All Blacks vs Poms - 3rd test

[waiopehu oldboy]

As I may have mentioned I'd have preferred Bogan @ 10 but otherwise it's a fairly obvious lineup, Crotty & Fekitoa a bit 50/50 but we already know what Crotty's got so a good opportunity to find out more about Fekitoa.

Given England's midfield injuries I wouldn't be surprised to see MT back to 13. SL has already said Burns will play 10, Cipriani on bench.

 

[badabing59]

I'd like to see Bogan start too, however Ian Foster sheds some light on it

From NZ Herald.

"Has Beauden put his hands up? Yes, he has. The message for him is he's just got to keep working on his game and keep getting sharper. But there's not a big shift that he has to make in order to get into a starting position. It's just going to be timing."

Gonna be interesting when DC is ready to come back.

 

[Nusadan]

Didn't realise Beauden Barrett is nicknamed Bogan, is it his haircut?

 

[Braveheart81]

Didn't realise Beauden Barrett is nicknamed Bogan, is it his haircut?

I think it's purely his first name.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

If The Darkness have any weakness in that squad, it is in the Front Row fatties. Fortunately the options that the Soap Dodgers are likely to put up against them are of a similar standard, so that weakness may not be exploited.

McCaw, Read, Kaino. I can't recall a more lethal back row combination from this millennium. Look out for some fireworks.

 

[FrankLind]

Fekitoa to go up against Tuilagi.
Read to 8, Kaino to 6.


England team:
15 Mike Brown, 14 Chris Ashton, 13 Manusamoa Tuilagi, 12 Kyle Eastmond, 11 Marland Yarde, 10 Freddie Burns, 9 Ben Youngs, 8 Billy Vunipola, 7 Chris Robshaw, 6 Tom Wood, 5 Geoff Parling, 4 Courtney Lawes, 3 David Wilson, 2 Dylan Hartley, 1 Joe Marler.
Reserves
16 Rob Webber, 17 Matt Mullan, 18 Kieran Brookes, 19 Joe Launchbury, 20 Ben Morgan, 21 Lee Dickson, 22 Danny Cipriani, 23 Luther Burrell.

New Zealand Team:
Ben Smith, Cory Jane, Malakai Fekitoa, Ma'a Nonu, Julian Savea, Aaron Cruden, Aaron Smith, Kieran Read, Richie McCaw (c), Jerome Kaino, Sam Whitelock, Brodie Retallick, Owen Franks, Dane Coles, Tony Woodcock.
Reserves: Keven Mealamu, Wyatt Crockett, Charlie Faumuina, Patrick Tuipulotu, Liam Messam, TJ Perenara, Beauden Barrett, Ryan Crotty.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

I think it's purely his first name.

Concur. It is almost too easy though isn't it.

Like shooting ducks on the water.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

McCaw, Read, Kaino. I can't recall a more lethal back row combination from this millennium. Look out for some fireworks.

At the top (or approaching it) of their game, absolutely. They're quality.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

The White back row isn't too bad either.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Yeah dunno about that. They look a fair way back from what the Darkness will put out there.

 

[Muttonbird]

If The Darkness have any weakness in that squad, it is in the Front Row fatties. Fortunately the options that the Soap Dodgers are likely to put up against them are of a similar standard, so that weakness may not be exploited.

Agreed.

Marler = show pony
Hartley = card magnet
Wilson = tits for hands

 

[Muttonbird]

I called Crotty to start and Read to not play. Wrong on both, but I think it's a mistake to play Read. Hansen said they're starting Cruden because they don't want two new combinations at once. C Smith's injury appears to have forced that although the "incumbent" in both Smiths' absence is Crotty, so selecting Fekitoa is a departure.

 

[en_force_er]

Farking hell, what did Ben Morgan do? Solicit the coaches daughter?

I mean the man's form has been up and down over the last 12 months but he's played SO well against the ABs. Sure, Vunipola is an excellent 8 but when somebody plays like Morgan you don't drop him because it sends the message that it doesn't matter how well you play in national colours you'll always lose to reputation.

 

[qwerty51]

Agreed.

Marler = show pony
Hartley = card magnet
Wilson = tits for hands

Rubbish their scrum is better than yours. Personally would take the English backrow atm too. Wood is the best 6 in the world although Kaino is clearly capable. Robshaw is better than McCaw and Vunipola would be tied with Duane for the 2nd best 8 title but let's wait and see how ready Read is.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Kieran's back!!!

ALL BLACKS: Ben Smith, Cory Jane, Malakai Fekitoa, Ma'a Nonu, Julian Savea, Aaron Cruden, Aaron Smith, Kieran Read, Richie McCaw (c), Jerome Kaino, Sam Whitelock, Brodie Retallick, Owen Franks, Dane Coles, Tony Woodcock. Reserves: Keven Mealamu, Wyatt Crockett, Charlie Faumuina, Patrick Tuipulotu, Liam Messam, TJ Perenara, Beauden Barrett, Ryan Crotty.

England side will be named later today.

The Blecks really do need a much improved showing this week. Aside from Carter and Conrad, that's about as good as the ABs get and if they don't dominate the Poms, tier 1 teams from elsewhere will start believing the impossible is possible.

 

[FrankLind]

Their scrum shades ours, but based on last week, there isn't much in it.
I'd take our loose forward combo over theirs any day of the week. (and so would most rugby supporters I suspect)

Hansen said Read will only play maybe 50 minutes because his conditioning isn't top-notch yet. No long term concussion that Hansen is covering up sorry qwerty.

Our tight five upped the ante for 20 minutes last week and they couldn't live with us. Our lock combination is probably the best in the world. I am very happy with our forwards with Cane to come back and Tuipolotu being developed, we are looking pretty good at this stage.

 

[Muttonbird]

Some people would have us believe McCaw was never any good.

 

[terry j]

Some people would have us believe McCaw was never any good.

surely they would have you believe he is good at cheating?

so that is good for something.

 

[qwerty51]

Some people would have us believe McCaw was never any good.

Yes because 2014 is 2009.

I agree with the best lock combination, Retallick and Whitelock are #1 #2 locks in the world. But let's not kid ourselves with the rest of the team.

 

[teach]

The first Bledisloe test will be a good indication of how they are going. Looking forward to that one.