@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

@mariner4life said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

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.

What is the point of this fixture? Is there a massive, cashed up Fijian diaspora located in San Diego I've been ignorant of all this time?

@mariner4life said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

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.

I get $ and all, but it also feels a bit shit to me that we have only played Fiji 7 times in a 639 test career - and not in Fiji since 1984

Samoa and Tonga also 7 times each

@voodoo have to think the financial benefit to Fiji in particular is much more than holding it in Fiji?

Otherwise, agree, we should def play Fiji in Fiji!

In this new age of enlightened PR would it be too much for NZR+ to publish details of who’s in San Diego and who stayed back?
I suspect a few fans might even be interested.

@pakman said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

In this new age of enlightened PR would it be too much for NZR+ to publish details of who’s in San Diego and who stayed back?
I suspect a few fans might even be interested.

And release the team on a Wednesday. Esp when it's known on Tuesday

It's bordering on gross incompetence. So simple and almost no cost and still not being done

@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?

Are you being serious bones. The locks could be 1.99 or less. I looked up the height of one and added the details for those that are interested.

@pakman said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

In this new age of enlightened PR would it be too much for NZR+ to publish details of who’s in San Diego and who stayed back?
I suspect a few fans might even be interested.

Has anyone said anything to indicate there would be any changes to the squad? The one they named at the start of the year was for all three Tests, they didn't do a big squad announcement after the first Test so why would they do one after the second?

The only question mark is really TJ Perenara but with Hotham in San Diego, seems fairly clear that Perenara isn't fit to play?

@mikedogz said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

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

Bummer.

Needs better coordination

@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

@pakman said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

In this new age of enlightened PR would it be too much for NZR+ to publish details of who’s in San Diego and who stayed back?
I suspect a few fans might even be interested.

Has anyone said anything to indicate there would be any changes to the squad? The one they named at the start of the year was for all three Tests, they didn't do a big squad announcement after the first Test so why would they do one after the second?

The only question mark is really TJ Perenara but with Hotham in San Diego, seems fairly clear that Perenara isn't fit to play?

There was a comment which I took to mean that Darry and Lakai would travel so a couple of squad members with a lot of minutes on clock could stay behind and recuperate.

It's interesting all the chat around the blindside position, compared to say, the second row - potentially because there are more candidates putting their hand up to play in the loose forwards than at lock.

Patrick Tuipulotu was back to his usual international quality over the weekend after fading a little bit in the second half of the first game. He was far less effective than Samipeni Finau in the second Test but all the focus has been on No 6.

I still think that with quicker delivery from the base (i.e. not TJ Perenara or Finlay Christie playing at halfback), the current forward pack and midfield could do very well.

I would like to see someone like ALB or Billy Proctor given a run at centre against Fiji (and ideally retain them for the following game against Argentina), simply to see how they operate outside Jordie Barrett at Test level. Lienert-Brown has only once played at 13 with Barrett at 12, and that was against Uruguay during the World Cup. That doesn't mean I think Ioane isn't up to snuff, but I think Lienert-Brown definitely deserves a run in his preferred jersey alongside NZ's first-choice inside centre.

Fiji won't be easy-beats on Friday but they certainly shouldn't pose as strong a challenge as England. Hopefully everyone in the main squad who's yet to get a run will get some minutes on the board this week (except maybe Bell, I'd like to see Aumua/Taylor play again).

I think Beauden Barrett's performance was incredible but I also believe it's the exception to his normal showings. Perofeta has done well enough at fullback so far to hold onto the jersey (bar not passing in-field, he's not made many mistakes). McKenzie was great at 10 and the majority of the issues the All Blacks had at controlling the play was due to the forward pack/halfback not delivering quick ball.

For the next big game (which, I suppose is the following Test against Argentina, although I'm possibly thinking as far ahead as South Africa), I'd like to see...

1 De Groot
2 Taukei'aho (or Taylor, if Taukei'aho still isn't fit)
3 Lomax
4 Barrett
5 Vaa'i
6 Finau
7 Papali'i
8 Savea
9 Ratima
10 McKenzie
11 Clarke
12 Barrett
13 Lienert-Brown
14 Narawa
15 Perofeta

Reserves: Aumua, Williams, Newell, Tuipulotu, Sititi, Christie, Ioane, Barrett.

@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

It's interesting all the chat around the blindside position, compared to say, the second row - potentially because there are more candidates putting their hand up to play in the loose forwards than at lock.

And compared to the attention on the number 8.

@Tim said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

It's interesting all the chat around the blindside position, compared to say, the second row - potentially because there are more candidates putting their hand up to play in the loose forwards than at lock.

And compared to the attention on the number 8.

I suppose I'm less surprised by that given Savea is an incumbent (and was one of NZ's best at the World Cup, despite the obvious flaws with playing him at 8). But yes, all the heat is coming on Finau when there are other players who didn't exactly set the world on fire.

I'm an Ardie fluffer, but he's been average. I've mentioned before but maybe he, like Beaudy, now are super subs. We need more munters in the forwards, we've got enough flair - until they change the rules/implementation about reserves and the slowing down of the game by 'injuries'

@Machpants said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

We need more munters in the forwards,

they've picked big bodies - but our carrying is terrible.

Only rewatched the first half, but one of the reasons I think that PT and Finau struggled to carry was because they are the only ball carriers - so you get targetted by the defence.

IT's like lineouts, if there are only 3 options the defence can really target you. I think that's why we were so cute trying to throw to Ardie all the first half (spoiler: it didn't work)

Yeah forward pack weight is often higher than opposition, munters is an attitude, aggression and micro skills (at this level) thing

The carry metres from our starting pack don't make for good reading, particularly de Groot and Lomax who appear to have made 1 m between them in 6 carries.

@Machpants

@Bovidae said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

The carry metres from our starting pack don't make for good reading, particularly de Groot and Lomax who appear to have made 1 m between them in 6 carries.

That is a real worry

@Bovidae said in All Blacks vs Fiji:

The carry metres from our starting pack don't make for good reading, particularly de Groot and Lomax who appear to have made 1 m between them in 6 carries.

It is easy to pick off one out runners no matter what their size or skill. Easy pickings for a good defense.