Bledisloe 1
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@nostrildamus said in Bledisloe 1:
Ennor and Laulala? Foster is having a laugh.
Would have been a good time to test out a few new players.I don’t think it is. Can’t see either of them featuring unless Ioane gets injured and Lomax and Newell get injured.
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@ACT-Crusader said in Bledisloe 1:
@nostrildamus said in Bledisloe 1:
Ennor and Laulala? Foster is having a laugh.
Would have been a good time to test out a few new players.I don’t think it is. Can’t see either of them featuring unless Ioane gets injured and Lomax and Newell get injured.
they need a spare 13 but Ennor hasn't impressed.
As to Laulala, Ryan mentioned other props and said you can never have enough tight forwards...they know what Nepo can do. -
@His-Bobness said in Bledisloe 1:
If the pattern of the rest of this RC continues, the All Blacks lose the first of the two-game series against a single opposition and win the second.
Of course, that could always break the mold. Let's just hope though that that equates to winning both, not losing two in a row. The disruption to the now established back row of Frizzel, Savea and Cane is a worry, but Sotutu is overdue a run at 8. Let's just hope he's not under-cooked. Perhaps they'll start Scott Barrett at 6 and have two loosies on the bench in Akira and Jacobsen?
I'd like to see Skipper and Scooter start with Hoskins at 8. In theory, that could allow Jacobson/Paps to come on at 55/60ish for Cane and Akira there for Hoskins, or to move to 6 if a starting lock went down.
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@His-Bobness Not THAT sorry, I hope!
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@Bovidae said in Bledisloe 1:
@Crucial said in Bledisloe 1:
WTF is Laulala doing there? He cant even be effective in NPC.
Maybe we can be optimistic and say that Ryan wants one last look at him. The emphasis being on "last".
In last three years he has consistently been strongest TH scrummager for ABs. That buys him some leeway. The AB training sessions will have a fair bit to do with his prospects for EOYT.
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@Bones said in Bledisloe 1:
I'd rather see them invest in someone other than Ennor too. I don't really see the point in both him and Faingaanuku being there. At least LF performed in SR, be nice to see him get another chance in Tests at some stage.
Injuries.
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@Bones said in Bledisloe 1:
@pakman said in Bledisloe 1:
In last three years he has consistently been strongest TH scrummager for ABs.
Got anything to back that up other than mabo? I just don't buy it. Even if he was, the balance for what else he brings is way off.
I watch! Ethan De Groot on record for saying Nepo strongest TH in NZ rugby, although that was before the return of Owen the Tryless.
Agree he's not there for his step and passing!
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@Bovidae said in Bledisloe 1:
@pakman said in Bledisloe 1:
Agree he's not there for his step and passing!
Nor his defence, which is the big concern when Laulala is being exposed at NPC level.
Players are generally lighter at NPC level than International, therefore faster. So harder for Nepo to catch...
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@Bones said in Bledisloe 1:
I'd rather see them invest in someone other than Ennor too. I don't really see the point in both him and Faingaanuku being there. At least LF performed in SR, be nice to see him get another chance in Tests at some stage.
I don't think you could really consider having Leicester covering centre - so from that perspective, they need Ennor. But, I'm struggling to think Braydon is really our next best option.
Leicester - in my mind - is a bit of a project, so no rush for him to play again. Hadn't ever noticed his full name....
Leicester Ofa Ki Wales Twickenham Fainga'anuku
He might be following the career path laid out for him by his parents!
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We are incredibly light on options at 13 in NZ and need ALB back. We seem to be working on QT to cover both spots but their isn't much else out there. You can see why they took a look at PUJ a while back.
Pretty sad to think that Sean Wainui could well have been just what we need. -
@Crucial either one of ALB or Goodhue available along with Ioane and we have a couple of quality centres in the squad. I think Goodhue’s ability to read in defence compensates for any other apparent issues that some have with him.
I wonder if ALB and Goodhue were both fit and firing who the 4 midfielders would be in the squad.
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Having seen LF absolutely smash his Chiefs' counterparts at centre in the Chiefs v Crusaders game in Hamilton this year, I think LF has the potential to become a good (back-up) option at 13 in the future. He's still very green though, so probably it's best to let him focus on one position at the moment.
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@pakman said in Bledisloe 1:
@Bones said in Bledisloe 1:
@pakman said in Bledisloe 1:
In last three years he has consistently been strongest TH scrummager for ABs.
Got anything to back that up other than mabo? I just don't buy it. Even if he was, the balance for what else he brings is way off.
I watch! Ethan De Groot on record for saying Nepo strongest TH in NZ rugby, although that was before the return of Owen the Tryless.
Agree he's not there for his step and passing!
I'm not sure that's quite the convincing"back up" I was looking for. That's a rookie player mentioning an experienced player.
And yead to add to the offensive and defensive issues, you can mix in the penalties and cards...
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@Chris-B said in Bledisloe 1:
I don't think you could really consider having Leicester covering centre - so from that perspective, they need Ennor. But, I'm struggling to think Braydon is really our next best option.
That's pretty hard to make sense of. Option A isn't very experienced at centre so let's also select option B who's really poor at centre, just in case.
Faingaanuku is at least as capable as Ennor.
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@Bones they keep selecting Ennor because Goodhue is out and so I can keep naming…
10-Mo’unga
11-Fainga’anuku
12-Havili
13-Ennor
14-Reece
15-Jordan -
@Canes4life said in Bledisloe 1:
@nostrildamus Ardie has started every match there has been this year. He's been consistently world-class over a longer period. Samisoni comes in second for me.
Totally agree, Ardie for me. most consistent over the last few years !!
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@mencey said in Bledisloe 1:
@Canes4life said in Bledisloe 1:
@nostrildamus Ardie has started every match there has been this year. He's been consistently world-class over a longer period. Samisoni comes in second for me.
Totally agree, Ardie for me. most consistent over the last few years !!
Over the last few years, yep.
But this year, ST is the only one knocking the door down for a World XV. Ardie's highlights reel doesn't fit into the gameplan of a lot of countries - ours included. He's playing the 'Savea' role (as someone else said), and it's awesome - but not a shoe in to walk into a starting XV.
Marx would be the only competitor I can think of for ST (noting I haven't wathed a lot of NH rugby), and for me ST's carrying edges it. He is just brutal.
