I kind of think some of the guys most affected will want to play. Not sure if that is good or bad.
Anyway, saw somewhere suggestion that Lord will debut.
Sam W is skip for the tour as well I see.
So Lord to start with Sam? Vaa'i on the bench would be my pick.
Not going too much deeper into selection options. I'll leave that to you experts.
Vaa'i is going to be on the bench for Wales and France so needs a decent hitout against the USA. I am expecting him to start with Whitelock and Lord to get 20 mins off the bench. It seems BBBR will be one of the players heading to Cardiff early.
@stargazer said in All Blacks vs USA:
is there anything more 2021 than an announcement of a pending announcement?
@mariner4life They read the Fern and notice the insecurity and stress some Ferners are suffering from if they don't know the exact time and date of the announcement.
@stargazer said in All Blacks vs USA:
@mariner4life They read the Fern and notice the insecurity and stress some Ferners are suffering from if they don't know the exact time and date of the announcement.
we could wheel out Hawkes Bay B and horsewhip the US, who gives a fuck?
@mariner4life said in All Blacks vs USA:
@stargazer said in All Blacks vs USA:
is there anything more 2021 than an announcement of a pending announcement?
Somewhere Aunt Cindy is shaking her head at them releasing too much information in their announcement announcement.
Any other ideas on team? This is what we had from another thread
Ethan DeGroot
Samisoni Taukei’aho
Tyrel Lomax
Sam Whitelock
Tupou Vaa’i
Ethan Blackadder
Sam Cane
Hoskins Sotutu
Finlay Christie
Richie Mounga
George Bridge
Quinn Tupaea
Braydon Ennor
Will Jordan
Damian McKenzie
Dane Coles
Karl Tu’inukuafe
Angus Ta'avao
Josh Lord
Shannon Frizell
Brad Weber
Rieko Ioane/ALB/Havili
Sevu Reece
Could obviously swap some reserves/starters around (eg Coles/Samisoni and Frizzell/Blackadder).
Havent thought through the combos they may like to try at stages of the game either which could dictate bench strategy. eg does DMac start and move to 10 and maybe Jordan shifts to 15?
Papalii is fit again so he might start at 6 with Cane and Sotutu. Frizell to be the other loose forward in the 23.
@bovidae said in All Blacks vs USA:
Papalii is fit again so he might start at 6 with Cane and Sotutu. Frizell to be the other loose forward in the 23.
Good call.
@machpants said in All Blacks vs USA:
Frizzle has an injury, dunno if he'll be alright.
Waste of space.
Playing teams like the USA should be treated like mid-weekers. No one should get a Test cap for this "demonstration effort".
@antipodean said in All Blacks vs USA:
Playing teams like the USA should be treated like mid-weekers. No one should get a Test cap for this "demonstration effort".
Disagree. That is like the insults NZ Cricket used to get for decades.
Just because you aren't a top tier test team doesn't mean you don't deserve to play tests.
That's the point. You are testing yourselves against another team. That's how you get better and just one reason why the ABs won't be playing a 'demonstration'.
In fact those playing need to show they are worthy of the jersey they are wearing.
We have had plenty of touring players disappear from future squads after playing second tier teams.
Frank Halai, Francis Saili and Dom Bird would all agree that you need to show test qualities against 'lesser' teams and not treat them as 'exhibitions'.
@crucial said in All Blacks vs USA:
@antipodean said in All Blacks vs USA:
Playing teams like the USA should be treated like mid-weekers. No one should get a Test cap for this "demonstration effort".
Disagree. That is like the insults NZ Cricket used to get for decades.
Just because you aren't a top tier test team doesn't mean you don't deserve to play tests.
Of course they can, amongst their tier.
That's the point. You are testing yourselves against another team. That's how you get better and just one reason why the ABs won't be playing a 'demonstration'.
It is a demonstration. They lost to Uruguay.
In fact those playing need to show they are worthy of the jersey they are wearing.
Like they used to do in mid-weekers? USA are so bad, there's no way we're going to learn anything new about players. An opposed training run would provide more structure.
@antipodean said in All Blacks vs USA:
@crucial said in All Blacks vs USA:
@antipodean said in All Blacks vs USA:
Playing teams like the USA should be treated like mid-weekers. No one should get a Test cap for this "demonstration effort".
Disagree. That is like the insults NZ Cricket used to get for decades.
Just because you aren't a top tier test team doesn't mean you don't deserve to play tests.
Of course they can, amongst their tier.
That's the point. You are testing yourselves against another team. That's how you get better and just one reason why the ABs won't be playing a 'demonstration'.
It is a demonstration. They lost to Uruguay.
In fact those playing need to show they are worthy of the jersey they are wearing.
Like they used to do in mid-weekers? USA are so bad, there's no way we're going to learn anything new about players. An opposed training run would provide more structure.
South African fans probably said something like this on their version of the fern just before they lost to Japan for the first time.
@mn5 said in All Blacks vs USA:
@antipodean said in All Blacks vs USA:
@crucial said in All Blacks vs USA:
@antipodean said in All Blacks vs USA:
Playing teams like the USA should be treated like mid-weekers. No one should get a Test cap for this "demonstration effort".
Disagree. That is like the insults NZ Cricket used to get for decades.
Just because you aren't a top tier test team doesn't mean you don't deserve to play tests.
Of course they can, amongst their tier.
That's the point. You are testing yourselves against another team. That's how you get better and just one reason why the ABs won't be playing a 'demonstration'.
It is a demonstration. They lost to Uruguay.
In fact those playing need to show they are worthy of the jersey they are wearing.
Like they used to do in mid-weekers? USA are so bad, there's no way we're going to learn anything new about players. An opposed training run would provide more structure.
South African fans probably said something like this on their version of the fern just before they lost to Japan for the first time.
and im pretty sure we did before the argentina game last year, "these guys haven't played for nearly a year, probably only have 60mins in them etc"
@machpants seriously, there were already big question marks around him being in the team...and we've still taken him even though he had an injury before leaving?
@kiwiwomble said in All Blacks vs USA:
@machpants seriously, there were already big question marks around him being in the team...and we've still taken him even though he had an injury before leaving?
Yeah I certainly would not have the prat anywhere near a black jersey
@machpants said in All Blacks vs USA:
@kiwiwomble said in All Blacks vs USA:
@machpants seriously, there were already big question marks around him being in the team...and we've still taken him even though he had an injury before leaving?
Yeah I certainly would not have the prat anywhere near a black jersey
Sevu Reece is in the team though, what are your thoughts on him ?
@mn5 said in All Blacks vs USA:
@machpants said in All Blacks vs USA:
@kiwiwomble said in All Blacks vs USA:
@machpants seriously, there were already big question marks around him being in the team...and we've still taken him even though he had an injury before leaving?
Yeah I certainly would not have the prat anywhere near a black jersey
Sevu Reece is in the team though, what are your thoughts on him ?
Not a fan, can add samisoni to that as well, Reece is a double: a poach and a wife beater.
@machpants said in All Blacks vs USA:
@mn5 said in All Blacks vs USA:
@machpants said in All Blacks vs USA:
@kiwiwomble said in All Blacks vs USA:
@machpants seriously, there were already big question marks around him being in the team...and we've still taken him even though he had an injury before leaving?
Yeah I certainly would not have the prat anywhere near a black jersey
Sevu Reece is in the team though, what are your thoughts on him ?
Not a fan, can add samisoni to that as well, Reece is a double: a poach and a wife beater.
Cool just checking you weren’t playing favourites 
@machpants said in All Blacks vs USA:
@mn5 said in All Blacks vs USA:
@machpants said in All Blacks vs USA:
@kiwiwomble said in All Blacks vs USA:
@machpants seriously, there were already big question marks around him being in the team...and we've still taken him even though he had an injury before leaving?
Yeah I certainly would not have the prat anywhere near a black jersey
Sevu Reece is in the team though, what are your thoughts on him ?
Not a fan, can add samisoni to that as well, Reece is a double: a poach and a wife beater.
Isn't Frizzel a double (or triple)?
@bones said in All Blacks vs USA:
@machpants said in All Blacks vs USA:
@mn5 said in All Blacks vs USA:
@machpants said in All Blacks vs USA:
@kiwiwomble said in All Blacks vs USA:
@machpants seriously, there were already big question marks around him being in the team...and we've still taken him even though he had an injury before leaving?
Yeah I certainly would not have the prat anywhere near a black jersey
Sevu Reece is in the team though, what are your thoughts on him ?
Not a fan, can add samisoni to that as well, Reece is a double: a poach and a wife beater.
Isn't Frizzel a double (or triple)?
Yup think so, at least Reece can be good!
@machpants said in All Blacks vs USA:
“The only player’s that not available is Shannon Frizell, who’s still recovering from a knock that he got..........
when the girl he hit unexpectedly punched him back.
@sparky said in All Blacks vs USA:
When did Braydon Ennor play for the ABs before?
He came off the bench in a Rugby Championship game and had played for ABs before that (vs Japan?)
@sparky said in All Blacks vs USA:
Braydon Enno
Argentina in 2019, I think. Dunno if in NZ or Argie-land.
@victor-meldrew said in All Blacks vs USA:
@sparky said in All Blacks vs USA:
Braydon Enno
Argentina in 2019, I think. Dunno if in NZ or Argie-land.
Yes, in Buenos Aires on 20 July 2019.
And most recently v Argentina on 18 September 2021 in Brisbane.
@crucial said in All Blacks vs USA:
@antipodean said in All Blacks vs USA:
Playing teams like the USA should be treated like mid-weekers. No one should get a Test cap for this "demonstration effort".
Disagree. That is like the insults NZ Cricket used to get for decades.
Just because you aren't a top tier test team doesn't mean you don't deserve to play tests.
That's the point. You are testing yourselves against another team. That's how you get better and just one reason why the ABs won't be playing a 'demonstration'.
In fact those playing need to show they are worthy of the jersey they are wearing.
We have had plenty of touring players disappear from future squads after playing second tier teams.
Absolutely spot on.
Another plus is it gives the game credibility in the US and helps it grow there.
