All Blacks 2024
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@No-Quarter said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
Cullen had the misfortune of being compared to himself in his hey day rather than against other players, he was definitely the best fullback in 03 but he didn't have much left in him at that stage. I think we could have gotten another season out of him, but begrudgingly can see why they wanted to look forward given his injuries. His treatment by Bitchell was unforgiveable for an AB great to be cast aside the way he was though.
It was Deans, he selected the backline, read Umaga's book he didn't rate Tana and Christian right from the beginning and tried to create a backline consisting entirely of light & gangly Crusaders like Leon McDonald, Aaron Mauger, Ben Blair, Caleb Ralph, Mark Robinson, etc..
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@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@Bones said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
Iose is a better 8 than Savea
Lol this guy.
Pretty logical step to make when you say if Paps is captain it won't harm Iose's chances. I'd assumed if it was the case, Savea would be 8....
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@gt12 Well Razor is from the mount so
@Nepia said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@mariner4life said in All Blacks 2024 - lo oking forward:
Mils at Centre?
Mils is an interesting one, initially selected out of position at 15 because Bitchell hated Cullen, then selected out of position at 13 because early Conrad kept breaking.
Deans picked McDonald at centre for the 2003 semi final over a fully fit Umaga which lost us the game because Mortlock had rigorously targetted Leon's channel - the final nail in the coffin was the Spencer intercept happened because Leon was not in the right position to receive the pass because of his inexperience in the midfield, if Umaga had played 13 he would've picked Spencer's pass and scored under the posts.
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@ruggabee I have memories of absolutely fuming when Ronbinson was selected ahead of Umaga for a test. Absolutely outrageous selection.
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@Bones I don't have Iose in the ABs. Yes, he's been in good form for the Canes but he misses out unfortunately because they'll pick Savea as a 7/8 and Sotutu who's also been in great touch.
If you read above I actually said I wouldn't mind seeing a loosie combination of 6. Finau 7. Savea and 8. Sotutu, with Blackadder off the bench, Paps waiting in the wings and then Lakai as the apprentice / another guy that can cover all three positions.
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@ruggabee said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@gt12 Well Razor is from the mount so
@Nepia said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@mariner4life said in All Blacks 2024 - lo oking forward:
Mils at Centre?
Mils is an interesting one, initially selected out of position at 15 because Bitchell hated Cullen, then selected out of position at 13 because early Conrad kept breaking.
Deans picked McDonald at centre for the 2003 semi final over a fully fit Umaga which lost us the game because Mortlock had rigorously targetted Leon's channel - the final nail in the coffin was the Spencer intercept happened because Leon was not in the right position to receive the pass because of his inexperience in the midfield, if Umaga had played 13 he would've picked Spencer's pass and scored under the posts.
Yeah and before anyone says Umaga was injured, he wasn't as I've had chats about this with his son Kade years back. Shocking selection.
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@ruggabee said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@gt12 Well Razor is from the mount so
@Nepia said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@mariner4life said in All Blacks 2024 - lo oking forward:
Mils at Centre?
Mils is an interesting one, initially selected out of position at 15 because Bitchell hated Cullen, then selected out of position at 13 because early Conrad kept breaking.
Deans picked McDonald at centre for the 2003 semi final over a fully fit Umaga which lost us the game because Mortlock had rigorously targetted Leon's channel - the final nail in the coffin was the Spencer intercept happened because Leon was not in the right position to receive the pass because of his inexperience in the midfield, if Umaga had played 13 he would've picked Spencer's pass and scored under the posts.
Screw that, Mils scored in the corner.
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@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@ruggabee said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@gt12 Well Razor is from the mount so
@Nepia said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@mariner4life said in All Blacks 2024 - lo oking forward:
Mils at Centre?
Mils is an interesting one, initially selected out of position at 15 because Bitchell hated Cullen, then selected out of position at 13 because early Conrad kept breaking.
Deans picked McDonald at centre for the 2003 semi final over a fully fit Umaga which lost us the game because Mortlock had rigorously targetted Leon's channel - the final nail in the coffin was the Spencer intercept happened because Leon was not in the right position to receive the pass because of his inexperience in the midfield, if Umaga had played 13 he would've picked Spencer's pass and scored under the posts.
Yeah and before anyone says Umaga was injured, he wasn't as I've had chats about this with his son Kade years back. Shocking selection.
Prior to the SF, Umaga, as the player's representative, came forward to Mitchell and said they were uncomfortable with the fact he was having an extra-marital affair with someone in the AB backroom staff.
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@Frank said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@ruggabee said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@gt12 Well Razor is from the mount so
@Nepia said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@mariner4life said in All Blacks 2024 - lo oking forward:
Mils at Centre?
Mils is an interesting one, initially selected out of position at 15 because Bitchell hated Cullen, then selected out of position at 13 because early Conrad kept breaking.
Deans picked McDonald at centre for the 2003 semi final over a fully fit Umaga which lost us the game because Mortlock had rigorously targetted Leon's channel - the final nail in the coffin was the Spencer intercept happened because Leon was not in the right position to receive the pass because of his inexperience in the midfield, if Umaga had played 13 he would've picked Spencer's pass and scored under the posts.
Yeah and before anyone says Umaga was injured, he wasn't as I've had chats about this with his son Kade years back. Shocking selection.
Prior to the SF, Umaga, as the player's representative, came forward to Mitchell and said they were uncomfortable with the fact he was having an extra-marital affair with someone in the AB backroom staff.
mitchell was?
@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
Where did Dalton come from? Or is that just Fern speculation?
you've been living under a rock mate, paps has often been in the discussion
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that's a sensational story
Tana didn't get picked for a semi because he had a go at the coach for fucking another staff member? A selection that was a big reason why we were bundled out? That's delicious!
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@mariner4life said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
for fucking another staff member
..and that staff member was Robbie Deans
Joking obviously.. Anyway the affair rumour was everywhere around that time. Apparently the staff member had also slept with a senior player. Has it ever been repeated by a player or anyone close to the team? Doesn't the story seem a little too perfect? 'Tana stands up to the immoral coach' seems like Canes supporters fan fiction
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Realistically who is actually pushing Paps for the starting 7 jersey? And don't say fucking Blackadder. He makes the most sense to me for AB captain, the others just aren't captain material and can't manage the refs as well.
I also don't want to burden SB with the captaincy. People give him shit for "stupid play" at times but we 100% need the mongrel he provides in the tight and I'd worry that giving him the captaincy would make him more refrained in that department which is the last thing we want - we need MORE physicality not less!
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@ruggabee said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@gt12 Well Razor is from the mount so
@Nepia said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@mariner4life said in All Blacks 2024 - lo oking forward:
Mils at Centre?
Mils is an interesting one, initially selected out of position at 15 because Bitchell hated Cullen, then selected out of position at 13 because early Conrad kept breaking.
Deans picked McDonald at centre for the 2003 semi final over a fully fit Umaga which lost us the game because Mortlock had rigorously targetted Leon's channel - the final nail in the coffin was the Spencer intercept happened because Leon was not in the right position to receive the pass because of his inexperience in the midfield, if Umaga had played 13 he would've picked Spencer's pass and scored under the posts.
Mind you, it's a bit of a pity that Tana didn't use this superior positional awareness to not run into Carlos in the Italy game, which is how he hurt his leg in the first place!
