Forwards for the All Blacks squad

Crucial

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Unco" data-cid="568146" data-time="1459236660">
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On that subject, the Canes SA tour starts in Round 10, so Ardie's going to fly all the way over to SA for one game and then fly home, I guess? Seems pretty dumb, he'd be better off leaving the Canes after Round 9.
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The last two sevens rounds are in the UK. Expect he would fly to SA with Canes then on to London to join up.
 
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="cgrant" data-cid="568183" data-time="1459245529">
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Concerning the Codie Taylor vs Nathan harris debate, as a neutral, I think Harris will struggle to earn a place in the AB squad. He is currently Nr.3 at the Chiefs behind Elliott and Marshall.
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As mentioned, he is out with concussion at the moment but I suspect he may need to share time with Hika. The Chiefs scrum has improved markedly with Hika back (with or without the Jap prop)

kiwiinmelb

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Bovidae" data-cid="568225" data-time="1459276165">
The bench really need to be impact players nowadays, which is why I think Savea would be great in that role. He would offer something different to Cane, or any other NZ no.7, against tired opposition. Todd would be a better option to start if Cane was unavailable. 
It might be a moot point because I don't think they'll carry a specialist openside on the bench unless Hansen finds his lock/6.</blockquote>
 
I agree , in the recent World Cup out bench was stacked with impact types and it was a major weapon and played its part in winning it . 
Savea and Ioane are the types to fill that role in the future , I can't see honest grafters like Todd filling that role if not selected as a starter .

Crucial

So, if talking about lock/6's, if they really do want to find one without weakining the side who should they be looking at?
 
Luatua?
Seu?
Thomson?
 
the pool isn't very deep.
 
So if you don't have a lock six the option is either to run with a makeshift (eg Kaino) and still have two loosies on the bench (agree that Ioane and Savea post 7s would be great impact) or put a lock on the bench and have at least one versatile loosie in a mix of four.

SammyC

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="bobily" data-cid="568179" data-time="1459244130">
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I don't know what is happening in the scrums (I'm a scrawny winger), so it isn't my place to comment. I do enjoy statistics, though, so where I can I bring those into the conversation. Best case scenario is I see someone with a high workrate, and they are also rated for their setpiece ability (which no statistics have really been developed (and publicly released) to accurately judge performance through.
 
Though I would suggest that it is hard to tell whether Taylor is a good scrummager, or whether that is down to being between Moody and Franks with some pretty good locks behind them.
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It's not just the props that make a strong scrum, Hooker plays a huge part as do the locks.
 
Also, I hope you're not basing your workrate comment off the NZ Herald stats? Do they even show stats for how many rucks hit? Workrate is more than looking flashy with ball in hand

Milk

I think Patrick Tuipulotu and Savea on the bench would be fine. Between them all of Kaino, Cane, Read and Savea are pretty versatile. I'd think Savea might even do a better job at 8 than Pocock.

Chris B.

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="cgrant" data-cid="568218" data-time="1459271201">
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Joe Wheeler has been the NZ form lock of the competition so far. What he lacks is power but he is very strong in terms of technique.
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Last year (or maybe late-2014) I thought Joe might have just about edged himself into the picture with a couple of injuries, but then I watched him get absolutely dominated by Broadhurst.
 
I'd have all of Retallick, Whitelock, Romano, Tuipolotu, Broadhurst, Bird and Barrett ahead of him - not necessarily in that order.
 
Agree that Romano needs to show more.

Hooroo

I haven't watched much of Canterbury this season (Apaprt from when we beat them in the first round)
 
How has Read been going?

Nepia

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Chris B." data-cid="568271" data-time="1459285527">
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Last year (or maybe late-2014) I thought Joe might have just about edged himself into the picture with a couple of injuries, but then I watched him get absolutely dominated by Broadhurst.
 
I'd have all of Retallick, Whitelock, Romano, Tuipolotu, Broadhurst, Bird and Barrett ahead of him - not necessarily in that order.
 
Agree that Romano needs to show more.
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I'm looking forward to seeing how Seu kicks on this year - he's made a cracking start and could come into contention if he plays out the Super comp (like BBBR did back in 2012). 
 
Will also be good to see how Big Bird goes in a different team's pattern.

Crucial

Talk is that Bird will be back on the field within the next two rounds as will BBBR.

MN5

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Billy Tell" data-cid="568217" data-time="1459269362">
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Really don't think Romano will be picked. Underwhelming ever since his injury. They'll go with retsllick Whitelock tuipulotu and someone else but not Romano. He can't even crack the crusaders starting lineup for the big games ahead of Barrett or tupou.
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I'm unsure why he was picked in the first place, I remember one awesome bump off of an irish front rower some years back but looks like he's been going to the same bakery as Julian Savea lately. Is he a guy who benefitted from others getting injured/going overseas ?

Dan54

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-time="1459251474" data-cid="568202" data-author="gollum">Todd : Negatives : Never runs 60 metres breaking 6 terrible tackles fending off 3 guys & bumping off a terrible fullback in a way that he will never do ever nor has any AB loose forward ever because test match rugby doesn't have that level of shithouse D that we see in Super rugby but every year we try to select guys who do that but can't actually do what we need from a test player. Fixed.</blockquote>Showing your age Gollum, obvious haven't been watching rugby for long, or you would know Kirkie ran about 60 metres fending off at least 3-4 players, including one of the best fullbacks from the game, against probably the best rugby team to tour NZ 1971 Lions!!!! Kirkie just in case you didn't know was a loosie!! Hey I have no probs with Todd in ABs, but just thought I should mention that your argument was well and truly wrong.

bobily

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="SammyC" data-cid="568260" data-time="1459284758">
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It's not just the props that make a strong scrum, Hooker plays a huge part as do the locks.
 
Also, I hope you're not basing your workrate comment off the NZ Herald stats? Do they even show stats for how many rucks hit? Workrate is more than looking flashy with ball in hand
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I know the hooker plays an important role in the scrum, it is just hard to gauge an individual's effectiveness in what is a collective outcome.
 
I am indeed basing my comments about workrate on the NZ Herald stats (plus a couple extra from the app mentioned earlier). If there were reliable statistics about the number of rucks hit, I'd consider those too. Apart from that, there probably isn't much that information can easily be gathered on. 
 
Regardless, I actually quite like Taylor, and it was a throwaway comment not intended to be taken seriously in terms of AB selection.

Billy Tell

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="MN5" data-cid="568279" data-time="1459286006">
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I'm unsure why he was picked in the first place, I remember one awesome bump off of an irish front rower some years back but looks like he's been going to the same bakery as Julian Savea lately. Is he a guy who benefitted from others getting injured/going overseas ?
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My memory is hazy, but I think he was seen as the next Brad Thorn-style lock. He was decent enough for awhile, but he just seems to be a relatively ineffective battering ram these days. Nowhere near as skilled as Retallick or Whitelock. I think Hansen will back himself to get the best out of Tuipolotu as impact from the bench, and then I think they will choose another specialist jumping lock.
 
The real interest for the AB forwards has got to be the the 6s who can play lock or 8. That will be an interesting call.

bobily

Gibson is actually the top NZ openside in terms of turnovers, so another positive for him there.

MN5

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Dan54" data-cid="568282" data-time="1459286244">
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Showing your age Gollum, obvious haven't been watching rugby for long, or you would know Kirkie ran about 60 metres fending off at least 3-4 players, including one of the best fullbacks from the game, against probably the best rugby team to tour NZ 1971 Lions!!!! Kirkie just in case you didn't know was a loosie!! 
Hey I have no probs with Todd in ABs, but just thought I should mention that your argument was well and truly wrong.
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Jump on Youtube and have a look at that try, no where near as good as legend would have us believe.

Nepia

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Dan54" data-cid="568282" data-time="1459286244">
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Showing your age Gollum, obvious haven't been watching rugby for long, or you would know Kirkie ran about 60 metres fending off at least 3-4 players, including one of the best fullbacks from the game, against probably the best rugby team to tour NZ 1971 Lions!!!! Kirkie just in case you didn't know was a loosie!! 
Hey I have no probs with Todd in ABs, but just thought I should mention that your argument was well and truly wrong.
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Nope, under the Mitchell and Gollum selectorial process Kirky wouldn't have been fit for test rugby.

Crucial

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="bobily" data-cid="568287" data-time="1459286588">
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Gibson is actually the top NZ openside in terms of turnovers, so another positive for him there.
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Except that he has a touch of the Pococks in his play. I watched just him for a bit in one Blues match and all he was doing was tracking the play looking to pounce. Do that 20 times and the 2 turnovers look good on the stats but meanwhile you are asking everyone else to do the tackling.
Cane however is doing the tackling then looking for the turnover. In the game against the Force I reckon that with a different ref he would have got quite a few but the ref was allowing the attacking team a lot of leeway in recycling the ball. He hardly blew a 'holding on' penalty all game despite plenty of times there was a jackler over the ball. He was consistent but it doesn't help the stats.

Unco

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="MN5" data-cid="568279" data-time="1459286006">
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I'm unsure why he was picked in the first place, I remember one awesome bump off of an irish front rower some years back but looks like he's been going to the same bakery as Julian Savea lately. Is he a guy who benefitted from others getting injured/going overseas ?
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Seemed to me like he benefited mostly from being stuck right in the middle of an AB forwards pack at the Crusaders. Then he stepped up to international level and had a couple of moments but was never even close to BBBR or Whitelock. Similar thing happened with Bird, though he finally started to look like he was delivering on his potential last year, starting with the Maori vs Baabaas game, after Toddy sat him in the stands for pretty much the entire SR season.

MN5

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Unco" data-cid="568319" data-time="1459290719">
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Seemed to me like he benefited mostly from being stuck right in the middle of an AB forwards pack at the Crusaders. Then he stepped up to international level and had a couple of moments but was never even close to BBBR or Whitelock. Similar thing happened with Bird, though he finally started to look like he was delivering on his potential last year, starting with the Maori vs Baabaas game, after Toddy sat him in the stands for pretty much the entire SR season.
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So he's nothing but another Sam Broomhall or Whitelock who's not Sam then ?

Dice

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Crucial" data-cid="568316" data-time="1459290082">
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Except that he has a touch of the Pococks in his play. I watched just him for a bit in one Blues match and all he was doing was tracking the play looking to pounce. Do that 20 times and the 2 turnovers look good on the stats but meanwhile you are asking everyone else to do the tackling.
Cane however is doing the tackling then looking for the turnover. In the game against the Force I reckon that with a different ref he would have got quite a few but the ref was allowing the attacking team a lot of leeway in recycling the ball. He hardly blew a 'holding on' penalty all game despite plenty of times there was a jackler over the ball. He was consistent but it doesn't help the stats.
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Umm, but Gibson is leading the Blues in tackles by a large margin, and is third overall in tackles in the competition(and he's played less minutes than the 2 players in front of him).

The Silver Fern

Forwards for the All Blacks squad