All Blacks World Cup bolters
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@Billy-Tell said in All Blacks World Cup bolters:
I would hardly call Stevenson a bolter. More like a player on form over last few months who deserves selection. It’s not like he’s suddenly come from nowhere to appear in a squad where no-one had thought to mention him.
Well considering he wasnt initially selected for the dirt trackers 15 in November.
He is a bolter under the current coach.
He can't be ignored.
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@nostrildamus said in All Blacks World Cup bolters:
@Steve said in All Blacks World Cup bolters:
Stevenson
Gotta love the non news articles of coach A think his player B is great. A real article would beat coach saying nah they're not good enough 😂
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@cgrant I assume you mean Stevenson? I wasn't. I was talking about Sowakula.
If Stevenson can stay in this form until the final rounds, he's a possible bolter. The main question is who'll they leave out if they pick him. For the RWC, the squad will be reduced, too. So possibly more than one outside back. It won't be an easy call.
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@Stargazer said in All Blacks World Cup bolters:
@cgrant I assume you mean Stevenson? I wasn't. I was talking about Sowakula.
If Stevenson can stay in this form until the final rounds, he's a possible bolter. The main question is who'll they leave out if they pick him. For the RWC, the squad will be reduced, too. So possibly more than one outside back. It won't be an easy call.
Fitting all of BB, RM, DMac, SP in could happen if one is added to a list of SS, SR, CC, WJ
CC could be swapped out on form with another winger (eg MT)I think last time it was
3 Halfbacks
3 first fives
3 midfielders
5 outside backs -
@Billy-Tell said in All Blacks World Cup bolters:
I would hardly call Stevenson a bolter. More like a player on form over last few months who deserves selection. It’s not like he’s suddenly come from nowhere to appear in a squad where no-one had thought to mention him.
hard to have a thread trying to guess bolters if bolters can only be players no one knows about......
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@Crucial said in All Blacks World Cup bolters:
I think last time it was
3 Halfbacks
3 first fives
3 midfielders
5 outside backsWith 33 slots available, I'd guess we will go:
9 front row
4 locks (including SBarrett floating)
5 loosies
3 halfbacks
3 first fives (including two of BBarrett, DMac and Perofeta)
4 midfielders (including Jordie)
5 outside backsWith Newell's injury it might open a slot at tighthead given how unimpressive Nepo has been in recent times (and Fletch really needed to get this season under his belt). If Ollie Jager gets back to full fitness for some time in Super, he wouldn't be the worst - there's my bolter.
I reckon they'll pick three of Smith, Perenara, Weber and Christie at halfback. They won't want to risk a repeat of 2007 with Leonard and Ellis as rookie options in a knockout match.
Outside backs - well, Jordan, Clarke, Reece, Telea, Perofeta, Faingaanuku, Stevenson - I'd lock in the first three, with a possibility that they take another loose forward and only four of these guys.
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@Machpants said in All Blacks World Cup bolters:
@nostrildamus said in All Blacks World Cup bolters:
@Steve said in All Blacks World Cup bolters:
Stevenson
Gotta love the non news articles of coach A think his player B is great. A real article would beat coach saying nah they're not good enough 😂
I don't see many of those.
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@Chris-B said in All Blacks World Cup bolters:
3 halfbacks
3 first fives (including two of BBarrett, DMac and Perofeta)
4 midfielders (including Jordie)
5 outside backsTry this
AS, FC, BW
RM, BB, DMac
JB, RI, ALB, LF
WJ, SS, CC/SP, MT, SR -
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@Bovidae said in All Blacks World Cup bolters:
I'm not sure Reece is a certainty either. He was a peripheral player on the EOYT, but in his favour he offers something different from the other wingers and can play on the left or right.
..and Telea came in and did a decent job
I think it’s worth considering what the selectors actually did when talking about people possibly being discarded.
For instance Clarke started 10 tests last year, basically he started when fit. His possible like for like replacement barely got a game. He seems to be firmly in the selectors plans
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@Duluth said in All Blacks World Cup bolters:
@Bovidae said in All Blacks World Cup bolters:
I'm not sure Reece is a certainty either. He was a peripheral player on the EOYT, but in his favour he offers something different from the other wingers and can play on the left or right.
..and Telea came in and did a decent job
I think it’s worth considering what the selectors actually did when talking about people possibly being discarded.
For instance Clarke started 10 tests last year, basically he started when fit. His possible like for like replacement barely got a game. He seems to be firmly in the selectors plans
I know they’re not exactly apples for apples comparisons but I remember in 2010 that Joe started and played in quite a few games but then was left out of the ABs in 2011. We had Hosea start all the EOYT games in 2010 a dress rehearsal of sorts for our RWC prep but then he didn’t make the RWC squad.
I don’t doubt Clarke is in their plans, given his physical attributes, but whether that is Plan A B or C, we may not have that answer until selection time. My take is that unless an outside back is absolutely playing the house down, they do seem the most dispensable (based on past squad selections at least).