@bovidae said in All Blacks vs Springboks I:

To be fair to the writer, Ennor will be thrown a start soon. In DC.

Could be right. It's harsh but he's a sympathy selection to be fair. His original selection was fair enough given what was around but now he's being given chances because his injuries weren't his fault.
We currently have 4 good midfielders and a proven excellent one waiting to come back. I'm kind of not even sure why Ennor is in the squad tbh.

@crucial said in All Blacks vs Springboks I:

@bovidae said in All Blacks vs Springboks I:

To be fair to the writer, Ennor will be thrown a start soon. In DC.

Could be right. It's harsh but he's a sympathy selection to be fair. His original selection was fair enough given what was around but now he's being given chances because his injuries weren't his fault.
We currently have 4 good midfielders and a proven excellent one waiting to come back. I'm kind of not even sure why Ennor is in the squad tbh.

The MF is going so well even Goodhue is going to find it hard to get back up the pecking order

@crucial guess he looked better than Donald did in the 2011 RWC Final...

@tim said in All Blacks vs Springboks I:

View embedded content

I think it's clear if ALB isn't 100%, Rieko starts at centre. Which means Bridge on the left wing.

I expect it will be Ardie, Akira and Paps to start the first test.

I also think starting with Samisoni would be good too.

given the flack Bridge gets is there the appetite for Reece at 11 and Jordan at 14?

@crucial Agree with you. My comment was also about where Ennor is in the pecking order of midfielders. USA and Italy will probably be his only tests.

having watched teh last two Bok tests it would be an enormously stupid error to pick an inferior all-round player just to negate one part of what the opposition does, and not look to making more of what we do well.

I wouldn't have Bridge in the 23, he is unnecessary.

@mariner4life said in All Blacks vs Springboks I:

having watched teh last two Bok tests it would be an enormously stupid error to pick an inferior all-round player just to negate one part of what the opposition does, and not look to making more of what we do well.

I wouldn't have Bridge in the 23, he is unnecessary.

Cough* 2019 SF Cough*

@mariner4life
Bridge has been safe but far too pedestrian on attack. And if history is anything to go by, these games are decided by the one opportunity taken or not taken......

@old-samurai-jack said in All Blacks vs Springboks I:

@mariner4life
Bridge has been safe but far too pedestrian on attack. And if history is anything to go by, these games are decided by the one opportunity taken or not taken......

i think i get what your saying, you cant win without scoring, little point stopping them scoring if we dont ourselves, i'd like to think we have enough firepower elsewhere but im just not 100% that Fozzie will change the gameplan to attack where....id be concerned we'd see Bridge just trying to do crash balls all night again or not having the speed to get around his mark

@canefan said in All Blacks vs Springboks I:

@mariner4life said in All Blacks vs Springboks I:

having watched teh last two Bok tests it would be an enormously stupid error to pick an inferior all-round player just to negate one part of what the opposition does, and not look to making more of what we do well.

I wouldn't have Bridge in the 23, he is unnecessary.

Cough* 2019 SF Cough*

Maybe we could try a Barrett at 6 as well?

@crucial said in All Blacks vs Springboks I:

@canefan said in All Blacks vs Springboks I:

@mariner4life said in All Blacks vs Springboks I:

having watched teh last two Bok tests it would be an enormously stupid error to pick an inferior all-round player just to negate one part of what the opposition does, and not look to making more of what we do well.

I wouldn't have Bridge in the 23, he is unnecessary.

Cough* 2019 SF Cough*

Maybe we could try a Barrett at 6 as well?

That one sentence is enough to trigger most of the fern.

@mariner4life said in All Blacks vs Springboks I:

having watched teh last two Bok tests it would be an enormously stupid error to pick an inferior all-round player just to negate one part of what the opposition does, and not look to making more of what we do well.

I wouldn't have Bridge in the 23, he is unnecessary.

We have a team full of finishers. We want someone who can create the opportunities.

I suspect that South Africa will give it everything in the first 40 - the breakdown battle will be brutal. ABs will power away in 3rd quarter though.

Retallick is back to being a beast, and S Barrett is in career best form, so I'm feeling confident despite missing Whitelock.

@crucial said in All Blacks vs Springboks I:

@canefan said in All Blacks vs Springboks I:

@mariner4life said in All Blacks vs Springboks I:

having watched teh last two Bok tests it would be an enormously stupid error to pick an inferior all-round player just to negate one part of what the opposition does, and not look to making more of what we do well.

I wouldn't have Bridge in the 23, he is unnecessary.

Cough* 2019 SF Cough*

Maybe we could try a Barrett at 6 as well?

@antipodean said in All Blacks vs Springboks I:

@mariner4life said in All Blacks vs Springboks I:

having watched teh last two Bok tests it would be an enormously stupid error to pick an inferior all-round player just to negate one part of what the opposition does, and not look to making more of what we do well.

I wouldn't have Bridge in the 23, he is unnecessary.

We have a team full of finishers. We want someone who can create the opportunities.

well put, i really do miss people like B & C smith (and obviously others), sure they finished a lot themselves but i most fondly remember them just making those breaks/half beaks that then had two or three other feed off and finish

@taniwharugby said in All Blacks vs Springboks I:

@crucial guess he looked better than Donald did in the 2011 RWC Final...

One of the all-time great AB moments: AB's in a dog-fight, nerves starting to get the best of them and on comes The Duck, shirt several sizes too small, for a penalty and says to McCaw "just give me the fucking ball".

Calmest dude on the pitch.

@mn5 said in All Blacks vs Springboks I:

@crucial said in All Blacks vs Springboks I:

@canefan said in All Blacks vs Springboks I:

@mariner4life said in All Blacks vs Springboks I:

having watched teh last two Bok tests it would be an enormously stupid error to pick an inferior all-round player just to negate one part of what the opposition does, and not look to making more of what we do well.

I wouldn't have Bridge in the 23, he is unnecessary.

Cough* 2019 SF Cough*

Maybe we could try a Barrett at 6 as well?

That one sentence is enough to trigger most of the fern.

I'm now wondering who the non triggered are. Surely even the Cantabs wouldn't want him at 6?