There is a risk in head coach Scott Robertson picking relatively untested players for the final Test against France, but he appears committed to it.
@mariner4life said in All Blacks v France III:
@Canes4life said in All Blacks v France III:
@MN5 said in All Blacks v France III:
Woulda thought they’d give Proctor another go rather than the safe ALB option
Yeah, he started to look a bit more comfortable in that second half of the second test so would have been good to keep that momentum going. Not like he needs a rest.
this, shit first test, lost first half of the 2nd test, seemed to find his feet and he gets cut (sorry, rotated). Absolutely worthless bringing ALB in.
They get to see favoured wings with alternate midfield.
A backline of Ratima, DMac, Tuapea, ALB, Narewa, Rieko and Jordan will tick the home ground and cohesion boxes.
Bench backs then Hotham, Love and Big Jim.
Any oil on how Patty T’s knee is?
@frugby said in All Blacks v France III:
@brodean said in All Blacks v France III:
@MN5 said in All Blacks v France III:
@brodean said in All Blacks v France III:
The backline and loose forwards have a number of question marks around them. It's not clear who the third and forth choice players are in a number of positions and even 1st and 2nd choice are not clear either.
A number of players are cruising off the back of a dominant tight five. We probably aren't going to get the same level of tight five dominance against first choice top 4 teams.
Which to me makes guys like Kirifi and Lio Willie surplus to requirements against the really big guns.
That move the latter did to set up Roigard was cool though.
Yes Lio Willie has been better than Kirifi. The way injuries come around it seems that Lio Willie can be relied on to do a job but he doesn't really seem to have the attributes to grab the starting position with both hands and not let go for the next 4 years. So a bit of a stop gap measure at this stage?
A good solid backup to Sititi I reckon.
More a good Super player who is adequate at test level in a good team.
@kiwiinmelb said in All Blacks v France 2:
@brodean said in All Blacks v France 2:
@kiwiinmelb said in All Blacks v France 2:
I played centre and wing in my younger days obviously at lower levels.
But I used to think the most demoralising thing to happen to you in those positions is being beaten on the outside.
Attissogbe at 20 looks like he's going to be a special player so maybe forgivable however you'd have to say that Rieko probably makes that tackle.
There may have been a couple of times where Rieko got beaten in the last five years but I seem to remember him recovering and catching them in the end.
I’d need to watch it again, only watched it the once, but he also seemed to be moving up from the inside almost inviting a guy with pace to go on his outside
Squidge identified a second French attack pairing. The first pair runs a hard straight line. That focusses attention of defending centres. When they look up the second attack pair has drifted 3 metres.
Clever from French.
@brodean said in All Blacks v France 2:
Main thing for Proctor is to sure up his defence.
Another try like Frances first score last week would not be a good look
Are you shore?
Racey flank combo.
@Bones said in All Blacks 2025:
@pakman said in All Blacks 2025:
On the small 7 front, Tizzano and McReight seem broadly similar sized to Kirifi but the former at least, and arguably the latter, seem to have more go forward. Is that technique, or something else?
Kirifi has shown more than enough go forward at lower levels. The test level sample size is fucking 15 minutes, let's stop overthinking it.
The takeaway is that 7s his size are not too small.
McAlister/Bower/Lomax/Jacobson/Hotham/ALB/Love (and Paps?) lined up for France 3?
On the small 7 front, Tizzano and McReight seem broadly similar sized to Kirifi but the former at least, and arguably the latter, seem to have more go forward. Is that technique, or something else?
Word is that Nuggie and Bernard Foley were lined up (and maybe Ritchie Mo, and other Jap based types) but the admin failed to confirm arrangements.
Assuming whispers right, then could see pack of:
Norris/Taylor/Newell/Holland/Patty T/Vaa'i//RD/CLW
Bench interesting. If two changes then:
EDG/BrodieMcA/Tosi/Finau/Jacobson.
One for the WLRAS:
@Smuts Perhaps balances out Pollard at 10?
Can Willie tackle? He wasn’t known for it in Premiership.
@george33 said in All Blacks v France 2:
Norris starting .
If so, he’s in for a scrummaging learning experience.
@Victor-Meldrew said in RIP 2025:
Norman Tebbit.
80's politician and hard bastard from a working-class background who vastly improved industrial relations in the UK by giving Trade Union members a vote in how their unions were run. Wife was paralysed for life by an IRA bomb.
James O'Connor?
@Kiwiwomble said in AUNZ XV vs British and Irish Lions:
That could give IBL second stringers a good run for their money.
Norman Tebbit dies aged 94
