RWC Week 1: France v All Blacks
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With this game, I'm less interested in a win than I am in coming out with as few injuries to key players as possible.
It's a fair assumption we will qualify and we need as many of our no. 1 squad of 23 as fit as possible for the knockout stages if we are to do well in this thing.
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@Duluth said in RWC: France v All Blacks:
'Weakest in history': France will 'trounce' All Blacks in opener says former French international
Former French international Olivier Magne has brutally labelled the 2023 All Blacks the weakest in history ahead of the Rugby World Cup opener in Paris on Friday night.
I am forced to listen to magne because he commentates on French tv. After the last game, all I can say is that if his mum looked under his bed, she would find a copy of SA rugby almanac 2023 with the centrefold stuck together.
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@Steve I agree, apart from your first sentence. It is only once it hits the knockouts the game grinds to a halt. Pools can be quite free wheeling, even in the big ones.
A win and pool topping would be good, despite the fact we most likely will hit either Arg or SA in the 1/4s. There is a chance Scotland get through, but I can't see them topping the pool.
And I am sure Foster would rather add the first-ever loss to Scotland, rather than the first-ever RWC pool loss to his CV.Getting Sco in the 1/4s and a relatively weak Pool C/D opponent in the semi, would be great - only one game we really have to fluke, the final! -
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@Machpants for De Groot, or for Lomax?
Paps at 6, no thanks, surely they'd pick Jacobson. Get Blackadder on a plane already, the ABs are beginning to look very mediocre.
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@Canes4life said in RWC: France v All Blacks:
@Machpants for De Groot, or for Lomax?
Paps at 6, no thanks, surely they'd pick Jacobson. Get Blackadder on a plane already, the ABs are beginning to look very mediocre.
I so want Ethan to be there. I have every faith in him, in any position in the backrow. He is no worse size wise to any of the other 3 incumbents.
He would go out on his shield anyway.
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@Canes4life said in RWC: France v All Blacks:
@Machpants for De Groot, or for Lomax?
Paps at 6, no thanks, surely they'd pick Jacobson. Get Blackadder on a plane already, the ABs are beginning to look very mediocre.
Yeah Lomax, brain fart
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@Steve I'd love to see a Blackadder, Cane and Savea combo. Paps isn't a 6, he isn't big enough and with both him and Cane in that loose forward trio, we lose too much offensively as they aren't very dynamic with ball in hand.
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@Steve said in RWC: France v All Blacks:
@Canes4life said in RWC: France v All Blacks:
@Machpants for De Groot, or for Lomax?
Paps at 6, no thanks, surely they'd pick Jacobson. Get Blackadder on a plane already, the ABs are beginning to look very mediocre.
I so want Ethan to be there. I have every faith in him, in any position in the backrow. He is no worse sidewise to any of the other 3 incumbents.
He would go out on his shield anyway.
Lineout option too.
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@Canes4life said in RWC: France v All Blacks:
@Steve I'd love to see a Blackadder, Cane and Savea combo. Paps isn't a 6, he isn't big enough and with both him and Cane in that loose forward trio, we lose too much offensively as they aren't very dynamic with ball in hand.
We were both right about Jordie at 12. Time will vindicate us regarding Blackadder too. Mark my words.
When Ethan is on the field, you know he's on the field. There are no quiet spells.
The other team will know they were in a game.
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Papalii is the biggest of all of the fit loose forwards. The problem is that in his only start at 6 (2nd test vs Ireland) he was ineffective.
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@Machpants said in RWC: France v All Blacks:
Herald are reckoning
Laulala forGrootduh Lomax
Codie to start
Paps in 6 (three 7s is a winner)
Jordie not risked and ALB in 12ALB will be gobbled up. They don't need to worry about him at all. Can drift off him onto Rieko all day long.
Has no kicking game, no pace, no physicality, no RTS style step. Vanilla. A shirt being filled.
Id sooner give Leicester a go there with no practise.
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So, its starting to look like
De Groot, Taylor, Laulala
Barrett, Whitelock
Paps, Ardie, Cane
Smith, Mounga
ALB, Ioane
Telea, BB, JordanHow many starters are we missing, Lomax, Frizzel and Jordie from starting 15 and BBBR on the bench? So 4 of the 23 or am I missing someone?
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@Steve said in RWC: France v All Blacks:
@Canes4life said in RWC: France v All Blacks:
@Machpants for De Groot, or for Lomax?
Paps at 6, no thanks, surely they'd pick Jacobson. Get Blackadder on a plane already, the ABs are beginning to look very mediocre.
I so want Ethan to be there. I have every faith in him, in any position in the backrow. He is no worse size wise to any of the other 3 incumbents.
He would go out on his shield anyway.
yes but he is getting injured a lot.
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@chimoaus said in RWC: France v All Blacks:
So, its starting to look like
De Groot, Taylor, Laulala
Barrett, Whitelock
Paps, Ardie, Cane
Smith, Mounga
ALB, Ioane
Telea, BB, JordanHow many starters are we missing, Lomax, Frizzel and Jordie from starting 15 and BBBR on the bench? So 4 of the 23 or am I missing someone?
that loose forward trio in particular doesn't excite me anymore. Are they becoming too predictable?
Ok ok too late for the RWC to risk it but I would love to see Telea, Jordan at 15 and Narawa. Just looks edgy and unpredictable but matchwinning (Jordan) with two solid wings.
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If the Heralds predicted team is the starting team I am not confident at all, looks under powered against a good French side.
ALB at 2nd five Why ? he will struggle to get over the advantage line, has no kicking game.
Paps at 6 he has not contributed much at 6 before if he goes missing we will struggle.
Laulala at TH will struggle around the park miss tackles and be slow to rucks and mauls.
Stuff
