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@mariner4life my issue with the 'top team' is there is a glaring issue in the 23 jersey. In fact the only player in that spot who has added value this season was Love when he came on vs Japan and scored 2 tries.
I know they need certain cover but there's a real opportunity to look at adding more punch from the bench in the form of Love, Lam etc.
Final nail in the 49ers season today.
They are in a really weird spot now - Deebo looks completely washed, they are going to be forced to overpay Purdy and Shanahan shows no signs of ever being the coach who wins 49ers a Super Bowl.
It won't happen but there's a real argument they blow up the whole regime and start again.
The alternative is this just drags out for 2-3 more years and then do it anyway.
@frugby said in All Blacks 2024:
@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks 2024:
@frugby said in All Blacks 2024:
Lam I feel is a winger who has ended up in the midfield because that is where the gap was. Not meant as a critique of Lam, and I think he could probably cover the role off the bench at a pinch… just feel we could do better.
Have you actually seen Lam play 12? He immediately looked at home at 12 for the Blues and Auckland this year. It seems to really suit his game.
Yes I have. This is why I have caveated with the fact I’m not 100% sure; but Havili, ALB, etc. have looked at home at 12 at SR level.
Playing 12 at test level is a whole different kettle of fish though, and I don’t know if he is the answer long-term.
Can't argue with that - I just think he looks more comfortable at 12 than you are giving him credit for - he doesn't look like a wing playing 12 (I remember Rieko at 12.... yikes).
@frugby said in All Blacks 2024:
Lam I feel is a winger who has ended up in the midfield because that is where the gap was. Not meant as a critique of Lam, and I think he could probably cover the role off the bench at a pinch… just feel we could do better.
Have you actually seen Lam play 12? He immediately looked at home at 12 for the Blues and Auckland this year. It seems to really suit his game.
@booboo said in All Blacks v France:
@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks v France:
@booboo said in All Blacks v France:
@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks v France:
The guy who got shafted was Narawa
Barely saw the field for the ABs this year then discarded
Was he injured out of ABXV?
He got dropped between the July series and The Rugby Championship
Of course Reece didn't....
From the ABs, but what was story with ABXV? Not selected or injured? (Can't remember.)
If the former that is a mistake.
Yeah injured I believe
@antipodean said in All Blacks v France:
@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks v France:
For the whole 'why take 3' argument
The only try we constructed was Lakai's in the first 10 minutes (Roigard's was a piece of individual brilliance)
It's a five metre lineout with maul. If we're not confident being able to do that with a better lineout than theirs, heaven help us.
In what world do the ABs kick to 5 metres out from the line from a penalty near halfway?
@booboo said in All Blacks v France:
@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks v France:
The guy who got shafted was Narawa
Barely saw the field for the ABs this year then discarded
Was he injured out of ABXV?
He got dropped between the July series and The Rugby Championship
Of course Reece didn't....
@Billy-Tell said in All Blacks v France:
Don’t think Reece should make the ABs again. Just not good enough at the highest level.
Need some young wingers to put their hand up next year
I suppose Leicester coming back too
@mariner4life said in All Blacks v France:
@DaGrubster it's noticeable how much better other teams are at kicking off than us. High, deep kicks that have our catchers under huge pressure, we don't seem to pay the same attention to that facet.
It's noticeable in Super Rugby. Very few teams bother to put pressure on when kicking off. A lot of cheap exits. We aren't trained well to deal with it
@foobaNZ said in All Blacks v France:
Proctor needs work defensively? What?
Proctor was poor defensively vs Japan