All Blacks 2024
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The problem for Finlay is he's never been much of a sniper - I find it hard to believe that he will be able to develop that aspect of his game enough to overtake those in front of him.
By comparison Hansen's comments about Hotham's running game were illustrative
“He was close to the team to start with … with the point of difference around his running game. He’s not a halfback you need to tell ‘run’ … he finds it through instinct. They’re the uncoachable bits in his game. Against Fiji you saw he changed our point of attack, and what that looked like – will we attack differently due to that? -
@JayCee the thing I remember most about that final 20+ phases is both ALB and Whitelock covering a bit of ground and making some important tackles.
ALB was basically playing on the wing too.
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Yeah.
Hansen had run out of ideas by then. He had no answer to the rush defence.
Then they replaced him with someone who had probably even less!
The rush defence - stopping the high tempo, high skill style that gives us the edge over everyone else.
We have been forced into the NH style.
Starting to get better at that, but hopefully Robertson will come up with something.
Open the game planning right up if he can. -
@KiwiMurph particularly as it is often instinctive, that said, Christie seems to have great instincts on defence and seems to be able to read that aspect of the game, whether he can do that going forward is another matter.
I think the Blues 2022 (year immediately after he made the AB's) he was very good, seemed both sides of his game had improved, but regressed on attack.
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It's a little strange to hear we want sniping halfbacks after selecting TJ and Christie initially.
Christie is a defensive halfback.
TJ is a defensive halfback who is also a good support runner.
Fakatava is a running halfback. Ratima too, if slightly less so, and I haven't seen enough of Hotham to comment.
If that's what we wanted, why pick the two experienced guys?
I understand Roigard is considered #1, and picking one experienced halfback with him out is fine - but why pick two experienced guys who don't play the style you want? Problem solved anyway I suppose, though it's TJ I would have dropped personally. -
@1kiwi said in All Blacks 2024:
@Bovidae said in All Blacks 2024:
Are we ever going to get an injury update on Samisoni Taukei’aho?
Word is he was seen in a moon boot as he had surgery on his Achilles so likely out for months.
You usually fear the worst when there is no news.
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it's possible Ratima will have kicked on and Roigard will have a real fight on his hands.
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@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2024:
it's possible Ratima will have kicked on and Roigard will have a real fight on his hands.
He looks very good. But if Cam returns close to 100% he is the total package
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@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2024:
it's possible Ratima will have kicked on and Roigard will have a real fight on his hands.
I hope so, I hope that's the same for all our players!
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@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks 2024:
@JayCee the thing I remember most about that final 20+ phases is both ALB and Whitelock covering a bit of ground and making some important tackles.
ALB was basically playing on the wing too.
ALB was an essential cog in that defence. They'd obviously completely deciphered the Paddies'attacking code: cris-cross, run at gaps close, repeat, then "all of a sudden" go wide as a "surprise". ALB's job was to anticipate that go-wide and shut it down. He did.
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@booboo said in All Blacks 2024:
@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks 2024:
@JayCee the thing I remember most about that final 20+ phases is both ALB and Whitelock covering a bit of ground and making some important tackles.
ALB was basically playing on the wing too.
ALB was an essential cog in that defence. They'd obviously completely deciphered the Paddies'attacking code: cris-cross, run at gaps close, repeat, then "all of a sudden" go wide as a "surprise". ALB's job was to anticipate that go-wide and shut it down. He did.
He's a hugely under-appreciated player IMO. He's been buggered about since his debut and shuffled between 12, 13 and the bench to accommodate some other player the coach rated for a few weeks. Think his metier now is as the sub you can totally rely on to get the job done.
That he stuck with NZ rather than take the foreign gold speaks volumes and I suspect the coaches love his attitude. Fully deserves to get his 100 caps
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@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2024:
metier
Upvote for word I've never been aware of in 56 years.
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@booboo said in All Blacks 2024:
@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2024:
metier
Upvote for word I've never been aware of in 56 years.
you logophile!
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@nostrildamus said in All Blacks 2024:
@booboo said in All Blacks 2024:
@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2024:
metier
Upvote for word I've never been aware of in 56 years.
you logophile!
Nice try. No upvote.
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@booboo said in All Blacks 2024:
Nice try. No upvote.
No hortatory bonus for my magniloquence? Tsk tsk.
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@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2024:
@booboo said in All Blacks 2024:
@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks 2024:
@JayCee the thing I remember most about that final 20+ phases is both ALB and Whitelock covering a bit of ground and making some important tackles.
ALB was basically playing on the wing too.
ALB was an essential cog in that defence. They'd obviously completely deciphered the Paddies'attacking code: cris-cross, run at gaps close, repeat, then "all of a sudden" go wide as a "surprise". ALB's job was to anticipate that go-wide and shut it down. He did.
He's a hugely under-appreciated player IMO. He's been buggered about since his debut and shuffled between 12, 13 and the bench to accommodate some other player the coach rated for a few weeks. Think his metier now is as the sub you can totally rely on to get the job done.
That he stuck with NZ rather than take the foreign gold speaks volumes and I suspect the coaches love his attitude. Fully deserves to get his 100 caps
Under appreciated by who? I reckon he’s highly valued.
He was barely 21 when he debuted as a starting centre 9 seasons ago. He was the second choice centre in that squad behind Fekitoa who had been around the squad for a couple of seasons and was seen as the next choice after Snakey’s departure.But it’s fair to say that between ALB, Crotty and SBW the injury curse struck all three at varying times making it a challenge for the AB coaches to settle on the combination they really wanted.
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@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks 2024:
Under appreciated by who?
I don't think the rugby public in general appreciate his value to the team. The coaching staff clearly do.
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@taniwharugby said in All Blacks 2024:
@KiwiMurph particularly as it is often instinctive, that said, Christie seems to have great instincts on defence and seems to be able to read that aspect of the game, whether he can do that going forward is another matter.
I think the Blues 2022 (year immediately after he made the AB's) he was very good, seemed both sides of his game had improved, but regressed on attack.
If we’re up by 3 against Boks with 20 to go, and have the choice between TJP, Christie and Hotham to replace starting half, I know where I’d go.
