I'm a huge fan of Dalton, but them setting out to play Savea and Kirifi is a good move IMO. It's the first piece of the puzzle in getting the backrow balance right. Savea messes that up at 8.
Now just have to get the other two sorted out, and get a certain someone back from Japan.
@mariner4life said in All Blacks Vs France, Test One, Dunedin:
@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks Vs France, Test One, Dunedin:
@mariner4life said in All Blacks Vs France, Test One, Dunedin:
yaaay, BB at 10!! he was so good there in 2017, he's due!
See, we are patient!
i've owned racehorses like this...
I hear they’re still running the Doomben straight as we speak….
Injuries to both Sititi and Jacobson will have both affected the loose forward selection (and possibly Parker too) so I can forgive whatever happens there.
If Barrett is at 10 though, so help me God.
@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks Vs France, Test One, Dunedin:
@mariner4life said in All Blacks Vs France, Test One, Dunedin:
@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks Vs France, Test One, Dunedin:
@mariner4life said in All Blacks Vs France, Test One, Dunedin:
yaaay, BB at 10!! he was so good there in 2017, he's due!
See, we are patient!
i've owned racehorses like this...
I hear they’re still running the Doomben straight as we speak….
running is generous
@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks Vs France, Test One, Dunedin:
Injuries to both Sititi and Jacobson will have both affected the loose forward selection (and possibly Parker too) so I can forgive whatever happens there.
If Barrett is at 10 though, so help me God.
Lakai would have been in the frame as well according to Razor.
I can't get my head around Vaa'i starting at 6. That means he couldn't be a serious option to move to lock late in the game. Which then means they need another lock on the bench to cover and a genuine 6.
Easier to start with Finau, Savea and Lio Willie. Kirifi on the bench.
Holland to come off the bench to replace Vaa'i or Scooter.
@Canes4life said in All Blacks Vs France, Test One, Dunedin:
@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks Vs France, Test One, Dunedin:
Injuries to both Sititi and Jacobson will have both affected the loose forward selection (and possibly Parker too) so I can forgive whatever happens there.
If Barrett is at 10 though, so help me God.
Lakai would have been in the frame as well according to Razor.
A genuine question is whether both Kirifi and Lakai make the squad if both were fit.
From an PR perspective it’s a lot easier for a coach to say someone is in the mix when they are injured!
@Bones said in All Blacks Vs France, Test One, Dunedin:
Think I'll await nogusta or that highlanders bloke. That would be retarded
Sorry mate, hate to let the fern down but really struggling to get anything around team naming at the moment. Maybe later tonight
@upthelanders said in All Blacks Vs France, Test One, Dunedin:
So going by @george33 the team is most likely:
Ethan De Groot
Codie Taylor
Tyrell Lomax
Fabian Holland
Scott Barrett
Tupou Vaa’i
Ardie Savea
Christian Lio-WillieCam Roigard
Beauden Barrett
Reiko Ioane
Jordie Barrett
Billy Proctor
Sevu Reece
Dmac/Ruben Love…?
by fuck are we lucky that the real French team isn't coming, that seems just a little ordinary. A huge gamble on players finding form that might be years old, or immediately stepping up.
@mariner4life lol exactly
While I think that loose trio could actually work well, by fuck it would be funny for most of us to be fairly happy after the squad naming that things appeared to be going in the right direction, only for Razor to jump the innovative shark.
@reprobate bring back Ethan
Heard this is the team, apologies if already posted
1.Ethan De Groot
2. Codie Taylor
3. Tyrel Lomax
4. Fabian Holland
5. Scott Barrett
6. Tupou Vaai
7. Ardie Savea
8. Christian Lio-Willie
9. Cam Roigard
10. Beauden Barrett
11. Rieko Ioane
12. Jordie Barrett
13. Billy Proctor
14. Sevu Reece
15. Will Jordan
16. Samisoni Taukeiaho
17. Ollie Norris
18. Fletcher Newell
19. Samipeni Finau
20. Du’Plessis Kirifi
21. Cortez Ratima
22. Damian McKenzie
23. Quinn Tupaea
Why the fuck would you move your best forward from 2024 out of his favoured position. It’s just baffling to me. Keep him at lock and develop a guy that actually plays that position. God damn. (Shakes fist)
@mariner4life didn't mention the whole team, did Reece actually travel
@Bones said in All Blacks Vs France, Test One, Dunedin:
@reprobate bring back Ethan
He’s there, in the 1 jersey.
@george33 said in All Blacks Vs France, Test One, Dunedin:
@mariner4life didn't mention the whole team, did Reece actually travel
with jordan potentially injured who else we got? Big Jim?
that could make for some wild rants
we have a lock playing 6, a 13 playing 11, a 12 playing 14, a 10 playing 15 (DMac), a 15 playing 10 and a 8 playing 7
interesting, given how the subs were run last year
Either Holland is going to play 80, or Vaai is expected to play 60-70 at blindside and then finish at lock (hope there aren't important late scrums).
We'll finish the test with Finau, Kirifi and Savea
The midfield will finish up with Jordie and Tupaea.
Jordan will get shunted to the wing for DMac
@mariner4life George thinks Jordan is injured
@Kiwiwomble he's definitely carrying injury.
Don't no if they will risk him.
@JK said in All Blacks Vs France, Test One, Dunedin:
Heard this is the team, apologies if already posted
1.Ethan De Groot
2. Codie Taylor
3. Tyrel Lomax
4. Fabian Holland
5. Scott Barrett
6. Tupou Vaai
7. Ardie Savea
8. Christian Lio-Willie
9. Cam Roigard
10. Beauden Barrett
11. Rieko Ioane
12. Jordie Barrett
13. Billy Proctor
14. Sevu Reece
15. Will Jordan
16. Samisoni Taukeiaho
17. Ollie Norris
18. Fletcher Newell
19. Samipeni Finau
20. Du’Plessis Kirifi
21. Cortez Ratima
22. Damian McKenzie
23. Quinn Tupaea
The bench is chiefly good. Not sure about Newell and Kirifi.
Thanks heaps @george33 for posting what you're hearing, despite certain posters taking issue with it for some reason.
On 6, that's a problem of their own making which is frustrating, but I can actually see the logic of Vai'i there. He definitely has the tools to go well, but it's a massive fucking gamble seeing he took a while to find his feet at lock at test level, now basically has to go back to the drawing board.
Also, the trio would look a LOT stronger (both ability and physically) with Hoskins at 8...
@Kiwiwomble disagree with this. Reiko is a winger! Ardie is a 7!
@george33 said in All Blacks Vs France, Test One, Dunedin:
Lio Willie 8
What I would do as a straight swap for Sititi keep Ardue where you want him.
The Vaai issue could have been dealt with if Razor actually had the guts to drop a Barrett, make Ardie captain and play TV in a position he has grown immensely in.
@No-Quarter said in All Blacks Vs France, Test One, Dunedin:
Also, the trio would look a LOT stronger (both ability and physically) with Hoskins at 8...
Hot take, Lio Willie is a better fit than Sotutu for how we will play. Think Rodders.
@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks Vs France, Test One, Dunedin:
@No-Quarter said in All Blacks Vs France, Test One, Dunedin:
Also, the trio would look a LOT stronger (both ability and physically) with Hoskins at 8...
Hot take, Lio Willie is a better fit than Sotutu for how we will play. Think Rodders.
Hopefully how we will play won't be similar to the 2007 RWC quarter against France.
@brodean said in All Blacks Vs France, Test One, Dunedin:
@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks Vs France, Test One, Dunedin:
@No-Quarter said in All Blacks Vs France, Test One, Dunedin:
Also, the trio would look a LOT stronger (both ability and physically) with Hoskins at 8...
Hot take, Lio Willie is a better fit than Sotutu for how we will play. Think Rodders.
Hopefully the style of play won't be similar to the 2007 RWC quarter against France.
Given it’s not a RWC or Barnes, thinking June series 2007 where we put a hundred points on the French
@mariner4life said in All Blacks Vs France, Test One, Dunedin:
@upthelanders said in All Blacks Vs France, Test One, Dunedin:
So going by @george33 the team is most likely:
Ethan De Groot
Codie Taylor
Tyrell Lomax
Fabian Holland
Scott Barrett
Tupou Vaa’i
Ardie Savea
Christian Lio-WillieCam Roigard
Beauden Barrett
Reiko Ioane
Jordie Barrett
Billy Proctor
Sevu Reece
Dmac/Ruben Love…?
by fuck are we lucky that the real French team isn't coming, that seems just a little ordinary. A huge gamble on players finding form that might be years old, or immediately stepping up.
Probably just as good as the side that lost by a point in Paris !
And shouldve fucking won!
Holland is basically a young brodie retallick but heavier. Thats why they want him starting
I don't think the Vaa'i selection is ideal but I'd agree with the selectors that drastic changes were needed for the loose forward-trio. Looking back at last year's Test matches, it's rather obvious now how underpowered they were, which severely hampered the way the ABs wanted to play.
And while I don't think Vaa'i is a particularly natural 6, what he does do well is carry and make metres around the ruck. He should work well together with someone like Lio-Willie in pressuring the French pillar defence. The AB coaches need to find ways to create more space out wide and condensing the defence by going up the middle is one typical way of doing it.
