All Blacks vs Wallabies 2
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@pakman said in All Blacks vs Wallabies 2:
@NTA Ehmed has looked good on NH highlights reels.
Have watched a bit of him going around. Kicking well, generally speaking, and not afraid to take on the line.
Hard to get a gauge of how he's going to run around next year, given the competition for spots. Maybe he could shift into a second five role at the Tahs?
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@frugby said in All Blacks vs Wallabies 2:
@DaGrubster said in All Blacks vs Wallabies 2:
@frugby said in All Blacks vs Wallabies 2:
@African-Monkey said in All Blacks vs Wallabies 2:
@frugby said in All Blacks vs Wallabies 2:
Fact is the ABs don't really have the cattle. There is not one player not selected this week that makes a considerable difference to this team. There is no silver bullet.
The real assessment of this team is at the end of next year, where if Razor is still showing 'Crusader bias' and the results aren't there, he'll come in for criticism.
We do have the cattle, I don't believe for a second that we don't.
I don't think the ABs have the best players in the world. We're the 2nd or 3rd best at the moment... if you were to make a combined team with the 2015 squad, how many of these guys get in there?
de Groot over Woodcock?
Taylor would be the only other forward and none of the backs are anywhere near it.You don’t know 2015 is considered the best rugby side of all time?
That's my point. People are setting unrealistic expectations of this team. They are good, but not the best in the world.
How many all blacks would make a world XV is always a good question. I'd suggest you could argue zero right now, which makes it a big ask to be the best team in the world.
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On reflection, given the TRC squad not sure the selectors had much choice with the 23.
Once Vaa’i’s shoulder fine the tight five pick themselves. If you want a shoulder on the field at all times and don’t start Finau (for me not a bench player) then Cane and Jacobson only choices. Ideally it would be Sititi or RD at 8, but then who at 6 if Nighles not a hund
In backs makes sense to give Beaudy a run at 10. Maximise by TJS at 9 in CakeTin.
So WJ and Reece to 14 for combo (BTW Telea hasn’t had a start at his favoured 14). Proctor inexperienced at 12 so AlB there and Havili on bench.
Bell and Hotham too green so rest of bench can’t really be criticised.
Bottom line being that TWM are reaping the rewards of a seriously flawed TRC squad selection!
TBC….
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@Chris-B said in All Blacks vs Wallabies 2:
@nostrildamus said in All Blacks vs Wallabies 2:
I have a feeling DH will play so well off the bench they take him and play him at 12 on the EOYT...grrr.
He's from Ta$man. As @Kiwimurph will tell you, we're the masters of the last minute kick to win!
Fozzie's greatest mistake was putting ALB instead of DH on the RWC Final bench.
Sub him on with 8 minutes to go!
BOOM - that's how it's done Jordie!
Not bad at all, would look better if he did that in a black shirt, mind.
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@nostrildamus said in All Blacks vs Wallabies 2:
@Chris-B said in All Blacks vs Wallabies 2:
@nostrildamus said in All Blacks vs Wallabies 2:
I have a feeling DH will play so well off the bench they take him and play him at 12 on the EOYT...grrr.
He's from Ta$man. As @Kiwimurph will tell you, we're the masters of the last minute kick to win!
Fozzie's greatest mistake was putting ALB instead of DH on the RWC Final bench.
Sub him on with 8 minutes to go!
BOOM - that's how it's done Jordie!
Not bad at all, would look better if he did that in a black shirt, mind.
Not sure making best use of player's primary skills is within the AB coach remit.
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@pakman said in All Blacks vs Wallabies 2:
@gt12 I’m not sure I disagree, but the point isn’t the selection for Saturday. Rather the TRC squad selection was seriously flawed.
Well, you said the rest of the bench can''t be criticized, and I think that if you have squaddies you can't pick because they aren't ready, then there is still plenty to criticize.
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@pakman said in All Blacks vs Wallabies 2:
In backs makes sense to give Beaudy a run at 10. Maximise by TJS at 9 in CakeTin.
really interested in your thinking on this.
For me, it's play DMac every game unless you're managing minutes. He's very much developing as a Test 10, but is the best we've got. BB is 130 tests deep and you know what he brings (tuck the ball, run into contact). He's a known quantity.
I just don't understand the dropping of DMac after all the good things he's created it appears he's being disciplined for not finishing off chances. Which I struggle with I guess.
DMac > Mo'unga at Test level. So play him, commit to him, and get the best out of him.
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@antipodean said in All Blacks vs Wallabies 2:
@Billy-Tell said in All Blacks vs Wallabies 2:
This thread is just a hive of negativity and frankly quite boring to read.
I'll offer some positivity: I hope Sam and TJ have storming games. Cane for his milestone and TJ because it's his last, at home in front of family and friends.
On TJ; at his best he's a phenomenal rugby player and to come back from his injury is a testament to his drive and professionalism. I hope on Saturday he winds back the years and has a test to remember.
Have to say even though I don't think they should be starting based on form, seeing TJ and Beaudy start together again in Wellington is awesome, especially considering it's TJ's last test in NZ, and potentially last test for the ABs.
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@nzzp said in All Blacks vs Wallabies 2:
@pakman said in All Blacks vs Wallabies 2:
In backs makes sense to give Beaudy a run at 10. Maximise by TJS at 9 in CakeTin.
really interested in your thinking on this.
For me, it's play DMac every game unless you're managing minutes. He's very much developing as a Test 10, but is the best we've got. BB is 130 tests deep and you know what he brings (tuck the ball, run into contact). He's a known quantity.
I just don't understand the dropping of DMac after all the good things he's created it appears he's being disciplined for not finishing off chances. Which I struggle with I guess.
DMac > Mo'unga at Test level. So play him, commit to him, and get the best out of him.
I suppose the logic is if McKenzie goes down in the opening minutes against England (or before the match starts), you don't want Barrett shifting to 10 with next to no minutes against a half-decent side since the League One season ended, which is the current situation.
Barrett could start against Japan but arguably they're not half-decent opposition - and McKenzie probably needs some minutes in that match too otherwise he'd be going a month without any game time following the Bledisloe.
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@Chris-B It's not so much the losses as the issues around them. The brainless rugby, inability to cope with pressure, ill discipline.
Given Razor was being pumped up big time by the media and a large contingent of fans the reluctance to implement change is massively disappointing.
The only really unexpected results were Arg1 and last weekend, but they were dire, and we were lulled into believing they would be a thing of the past. Also, if you are talking fine margins, it does swing both ways. We could be looking at a season record to date of W3 L5.
Personally, I find the constant campaigning to select overseas based players and effectively getting his excuses in early (before he even started in the role) a massive irritant. I don't want an AB coach to be a whingeing baitch.
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@Chris-B said in All Blacks vs Wallabies 2:
@Billy-Tell said in All Blacks vs Wallabies 2:
This thread is just a hive of negativity and frankly quite boring to read. I’ll limit my comments to congratulating cane on reaching 100 tests. Thought it was all over after the RWC but it’s been a decent enough return. Certainly not the reason we keep fading with 20 to go.
I've been posting here for 20+ years and the sky has pretty much forever been falling. Usually it's a lot more Chicken Little than James Bond!
I did have to check the Competitions section recently to see that no-one was running a comp on the most negative spin possible (and the hottest and wildest take).
Here's positive spin for you.
Razor's lost two games to the World Champions (in their den) and once to the losing RWC semi-finalists. He must burn in hell!
The Master-Coach Rassie has lost to the same losing semi-finalist and a losing quarter-finalist. Bow down!!!
You and your so called "facts". 20 years and not banned? How'd you manage that?
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If the logic is to give Barrett some time in case he has to cover an injury, then I can understand that. Or at least I could understand it if things had been going well and combinations had clicked.
If it is a reaction to McKenzie being involved in not finishing off chances, then that would be terrible - see Rassie starting Libbok again this week.
Given Robertson's 'always planned' comments it's only fair to assume the former, and therefore the criticism is a lack of ability to change plans depending on circumstances. We haven't clicked yet, and we have a limited number of games to sort that out - so giving our injury contingency plan a try is nowhere near as important as sorting out plan A.
