“Ethan is fighting fit,” Robertson said. “Holy, he’s training like he normally would. He’s at 100 and something % so he’s good to go.”

Robertson indicated that Will Jordan will feature in NPC pre-season matches for Ta$man in the coming weeks after missing this season while recovering from shoulder surgery and former national captain Sam Cane – after his return in Tauranga club rugby on Saturday – will be available for the Rugby Championship as planned.

With TJ Perenara unlikely to travel to San Diego as he nurses his knee injury, Ratima could not have done any more to state his case to start at halfback against Fiji after injecting notable speed from the base during his compelling debut off the bench.

While pleased to emerge with two tense victories over a resurgent England to start his tenure, Robertson conceded the All Blacks must swiftly improve, noting their concerning lineout issues and struggles to exit their half.

“There’s two sides to it. You’re proud of the care and desperation that’s shown. That’s the culture and connection piece. There’s been big shifts by a couple of those leaders in the last couple of weeks and cameos off the bench.

“But everyone who knows their rugby knows we can grow parts of our game and be way more efficient. I’m not sure [assistant coach] Scott Hansen slept all night. He came out of the box and said, ‘we’ll take it but we’ve got to be better’. That’s our mindset.

@Canes4life

The lineout is currently the worst performing part of the team.

It shows the folly of selecting Bell, a hooker who has major throwing issues and not up to AB standard, suddenly could be throwing into a lineout that is already misfiring

@Canes4life I’m sure someone of your intelligence can figure the positions out

@DaGrubster said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

The lineout is currently the worst performing part of the team.

Poor calling from Barrett hasn't helped. You select a tall no.6 and hardly ever throw to him, and somehow Savea is the main man.

@Bovidae

Yes, it doesnt seem to be geared up to a high % play. Again, it looks like an even greater problem if we add a misfiring thrower for 30 mins next weekend

@DaGrubster said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

@Bovidae

Yes, it doesnt seem to be geared up to a high % play. Again, it looks like an even greater problem if we add a misfiring thrower for 30 mins next weekend

Reckon Taylor is good for more than 30 minutes

@Canes4life said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

I'm hoping Billy Proctor gets a run at 13, he was the best centre in Super this year and deserves his opportunity. I would start him outside Barrett though for familiarity.

I'd also like to see Ratima start at 9, Clarke and Narawa come onto the wings and Beaudy start at fullback.

In the loose it would be cool to see a trio of Jacobsen, Blackadder and Savea with the hope of getting Savea more time to find his form. Sititi off the bench for impact and Savea to cover 7 when Blackadder goes off injured.

I'd also start Aumua at hooker and potentially bring Bell off the bench.

My 23 for Fiji would be:

1. Tu'ungafasi
2. Aumua
3. Lomax
4. Barrett
5. Va'ai
6. Jacobsen
7. Blackadder
8. Savea
9. Ratima
10. McKenzie
11. Clarke
12. Barrett
13. Proctor
14. Narawa
15. Barrett
16. Bell
17. Williams
18. Newell
19. Tuipolotu
20. Sititi
21. Christie
22. ALB
23. Reece

I woudl start Tosi and rest Lomax. But otherwise looks good

@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

With the ABs only flying out today and playing Friday night San Diego time i'd be nervous to make too many changes.

There's 2 weekends off after this game before TRC starts.

2006 in a mad moment I flew London- Sydney for the weekend (Bledisloe).
San Diego is closer ... hmm

My 23 for Snapdragon Stadium.

1 Ofa T
2 Aumua
3 Newell
4 S Barrett (c)
5 Vaii
6 Finau
7 Blackadder
8 Sititi
9 Ratima
10 DMac
11 Telea
12 J Barrett
13 Proctor
14 Narawa
15 B. Barrett

16 Bell
17 Williams
18 Tosi
19 Darry
20 Jacobson
21 Hotham
22 ALB
23 Clarke or Love

@sparky said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

My 23 for Snapdragon Stadium.

1 Ofa T
2 Aumua
3 Newell
4 S Barrett (c)
5 Vaii
6 Finau
7 Blackadder
8 Sititi
9 Ratima
10 DMac
11 Telea
12 J Barrett
13 Proctor
14 Narawa
15 B. Barrett

16 Bell
17 Williams
18 Tosi
19 Darry
20 Jacobson
21 Notham
22 ALB
23 Clarke or Love

Hoah Notham?

@Canes4life said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

I'd also like to see Ratima start at 9, Clarke and Narawa come onto the wings and Beaudy start at fullback.

I'd like Perofeta to start again to give him some more game time. I'll eat my hat if Ratima doesn't start.

@sparky said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

My 23 for Snapdragon Stadium.

1 Ofa T
2 Aumua
3 Newell
4 S Barrett (c)
5 Vaii
6 Finau
7 Blackadder
8 Sititi
9 Ratima
10 DMac
11 Telea
12 J Barrett
13 Proctor
14 Narawa
15 B. Barrett

16 Bell
17 Williams
18 Tosi
19 Darry
20 Jacobson
21 Hotham
22 ALB
23 Clarke or Love

Darry and Love are not in the squad.

@cgrant said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

@sparky said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

My 23 for Snapdragon Stadium.

1 Ofa T
2 Aumua
3 Newell
4 S Barrett (c)
5 Vaii
6 Finau
7 Blackadder
8 Sititi
9 Ratima
10 DMac
11 Telea
12 J Barrett
13 Proctor
14 Narawa
15 B. Barrett

16 Bell
17 Williams
18 Tosi
19 Darry
20 Jacobson
21 Hotham
22 ALB
23 Clarke or Love

Darry and Love are not in the squad.

1 Ofa T
2 Aumua
3 Tosi
4 S Barrett (c)
5 Vaa'i
6 Sititi
7 Blackadder
8 Savea
9 Ratima
10 DMac
11 Clarke
12 J Barrett
13 Proctor
14 Narawa
15 B. Barrett

16 Taylor
17 Williams
18 Newell
19 Finau
20 Jacobson
21 Christie
22 Ioane
23 Perofeta

Best to give newbies a start and have experience on the bench for if the going gets tough. Tosi and Aumua have played together a lot. Like to see how Sititi and RD gel together. Crusaders bench front row. Finau covering lock and 6. Rieko covers 13 and wing. Proctor can move to 12 if Jordie needs a break.

@cgrant There are training with the squad as injury cover for players who have been injured (Patty T and Caleb Clarke).

Who gives a shit which of the reserves play? This is a 50 point walk over. You could play any of the Super Rugby teams. Oh, not the Crusaders or Highlanders though.

@Tim I wouldn't pick many Blues on the bench. Not they aren't great players but to manage minutes after a huge super season and with some tough away tests to come.

@booboo said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

Original squad members that haven’t played yet:

Williams, Bell, Blackadder, Proctor, Narawa, Clarke

Expect to see all of them feature.

How is Tamaiti's little bubbs?

off regulaer. breathing by itself

@sparky said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

@cgrant There are training with the squad as injury cover for players who have been injured (Patty T and Caleb Clarke).

Yes, they are training with the squad but do not belong to the squad.

Supposedly only taking 32 players over to the states so it will be interesting to see if a senior player or 2 get rest and any of the 4 extras swap places and head over.

@DaGrubster said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

@Canes4life

The lineout is currently the worst performing part of the team.

It shows the folly of selecting Bell, a hooker who has major throwing issues and not up to AB standard, suddenly could be throwing into a lineout that is already misfiring

I guess the flip side is, they've got three weeks of work (and likely 30 minutes of test rugby this coming weekend) into the guy who's clearly earmarked as Taylor's eventual replacement - rather than investing in a guy who unfortunately is too small to ever be more than a stopgap.

Worst case scenario - if either option had to sit on the bench vs England,
I reckon the plan would have been for whichever of Taylor or Aumua started, for him to play 70 minutes.

I reckon Robertson will be looking at that coin this morning and thinking, "You bewdy, it's come up Razor again!"

I think it's a bit shit that, in a 14-test year, with 6 "home" games, we decide to play one in the US. And not even against the US. 5 tests for the year? Talk about short changing your own fans.

@sparky I'd be a bit surprised if Hotham got game time in this match.

We have TJ, Christie and Ratima all scrabbling to play - and Roigard due back at some point. I don't see too much point in giving the number five halfback a run unless injury dictates we need to.

On the other hand, I can see the point in giving Darry a run, even though he's not officially in the squad - especally if Patty T. would benefit from a week off.

Our locks are pretty short but top tier international standards. Is Darry ( who I assume is over 2 metres ) instantly going to turn things around ?

@MN5 Darry is 2.03m and 120kg

@MN5 said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

Our locks are pretty short but top tier international standards.

You'd be surprised at the heights of other international locks. Both Itoje and Martin are < 2 m. The Irish lineout won plenty of SA ball with only Ryan 2 m+.

@Bovidae said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

@MN5 said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

Our locks are pretty short but top tier international standards.

You'd be surprised at the heights of other international locks. Both Itoje and Martin are < 2 m. The Irish lineout won plenty of SA ball with only Ryan 2 m+.

Yeah fair call, perhaps I’m just thinking of the Boks with three 2 metre giants in there at the best of times.

Maybe our guys just aren’t as good

Honest question, as it is played at a weird NZ time, when's the team named?

@Machpants Maybe Friday morning NZ time?

@Tim said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

@Machpants Maybe Friday morning NZ time?

We might as well call the test now.

Fiji’s test for the taking.

@ACT-Crusader So Thursday early morning then.

This game is being played at 2:30pm Saturday NZ time. Right when a lot of club finals are being played.

@Bovidae said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

Itoje

Bio
Maro ITOJE is a 29-year-old English rugby player standing at 1.95 m tall (6 ft 5 in) and weighing in at 115 kg (18 st 1.53 lb; 253.53 lb) , who currently plays for Saracens in England as lock.

@Winger
Can you add anything to your post so we understand what point you're making?

Itoje has long arms for his height, and good spring.

@Bones there was a conversation earlier, possibly in another thread about the height of our locks.

Scooter and Paddy are fairly typical heights for front of lineout. As a general rule the elite international test middle jumpers have been at least 2m.

Hotham is in SD looking at the latest video.

@taniwharugby said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

@Bones there was a conversation earlier, possibly in another thread about the height of our locks.

Yeah I know I'm trying to figure out what winger is trying to say. Bovidae said Itoje is under 2m and all winger did was add his bio?

@Bones said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

@taniwharugby said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

@Bones there was a conversation earlier, possibly in another thread about the height of our locks.

Yeah I know I'm trying to figure out what winger is trying to say. Bovidae said Itoje is under 2m and all winger did was add his bio?

I for one appreciated it, in fact I’m off to give it an upvote