AB bolters thread

gollum

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Nepia" data-cid="573884" data-time="1461245107">
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Greg Rawllinson, Kevin O'Neil - basically if you were a lock in that era and you didn't get picked you have every right to feel shafted.
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They went thru about 3 years randomly picking locks to try fix our terrible lineout, then in the end just switched the coach responsibilities & stopped that "4 runs to 6, 6 runs to 2, 2 turns and lifts 5, we throw it to 7 who is being lifted by 4 & Matfield catches it at 4 having not moved at all" bullshit we did every lineout & weirdly it all clicked.
 
The bolter for me this year will be them having another look at Ben Smith at 13 by the time the EOYT rolls around.

Milk

I think getting in Keith Robinson and Tom Donnelly at various times also seemed to tighten the lineout up.

TeWaio

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="gollum" data-cid="573886" data-time="1461247972">
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They went thru about 3 years randomly picking locks to try fix our terrible lineout, then in the end just switched the coach responsibilities & stopped that "4 runs to 6, 6 runs to 2, 2 turns and lifts 5, we throw it to 7 who is being lifted by 4 & Matfield catches it at 4 having not moved at all" bullshit we did every lineout & weirdly it all clicked.
 
The bolter for me this year will be them having another look at Ben Smith at 13 by the time the EOYT rolls around.
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Actually lol'd. God I don't miss those days.

African Monkey

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="ACT Crusader" data-cid="573868" data-time="1461236290">
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Agree SM, Moody was a genuine come from nowhere. He was a sometimes bench player not that long ago and then when he started to feature more in the Saders prop rotation all of a sudden he was wearing black. 
I thought Tuipoluto was a bit of a bolter.
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Not really. He was smashing sides around in 2014.

Chris B.

Lineout got fixed when Kaino and Read came on the scene an our third and fourth options were no longer guys standing on tiptoe to cast a shadow on Ardie Savea.
 
A bolter is likely to come at tighthead prop, because you need two of them for every test and pickings behind Franks and Faumuina are pretty slim. I know or suspect people like Alaalatoa, Halanukunuku and Geldenhuys are ineligible - so, you're probably looking at a very small group from the North Island franchises. Toomaga-Allen might be a reasonable bet. I guess he's had 10 minutes of AB rugby so he's not uncapped, but I'd class him as a bit of a bolter.

mariner4life

Our lineout at that time played a lot against a couple of fairly decent units as well. Add in some inadequate options, and some ropey throwers and it looked awful. 
Remember that year they simplified everything, including the throwing mechanics, and it killed? 
We're blessed at the moment with 2 great jumping locks, and 2 tall loosies. That's really hard to counter

rotated

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Nepia" data-cid="573884" data-time="1461245107">
Greg Rawllinson, Kevin O'Neil - basically if you were a lock in that era and you didn't get picked you have every right to feel shafted.</blockquote>
 
At least Rawlinson was an injury selection. Locks are always injury prone given the body type and position but we had a woeful run with injuries. Just after we found a cornerstone they would get a career threatening multi-year injury like Ryan, Williams, Jack, Robinson to a degree. 
Thorne and Flavell played lock that year too from memory - hardly ideal RWC preparation.

ACT Crusader

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="African Monkey" data-cid="573889" data-time="1461257966">Not really. He was smashing sides around in 2014.</blockquote>
 
It was his first super season if I recall and whilst it was a good one, it was still a surprise to many.

Chris B.

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Billy Tell" data-cid="573882" data-time="1461244541">
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Steve Hansen is a waaaay better selector than Henry, who had quite a few hit and misses.
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<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://stats.allblacks.com/asp/playorder.asp?icount=1100#pagestart'>http://stats.allblacks.com/asp/playorder.asp?icount=1100#pagestart</a>
 
Hansen's selections start with Brodie Retallick so I think 37 new caps under his regime and probably only 4-5 that are a bit questionable. Mainly guys picked in 2013.

pukunui

The other image that comes to mind when talking about the lineout from those days way Kev holding his hand up to his ear with a confused look on his face, crowd getting louder, rushing back and throwing a wonky throw down one side of the lineout. Throwing was definitely Kev's main/only? weakness. On the plus side it we got through 2x world cup finals without it sinking us.
 
Parsons getting selected at hooker would have to be the most recent bolter/WTF selection for me. Maybe Manu being called into the RWC squad also but that was injury cover.
 
There will be a couple of new selections this year with people leaving but not sure they can all be classified as bolters because they have been playing well and are on the radar. D mac, Elliot Dixon etc.
 
Scott Barrett might be a semi bolter if he leapfrogs Romano. And any midfielders outside of Crotty, Fekitoa, Ngatai and possibly Moala would class as a bolter for me.

rotated

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Billy Tell" data-cid="573882" data-time="1461244541">
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Steve Hansen is a waaaay better selector than Henry, who had quite a few hit and misses.
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Steve Hansen was a selector under Henry. He was primarily a forwards coach under whom too so one would imagine he had a say in at least many of the names being mentioned in this thread.
 
Very few backs mentioned through this thread - aside from Toeava who while not the second coming had a respectable AB career. Kudos Smith.

Billy Tell

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="rotated" data-cid="573998" data-time="1461300538">
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Steve Hansen was a selector under Henry. He was primarily a forwards coach under whom too so one would imagine he had a say in at least many of the names being mentioned in this thread.
 
Very few backs mentioned through this thread - aside from Toeava who while not the second coming had a respectable AB career. Kudos Smith.
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The current selection panel are waaaay better selectors than the last selection panel, who had quite a few hit and misses.
 
Happy?

Immenso Rapido

Some of it I'm sure is correlation. In 2012 when blooded some new talent for the next cycle they had the awesome 2011 U20s to choose from plus a few uncapped players from the prev years u20s like J Savea and A Smith. 
If the World Cup cycle was 2 years later and they were trying to introduce the 2012, 13, 14 U20s in mass - then there would have been a lore more misses. 
Still, I'm a fan. Best selection panel in my life time.

MajorRage

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="rotated" data-cid="573998" data-time="1461300538">
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Steve Hansen was a selector under Henry. He was primarily a forwards coach under whom too so one would imagine he had a say in at least many of the names being mentioned in this thread.
 
Very few backs mentioned through this thread - aside from Toeava who while not the second coming had a respectable AB career. Kudos Smith.
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Anesi, Masaga, Stanley (Benson), Saili, Hamilton, Mathewson, Ellison, Senio, Delany ..
 
There are tons.

Nepia

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="MajorRage" data-cid="574010" data-time="1461302182">
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Anesi, Masaga, Stanley (Benson), Saili, Hamilton, Mathewson, Ellison, Senio, Delany ..
 
There are tons.
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Probably shouldn't be with these guys, likely would have played a bunch more tests if he hadn't have left NZ, then left again.

Billy Tell

Yeah Ellison was class at one stage. But the NZRU rightly got tired of his cherry-picking when he played.

Unco

Ellison just seemed to use the ABs as a CV booster, got a couple of caps and then started looking overseas straight away. Came back, got another couple of caps and then did it again.

No Quarter

Yeah, he was on the verge of cracking the first 15 a couple of times but then randomly turned up playing overseas. I found his career difficult to follow. Done well for himself though so can't begrudge him.

ACT Crusader

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Nepia" data-cid="574019" data-time="1461305642">
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Probably shouldn't be with these guys, likely would have played a bunch more tests if he hadn't have left NZ, then left again.
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A bunch? GIven the two incumbents had a mortgage on the 12 and 13 jersey's it's hard to see where he would've got more test time. I think when you consider his age (only a year younger than Nonu) it's probably understandable that he wasn't going to 'wait around' for more opportunities. I thought he was an excellent player when he came back and had the versatility that AB coaches would be excited about for a bench option player.

rotated

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="MajorRage" data-cid="574010" data-time="1461302182">
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Anesi, Masaga, Stanley (Benson), Saili, Hamilton, Mathewson, Ellison, Senio, Delany ..
 
There are tons.
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None of whom were bolters and were all selections that were largely expected due to being a position where a lot of back up is required (Senio, Matthewson, Delany, many of the locks mentioned in this thread), split squad situations not unlike all the Samoa caps last year (Hamilton), or selections due to injury and they genuinely were next cab off the rank (Stanley, Ellison and to an extent Masaga).
 
In most of those cases the option was selecting those players or those of a similar caliber - or literally not picking a squad.
 
None of those selections were objectively as bad as say leaving Dagg/Sopoaga/Piatau back home and taking a crippled Naholo to a RWC for example.
 
Under Henry's tenure their main flaw was persevering with players that were proven not to be up to test level until it really bit them hard - Donald, Ellis, Flynn etc.

The Silver Fern

AB bolters thread