.
It's going to be difficult to get up to speed again in RWC year
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@Duluth said in All Blacks 2022:
@pakman said in All Blacks 2022:
What a bummer. Wish Joe speedy recovery.
Yeah he'll leave a big gap in the squad even though his form around the field has been questionable
33 years old, turning 34 later this year.
It's going to be difficult to get up to speed again in RWC year
Remember when he came into RWC 2015? His passing and running skills are a long way down from that.
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That's a pretty big loss but the silverlining is that someone like big Ethan De Groot should get plenty of minutes to show what he's got.
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@Canes4life I have not been impressed with de Groot at all. His work rate around the field has been underwhelming. Karl T to start, Hodgman off the bench to finish.
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@number9 said in All Blacks 2022:
@Bovidae soften them up at scrum time. Teams come out firing at the start of the game, finish with pace and fitness off the bench. De Groot and Bower have been exposed.
Sometimes there aren't that many scrums so I think we should be focusing on what the props do around the field, particularly ball-carrying and their tackling.
I don't rate Bower either, but de Groot hasn't had that many opportunities, and none against top level teams yet. The only non-capped LH prop who could force his way in is Aidan Ross. He was brought into the AB squad last year so must be in the mix.
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@Machpants said in All Blacks 2022:
@Duluth said in All Blacks 2022:
@pakman said in All Blacks 2022:
What a bummer. Wish Joe speedy recovery.
Yeah he'll leave a big gap in the squad even though his form around the field has been questionable
33 years old, turning 34 later this year.
It's going to be difficult to get up to speed again in RWC year
Remember when he came into RWC 2015? His passing and running skills are a long way down from that.
2015 Joe amazed me with reverse pass offload in French quarter! Just what we need now...
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@number9 said in All Blacks 2022:
@Bones I wouldn't be surprised if the contract is in the post.
Uh oh. Trouble in paradise.
John Kirwan names his first choice All Black team 'cleaning house' of Crusaders players
Former All Black wing John Kirwan has shared his first choice All Blacks lineup for 2022 which includes a number of changes for the side that lost to France in Paris last November.
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Not sure if this update has been posted for ALB as well
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@taniwharugby Yes, here, but I'm sure some will have missed the little arrow if they don't know how instagram works.
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@Stargazer said in All Blacks 2022:
@taniwharugby Yes, here, but I'm sure some will have missed the little arrow if they don't know how instagram works.
Insta what?
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@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2022:
That's a pretty big loss but the silverlining is that someone like big Ethan De Groot should get plenty of minutes to show what he's got.
I like Hodgman too, but I'm not sure Karl T or Bower are good enough for key RWC games.
