Sparky's team (asuming Goodhue injured)

Moody
Coles
Laulala
Whitelock
Romano
Savea
Cane
Read
Smith
Mo'unga
Ioane
Laumape
ALB
Havili (Bridge if he can't be drafted in)
B Barrett
Taylor, Ofa T, Franks, Patrick T, Jacobson, TJP, SBW, Bridge or Ennor

@sparky if you drafted in Romano why not Havili too...

@No-Quarter a lot to like about that. If we adjust our tactics what do we do with the front row. Not mobile, poor hands, passive on ruck d (team issue) but good at scrum time? We have to hope that these guys will get better.

Absolute Do or Die game this one. Time for the team to deliver and show that holding on to a cup that New Zealand have held since 2002 matters to this side and their management.

@kev said in Bledisloe #2:

@No-Quarter a lot to like about that. If we adjust our tactics what do we do with the front row. Not mobile, poor hands, passive on ruck d (team issue) but good at scrum time? We have to hope that these guys will get better.

There’s no easy answer at prop. Moody has been disappointing as he has been good with ball in hand in the past but that part of his game has dropped away. Franks has never been a ball runner. I’m no expert in the dark arts but I’d lean towards someone that can offer more with ball in hand as we need to be making more inroads up the middle.

@No-Quarter Yep spot on if we go that way we have impact from the bench which will be devastating.We badly need a hard hitting ball carrier at 6.

A lot of it is mindset. No more fancy throw it wide stuff. Concentrate on hammering the aussies up the guts and choking them to death. Then we can swing it wide

@canefan said in Bledisloe #2:

A lot of it is mindset. No more fancy throw it wide stuff. Concentrate on hammering the aussies up the guts and choking them to death. Then we can swing it wide

Sounds similar to the U10's coaching manual, perhaps we could get a copy to Foster and co.

@sparky Like your team for the most part. Only changes I would make to it is to bring in Ennor for Havili (need pace on the wing) and a bigger blindside for Ardie. Maybe Squire gets the nod but fuck we are lacking options there. Will start Cane due to his physicality on defence, and bring Ardie off the bench early in the 2nd half.

@No-Quarter said in Bledisloe #2:

Thoughts?

What you said.

@Yeetyaah said in Bledisloe #2:

Ah okay. I thought it'd be points difference or something. Cheers fellas.

It comes down to how many boundaries hit

@Duluth Laumape to 12 and ALB to 13.

@Yeetyaah said in Bledisloe #2:

@Duluth Laumape to 12 and ALB to 13.

Laumape had a very good game last night, he's earned a chance. I wonder if Hansen will channel his inner Gary Stead and pick Sonny

@Duluth Hopefully it's a grade 1 strain only, we can't afford to lose anymore of our starting 15 to injury.

@canefan said in Bledisloe #2:

@Yeetyaah said in Bledisloe #2:

@Duluth Laumape to 12 and ALB to 13.

Laumape had a very good game last night, he's earned a chance. I wonder if Hansen will channel his inner Gary Stead and pick Sonny

I thought he was as average as everyone else and he really needed to play his hard and straight bashing style and didn't.

@Nepia said in Bledisloe #2:

@canefan said in Bledisloe #2:

@Yeetyaah said in Bledisloe #2:

@Duluth Laumape to 12 and ALB to 13.

Laumape had a very good game last night, he's earned a chance. I wonder if Hansen will channel his inner Gary Stead and pick Sonny

I thought he was as average as everyone else and he really needed to play his hard and straight bashing style and didn't.

At least he fronted up on D at a time when we were leaking like a sieve. Shag knows what he gets with Sonny. At the same time I can see him playing Sonny if he is the more solid option in a game we really want to win

@canefan said in Bledisloe #2:

@Nepia said in Bledisloe #2:

@canefan said in Bledisloe #2:

@Yeetyaah said in Bledisloe #2:

@Duluth Laumape to 12 and ALB to 13.

Laumape had a very good game last night, he's earned a chance. I wonder if Hansen will channel his inner Gary Stead and pick Sonny

I thought he was as average as everyone else and he really needed to play his hard and straight bashing style and didn't.

At least he fronted up on D at a time when we were leaking like a sieve. Shag knows what he gets with Sonny. At the same time I can see him playing Sonny if he is the more solid option in a game we really want to win

Agree with that.

@Billy-Tell said in [Bledisloe #2]

We've lost to Australia and still done fine in the RWC (2011, 2015). We've also thrashed Australia and got knocked out of the RWC (2003). I'm all for not showing a complete hand, but winning with a little bit of style would be reassuring, given our only other match before SA in Japan is Tonga.

The year in question is 1991. That's what it looks like to me. A tiring team, and coaches without a clue about how to arrest the slide.

So we'll scrape a win, and the over-optimistic will think we're back on track.

There was always going to be a drop off from the 2015 team. On current evidence it appears that the coaches have not been able to adequately plug the gaps