All Blacks EOYT
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Cant remember feeling less excited reading the naming of an Allblacks squad
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I think people are too far down the wormhole. Moaning for moaning sake.
I don't think anyone is really disputing the tight five (in terms of the squad) other than the third hooker and fourth lock (so in other words negligible difference)
There is some dispute about the loose forwards, but I think that is always going to be the case, because it is a position where there is loads of competition. Sotutu and Lakai by all accounts the two people would have in. Fair critique to say Lakai could have come instead of Cane, and Sotutu over Finau/Jacobson/Blackadder. Anyone asking for Ioane can bore off.
Halfbacks, Roigard is back fit. Perenara was a 50/50 selection, but I think people should reserve judgment until we actually see gameday squads named, because here it does make sense for Hotham to actually play some rugby. Perenara is there to hold the tackle bags I reckon... and if there is an injury, they can always get someone else in
Rest of the backline, in all honest it is moaning for moaning sake. The same people calling for Plummer are largely the same people who think DMac is doing a perfectly fine job, so you're moaning about who holds the tackle bags. I think there are some fair arguments about whether Tele'a/Reece should be there, but I'm not sure Narawa is really the answer either... would feel like shuffling the deck chairs, I'd rather them give Love a run.
Moaning about who holds the tackle bags, at a time where there is a development squad playing feels intentionally negative. I'd reserve judgement for after the tour is finished.
Fact is, Razor is still working out which players are best suited to his gameplan, and I don't think the tests we have had so far are really enough to give definitive answers. The players in line to be dropped from the squad are not those who have been actively involved (barring Tele'a, Cane and Perenara) so this feels like when the solution to the ABs losing to Ireland was dropping Sowakula.
The key is to get the best out of our best players, and in the last test we won by 20 points. This meltdown is mental...
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@Kirwan said in All Blacks EOYT:
Have to be impressed with these selectors making us miss Foster. Unless you are from a certain province of course.
Some truely terrible calls in that squad.
Cantabs are questioning the calls too. That's how bad things are.
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@sparky said in All Blacks EOYT:
@frugby said in All Blacks EOYT:
and in the last test we won by 20 points.
Against the 10th ranked team in the world. Forgive me for not ordering a ticker tape parade for Razor's mob.
I never said it was cause for celebration, but it is also isn't cause for major panic either. The ABs aren't far off finding their best starting XV. Bench is still a work in progress, but to totally rip things up would be bizarre.
I'd argue that the best solutions to the problems are probably already in the squad anyway... (Papalii at 7, Roigard at 9/21 etc.)
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@frugby said in All Blacks EOYT:
Moaning for moaning sake.
Tight 5 is largely uncontroversial. Happy days. If your reserve hooker winds up on teh bench through injury and has to throw in the lineout, I wouldn't have Bell, but them's the breaks.
Our loose forwrads look slow and uninspiring. I think we're going to get beaten here by most teams.
Halfbacks - well two pick themselves. Razor suddenly decided he really really likes TJP. Wild if you want to play a fast game, but hey.
Backline - anyone exciting there? Telea and Reece havne't looked good. Better pray CC and WJ stay fit to play on the wings. I am still unconvinced by WJ at fullback - defence, kickign and positioning all get questionmarks for me.
So yeah. I think you'd say this is a year where we haven't really done much more than evolve the squad, and play senior players on teh decline into the ground. We're on course for the equal most losses in a year, so it's not moaning for moaning sake - it is recognising that this is a profoundly disappointing AB selection.
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Can someone explain the TJP ahead of Hotham selection to me because it makes absolute no sense whatsoever?
Hotham has been playing better, is more athletic, doesn't have a recent history of getting on the wrong side of referees, is younger and crucially not about to bugger off to Japan and become unavailable for selection.
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@sparky said in All Blacks EOYT:
Can someone explain the TJP ahead of Hotham selection to me because it makes absolute no sense whatsoever?
Hotham has been playing better, is more athletic, doesn't have a recent history of getting on the wrong side of referees, is younger and crucially not about to bugger off to Japan and become unavailable for selection.
I think I read earlier it's because of the Cantab bias.
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i really dont understand how having "experience" gives so many guys a free ride...just being on the field during a big game (especially in a time when we've had many more losses than normal) just cant be that much of a selling point
other than a kicker having to drown out a big crowd or the captain deciding to take point or go for a try.....i just dont get it
and if the first year in a RWC cycle isnt the time to give the young guys experience...i dont know when it is
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@sparky said in All Blacks EOYT:
@kpkanz Defence is at least 50% of the game so yeah we disagree.
Your argument is only valid if Dmacs tackling percentage was absolutely abysmal (below 60). But instead he's barely below Plummer and right in the middle of the stack of NZ 10s and MAJOR European 10s while offering an insane amount of positives on the attacking/creating/goal kicking front above all the 10s mentioned.
So yeah it's not even close.
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@Jet said in All Blacks EOYT:
A lot of players living a charmed life which historically is not the Allblack way
Incorrect, it has been this was for many years now where it is harder to get dropped, particularly completely from the squad once you have been selected.
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I've been pottering away all day not realising the team has been released.
Akira's instagram makes more sense now from a timing perspective. Seriously fuck Ryan, and all their selective both sides of the ball bullshit.
On the flipside, Finau is rated much higher than many on the Fern were claiming.
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@Bones said in All Blacks EOYT:
@kpkanz pretty quiet on that points scored stat?
Here are the stats when each 10 played for their team this season.
Blues (Perofeta)
Points per game - 28.8
Tries per game - 4.2Blues (Plummer)
Points per game - 38.4
Tries per game - 5.7Chiefs (Dmac)
Points per game - 33.3
Tries per game - 4.1Here are more stats around the context of each teams ratio of tries not involving the 10 DIRECTLY, ie directly attributed to the forward pack.
Blues (Perofeta)
% of Tries from pick and go/maul - 44%Blues (Plummer)
% of Tries from pick and go/maul - 57%Chiefs (Dmac)
% of Tries from pick and go/maul - 23%We can even compare the % of tries scored where the 10 TOUCHES the ball in the sequence leading to the try (within 2 breakdowns).
Blues (Perofeta)
% of Tries directly involved in - 24%Blues (Plummer)
% of Tries directly involved in - 11%Chiefs (Dmac)
% of Tries directly involved in - 57%The Blues under Plummer scored more points/tries but it was also further along the season (with Perofeta starting the first 6 games) where the Blues perfected their extremely direct attack shape. They would attack right next to the breakdown with their forwards and halfback passing onto one off runners, as well as utilizing their maul.
It feels disingenuous to attribute the Blues efficiency in attack to Plummer when the data suggests he is barely directly involved in any of the scoring plays, or is even utilized at all.
You can see that in the carries/passes per game from each 10.
Perofeta
Carries per game - 10.8
Passes per game - 21Plummer
Carries per game - 6.4
Passes per game - 13Dmac
Carries per game - 8.3
Passes per game - 27Plummer has less contributions all around in every department. It was obvious to anyone watching the Blues this year that their attack was centered around their superior forward pack. So I found it laughable to hear all this Plummer hype and the Blues success attributed to him.
Also remembering even with the least contributions Plummer still makes more mistakes(turnovers) than Dmac per game even though Dmac is massively utilized and involved in nearly every Chiefs scoring play.
Considering the way Razor also wants to play and use the ball and use width, Plummer doesn't fit that mould in any way when you look at the role he's played at the Blues this year.
Fact is Plummer was always just going to be injury cover until Perofeta got back.
In light of the squad announcement, considering these stats it's not surprising at all that Plummer hasnt made the 36 man squad, and wouldn't be surprised if Jacomb gets the spot ahead of him in the XVs squad tomorrow as well.
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@sparky said in All Blacks EOYT:
His positives are so "insane" that he has a test win % of 79%. Not to be sniffed at.
But it's lower than the 90%+ plus that the All Blacks were recording a few years ago and South Africa and Ireland are achieving at the moment.
You're using the team winning percentage now as your argument???
Thanks, I now know George Bridge is a vastly superior winger to Jonah Lomu due to his higher test winning percentage
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