All Blacks Vs Springboks RC Week 2
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Kind of funny that a year ago we couldn't string a front row together. Now is a potential weapon.
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Key Test in more ways than one.
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@BerniesCorner said in All Blacks Vs Springboks RC Week 2:
Kind of funny that a year ago we couldn't string a front row together. Now is a potential weapon.
I think the plan was to play the experienced folk as long as we could to give the young crop time to get up to speed and prepared. I think that was reasonable, the problem was that the form of those experienced heads.
We are in a good position with a number of young props putting their hands up. Plenty to work on too.
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@reprobate said in All Blacks Vs Springboks RC Week 2:
@Chris-B ...exactly, it is concerning. And if Havili had not been injured, or the props, we wouldn't know who our best options were at 1, 3, or 12 either. It would appear 'we haven't even got 2 figured out yet despite that being blindingly obvious for about 18 months.
Mate there is the thing WE don't understand. WE don't need to know who the best options are, the coaching team do, and I see no reason to think they don't. I wouldn't mind guessing they will know exactly who they are expecting to be in starting 15 for WC (apart from huge drop off in form or injury) and are not only confirming things , but also trying to make sure there is cover as well.
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@Chris-B said in All Blacks Vs Springboks RC Week 2:
@gt12 said in All Blacks Vs Springboks RC Week 2:
They don't appear to trust most of the new boys, so I'm ready to stand by my point that Roigard, Finau, and McCloud will likely make way for players from the ABXV when we get to the WC. I reckon Akira, Weber, and ?? will get the call up for that squad.
I'm not even slightly surprised those guys haven't got a run yet.
This is our biggest test of the pre-RWC - not really a time for rookies.
They've got to axe some players from the 36 man squad and there's some injured guys potentially to come back - e.g. Moody, Havili and Blackadder.
Barring injuries, I don't see McLeod going to RWC - I think it will be Jordie, Reiko, ALB and Dave.
I think Finau is pretty unlikely, because SBarrett and Frizz are likely their sixes and Blackadder and Akira are floating around.
That being the case - and this is harsh - giving those guys game time is potentially wasted time (except for the possibility of injury call ups).
Youre making my point for me then. They should be with the ABXV where they probably belong.
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@KiwiMurph File it, I have
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@BerniesCorner said in All Blacks Vs Springboks RC Week 2:
Really hope to see Williams and Samisoni on about the 50 min mark. Could be awesome.
That's the key point. Sami needs to be playing a minimum of 30 mins if on the bench. And Christie to stay there...
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@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks Vs Springboks RC Week 2:
Except for it taking multiple injuries and nearly 3 years before they tried Jordie at 12. That's a reason.
IIRC Jordie was one of the few successes (at 15) in '21 so they clearly saw him staying in that role, which isn't unreasonable.
As a matter of interest, how many SR games had JB played at 12 pre-2021?
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@Bovidae yep, the best hooker in our squad is wasted if he isn't playing 30+ minutes, we know Smith can play 80, and if this is tight, will probably play close to that, but he shouldn't be.
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@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks Vs Springboks RC Week 2:
IIRC Jordie was one of the few successes (at 15) in '21
He was first in the cumulative TSF MOTM voting that year. So plenty of people here thought he went well
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@Bovidae said in All Blacks Vs Springboks RC Week 2:
@BerniesCorner said in All Blacks Vs Springboks RC Week 2:
Really hope to see Williams and Samisoni on about the 50 min mark. Could be awesome.
That's the key point. Sami needs to be playing a minimum of 30 mins if on the bench. And Christie to stay there...
I'm shaking my head at Christie's selection. Used to be unspectacular but solid, now he's morphed into spectacularly fragile. Sure, there's a risk in picking a newbie for a big game but there's abigger risk with Christie I feel.
(Christie will now play a blinder and win the game in the 79th minute...)
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@gt12 said in All Blacks Vs Springboks RC Week 2:
@Chris-B said in All Blacks Vs Springboks RC Week 2:
@gt12 said in All Blacks Vs Springboks RC Week 2:
They don't appear to trust most of the new boys, so I'm ready to stand by my point that Roigard, Finau, and McCloud will likely make way for players from the ABXV when we get to the WC. I reckon Akira, Weber, and ?? will get the call up for that squad.
I'm not even slightly surprised those guys haven't got a run yet.
This is our biggest test of the pre-RWC - not really a time for rookies.
They've got to axe some players from the 36 man squad and there's some injured guys potentially to come back - e.g. Moody, Havili and Blackadder.
Barring injuries, I don't see McLeod going to RWC - I think it will be Jordie, Reiko, ALB and Dave.
I think Finau is pretty unlikely, because SBarrett and Frizz are likely their sixes and Blackadder and Akira are floating around.
That being the case - and this is harsh - giving those guys game time is potentially wasted time (except for the possibility of injury call ups).
Youre making my point for me then. They should be with the ABXV where they probably belong.
Not necessarily. I think there are some line ball calls on those positions / players.
Having those 3 young guys in the environment for the first time so the AB coaches can get a closer look at them, see how they train and run the AB systems in practice, is no small thing. And yes holding tackle bags is still needed….
i just think that with the injuries, with it being a RWC year, limited tests, the AB XV mini-series, there are a number of plates to spin. One being balancing game opportunity and the fact coaches still want to see certain players in action but they aren’t first choice ABs.
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@gt12 said in All Blacks Vs Springboks RC Week 2:
@voodoo said in All Blacks Vs Springboks RC Week 2:
@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks Vs Springboks RC Week 2:
@voodoo said in All Blacks Vs Springboks RC Week 2:
@reprobate said in All Blacks Vs Springboks RC Week 2:
@voodoo That's the thing though - he didn't have a blinder. And it was still the best our backline has functioned in a couple of years.
soooo, maybe it was more to do with our forwards and Smith then? Plus the midfield getting more and more chops?
Or maybe it's a first five who plays flat at the line and combines well with his backline (inside and out).
who knows - but I'll tell you one certainty - the knives will come out for RM when he gets rushed ball this week cos the forwards struggle for dominance (or maybe even parity), and because the midfield isn't able to break the gain line after receiving identical ball to last week...
Look, I'm no DMac hater - he did some great stuff last week. But we love to call RM a "rocks and diamonds" guy, and DMac's effort last week was the ultimate R&D showcase.
The reality is that we simply don't have the kind of 10 in our squad who can boss a game with his boot when territory is all important - they all look great behind dominant forwards, and bloody awful when time is taken away from them.
You're supporting the argument for those wanting to see Dmac - we want to see if he can bring that game against this side. Even if it was off the bench, we could get a gauge, but now we won't, and that's it as chances before the WC.
I also don't understand the bench at all.
They clearly don't trust McCloud, but he is the only 12, 13, and wing in the team. If they can't trust him to front when ALB is injured he shouldn't be there and they should have Nankivell or Heem or Goodhue, who would do that job well if needed.
They don't appear to trust most of the new boys, so I'm ready to stand by my point that Roigard, Finau, and McCloud will likely make way for players from the ABXV when we get to the WC. I reckon Akira, Weber, and ?? will get the call up for that squad.
To be clear, this is also me - I said I'd pick DMac on the bench, and I'm disappointed he isn't there. Over Clarke most likely. I have very limited desire to se more of BB at 15
I just found it humorous that people actually hoped/expected DMac to start, I think if there is one thing we can expect from Fozzie it's stubbornness and safety (OK that's 2 things) this close to the RWC
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Fozzie on the news hinting he's keeping powder dry...
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@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks Vs Springboks RC Week 2:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks Vs Springboks RC Week 2:
and I see no reason to think they don't.
Except for it taking multiple injuries and nearly 3 years before they tried Jordie at 12. That's a reason.
Yep, but I think they had it all sorted by the season. And as I said WE don't need to know they do. Also think they have to be still a little open.
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@taniwharugby said in All Blacks Vs Springboks RC Week 2:
Fozzie on the news hinting he's keeping powder dry...
Since 2017...
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@taniwharugby said in All Blacks Vs Springboks RC Week 2:
Fozzie on the news hinting he's keeping powder dry...
Yeah - I saw that and immediately thought that!
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@taniwharugby said in All Blacks Vs Springboks RC Week 2:
Fozzie on the news hinting he's keeping powder dry...
I knew it!
The cup is basically ours
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@taniwharugby said in All Blacks Vs Springboks RC Week 2:
@Bovidae yep, the best hooker in our squad is wasted if he isn't playing 30+ minutes, we know Smith can play 80, and if this is tight, will probably play close to that, but he shouldn't be.
Mate we getting our best hooker starting I think, and personally think Samisoni coming on late will be good, against tiring Bok defence. I not sure they will be a leery of him as some teams are. He probably better against tiring defence, though with Boks having Marx on bench , I not sure that will count for a lot.
