RWC Week 2: All Blacks v Namibia
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@Billy-Tell said in RWC Week 2: All Blacks v Namibia:
McKenzie in the starting XV. Either frizzell or blackadder at 6. Rest i don’t care.
I'm still wondering why Finau who trains with the ABs and is that much bigger than Ethan, and matchfit! is behind him for the selectors, given Ethan will not at all be up to speed with team tactics (even if he has already played with most of the pack that must be over a year ago?!)
Could another loosie be carrying a niggle, and they really need Ethan's 6/7/8 utility? -
The performance of the tight five with cleaning and carrying (Barrett aside) was inadequate. de Groot is really struggling for form. A new front row combination is needed, so they may as well give it some game time.
1 Tu'ungafasi
2 Tuakei'aho
3 LaulalaBetter hope that Lomax can come straight back into his usual form after injury. Game against Italy?
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@nostrildamus Yes, Cane.
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@sparky said in RWC Week 2: All Blacks v Namibia:
I’d pick.
Williams, Coles, Newell, S Barrett, Vai’i, Jacobson, Papalii, A.Savea, Roigard, McKenzie, C.Clarke, R.Ioane, W. Jordan. B. Barrett
Sami T, Du Groot, Ofa T, Retallick, Cane or Blackadder, Christie, J.Barrett or AlB, Leicester F
I know it’s only Namibia but going into a game without a 2nd five really smacks of arrogance the NH writers always talk about
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Why not start our best team (despite those with niggles) and actually get some cohesion going? Right now we lack fluidity, wouldn't it make sense to get combinations fine-tuned before the playoff run? Then again Roigard and McKenzie deserve to push their case, I personally think they should both be in the top 23.
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Mix and match, play our best side against Italy and try to get our best 23 on the field for the qtr final.
It’s imperative we get our top side to play in the qtr final.
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4 1/2 weeks to a QF,the best team needs some game time together we already have 4 players from our top side not playing for a few weeks.
Get them out there and get some sort of game going, as you said some cohesion and sort out the things that are contributing to these big 2nd half falling off a cliff BS performances. -
@nostrildamus Pretty sure that Ethan doesn’t need to know the tactics. Just hit another player, hit another ruck.
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Blackadder is unlikely to be involved according to Ryan.
I'd be giving the other players a start in this game and then introduce some of the top XV players off the bench in the 2nd half.
If you don't give the players who weren't involved in the France game a run now some won't have played for close to 2 months before the Uruguay game. I also wouldn't be surprised if they have an inter-squad game in the 2-week period before the Italy game. IIRC they did something similar in 2015, as the comment was made that the trainings were often harder than the games against the minnows.
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@nostrildamus said in RWC Week 2: All Blacks v Namibia:
I'm still wondering why Finau who trains with the ABs
Finau is not a squad member and is, therefore, not allowed to train with the ABs since they officially arrived in France. If he is still in Europe, he has been training in a gym somewhere on his own.
@nostrildamus said in RWC Week 2: All Blacks v Namibia:
Ethan will not at all be up to speed with team tactics
Weren't he and Havili in camp with the ABs in NZ when they were still injured? That will have kept him up-to-speed with team tactics.
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@game_film yes he might play better that way
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@Stargazer Finau trained and played with ABs much more recently as I understand it. But as another pointed out perhaps at 6 they just need to focus on tackles rucks and carries.
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@game_film said in RWC Week 2: All Blacks v Namibia:
@nostrildamus Pretty sure that Ethan doesn’t need to know the tactics. Just hit another player, hit another ruck.
Preferably while the ball is still there.
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@Stargazer said in RWC Week 2: All Blacks v Namibia:
That will have kept him up-to-speed with team tactics.
er, I think anyone that has watch AB rugby since 2017 knows those tactics
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@taniwharugby True!