Bledisloe II - Have a stab at the teams.
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="gollum" data-cid="608457" data-time="1471970451"><p>Weirdly 2010 EOYT they shifted him to wing & he looked outstanding, him & Hosea Gear destroyed.. someone... then just when it looked like he had made it they dropped him for the once in 10 years fit Kahui & he took his broken hip off to Japan</p></blockquote>
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I was with Davidav on this one. Up to 2010 I still thought he could be one of the great ones, reminded me a little of Gerber, Inga and Hastings rolled into one. Honestly felt that Cartel rightfully lost confidence in him 2011, He had an open door to the back three and they just could not count on him. Error rate was just too high and confidence seemed to be lacking. -
<p>Onto the game at hand and it looks like Quade is back - but it isn't necessarily for the pedestrian Foley. No.</p>
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<p></p><p></p><blockquote class="ipsBlockquote">“Quade’s someone who I would consider in the team at 10 or 12 or at fullback, depending on what our situation requires,†Cheika said.</blockquote>
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<p>They will be lining up in his channel if they play him at 12. Cheika is a mad man - I don't care how empty the barrel is there is no reason to go back to this guy on or off the field.</p>
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<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.news.com.au/sport/rugby/bledisloe-cup-quade-cooper-to-get-chance-to-reignite-wallabies-career-in-second-test/news-story/4b9be776039a07e6623bc795754711c1'>http://www.news.com.au/sport/rugby/bledisloe-cup-quade-cooper-to-get-chance-to-reignite-wallabies-career-in-second-test/news-story/4b9be776039a07e6623bc795754711c1</a></p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="gollum" data-cid="608457" data-time="1471970451">
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<p>Weirdly 2010 EOYT they shifted him to wing & he looked outstanding, him & Hosea Gear destroyed.. someone... then just when it looked like he had made it they dropped him for the once in 10 years fit Kahui & he took his broken hip off to Japan</p>
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<p>Lucky for the selectors the classy Kahui got them out of trouble a bit, selected more as a midfielder , </p>
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<p>Guilford was the big mistake selected ahead of Sivi IMO ,</p>
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<p>I thought Toeavas selection was ok , he played a bit of fullback in the pool games when Mils and Dagg were injured </p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="kiwiinmelb" data-cid="608464" data-time="1471978181">
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<p>Guilford was the big mistake selected ahead of Sivi IMO ,</p>
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<p>It was ahead of Gear more wasn't it, Gear replaced Mils in the squad after he went down. Sivi felt on the outs in the lead up and they just needed him to fill out the numbers with injuries and resting guys with big workloads.</p> -
Probably, memory is fading a bit,<br><br>but I remember Guilford being selected , having a shocker in the last bledisloe , stories of an alcohol incident, and was barely used at all during the WC.<br><br>Toeava at least showed his utility value in a squad , even if not good enough for the 23.
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="kiwiinmelb" data-cid="608471" data-time="1471981771"><p>Probably, memory is fading a bit,but I remember Guilford being selected , having a shocker in the last bledisloe , stories of an alcohol incident, and was barely used at all during the WC.Toeava at least showed his utility value in a squad , even if not good enough for the 23.</p></blockquote>
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That was the thing , Toeva went from being first choice wing in starting XV to 3rd choice fullback, perhaps 4th or 5th choice wing in a matter of weeks. Simply unreliable in the big moments despite better physical gifts than everyone else. -
I thought initially the first choice wings were Guildford on the left , Jane on the right , <br><br>
Tieava was a utility , that could play FB , wing , midfield , played tests in all those positions , <br><br>
Played pool games at wing and FB , could've played midfield too if injuries hit us there . <br><br>
In the end became a jack of all trades , master of none it could be said I guess . -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="kiwiinmelb" data-cid="608471" data-time="1471981771">
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<p>Probably, memory is fading a bit,<br><br>
but I remember <strong>Guilford</strong> being selected , having a shocker in the last bledisloe , stories of an alcohol incident, and was <strong>barely used at all during the WC</strong>.<br><br>
Toeava at least showed his utility value in a squad , even if not good enough for the 23.</p>
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<p>After the Canada game in which he scored 4 tries, he pulled his hammy at training. That was the main reason why he didn't play more games.</p> -
<p>It was a reason, i doubt it was the main reason. </p>
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="mariner4life" data-cid="608531" data-time="1471994306">
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<p>It was a reason, i doubt it was the main reason. </p>
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<p>A hamstring injury usually takes a few weeks to heal, so I doubt it was NOT the main reason. If someone is injured, you don't need another reason. Whether he would have been selected for one or more games if he hadn't been injured, is just guessing based on personal preferences. We'll never know.</p> -
<p>okay mate, what ever helps you sleep at night. </p>
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<p>Kahui started the Tongan game on the wing and was then picked in every major RWC game apart from the QF vs Argentina (injured). He and Jane were considered the first-choice wingers due to their low error-rate and safety under the high ball, in addition to their attacking ability.</p>
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<p>Guildford was fuckin' lucky to be in the squad based on form and off-field issues. Sivi played really well in his last test. </p> -
<p>Unsure why we're even discussing players who aren't, or will ever be again in the squad.</p>
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<p>For Saturday, my guess is that they'll go for Tamanivalu and Fekitoa if they go for All Blacks experience. I doubt they'll move Smith to the midfield, so bascially they don't need McKenzie or Nanai. If they have the guts to go with a newbie, I hope they'll introduce ALB because he's been with the squad longer than Ioane, but Ioane is an exciting player so I wouldn't have a problem with him either. Now I think of it, I find it a far more exciting option than a Tamanivalu-Fekitoa combo, which somehow doesn't give me much confidence after the June series.</p> -
<p>Well this just makes me grin when I read through it</p>
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<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/83474224/paul-cully-owen-franks-sums-up-the-all-blacks-restless-ambition'>http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/83474224/paul-cully-owen-franks-sums-up-the-all-blacks-restless-ambition</a></p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Hooroo" data-cid="608541" data-time="1471996125">
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<p>Well this just makes me grin when I read through it</p>
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<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/83474224/paul-cully-owen-franks-sums-up-the-all-blacks-restless-ambition'>http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/83474224/paul-cully-owen-franks-sums-up-the-all-blacks-restless-ambition</a></p>
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<p>Yeah, that's a bloody good environment to keep on developing. This is the stuff that pays off - years of relentless pursuit of incremental improvements in your game.</p> -
<p>I read this snippet about Hika. Not sure whether he wasn't selected in the ABs for other reasons though.</p>
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<p>Hooker Hika Elliot, last with the union in 2013, should also be good to go, despite a hiccup with an ankle niggle on Monday.</p>
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<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.nzherald.co.nz/rugby/news/article.cfm?c_id=80&objectid=11699785'>http://www.nzherald.co.nz/rugby/news/article.cfm?c_id=80&objectid=11699785</a></p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="DMX" data-cid="608501" data-time="1471987618">
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<p>That was the thing , Toeva went from being first choice wing in starting XV to 3rd choice fullback, perhaps 4th or 5th choice wing in a matter of weeks. <strong>Simply unreliable in the big moments despite better physical gifts than everyone else.</strong></p>
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<p>And there it is... I call absolute bullshit.</p>
<p>Yes, you and davidav repeated this ad nauseum but it doesn't make it truthful or accurate.</p>
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<p>Toeava was man of the match and near man of the match in a number of big test matches. One in particular stands out where in a test match in the republic, we were getting thrashed, Toeava replaced Ma'a early in the second half and nearly singlehandedly turned the game around. Another was the semi-final for the Blues again in the republic, against the Bulls IIRC, where he again almost single handedly won that game for the Blues and it was basically lost when he went off injured.</p>
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<p>One must also remember that in 2011 he'd been under an injury cloud with his nagging hip injury. He played in the RWC and had a good game against Tonga but agrivated the hip injury. Yes, he didn't feature much in the remainder of the tournament but that was due to the injury and was not form related.</p>
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<p>It was only after the 2011 RWC that his hip injury was properly diagnosed as a rear type of stress fracture and he went off the US to have corrective surgery. Turns out this stress fracture of the hip would have been there some time and it's quite remarkable he was able to perform at such a high level with that injury.</p>
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<p>But to say that he didn't have big game temperment or "simply unreliable" is utter nonsense!</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Stargazer" data-cid="608538" data-time="1471994972">
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<p>Unsure why we're even discussing players who aren't, or will ever be again in the squad.</p>
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<p>For Saturday, my guess is that they'll go for Tamanivalu and Fekitoa if they go for All Blacks experience. I doubt they'll move Smith to the midfield, so bascially they don't need McKenzie or Nanai. If they have the guts to go with a newbie, I hope they'll introduce ALB because he's been with the squad longer than Ioane, but Ioane is an exciting player so I wouldn't have a problem with him either. Now I think of it, I find it a far more exciting option than a Tamanivalu-Fekitoa combo, which somehow doesn't give me much confidence after the June series.</p>
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<p>I guess it depends a bit on whether they want Fekitoa to play second five or centre. My guess is that, since they called ALB into the squad first, they'll pair him with Fekitoa and maybe put Tamanivalu on the bench. I'd be pretty surprised to see Ioane feature anywhere.</p>
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<p>Crockett, Coles, Franks, Retallick, Whitelock, Kaino, Cane, Read, Smith, Barrett, Savea, ALB, Fekitoa, Smith, Dagg</p>
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<p>Hames, Parsons, Faumuina, Squire, Savea, Perenara, Cruden, Tamanivalu</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Hooroo" data-cid="608541" data-time="1471996125">
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<p>Well this just makes me grin when I read through it</p>
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<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/83474224/paul-cully-owen-franks-sums-up-the-all-blacks-restless-ambition'>http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/83474224/paul-cully-owen-franks-sums-up-the-all-blacks-restless-ambition</a></p>
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<p>When I read that, I didn't know whether to shed a tear or chub-up... So I kinda did both as the chest swelled with pride.</p>
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<p>It was noticable in the game on the weekend that Franks certainly lifted his involvement and that angled run he made was probably his best run and most metre's gained in his entire 81 test career.</p>
