All Blacks 2023
-
@BerniesCorner said in All Blacks 2023:
The SA props and locks subs are a major problem. Awesome power
Intimidation factor aplenty too.
RG Snyman looks like a henchman from Vikings.
-
@Tim said in All Blacks 2023:
Our lack of depth really prevents us from making early forward substitutions. Our whole frontrow will need to play deep into the second half. We also don't have an impact loose forward. Having Whitelock replace Retallick early is probably our best option.
I remember Cameron Suafoa being an absolute beast against the midweek Ireland side in Hamilton last year. Easily the best forward on the park, and then he's not selected for the 2nd game against them. Couldn't understand why but I guess it must have been influenced by the AB selectors.
We finally have a big power loose foward and we discard him. Instead we are obsessed with smaller, mobile forwards when the game internationally has shifted to a power game.
I'm not saying that he would definitely be test ready by now but he could have been if we had picked him and persevered with him. At least have a look instead of sticking to the same outdated formula. Same with Finau.
-
@akan004 said in All Blacks 2023:
@Tim said in All Blacks 2023:
Our lack of depth really prevents us from making early forward substitutions. Our whole frontrow will need to play deep into the second half. We also don't have an impact loose forward. Having Whitelock replace Retallick early is probably our best option.
I remember Cameron Suafoa being an absolute beast against the midweek Ireland side in Hamilton last year. Easily the best forward on the park, and then he's not selected for the 2nd game against them. Couldn't understand why but I guess it must have been influenced by the AB selectors.
We finally have a big power loose foward and we discard him. Instead we are obsessed with smaller, mobile forwards when the game internationally has shifted to a power game.
I'm not saying that he would definitely be test ready by now but he could have been if we had picked him and persevered with him. At least have a look instead of sticking to the same outdated formula. Same with Finau.
Is it that or do they not play “big” enough ?
Papalii and Jacobsen are not small men.
-
@MN5 said in All Blacks 2023:
@akan004 said in All Blacks 2023:
@Tim said in All Blacks 2023:
Our lack of depth really prevents us from making early forward substitutions. Our whole frontrow will need to play deep into the second half. We also don't have an impact loose forward. Having Whitelock replace Retallick early is probably our best option.
I remember Cameron Suafoa being an absolute beast against the midweek Ireland side in Hamilton last year. Easily the best forward on the park, and then he's not selected for the 2nd game against them. Couldn't understand why but I guess it must have been influenced by the AB selectors.
We finally have a big power loose foward and we discard him. Instead we are obsessed with smaller, mobile forwards when the game internationally has shifted to a power game.
I'm not saying that he would definitely be test ready by now but he could have been if we had picked him and persevered with him. At least have a look instead of sticking to the same outdated formula. Same with Finau.
Is it that or do they not play “big” enough ?
Papalii and Jacobsen are not small men.
Yeah that's a valid point. A guy like Kolisi is not big but he has immense power. However, since our existing players aren't playing big enough, we need to look at other players.
-
@Steve said in All Blacks 2023:
The favourites for the tournament have Mack Hansen and James Lowe in the back three.
Hardly generational talents.
@MN5 said in All Blacks 2023:
It’s worth pointing out that the ABs won a World Cup with Richard Kahui on the wing.
what we're proving here is that the natural talent of a player is only a part of the equation......i half decent coach will come up with a game plan that lets everyone shine....rather than deciding on a game plan....and independently picking "the best" 32 players....and then wondering why its not clicking
-
-
-
-
question, did people feel the game was more stunted then other games?
-
@akan004 said in All Blacks 2023:
Interesting to hear Ryan say that if we had a full deck we would be able to compete. So he's admitting that the backups are shit. That sure doesn't fill me with confidence, perhaps they should have picked a better squad.
Who realistically could they have picked though? Blackadder wasn't an option due to his injuries, and then the rest, are they actually any better than what we have over there?
Tuipulotu, Finau, Ioane etc. are still a major dropdown from what they're replacing (based off of the evidence at hand).
IMO we have a real lack of depth from 1-13 (Barring 2 and excluding 11).
-
@Frank said in All Blacks 2023:
Ah the philosopher king of World Rugby who got bungled out of the World Cup by a better coached England.
that's some mediocre philosphy TBHlook at it another way-h is good, but some of his success was built on a great core of players from Henry's era, and after he lost them, it was a steady decline in quality through to 2019. Some of the posters on this website could have done just as well.
-
@akan004 said in All Blacks 2023:
Interesting to hear Ryan say that if we had a full deck we would be able to compete. So he's admitting that the backups are shit. That sure doesn't fill me with confidence, perhaps they should have picked a better squad.
An admission that you can't make every player world class?
-
@antipodean it was a bit of a gamble to throw Vaai in at 6, gamble didnt pay out, from a couch coach perspective there have been doubts over Vaai's game at lock, and then to throw him into an unfamiliar position against world class opposition, was really only likely to be one outcome, not that he was solely to blame.
-
we have some injuries....but it doesnt seem like a crazy amount, not 2-3 in the same position like 2011....it feels like we should still be operating in the realm of things that should / could haven't been planned for
-
You can argue that it was going to be a gamble playing Papalii at 6 too. It would have been interesting to see how that went, but we'll never know now. Foster and Ryan had 24 h to decide who would replace Cane, so I am assuming they discussed all options.
