Best players in SR this week
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@Chris-B said in Best players in SR this week:
If he just picks the team that really will be going he'd have to largely recycle the same article and they won't pay him for that.
it's an easy article to write because too many people still think of the ABs as a rep team like the old days. It's not. It's another team like any other at pro level. You play well enough at a lower grade to get brought in. Once you're in it's hard to get out. The coaches have their guys, and Super rugby is a glorified preseason for them, as they back themselves to use their players "properly" come test rugby.
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@Chris-B said in Best players in SR this week:
@mariner4life said in Best players in SR this week:
@ARHS said in Best players in SR this week:
@Kiwiwomble I thought the detail in that article was quite random or whimsical - just looking to stir up readers. The Rayasi, Harmon and Choat %'s were crazy to name just a few. And there were a lot of crazy omissions.
The Herald article seemed on the money to me: Stevenson, Roigard, Norris, Harmon, Aumua as uncapped challengers. I would add Narawa and Ainsley - and the possibility of a 6/8 coming through (Lakai, Flanders, Finau, Mikaele Tu'u, Gardiner) To me, those are the players who have pushed themselves forward on their Super rugby form.
of all of those i can only see Roigard making the WC, and only if they decide against experience for the 3rd halfback (i still sort of expect them to take TJ).
And i think Stephenson makes it only if injuries strike. I can see the fullbacks being BB and DMac, and the wings still being Clarke, Jordan and Telea. And they'll fill the rest of the spots with midfielders. Which is why i see Havili making it too.There will be no new loose forwards.
It looks to me that this might be an ongoing series of, basically, player power rankings. Gives Richard Knowler a pretty easy column to write every few weeks! I'd do it!
If he just picks the team that really will be going he'd have to largely recycle the same article and they won't pay him for that.
Otherwise, I agree with all your points.
Wait, is all the whining about the poor Crusaders in this thread about a Knowler piece?
The guy probably just puts down the entire Crusaders squad first and keeps going backwards and forwards with his editor removing some of them until they get a publishable piece.
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@Chris-B said in Best players in SR this week:
@Nepia Richard knows this article has nothing to do with the real team. He's flying all sorts of kites from the lesser teams.
His last in the series - the day before the squad is named - will be chock full of Crusaders!
Yep. Touche
Open question. Do we expect selectors to name a tight squad of 33 for the games prior to RWC or do we go the way other countries have gone and have an enlarged squad that includes those pencilled in AND the first line of reserves. I. E. A squad of up to 43. If an uncapped player is seen as first reserve then it makes sense to bring them in as part of the preparations and test them out sooner than later.
I think Roigard is a must as our Dupont equivalent. The prop injuries suggests a newbie gets tested. And I think we have an enlarged contest at 6 and wing. I may be way off but I think we could see 4 or 5 new players capped prior to RWC but only one or two going.
What do others think?
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@Chris-B said in Best players in SR this week:
@Bovidae I think Newell is only confirmed as done for Super and still a possibility for RWC.
Yes, Foster has confirmed that. "Out for the season" is such an ambiguous term used by the media. Stuff, in this instance.
Foster also mentions the form of Stevenson and Narawa in the same article below.
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@Bovidae said in Best players in SR this week:
Foster also mentions the form of Stevenson and Narawa in the same article below.
I hope Foster has as much of a man crush on Narawa as I do, he's like a bigger & better looking Sevu Reece, the other Fijian pocket-rocket right winger. Emoni offers a very identical skillset to Sevu and brings greater versatility since he can cover anywhere between 11-15 comfortably, that aspect could potentially determine his selection.
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@cgrant said in Best players in SR this week:
Back to the main topic. The form centre this week was Curtis Rona, IMO. He has improved a lot and could keep Nankivell off the 13 jersey when the latter comes back from injury.
Daniel Rona?
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@cgrant said in Best players in SR this week:
Back to the main topic. The form centre this week was Curtis Rona, IMO. He has improved a lot and could keep Nankivell off the 13 jersey when the latter comes back from injury.
Really? I thought he had a mare this week. Made some awful decisions ball in hand and helped shut down a couple of very good opportunities for his own team.
It was disappointing after being so good in his last outing.
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@kiwi_expat said in Best players in SR this week:
he can cover anywhere between 11-15 comfortably
He comfortably covers the midfield? First I've heard he even plays there
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@kiwi_expat I see Foster also name-checked young Narawa in the recent article along with SS. Looks like it could be a good battle for WC spots in the backline. Versatility will be key and count for a lot.
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@Bones said in Best players in SR this week:
@kiwi_expat said in Best players in SR this week:
he can cover anywhere between 11-15 comfortably
He comfortably covers the midfield? First I've heard he even plays there
Narawa has been used as the backup centre in the 23, and has played there. Not at 2nd 5 though.
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@Bones said in Best players in SR this week:
@kiwi_expat said in Best players in SR this week:
he can cover anywhere between 11-15 comfortably
He comfortably covers the midfield? First I've heard he even plays there
he's played quite a bit of rugby for BOP in the midfield
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@kiwi_expat said in Best players in SR this week:
@Bones said in Best players in SR this week:
@kiwi_expat said in Best players in SR this week:
he can cover anywhere between 11-15 comfortably
He comfortably covers the midfield? First I've heard he even plays there
he's played quite a bit of rugby for BOP in the midfield
Narawa has played 37 games for BOP. Of those 37, he started 26 on the wing, 6 at fullback, 1 at second 5/8 and 2 at centre. He came of the bench in two games. So only 3 starts in the midfield and possibly 2 from the bench. I wouldn't call that "quite a bit". I'd call that "only a few".
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@Stargazer he's going so fast you could easily mistake 14 for 13
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@kiwi_expat first play is a forward pass
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@Stargazer said in Best players in SR this week:
@kiwi_expat said in Best players in SR this week:
@Bones said in Best players in SR this week:
@kiwi_expat said in Best players in SR this week:
he can cover anywhere between 11-15 comfortably
He comfortably covers the midfield? First I've heard he even plays there
he's played quite a bit of rugby for BOP in the midfield
Narawa has played 37 games for BOP. Of those 37, he started 26 on the wing, 6 at fullback, 1 at second 5/8 and 2 at centre. He came of the bench in two games. So only 3 starts in the midfield and possibly 2 from the bench. I wouldn't call that "quite a bit". I'd call that "only a few".
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@Kiwiwomble said in Best players in SR this week:
@mariner4life thats exactly where i am...all fun chat aside...i just cant see fozzie trying anything new unless he's forced too through injury
I can't think of anything that would surprise me more than him going against a decade and a half of collective experience and insight that experience is what matters at the RWC, not form.
