New Zealand Rugby Team Watch

[Brumby Runner]

I'm with WOB. I think Goodhue is a natural No 12 and the best going round in NZ and ALB is a better No 13. I think I'd have to shoe-horn Lam in there too.

After the way the Brumbies handled DMac so that he looked light a rabbit caught in headlights, I'd be very happy to see him in the ABs against the Wallabies.

 

[KiwiM]

I'm with WOB. I think Goodhue is a natural No 12 and the best going round in NZ and ALB is a better No 13. I think I'd have to shoe-horn Lam in there too.

Lam is no chance of being an AB - he's 28 years old and just signed for France next season. He's also goes missing way too often in big games.

Telea is someone who is putting his hand up but one area where he really needs work is under the high ball - Crusaders and Canes both put him under pressure big time in that aspect.

Rieko had a very encouraging display at 13 on Saturday. He's certainly looking far more like his old self so far this season which is good.

 

[eastman]

I'm with WOB. I think Goodhue is a natural No 12 and the best going round in NZ and ALB is a better No 13. I think I'd have to shoe-horn Lam in there too.



After the way the Brumbies handled DMac so that he looked light a rabbit caught in headlights, I'd be very happy to see him in the ABs against the Wallabies.

So one average game for the Chiefs and we forget about the occasions where DMac has absolutely run rings around us in Test and Super Rugby. NZ are lucky they have the luxury of having so many options- DMac would walk into the Wallaby team.

 

[Dan54]

My preference would be:
9. Smith
10. Mo'unga
11. Rieko if he gets his shit together, Bridge if he doesn't
12. Goodhue
13. AL-B
14. Reece
15. Beaugan

21. TJP
22. Laumape
23. DMac

That would be close WOB, but Ioane hasn't even played more than 1 game at 11 since being dropped, he got a bit to do as yet.
Think Weber be close to getting reserve 9 spot to

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Brad Weber has quietly re-signed, but only for 2021:

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby...-weber-quietly-resigns-with-new-zealand-rugby

I'm thinking he's thinking that either ASmith (31) or TJP (28 so less likely) will announce a move North sometime next year, thereby increasing Weber's value to NZR. Or if neither heads North Weber, who'll be 30 by then, will.

 

[Rugby Head]

Does anyone else agree that Du'Plessis Kirifi isn’t supporting his body weight 9/10 whenever he goes for a pilfer? To me, he has his elbows on the floor or knees resting on the tackled player every time.

 

[Braveheart81]

NZRU's shares in Sky NZ are worth $16m less than when they signed the deal.

 

[Dan54]

Does anyone else agree that Du'Plessis Kirifi isn’t supporting his body weight 9/10 whenever he goes for a pilfer? To me, he has his elbows on the floor or knees resting on the tackled player every time.

haha almost like he learnt of Pocock isn't it?? But you right I do wonder......

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby...-announces-a-20-per-cent-cut-across-the-board

TLDR: All NZR staff incl Board & AB management group taking a 40% pay cut for three months initially after which it'll be reviewed; negotiations with RUPA re: what cut the players will take still in progress (I'd advise RUPA to get it done quickly, pretty much everyone in the country is looking at a minimum 20% pay cut & will be mightily pissed off if the players aren't seen to be sharing the pain); each Super Rugby franchise will be granted $250K to keep the lights on.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Clan first to bite the bullet with 30% pay cuts across the board:

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=12322420

CruSadists likely to be next & haven't ruled out redundancies as well:

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby...ey-dig-deep-to-survive-the-coronavirus-crisis

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

David Havili has had a chunk of his bowel removed.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby...-havili-had-20cm-infection-removed-from-bowel

Had a similar but less-serious issue when aged six so I'm guessing they're related.

 

[Dismal Pillock]

Three weeks after surgery, he trained for the first time, albeit lightly, before he managed a jog around the block last week.​

Unnamed Ex-Auckland Blues Assistant Coach Bans All Canterbury Rugby Players From Physical Exercise.

--NZ Herald--

In the face of Crusader rugby players persisting in ignoring the nationwide lockdown rules, an unnamed ex-Auckland Blues assistant coach has taken the unprecedented step of banning all Canterbury rugby players from any form of physical exercise whatsoever "until it's safe".

​

"Yeah look, none of us wanted it to come to this but the Cantabs just continue to keep flouting the nationwide lockdown rules don't they? The only real recourse we have left is to ban all Cantab rugby representatives from any physical activity until the virus has been completely and utterly 100% eradicated worldwide. How long will that take? Look, I'm no ephemeralogist. Although, as a safety precaution, I have had a word with the local SAS lads and they've been issued shoot-on-sight orders. Yes, I provided the SAS lads with detailed resume mugshots of the 23 or so targets I mean likely offenders. Look, there's nothing more I can do about it now, it's out of my hands, no more questions."

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

AB's about to accept a 10% cut to their base salary & forgo bonuses, including assembly fees ($7,500 per player per week, I think, so well over a $3Mn saving assuming 28 players assemble for 14 matches plus two to four camps), and any provincial veteran bonus (not sure how many qualify, nor what the kind of $ we're talking about on that one).

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby...cks-stars-to-take-10-per-cent-pay-cut--report

 

[Dan54]

I know it not really NZ team talk, but wonder did anyone watch the Gatland interview on Breakdown the other night? I know I a bloody rugby tragic , but I was absorbed from beginning to end, even wife commented how interesting it seemed to be, mind you maybe because she could see how much I enjoyed it!

 

[zer0]

So Rugby Pass have selected hypothetical North and South Island teams.

Though it seems to be selected by birthplace, which really handicaps the South Island. See, for instance, some of the better players not in the North Island squad:

Vince Aso
Asafo Aumua
Otere Black
Lachlan Boshier
Caleb Clarke
Braydon Ennor
Gareth Evans
TJ Faiane
Blake Gibson
Akira Ioane
Josh Ioane
Du'Plessis Kirifi
Tom Robinson
Hoskins Sotutu
Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi
Tanielu Tele’a
Brad Weber

Meanwhile, the South Island team is one injury away from having Brett Cameron on the field.

 

[Dan54]

Geez that a couple of reasonable team right there zer0.

 

[zer0]

It has been brought to my attention that Brett Cameron is not a Cantab but is, in truth, from Whanganui.

On the one hand, it disappoints me that he isn't a genuine Canterbury born and raised wet fart of a first five. On the other hand, that is a Blues level recruitment oopsie from the Cantabs and Crusaders, so that makes me feel good. Perhaps better than before, even.

 

[Dan54]

Well seems the big players take the big paycut , and they actually get involved in trying to get comp up and running, I did enjoy reading this and pretty pleased with them!!
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby...shoulder-the-load-when-pay-cuts-are-announced

 

[Dan54]

Also on the players getting pretty organised with working out comp formats, watching Breakdown and Sam Cane was on it (well from home) and when they talked of the idea of ABs playing provincial rugby his eyes lit up , saying yep I a Blue and Yellow man through and through, it did occur to me how excited some of these players are at the thought of getting back to their provinces, Aaron Smith was the same a couple of weeks back!

 

[Dismal Pillock]

his eyes lit up

putting my amateur shrink nonce cap on I wonder how much of it is their hero ego missing the roar of the crowd? Or what was left of soup crowds. Without the constant training keyed in on an upcoming weekend of public adulation and roaring celebrations of their feats, their brains are missing that adrenaline rush and dopamine fix, thus its starting to dawn on them that without rugby they're just regular joes, stuck behind the walls like the rest of us, and some with a decidedly afterdavid real world skill set at that.

OK shitheads, that'll be $50, you can pop your pants back on now.