Bledisloe 2

Crucial

Whoever pushed RTS into specialising at 12 has ruined a career in my view.

Did seem a risky ploy. Not an easy position to master and selection will also depend on the skillset required.

Crucial

@Chris-B said in Bledisloe 2:

@antipodean said in Bledisloe 2:

@Tim So Codie gets a lifeline. I like that the bench front row is unlikely to lose a scrum and may win some ball, but there's not a lot of mobility from Laulala as the game is supposed to "open up".

Interesting that they've preferred Ofa to Aidan Ross.

That probably doesn't bode that well for Ross for the EOYT - unless there's an element of last chance saloon for Ofa and Nepo (and Codie).

At present, Lomax, Newell, Laulala and Ofa (and Angus, but probably not) all competing for three tighthead spots on EOYT.

Laulala at most risk out of that list IMO. Around the field he's like a statue at the moment.

Maybe he's there to give Akira something to lean on.

It's a joke BTW

Kirwan

@mariner4life said in Bledisloe 2:

@Kirwan said in Bledisloe 2:

@mariner4life said in Bledisloe 2:

@Kirwan said in Bledisloe 2:

@mariner4life said in Bledisloe 2:

I've now realised, given the bench, that we will probably expect our 8 to switch positions as well.

No wonder our 2nd halves are scratchy. On top of subs coming on, our subs also push so many guys to new positions.

Maybe. They might just sub Ardie and have the Blues backrow.

Are you trying to lose?

Don't be silly. Team has been clearly selected for combinations.

They are either going to move Ardie to seven or swap him completely. They don't do either often, so whatever they do will be unusual.

Don't be silly

The team has been selected with what's left

The top 2 blindsides are out so akira starts
The top 7 is out so Dalton plays

The top 2 inside centres are out, and RTS isn't ready so JB plays. BB is the next fullback. Even the bench is just the next guys

This is necessity, not some glowing recommendation on getting a bunch of Blues players to play together

If everyone was fit and fresh most of the guys we are talking about wouldn't even be in the 23

Just repeating my line is, well silly.

But not as silly as saying most of the guys would be out of the 23. Akira and Dalton have been involved with the other players fit.

Frizzel is fit, by the way.

Chris B.

@Crucial I'm not going to trawl either.

The one on Koroibete will definitely be recorded as a miss - it was where Koroibete ran in and across the field and Will dived at him from behind. MK then bumped someone else off.

I can't recall 4 and 5 so I'm pretty sure they're not bad misses either, since I'm usually watching for Will.

ACT Crusader

I watched a few of the recent tests again and I’m not sure if anyone else noticed, but it appeared to me that most open the game gets these days is the last 10-15 of the first half and not long after the half time break.

The final 10-15 of the match is not that open as both teams tend to tense up (in both a good and bad way). Errors do play a role but the result of those errors don’t appear to be much different than other periods during the game when there is an error.

bayimports

@Kirwan said in Bledisloe 2:

@mariner4life said in Bledisloe 2:

@Kirwan said in Bledisloe 2:

@mariner4life said in Bledisloe 2:

@Kirwan said in Bledisloe 2:

@mariner4life said in Bledisloe 2:

I've now realised, given the bench, that we will probably expect our 8 to switch positions as well.

No wonder our 2nd halves are scratchy. On top of subs coming on, our subs also push so many guys to new positions.

Maybe. They might just sub Ardie and have the Blues backrow.

Are you trying to lose?

Don't be silly. Team has been clearly selected for combinations.

They are either going to move Ardie to seven or swap him completely. They don't do either often, so whatever they do will be unusual.

Don't be silly

The team has been selected with what's left

The top 2 blindsides are out so akira starts
The top 7 is out so Dalton plays

The top 2 inside centres are out, and RTS isn't ready so JB plays. BB is the next fullback. Even the bench is just the next guys

This is necessity, not some glowing recommendation on getting a bunch of Blues players to play together

If everyone was fit and fresh most of the guys we are talking about wouldn't even be in the 23

Frizzel is fit, by the way.

Not sure if that is completely true, sounds like he needs more time

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/300694794/all-blacks-sam-whitelock-named-captain-for-test-against-wallabies-in-auckland

Shannon Frizell, who wasn’t available to play in Melbourne because of sore ribs, has also been given more time to recover.

I do agree with your other points

Winger

@Bovidae said in Bledisloe 2:

Some other info from the Foster press conference via Stuff:

The Barrett selection at No 12 was down in part to the 60 minutes he enjoyed there last week.

Taukei'aho shift to the bench is workload related. Taylor "in a good space".

No issue with Swain ban, although he hasn't read the full decision.

Whitelock named captain due to Savea missing a week to welcome third child.

What about Scott. Is he injured
Taylor starting is an odd one though.

edit. In the stuff article

Akira Ioane has been brought into blindside flanker, ahead of Scott Barrett who has not been named in the match-day 23 because he was listed as being unavailable for selection.

Foster said the All Blacks had been “managing’’ Barrett, who had been bothered by a sore Achilles tendon and calf muscle, and it was decided it was best to rest him. Shannon Frizell, who wasn’t available to play in Melbourne because of sore ribs, has also been given more time to recover.

broughie

@Tim Is this a late April fools joke?

Bovidae

@Winger

I posted about Barrett earlier.

Foster said the All Blacks had been “managing’’ Barrett, who had been bothered by a sore Achilles tendon and calf muscle, and it was decided it was best to rest him.

Bovidae

@ARHS said in Bledisloe 2:

I am a bit worried whether loosies will stand up to a centre field barrage. Wonder who replaces Leota?

I read that Neville will return so maybe Holloway back to 6.

Hooroo

Boy oh boy is Savea in for a big night with Akiera doing fuck all on defence.

BB at the back looking all hopeless while Jordan is misplaced on the wing.

At least Codie Taylor is starting as that will overshadow all the other weaknesses on show.

Kirwan

@bayimports said in Bledisloe 2:

@Kirwan said in Bledisloe 2:

@mariner4life said in Bledisloe 2:

@Kirwan said in Bledisloe 2:

@mariner4life said in Bledisloe 2:

@Kirwan said in Bledisloe 2:

@mariner4life said in Bledisloe 2:

I've now realised, given the bench, that we will probably expect our 8 to switch positions as well.

No wonder our 2nd halves are scratchy. On top of subs coming on, our subs also push so many guys to new positions.

Maybe. They might just sub Ardie and have the Blues backrow.

Are you trying to lose?

Don't be silly. Team has been clearly selected for combinations.

They are either going to move Ardie to seven or swap him completely. They don't do either often, so whatever they do will be unusual.

Don't be silly

The team has been selected with what's left

The top 2 blindsides are out so akira starts
The top 7 is out so Dalton plays

The top 2 inside centres are out, and RTS isn't ready so JB plays. BB is the next fullback. Even the bench is just the next guys

This is necessity, not some glowing recommendation on getting a bunch of Blues players to play together

If everyone was fit and fresh most of the guys we are talking about wouldn't even be in the 23

Frizzel is fit, by the way.

Not sure if that is completely true, sounds like he needs more time

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/300694794/all-blacks-sam-whitelock-named-captain-for-test-against-wallabies-in-auckland

Shannon Frizell, who wasn’t available to play in Melbourne because of sore ribs, has also been given more time to recover.

I do agree with your other points

Foster said he could have played in a pinch, so is fit but given more time to recover.

JC

@MN5 said in Bledisloe 2:

I’m really disappointed at the lack of melting down at the news that Taylor is starting. Sort it out guys.

Beyond melting down to be honest. I’m going to be watching him in a dimmed room with a crystal glass of scotch and a loaded revolver. I’m not taking any chances since they revived me from the arsenic last time he played.