@Kirwan said in All Blacks Vs France, Test One, Dunedin:
@reprobate said in All Blacks Vs France, Test One, Dunedin:
@Kirwan said in All Blacks Vs France, Test One, Dunedin:
I can understand the Finau thing, in the Blues game he was our MVP in the last ten minutes. That won't have impressed, when the pressure was on in the finals.
If the last 10 of that game was so important and they think he can't handle the pressure, then why did they pick him at all - why pick one specialist 6 in the squad if you don't intend to play him?
Probably best to be careful with 'when the pressure was on in the finals' or we might end up with the cantablacks again...Playing Vaai - let's not forget our best lock last year - at 6 wouldn't be my first option, but I can see giving it a go as Holland is a gun. However, that means three of our locks in the XV and presumably (hopefully) Tuipolotu on the bench - if that's the plan, then surely we should have named another lock in the squad? Where's Beehre or whoever?
Again, I just can't see a cohesive overall strategy from Robertson - unless perhaps it is finding ways to keep the Barretts in the side: we don't pick our best 10; move our best lock to 6; move Rieko to wing to make space for the non-Barrett midfielders who are demanding selection.I'm just repeating what the coaches have said in the past about weighting the final's performances more highly. Obviously still subjective as Dalton and Sotutu were huge in dragging a struggling Blues team to that position at all.
As for the part around 10, Barrett is the best ten in the country. DMac has had too many games where he shit the bed, BB is actually finding some of his magic again this year, and actually plays ten better than DMac.
Most of the great play I've seen from DMac this year was more fullback style play anyway.
Couldn't disagree more with this.
McKenzie was throughout the season much better at 10 on average than Barrett was. McKenzie had a couple of middling games (and one awful one against the Waratahs) but was more often than not the best player on the park and was key to unlocking defences from first receiver.
Barrett has been an average 10 for a number of years now. He's capable of great games, but largely those aren't the result of him being a good 10, they're the result of moments of great individual play, like a chip and chase try. His kicking isn't any better strategically (or more accurate) than McKenzie's.
Really struggle to see how you could come this conclusion? Did you watch all of McKenzie's matches? Not suggesting that's why, but it would be the simple answer haha.
