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ABs will need to call up another lock. Both teams short on locks at the moment.

Yep young Roe for Waikato looks really good - and against the best teams in the comp too (Wellington, Tasman). He should be in a Super squad next year.

In better news for Auckland they may have found a new option for 9 - Funaki on debut was a huge step up from Ruru. He should be the starting 9 for the season and let him develop.

Getting a midfield combination that compliments each other and works well together is a lot more useful than just worrying about size. Years ago at the start of Nonu's career the Umaga-Nonu 12-13 combination never really worked that well. Last year the ABs had 4 handy midfielders in their RWC...

if Rennie wants to play a fast paced game (I saw some comments by Lolesio I think mention this) then to me that leads to moving away from Powell. I just don't see him suited to playing an up tempo style - long term McDermott seems far better suited to such a role.

Rieko is about 102kg-103kg this year - down from 105kg-106kg last year. From an article in January

Wonder who the Wallabies look at for 13 if Petaia isn't fit for the first test (hopefully he is fit)? Hodge as a stop gap perhaps but arguably that's a bit too safe.

I think Akira is a serious chance of being a bench option if you go Cane 7 Savea 8 because you then don't need 7 cover on the bench and so that opens the door for Akira as a 6/8.

Bang on. What a wonderful game of rugby. Shield rugby is great - especially when a smaller province takes it off a bigger one. Boshier what a performance. Invaluable learning for youngsters like Lord and Vaai to lock horns with Romano and Whitelock. Speaking of youngsters - that Taranaki wing...

He tore his other ACL as a schoolboy.

These days Ofa is a tighthead who can cover loosehead. Both Moody and Ofa will start.

Grace played almost exclusively at 6 this year didn't he?

Mauger gone from Highlanders. They'll have a new coach in 2021. And no it won't be Hammetteur - he's also leaving.

Interesting to see Papalii ahead of Boshier. Jordan vs Clarke on the wing will be very interesting.

Michael Jones' son Niko named in the Auckland Mitre 10 Cup squad. He has plenty of company in the squad of having fathers that played first class rugby (Ioane, Sotutu, Clarke, Whetton, Rayasi)

All Black squad is named Sunday morning. 35 man squad I think.

Everything I've heard suggests it will be match day 23s. There's a lot of talk about the history of the fixture and treating it very seriously so I doubt very much they'll go the preseason/trial route of extended benches. I'd say the extra numbers will be a combination of injury cover and AB...

I think Parkinson might be injured - he hobbled off for Highlanders on weekend. Yep - confirmed by Foster.

Squads have been named. A few guys out with injury including Coles, Scott Barrett, Cane, Laumape. I assume Parkinson too. https://www.allblacks.com/news/squads-named-for-steinlager-north-v-south-match

Crusaders tears at losing a promising young lock to the Blues are great. Now the poaching kings know how it feels. "It ain't no fun when the rabbit got the gun"...