All Blacks Northern Tour 2018

[waiopehu oldboy]

Japan warming up for next week's AB Test with a matching v a World XV Friday night:

World XV lineup against Japan: 1. Craig Millar (Sunwolves, Panasonic), 2. Adrian Strauss (Bulls, South Africa) 3. Hencus van Wyk (Sunwolves, Sanix) 4. Sam Carter (Brumbies, Australia) 5. Jason Jenkins (Bulls, Toyota) 6. Jackson Hemopo (Highlanders, New Zealand) 7. Dillon Hunt (Highlanders, New Zealand) 8. Leonardo Senatore (Jaguares, Argentina) 9. Andrew Ellis (Kobe, New Zealand, captain) 10. Lionel Cronje (Toyota) 11. Tevita Li (Highlanders, North Harbour) 12. Ma'a Nonu (Blues, New Zealand) 13. Harold Vorster (Panasonic) 14. Toni Pulu (Chiefs) 15. Nehe Milner Skudder (Hurricanes, New Zealand)

Replacements: Ricky Riccitelli (Hurricanes), Wyatt Crockett (Crusaders, New Zealand), Ben Alexander (Brumbies, Australia), Ben Gunter (Panasonic), Willie Britz (Sunwolves, NTT), Augustine Pulu (Hino, Blues, New Zealand), Santiago Gonzalez Iglesias (Jaguares, Argentina), Keisuke Moriya (Panasonic), Nili Latu (Hino, Tonga), Corne Fourie (Panasonic)

Coach: RM "Dingo" Deans

https://i.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/i...lback-for-robbie-deans-world-xv-against-japan

 

[Dctarget]

That's a very good team. Is it pretty much any international player in Japan currently?
Also is World XV the same concept as the Barbarians just without cost and brand?

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Oirland have left Conor Murray out've their squad as he's still not recovered from his neck injury:

https://i.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/i...halfback-conor-murray-to-miss-all-blacks-test

Clock must be ticking on his RWC prospects, a great player but hard to justify taking him if he misses 6N as well.

Meanwhile James Haskell reckons Ringinland aren't arrogant...... enough, says he:

https://i.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/i...-is-arrogant-but-could-do-with-a-dash-of-that

There must be some obscure definition of "not arrogant" that I'm not familiar with........

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Luke Romano won't be going to Japan after coming off injured in the M10 Cup final. No replacement named yet but there presumably will be one.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby...japan-test-after-injury-in-mitre-10-cup-final

Japan lost their warm up match v World XV:

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/rugby-...team-beat-japan-in-osaka-20181027-p50cb5.html

Great effort to come back from 7-31 down but obviously a worry to be behind by so many in the first place esp against scratch opposition.

 

[zer0]

Take Akira. Tuipulotu and one of Hemopo or Fifita can start as the locks -- the other on the bench -- Whitelock as the blindside and Ioane at #8. Job done.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

^^^^^^^^ They've now decided not to replace Romano so looking very much like Hemopo will start at lock.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/rugby/news/article.cfm?c_id=80&objectid=12151002

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

The 50 AB now in Japan have apparently been split into two groups: 27 to prep for Japan match & 23 to head to UK:

Japan group:

Hookers: Afaso Aumua, Dane Coles, Liam Coltman

Props: Tim Perry, Rueben O'Neill, Ofa Tuungafasi, Angus Ta'avao, Tyrel Lomax

Locks: Patrick Tuipulotu

Loose forwards: Vaea Fifita, Jackson Hemopo, Gareth Evans, Dillon Hunt, Dalton Papali'i, Luke Whitelock (probable captain)

Halfbacks: Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, Mitchell Drummond, Byrn Hall

First Fives: Richie Mo'unga, Brett Cameron

Midfield: Ngani Laumape, Matt Proctor

Back Three: Waisake Naholo, Nehe Milner-Skudder, Jordie Barrett, George Bridge

Utility Back: David Havili

England group:

Hookers: Codie Taylor, Nathan Harris

Props: Joe Moody, Karl Tu'inukafe, Owen Franks, Nepo Laulala

Locks: Sam Whitelock, Brodie Retallick, Scott Barrett

Loose forwards: Kieran Read (captain), Liam Squire, Ardie Savea, Matt Todd

Halfbacks: Aaron Smith, TJ Perenara

First Fives: Beauden Barrett

Midfield: Ryan Crotty, Jack Goodhue, Anton Lienert-Brown, Sonny Bill Williams

Back Three: Rieko Ioane, Ben Smith

Utility Back: Damian McKenzie

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/rugby/news/article.cfm?c_id=80&objectid=12151002

 

[zer0]

From that, and based on past selections, I imagine the Japanese XV will be something like:

1. Perry
2. Coles
3. Tu'ungafasi
4. Hemopo
5. Tuipulotu
6. Fifita
7. Papali'i
8. Whitelock (C)
9. Tahuriorangi
10. Mo'unga
11. Naholo
12. Laumape
13. Proctor
14. Bridge
15. Barrett

Bit of a hodgepodge where the midfield would be the only unit with any real experience together. Should still be more than good enough to do the job though.

 

[zer0]

Leaked: All Blacks set to shock with latest jersey.....

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=12151631

Unless it's a Gunston Brother-Uncles original in fluorescent pink with a glittery C&B on the front, and Chinese numerals on the back, I struggle to see how it will "shock".

The Herald understands that the most significant change to the strip will be the return of the white collar.

Oh. Is that all. Still. I quite liked the white collar despite being a bit 'ehh' about it at first. If they have the collar version for the RWC, then I may grab one of the alternate uniforms (the pimpin' white ones) to avoid that awful advertising.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Hamish Bidwell on stuff.co.nz & Gregor Paul in the NZHurld are both predicting this lineup for Japan match:

Jordie Barrett, Nehe Milner-Skudder, Matt Proctor, Ngani Laumape, Waisake Naholo, Richie Mo'unga, Te Toiria Tahuriorangi, Luke Whitelock (c), Dillon Hunt, Vaea Fifita, Jackson Hemopo, Patrick Tuipulotu, Ofa Tuungafasi, Dane Coles, Tim Perry. Reserves: Liam Coltman, Reuben O'Neill, Angus Ta'avao, Gareth Evans, Dalton Papalii, Bryn Hall, Brett Cameron, David Havili.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby...ack-in-first-appearance-since-springboks-loss

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/rugby/news/article.cfm?c_id=80&objectid=12151659

Bidwell is in Japan & appears to be someone the selectors, esp Foster, will give inside info to. Paul probably read Bidwell's piece & threw a few of his own words in there.

 

[Dan54]

I imagine if he sees any training session he would get an idea too wouldn't he? They would have to have a few team runs. I imagine that they would of been tempted to play someone else apart from Luke at 8, he had a 100 minute game last week. Most of the others will be well rested.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

^^^^^^^ in fairness to GP his hard-copy Hurld pieces are by-lined "...in Tokyo" & the Japan group did train while the England group had a gym session so maybe he put two & two together & came up with four for once rather than the five you'd normally expect.

 

[KiwiM]

Why would you start Hunt over Papali'i when Papali'i is in the main 32 man squad and completely dominated Hunt in the Battle of the Bridge - the last game either of them played.

 

[Slim 293]

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=12151631

Unless it's a Gunston Brother-Uncles original in fluorescent pink with a glittery C&B on the front, and Chinese numerals on the back, I struggle to see how it will "shock".



Oh. Is that all. Still. I quite liked the white collar despite being a bit 'ehh' about it at first. If they have the collar version for the RWC, then I may grab one of the alternate uniforms (the pimpin' white ones) to avoid that awful advertising.

Its' not really a collar though..........

 

[zer0]

It's terrible is what it is. Why the hell did it stop half way round?

 

[Dismal Pillock]

Paul probably read Bidwell's piece & threw a few of his own words in there.

I want to read more on W.Oldboy7s beef with Paul. Put your back into it fella

Why the hell did it stop half way round? ​

press release from NZRFU:​

​

"The new halfway-around white collar symbolically represents the halfway around white-knuckled reach-around that we the NZRFU give the NZ public every year by coming out with a new $150 fucking jersey. A jersey that costs us $4.12 cents to have made in some Asian hellhole sweatshop. You lame-o cosplay dorks, like any of you dweebs have ever played for the All Blacks. You ever see ex-All Blacks walking around town wearing replica All Black jerseys? Didn't think so. Yeah, there's a reason for that. You look like a doofus wearing such a prized garment, that so many have strived to attain without going the lamewad cosplay fanboi route, there are 23 legendary studs selected for every AB test who DON'T buy the fucker from Rebel Sport for $150. Why don't you just buy some fake plastic Olympic gold medals and a tank top and rock up to your nearest track meet while you're at it? Fucken loser."

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Team for Japan match:


1. Ofa Tuungafasi (22)
2. Dane Coles (56)
3. Angus Ta’avao (1)
4. Patrick Tuipulotu (19)
5. Jackson Hemopo (2)
6. Vaea Fifita (7)
7. Dalton Papalii *
8. Luke Whitelock – captain (6)
9. Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi (1)
10. Richie Mo’unga (5)
11. Waisake Naholo (24)
12. Ngani Laumape (8)
13. Matt Proctor *
14. Nehe Milner-Skudder (12)
15. Jordie Barrett (7)

16. Liam Coltman (3)
17. Tim Perry (5)
18. Tyrel Lomax *
19. Dillon Hunt *
20. Gareth Evans *
21. Mitch Drummond *
22. Brett Cameron *
23. George Bridge *

http://www.allblacks.com/News/33369/all-blacks-team-named-for-japan-test

 

[Dan54]

Why would you start Hunt over Papali'i when Papali'i is in the main 32 man squad and completely dominated Hunt in the Battle of the Bridge - the last game either of them played.

Well question answered, not sure why reporters thought Hunt would start, maybe saw him running a few times there in training or something, but goes to show don't take notice of paper reports!
Like the look of the team, would think most would consider it a fairly strong line up.

 

[KiwiM]

Well question answered, not sure why reporters thought Hunt would start, maybe saw him running a few times there in training or something, but goes to show don't take notice of paper reports!
Like the look of the team, would think most would consider it a fairly strong line up.

Well one of the articles that proposed Hunt at 7 over Papali'i was by Hamish Bidwell - who would arguably be the worst rugby journo in NZ - so it's not all that surprising - but still worth calling out.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Japan: 15- Ryohei Yamanaka, 14- Jamie Henry, 13-Will Tupou, 12-Tim Lafaele, 11-Kenki Fukuoka, 10-Yu Tamura, 9-Yutaka Nagare, 8-Hendrik Tui, 7-Shunsuke Nunomaki, 6-Michael Leitch (captain), 5-Samuela Anise, 4-Wimpie van der Walt, 3-Hiroshi Yamashita, 2-Yusuke Niwai, 1-Keita Inagaki.

Replacements: 16-Yusuki Niwai, 17-Masataka Mikami, 18-Asaeli Valu, 19-Uwe Helu, 20-Vaka Nakajima, 21-Fumiaki Tanaka, 22-Rikiya Matsuda 23-Ryoto Nakamura.

https://www.eurosport.co.uk/rugby/japan-make-one-change-for-new-zealand-test_sto6995095/story.shtml