New Zealand Rugby Team Watch

[waiopehu oldboy]

( Although the AB selectors have historically been hesitant with raw young brotown forward selection choices, usually theyve plumped for the safe white Cantab option haha)
Especially when the Cantab option is another North Island boy that Sadists have pinched
Actually hearing a little bit about another 2 Barrett boys coming through as well, one is a 12, not sure about other.

"Pinched" is such an ugly word. I like to think of it as giving wide-eyed country boys (e.g. Norm Maxwell, Barrett the younger) & potentially psycho big city boys (e.g. Ron Cribb) the opportunity to be the best rugby player they can possibly be while keeping them safe from the temptations of South Central Onehunga & threat of exile to Pitcairn if their career crashes & burns .

And it's not all one way, Brodie Retallick is a Christchurch College Old Boy & if push comes to shove I'm sure I'd be able to find a few others who've gone North.

 

[Dismal Pillock]

re: back 3 for Wales series, starting to hope they bench J.Savea to give him a rocket.

Ben Smith & Naholo to wings.

Platoon 15 out to Barrett, Dagg and D.Mckenzie. See what they've got. 3 tests, 1 start each.

 

[saulityvi]

D-Mac is just too error prone at the moment to be considered a start in Black, plus he is 12 years old, which should rule him out as he still has to attend elementary school and thus will miss too many training sessions at ab camp.

If, IF they drop Savea, it will be a two-way horse race for Barret and Dagg for the 15 jumper as Ben of the Smiths slide onto wing. With the strike rate of Julian Savea, I just cant see them dropping him.

Midfield selections might still also be interesting, will Ngatai start @12? Has Crotty got enough loyaltypoints to warrant a start? If he starts is it @12 or 13? Is Fekitoa on the bench? Moala should propably be on the wing talks at this point if at all.

Personally I think the best option would be

10. Cruden
11. Naholo
12. Ngatai
13. Crotty
14. Smith
15. Dagg

22. Fekitoa
23. Barret

If Sopoaga doesnt start he misses out, same goes for Cruden, but he has the front running at this point.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

At this point I think they see Crotty as a 12, Fekitoa a 13 & Ngatai the guy who can cover both. Impressive as Naholo has been, I think they'll stick with the tried & true two fullback system which means it can't be Naholo & Savea starting:

10. Cruden
11. Savea
12. Crotty
13. Fekitoa
14. Smith
15. Dagg

22. Ngatai
23. Barrett

 

[Dismal Pillock]

Tamanivalu sounds to be on the AB radar. Went off crook tonight though, coupled with Ngatai's concussion issues, if Fekitoa and Crotty go down too, I'm pretty much expecting the call myself from Mr Hansen.

Nathan Harris an AB with just 10 super rugby appearances? Thats when you know youre highly regarded, AB coaches say righto, we've seen enough, you're in. Inside 10 appearances

slightly in the shit tonight vs the Rebels though

The Front Rowers Club Masonry Ledger
Player: Nathan Harris.
Crime: excessively vocal try-scoring celebration.
Punishment: forbidden from try-scoring activities for next 10 seasons.

 

[saulityvi]

At some point this season Ngatai is going to get a start in black and he will nail it down. He just shines class every time he touches the ball, even the All Blacks cant afford to keep him on the bench for too long, barring injury of course, which he seems to have a lot.

With almost every other tier-1 nation at some kind of transtition period this year, NZ might very well play a clean season. Their strength in depth will be too much for Aussies&Saffers in the RC and Bled and on the EOYT, they will throw caps for the likes of A Savea, Ioane brothers and DmCK, northeners wont see what hit them.

 

[zer0]

Ben from Accounts has been named as vice captain.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/...med-as-all-blacks-vicecaptain-for-2016-season

More interestingly, in an article dedicated to discussing the leadership group, there's no mention of Sam Cane. Perhaps an indication that his position as the openside elect is not as concrete as some have thought?

 

[Dan54]

Or maybe the reporter just f***ed up, he still very much in leadership group I think you will find, it doesn't get changed that easily.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Herald of Doom reporting that SBW will this week sign with NZRU through to 2019 RWC.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11646825

 

[Dan54]

Yep, was just going to post same thing WOB, be inerested to see if it is true.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

^^^^^^^^^^^^ I doubt they'd tip GP off if it weren't. When it's made official I'm expecting to see a sabbatical from NZ rugby for a season in Japan and/ or time out to do some boxing, maybe even have go at 7's World Cup if Rio doesn't end well.

 

[Viking]

Ben from Accounts has been named as vice captain.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/...med-as-all-blacks-vicecaptain-for-2016-season

More interestingly, in an article dedicated to discussing the leadership group, there's no mention of Sam Cane. Perhaps an indication that his position as the openside elect is not as concrete as some have thought?

A. Savea > Cane.
Savea is so dynamic. I recall he outplayed Pocock in both Brumbies V Hurricanes games last year. Can't believe they didn't pick him for RWC15.
I hope they continue to pick Cane. He is over-rated, as least compared to our sevens.

 

[Dan54]

geez Seb, I more than happy for ABs to pick Cane, give me a 7 who works his arse off any day, mind you why I such a fan of Savea's too, great workrate, don't judge players by who look good on TV mate, bloody sure the likes of Hansen or Cheika would bother doing that!

 

[Viking]

geez Seb, I more than happy for ABs to pick Cane, give me a 7 who works his arse off any day, mind you why I such a fan of Savea's too, great workrate, don't judge players by who look good on TV mate, bloody sure the likes of Hansen or Cheika would bother doing that!

A seven who works his arse off - like Pocock, Hooper, Gill, Hodgeson, McMahon. Cane who probably be in the middle of these guys if ranked by impact and workrate. I don't disagree he is not Test standard but I don't think he is anywhere near a future AB Captain like he has been hyped to be. I'd happily take our 3rd choice 7 Gill over him and Hansen probably would too.

I'm not judging Savea on his highlights reel. I'm judging him from the 2 games I saw last year where he outplayed Pocock,. He was dynamic around the field and effective at the breakdown.

I haven't watched a lot of him, but I'm guessing from your comments he isn't so consistent or effective in the majority of other games?

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Ben from Accounts has been named as vice captain.

Is that an accepted nickname or did you coin it?
Either way it sums him up in every respect except what he does inside the white lines.

 

[zer0]

Is that an accepted nickname or did you coin it?
Either way it sums him up in every respect except what he does inside the white lines.

No, no. It was coined by the The Alternative Commentary Collective (NZ radio guys who do great ODI radio commentary), and has since become his nom de plume.

To make it even better he's readily embraced it.

 

[Dan54]

Oh hell Seb, don't get me wrong I think Savea is a brilliant 7, and I think perhaps going to be a great of the game, but I was really responding to your comment that Canes is overated, I rate him pretty highly is all, but would not have any problem with Savea being picked ahead of him. Hell would help me to look good, I was saying I thought Savea was going to be a top 7 after I saw him play a game at Wellington college, because he does exactly what I want in workrate etc. I would actually maybe not thing all the 7s you named don't really do the hard yakka 100% of the time anyway. I also have great faith in Shag as a coach to select the right player on all the skills he wants to complement the teams tactics, as I would Cheika for the Wallabies. And I would add, I not sure he ever been touted as an All Black captain on a permanent basis, well I never heard anyone who is in the know say anything like that.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

No, no. It was coined by the The Alternative Commentary Collective (NZ radio guys who do great ODI radio commentary), and has since become his nom de plume.

To make it even better he's readily embraced it.

Racing rugby and beer.
Good name!

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Looks like SBW will be a Blue next year:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/...as-sonny-bill-williams-set-to-sign-with-blues

No surprise given SBW's history with Tana at Toulon & more recently Counties-Manukau. I wonder what @Dismal will make of it?

 

[Dan54]

Well SBW all confirmed, reckons he decided after World Cup he was staying, and he wanting to be in Auckland to be near his family. All in all, good a little more depth staying in NZ rugby.