New Zealand Rugby Team Watch

[ChargerWA]

 

[FrankLind]

Barring injury, Hansen will start them both come the knockout matches. He pretty much has to. He's selected Naholo whilst being unfit, and has said this about him:

"What are the rewards of taking Waisake? Well, he is a try-scoring machine, he has X-factor and he brings something to the team that others in the group don't bring. ... We can't win this World Cup by just having the ordinary, we have got to have something different and he (Naholo) provides that."

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/...winger-waisake-naholo-for-the-rugby-world-cup

Justifying his selection in that manner and then not playing him in the major matches would be odd -- to say the least -- and should rightfully lead to some questions over his selections. Though I wouldn't hold out much hope of that happening.

Bloody hard on Milner-Skudder though isn't it.
And I doubt there will be room for him on the reserves bench.

 

[qwerty51]

I saw a snippet on Fox Sports News of a Hansen press conference, it appears he was asked a question on Australia's "two team" idea and Hansen said he didn't like it because it would be disrespectful to Argentina.. I don't understand that at all although wasn't given full context.

 

[Hawko]

Bloody hard on Milner-Skudder though isn't it.
And I doubt there will be room for him on the reserves bench.

Why so on Milner-Skudder? Savea is the player on very thin ice. His defence is poor and he is the player most like Naholo. Smith and Milner-Skudder will take the dual fullbacks role and Naholo will be the try scoring machine. You heard it here first!

 

[FrankLind]

Why so on Milner-Skudder? Savea is the player on very thin ice. His defence is poor and he is the player most like Naholo. Smith and Milner-Skudder will take the dual fullbacks role and Naholo will be the try scoring machine. You heard it here first!

Agreed with Savea being the least in form.
Problem is, neither NMS or Naholo have ever played left wing (to my knowledge) I want one of them to put pressure on him, but feel Hansen is really going to let Savea play himself into form (if possible)

 

[Viking]

Agreed with Savea being the least in form.
Problem is, neither NMS or Naholo have ever played left wing (to my knowledge) I want one of them to put pressure on him, but feel Hansen is really going to let Savea play himself into form (if possible)

Shouldn't be hard to play him into form. You'd expect a player like Savea to absolutely calve up Tonga, Georgia and Namibia.

 

[zer0]

Shouldn't be hard to play him into form. You'd expect a player like Savea to absolutely calve up Tonga, Georgia and Namibia.

True. It could become a bit of a moo-ssacre.

 

[ltsurge]

Hika Elliot has well and truly fallen foul of the no dickheads policy.

You're absoutly right there. Just had to say somewhere, there are rumours around that the All Blacks have a 'no dickheads' policy, and that some players who may have the ability to be in the squad get cast aside due to their attitude. We have all seen Hika Elliot do the damage at ITM cup and Super rugby level the last few years and it has been a head scratcher that guys like Nathan Harris, James Parsons and recently Codie Taylor have leapfrogged in over him, also, curiously, no ITM cup team was willing to touch him. Tonight i have witnessed why this is personally.

There was an incident in town where someone tapped the top of Hika Elliots bottle of beer causing it to overflow and spray everywhere, it was spilling over him so he moved the bottle off him over to the guy next to him. That guy then in a joking manner responded saying 'piss off with your beer mate you're getting it all over me' and pushed the bottle away, Hika then moved the bottle back over the bloke and said 'fuck off c'nt its not my fault'. A bit of a tug of war resulted and things got heated, it lead to Hika threatening the guy, who had really done nothing except sit next to Hika. The blokes girlfriend stepped in and said Hika had started this by taking his beer and moving it so it sprayed all over the guy next to him, Hika replied by saying that the woman was a piece of shit and that she could get fucked too. A bit of a disagreement obviously unfolded and some of the cooler heads from the Taranaki squad got Hika out of there before anything more serious kicked off.

As a fan of Hika Elliot the player, it was just such a disappointing scene to witness. Hika displayed the whole package of an entitled, arrogant person who was grievously offended by anyone calling him out on his bullshit behavior. Anyone with that attitude can not last long as an All Black and if you're wondering why he isn't there, the no dickheads policy is why.

 

[Dismal Pillock]

nice pisstake article http://www.nzherald.co.nz/rugby/news/article.cfm?c_id=80&objectid=11524835

so relieved Hansen says theyve just been fuckin around in the long grass all this time. Load off my mind, all those balls dropped, shuntings into touch, gainline capitulations, flubbed high balls, allll just part of the grandiose master plan. Dont want to show their hand too early, come the quarter theyll just throw the magic beans dry powder magic switch and everything will click like a big ol' mutherfucker

how about the fans who paid thousands for the pool matches, just to be treated to some insulting match simulation training run blocks, no insult to the opposition or the fans there, thanks for feeding the wage bill for 31 players and 78 hangers-on, suckers.

so relieved the shit play has all been on purpose though, casts the performances to date in a whole new light

Owen Franks. crap. doesnt want to peak too early
Tony Woodcock. one big lost pudding. ready to hit the peak meter at the stroke of midnight come quarter final day
Brodie Retallick anaemic faery saving his best for quarter final. pass the peak meter switch please he says
Richie McCaw 6th best openside at cup. G.O.A.T
Jerome Kaino, utterly ineffectual. just lying in wait
Kieran Read zero impact. all a cunning ruse
Dan Carter ran once in whole tourney saving legs to injure them during quarter final
Conrad Smith. not much going on at all. he's a lawyer. you'll never know.
Julian Savea bundled into touch like its his first fuckin rodeo just checking where touchlines are, for future reference, so he knows where they are during quarter final
Ben Smith the gaps have dried up. saving seeing the gaps for quarter final, to conserve gap-seeing eye power until needed during quarter final

 

[Braveheart81]

http://airnzwakeupcall.com/

This is an awesome idea.

You can get a wake up call either 30 minutes or 10 minutes before the match.

I wonder if it's a voicemail from Richie telling you to roll out of bed and onto the couch?

 

[zer0]

Wayne Barnes would be better. "Roll away Black 7 out of bed you lazy b@$tard". It'll both wake you up, and get you in the proper mood to abuse the TV during the match.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Luke Whitelock heading to the Clan, Tim Boys heading t'other way:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/...usaders-lose-luke-whitelock-but-gain-tim-boys

Gonna be weird watching them in each other's colours next year but upside is least they're not chasing the € or ¥.

 

[Teh Other Dave]

http://airnzwakeupcall.com/

This is an awesome idea.

You can get a wake up call either 30 minutes or 10 minutes before the match.

I wonder if it's a voicemail from Richie telling you to roll out of bed and onto the couch?

To get out of bed at 0750 Auckland time? Really?

 

[mst]

Its a catchy idea! So one early AM the missus phone goes off just before the alarm, I am like WTF, and she is giggling to herself sat up in bed listening to Crockett, Savea and Sir Ritchie..........she also muttered something about if it was Dan he could ring and wake her any morning ......

Apparently I don't need to set an alarm for the semi!

 

[Braveheart81]

To get out of bed at 0750 Auckland time? Really?

Well, not all the All Blacks games have been at that time. The service is available for all matches too if you want it.

It's obviously a gimick but it's a pretty good idea in my opinion.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Hard to be cross with The Darkness for too long when their players (and Coach) conduct themselves like this.

Better Men make Better Rugby Players. Just another reason to love Rugby.

 

[zer0]

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Foster & Cron staying on until the Lions have toured in 2017:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/...cron-resign-with-new-zealand-rugby-until-2017

Also Sopoaga until end of 2018:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/...sopoaga-commits-to-the-highlanders-until-2018

Meanwhile Tanerau Latimer is returning home to hook up with the Blues:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/...osts-blues-stocks-for-2016-super-rugby-season

Lastly, the GOAT will officially announce his retirement on Thursday:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/...chie-mccaw-to-announce-retirement-on-thursday

Probably be knighted at New Years if his #1 fanboy, PM John Key, has anything to do with it.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

As expected, 2016 will be Todd Blackadder's eighth & final season as CruSadists coach:

http://www.planetrugby.com/news/blackadder-to-quit-crusaders-after-2016/

Don't think he's in the mix for AB setup just yet so expect he'll head back to UK.

 

[Highlander35]

Schmidt-Cotter pairing come 2017, or Gatland, or promote from within?