All Blacks 2023
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Hasn’t been much chatter about it but it’s great to see Lord back in the AB squad. Kid has plenty of talent.
If Tuipoluto had been fit I wonder what would’ve happened with the selections. When Lord was originally selected for the ABs and got injured was that when Tuipoluto came back in?
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Clearly if it was just a missed call on the weekend of selection, they would have called him back.
Forster mentions texts, leaving messages, which intimates that he gave them the news even if they didn’t speak.
Foster with his hurt feelings is the one that needs cuddling. The other guys were probably too busy with their agents to manage a call back to thank Foster.
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@ACT-Crusader yeah was happy to see that, but as some buzz killer pointed out about Finau, it's probably highly likely he won't see much, if any gametime. He looks to have bulked up well, yet still mobile and busy. As long as that hasn't caused him other issues that lead to him being injured all the time, he looks the goods.
Hope I'm wrong about Fozzie.
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@Bones that was me!
Because I am horribly pessimistic that the order at 6 is Barrett and then the lessor Frizzell
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@Bones said in All Blacks 2023:
@ACT-Crusader yeah was happy to see that, but as some buzz killer pointed out about Finau, it's probably highly likely he won't see much, if any gametime. He looks to have bulked up well, yet still mobile and busy. As long as that hasn't caused him other issues that lead to him being injured all the time, he looks the goods.
Hope I'm wrong about Fozzie.
I’m not so sure…Jason Ryan specifically name checked Finau when interviewed and said he stood up and did what they were looking for when under the pump against the Reds.
They did throw Newell and De Groot in to the bear pit of an away game in South Africa and here we are…
The fact that Hoskins and Akira got launched reinforces that they really weren’t happy with their style and are looking for a bit more perspiration rather than inspiration.
Head down arse up, strong shoulders.
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@Bones said in All Blacks 2023:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2023:
@Bones said in All Blacks 2023:
@Dan54 how do you know it's just a missed call? How do you know that they even knew they were supposed to call him back?
Mate a missed call from the coach on weekend of team naming?? Ok.
It was definitely just a missed call? No VM or text message? Ok.
Well I don't know, assumed a voicemail when they didn't answer, or how did they know they were out of team? DUH!
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@cgrant said in All Blacks 2023:
Am I the only one to find Newell lucky ?
The guy has not played a single game this year and gets in. Jager would have been a better choice IMO.Same here. Cant fathom how Newell can get himself fit in time when he has been out for a while, and still manages to get an ABs callup despite being injured, while others were not considered due to injury. Why not give a fit Jager the call instead and slot someone else into the AB XV in Jager's place..
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@DaGrubster said in All Blacks 2023:
Clearly if it was just a missed call on the weekend of selection, they would have called him back.
Forster mentions texts, leaving messages, which intimates that he gave them the news even if they didn’t speak.
Foster with his hurt feelings is the one that needs cuddling. The other guys were probably too busy with their agents to manage a call back to thank Foster.
Could be right Grubs, but if their first action was to ring agents, they obviously weren't hurt, and didn't really care , looking for nect opportunity?
I know you taking the piss, but hells teeth I would be ringing to see what I could do if I really wanted in. If they didn't really want in deep down, well they perhaps weren't loss. You know the players who impress me? Ones who ring coaches etc during season etc to see if there are things they need to work on etc.
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@Bones said in All Blacks 2023:
@ACT-Crusader yeah was happy to see that, but as some buzz killer pointed out about Finau, it's probably highly likely he won't see much, if any gametime. He looks to have bulked up well, yet still mobile and busy. As long as that hasn't caused him other issues that lead to him being injured all the time, he looks the goods.
Hope I'm wrong about Fozzie.
I was at New Plymouth at the game where Ryan said he really caught their eye, he was bloody good, and worked like hell off the ball. I still like he's such a good lineout target too. I still wonder what game he will get a lot of time in to push claims, but also think Jacobson will meybe get a bit of time at 6?
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@Steve said in All Blacks 2023:
The fact that Hoskins and Akira got launched reinforces that they really weren’t happy with their style and are looking for a bit more perspiration rather than inspiration.
Head down arse up, strong shoulders.
And that makes me happy if attitude and work rate are big pointers to how they selecting teams, as you say perhaps Akira and Hoskins are more highlight packge players than 80 min grunt men? One of reasons I such a fan of players like Sam Cane, Jacobson etc, they just never out of game, putting rock hard shoulders on, and importantly working their arse off to get to where they make a difference. They get off ground real quick after tacle etc, and put themselves in a poistion to still make a difference whether it making another tackle, of turning players into defence.
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@mariner4life said in All Blacks 2023:
@Bones that was me!
Because I am horribly pessimistic that the order at 6 is Barrett and then the lessor Frizzell
Shannon's renting out his house?
Six loose forwards and five locks suggests to me that you're probably right. They clearly want their 6 to be a good lineout option and a "tight 6".
My guess - and it's just a guess - is they're hoping Blackadder gets fit and they'll plan take Barrett and Frizell as their 6s, Cane and Paps as 7s, Savea and Jacobson as 8s and Blackadder as their utility/bench man who can cover all three. Meanwhile, Ryan gets a good look at Finau - and just maybe he pushes out Frizell.
Possibility of Cullen Grace putting a bit of pressure on Jacobson's position might also be worth keeping an eye on.
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@Chris-B the 5 locks selection will be about covering Whitelock as well.
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@ACT-Crusader Yeah - they'll need a Plan B at 6, because Scott is clearly our third lock - and there's a couple of oldish guys ahead of him.
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@cgrant said in All Blacks 2023:
Am I the only one to find Newell lucky ?
The guy has not played a single game this year and gets in. Jager would have been a better choice IMO.They must have the inside deck on his injury.
Any young fella who can go to South Africa
and push the bomb squads heads up their own arses has credit in the bank.Such a specialist position they want him in around the squad for the year. I imagine his name is already in pen for the RWC.
Ryan has been working with him for years in Canterbury.
As an aside. The interview his father gave when his boy was selected is one of the most “hit you in the feels” things I’ve ever seen. I welled up watching it.
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@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2023:
@Steve said in All Blacks 2023:
The fact that Hoskins and Akira got launched reinforces that they really weren’t happy with their style and are looking for a bit more perspiration rather than inspiration.
Head down arse up, strong shoulders.
And that makes me happy if attitude and work rate are big pointers to how they selecting teams, as you say perhaps Akira and Hoskins are more highlight packge players than 80 min grunt men? One of reasons I such a fan of players like Sam Cane, Jacobson etc, they just never out of game, putting rock hard shoulders on, and importantly working their arse off to get to where they make a difference. They get off ground real quick after tacle etc, and put themselves in a poistion to still make a difference whether it making another tackle, of turning players into defence.
Ryan strikes me as a no bullshit kind of guy.
I reckon he he holds plenty of sway with Foster and tells him exactly who he wants and who won’t cut the mustard. He doesn’t seem political.
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The loosies selections make some sense to me. They’ve picked the same type of player as the backup.
Frizell, Finau
Cane, Paps
Ardie, Jacobson (Rodney-style 8s)In the midfield, same story. Ennor is to Ioane as MacLeod is to Jordie. ALB is clearly going to be wearing 22 or 23.
I think that’s why Clarke stays (similarity to Leicester) while Narawa and Telea have similar skill sets.
That leaves Stevenson against Jordan as we know one of the 10s will either be starting at 15 or covering it. (I personally would select Stevenson ahead of Clarke btw)
So, from a positive point of view, they appear to have a very clear plan of what they want to do and have selected players to do that.
@Chris-B I think Grace would be there in place of Finau on that basis?
The issue will be that the halfbacks, 10s, and props don’t quite so clearly match (to me at least).
DeGroot, Taylor, Lomax
BBBR, Barrett/Whitelock
Barrett/Frizell, Cane, Savea
Smith, Mo’unga
LF, Jordie, Rieko, Telea/Jordan, Barrett/JordanBench is where it gets interesting for me, as we really need Jordan on the field, so who wears 22/23 (one of them is ALB)? The rest is pretty set, but a player like Finau may get their chance there, especially if Barrett starts on the blindside.
I think we should also use Dmac so the big question is whether they’ll pull the trigger and drop Barrett. My guess is no.
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@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2023:
as you say perhaps Akira and Hoskins are more highlight packge players than 80 min grunt men?
Sotutu has had an inconsistent year. Not surprised he was dropped.
The fiction around Akira not doing the hard work is so far off the mark. For years he's topped Blues stats and since returning from injury he's been a defensive and clear out machine this year. Unfortunately he has not been able to show much on attack in 2023 but that's more of a team issue
Steve's takes are very simplistic. Split players into players he likes and dislikes and repeat dumb cliches. Very dull.
Personally on the loosies I would have picked the same group but swapping Akira for Shannon
What do you think of Shannon's workrate this year? I thought at times he was lucky to make the Highlanders side as other loosies were putting in real effort and SF seemed to half arse it ever since signing overseas. His contact work in particular was down on his usual standards. At least in previous years he's had good SR form
