@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks v France 2:

@Bones said in All Blacks v France 2:

I will find it very frustrating if there's anything but last week's group with injury changes.

3rd test, have at it.

Yep. The only change I'd make is start Ratima with Roigard being used for his running when the French are tiring. Maybe even leave that experiment to the 3rd

I don’t mind this tactic, provided Roigard is on the field for the whole second half. It feels like a potentially better way to use the two halfbacks. Let Roigard go up against somewhat fatigued opposition for 40 minutes or even give him a short burst before half time.

@nostrildamus said in All Blacks v France 2:

@No-Quarter said in All Blacks v France 2:

I'm expecting us to smash them in this test. The scoreline last test could have easily been closer to 50 - 15 if we tightened up our defense and managed to finish a couple of those disallowed tries. Factor in the Wellington weather and I'm expecting something around 40 - 10, could get ugly for France if we really click though.

you think Wellington weather will help us rather than them given we are the ones with the experimental and inaccurate-already kicking?

No I took 10 points off our score and 5 off theirs to cater for the howling wind etc. Though thinking more on it, Wellington has been an awful ground for the ABs of late...

@Landers92 said in All Blacks v France 2:

There’s also a slim chance that Tuipulotu comes in for Barrett and starts, Vai’i stays at 6 and Ah Koi is used off the bench in jersey 19, he has been in camp as injury cover the whole time. Would be between Finau or Kirifi who drops out then. Slim chance, but still another option they could use is Jacobson isn’t fit.

I can't understand why Josh Behree isn't the injury cover with Darry and Lord unavailable, he was a clear standout in Super Rugby and is only 23 younger than Lord and Ah Kuoi.

@brodean said in All Blacks v France 2:

@Kiwiwomble said in All Blacks v France 2:

@MN5 said in All Blacks v France 2:

@Bones said in All Blacks v France 2:

@Bones said in All Blacks v France 2:

I will find it very frustrating if there's anything but last week's group with injury changes.

3rd test, have at it.

Actually, I'd be happy to see Vaai go back to lock if Ah Kuoi goes to blindside, but it wouldn't make much sense when you can just throw PT in at lock.

No. Chopping and changing won't do him any good. Let's keep him at six. He's finally become a force at test level and there aren't exactly other options beating down the door at blindside.

i feel like im being gaslit...there seems to be a continuous discussion about things like 12 and 13 are wildly different positions and very few people can learn both....but also lets move people around from one game to another to make sure theyre versatile

They are a bit different. Some players have the physical attributes, skills and temperament to play both and some don't. I don't think there are many players who are equally good at both. Generally a player will be better at 12 or better at 13.

Agree, and I’ll add that it sometimes comes down to the combination if it’s going to work. For example ALB appears to be a better 12 now however I reckon his best midfield footy was when he played 13 and SBW and Crotty was at 12.

Slight tangent (team isn’t named till Thursday so need a few fillers), the ABs have used a few different players over the past couple of decades that have started at both 12 and also 13. Here’s a few interesting facts since 2000:

• in the 323 matches the ABs have played, they have started 26 different players at 2nd 5 and have started 26 different players at centre
• there have been 12 players in that period that have started a match at 12 and at 13 (Nonu, SBW, Umaga, Crotty, ALB, McAlister, Goodhue, Fekitoa, Toeava, Ellison, Mark Robinson, Ieremia)
• Ryan Crotty has the most even split of starts with 20 at 2nd 5 and 16 at centre
• four of the 12 players have only 1 match start at 12 (Toeava, Ellison, Robinson, Ieremia)
• one of the 12 players started only 1 match at 13 (SBW)
• other than Crotty, only two other players (Nonu, ALB) have started double-digit tests in both positions
• from those 12 players there have been 19 different combinations where both players in the combination have started at both 12 and 13

@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks v France 2:

@brodean said in All Blacks v France 2:

@Kiwiwomble said in All Blacks v France 2:

@MN5 said in All Blacks v France 2:

@Bones said in All Blacks v France 2:

@Bones said in All Blacks v France 2:

I will find it very frustrating if there's anything but last week's group with injury changes.

3rd test, have at it.

Actually, I'd be happy to see Vaai go back to lock if Ah Kuoi goes to blindside, but it wouldn't make much sense when you can just throw PT in at lock.

No. Chopping and changing won't do him any good. Let's keep him at six. He's finally become a force at test level and there aren't exactly other options beating down the door at blindside.

i feel like im being gaslit...there seems to be a continuous discussion about things like 12 and 13 are wildly different positions and very few people can learn both....but also lets move people around from one game to another to make sure theyre versatile

They are a bit different. Some players have the physical attributes, skills and temperament to play both and some don't. I don't think there are many players who are equally good at both. Generally a player will be better at 12 or better at 13.

Agree, and I’ll add that it sometimes comes down to the combination if it’s going to work. For example ALB appears to be a better 12 now however I reckon his best midfield footy was when he played 13 and SBW and Crotty was at 12.

Slight tangent (team isn’t named till Thursday so need a few fillers), the ABs have used a few different players over the past couple of decades that have started at both 12 and also 13. Here’s a few interesting facts since 2000:

• in the 323 matches the ABs have played, they have started 26 different players at 2nd 5 and have started 26 different players at centre
• there have been 12 players in that period that have started a match at 12 and at 13 (Nonu, SBW, Umaga, Crotty, ALB, McAlister, Goodhue, Fekitoa, Toeava, Ellison, Mark Robinson, Ieremia)
• Ryan Crotty has the most even split of starts with 20 at 2nd 5 and 16 at centre
• four of the 12 players have only 1 match start at 12 (Toeava, Ellison, Robinson, Ieremia)
• one of the 12 players started only 1 match at 13 (SBW)
• other than Crotty, only two other players (Nonu, ALB) have started double-digit tests in both positions
• from those 12 players there have been 19 different combinations where both players in the combination have started at both 12 and 13

Interesting stats.

Would disagree with the bolded comment on ALB, think he's still a much better 13 than 12 now, he just hasn't had any extended opportunities to play outside a well-suited 12 for the All Blacks in a long time - almost always Havili (two games outside Barrett, one against Argentina last year and one against Uruguay in 2023).

Played all his rugby for the Chiefs over the past two years at 13, outside both Rameka Poihipi and Quinn Tupaea (two players both better suited to 12 than 13, to be fair).

@fghg said in All Blacks v France 2:

is only 23 younger than Lord and Ah Kuoi.

That could well be why.

@gt12 said in All Blacks v France 2:

@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks v France 2:

@gt12 said in All Blacks v France 2:

Yeah, if they want Vaii to have time at 6, bring in Patty T.

If it was accommodating Barrett - which is a bit of an issue - then bring in Finau to start, Pat T off the bench.

Similarly, not sure we learn much with Dmac at 15, so if he’s to be the bench man, leave him there and bring in Clarke or Narawa.

That’s a bit of a myth right there. Razor pretty much flagged from early on that he had options to play a lock at 6. Vaa’i was the obvious choice in my view.

Now that Barrett is injured, which happened during the game and not carried in, we need to bring in the next best lock into the 23 plus someone as cover (which may be one of the lumps that was used in training).

I know this stuff is all in the eye of the beholder, but I actually didn’t mind Finau off the bench last weekend. Did a few good things I thought. I’d keep him in that role unless Vaa’i is all of sudden ruled out.

That's just it though isn't it, did he flag that because he knows that Vaii was playing better?

If Vaii gets moved this week, we've at least potentially got an issue where he wants to play three locks to protect a captain who may not justify their position.

I don’t see it like that. There’s two things: we need more size in our loose trio and we haven’t found the answer at 6.

So we have a player that has size and is a better option at 6 (in their eyes) than Finau and whoever else is there or tried last year. Of the 4 locks selected Vaa’i was the last to start a test at 6.

Barrett was below his best last season but hardly terrible and was very good against Ireland. And his form in the last couple of regular season games he played and finals was where I’d expect going into a test season.

@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks v France 2:

@gt12 said in All Blacks v France 2:

@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks v France 2:

@gt12 said in All Blacks v France 2:

Yeah, if they want Vaii to have time at 6, bring in Patty T.

If it was accommodating Barrett - which is a bit of an issue - then bring in Finau to start, Pat T off the bench.

Similarly, not sure we learn much with Dmac at 15, so if he’s to be the bench man, leave him there and bring in Clarke or Narawa.

That’s a bit of a myth right there. Razor pretty much flagged from early on that he had options to play a lock at 6. Vaa’i was the obvious choice in my view.

Now that Barrett is injured, which happened during the game and not carried in, we need to bring in the next best lock into the 23 plus someone as cover (which may be one of the lumps that was used in training).

I know this stuff is all in the eye of the beholder, but I actually didn’t mind Finau off the bench last weekend. Did a few good things I thought. I’d keep him in that role unless Vaa’i is all of sudden ruled out.

That's just it though isn't it, did he flag that because he knows that Vaii was playing better?

If Vaii gets moved this week, we've at least potentially got an issue where he wants to play three locks to protect a captain who may not justify their position.

I don’t see it like that. There’s two things: we need more size in our loose trio and we haven’t found the answer at 6.

So we have a player that has size and is a better option at 6 (in their eyes) than Finau and whoever else is there or tried last year. Of the 4 locks selected Vaa’i was the last to start a test at 6.

Barrett was below his best last season but hardly terrible and was very good against Ireland. And his form in the last couple of regular season games he played and finals was where I’d expect going into a test season.

Fair, and I'm on record as arguing that Vaii at 6 is worth trying for both of those reasons.

I've argued for a while that the Chiefs were in trouble with undersized locks when we played Vaii and Ah Kuio earlier in their careers (BBBR was on sabbatical I think) and then Lord was constantly injured.

So, if they are genuinely trying Vaii at 6, they should keep him there.

But if they move him, it's more shuffling for no strategic reason and I'll have questions.

@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks v France 2:

@ploughboy said in All Blacks v France 2:

PT to lock
Clarke to 11
RI to 14
TT to 22
RL to 23

What you would like to see or some inside oil?

my prediction

@No-Quarter said in All Blacks v France 2:

@gt12 yeah, they've got a lock in Holland now that is built for test footy, and boy do we need his size. That added to Vaa'i completely outplaying Barrett last year has put them in a bit of a spot re: the three. Dropping Vaa'i when he's really come of age at test level would be crazy, and they can't drop their captain, but one of the shorter locks has to make way. The problems at 6 have given them a bit of an out so to speak, but it's dependent on Vaa'i making it work there, which is not that fair on him. If Vaa'i can make the transition from playing like a lock to more of a 6 then I can obviously see the big upside to that, but it's a risk.

If ardie looks impressive as captain in the rest of this series it could add a bit of spice to all this

@fghg said in All Blacks v France 2:

@Landers92 said in All Blacks v France 2:

There’s also a slim chance that Tuipulotu comes in for Barrett and starts, Vai’i stays at 6 and Ah Koi is used off the bench in jersey 19, he has been in camp as injury cover the whole time. Would be between Finau or Kirifi who drops out then. Slim chance, but still another option they could use is Jacobson isn’t fit.

I can't understand why Josh Behree isn't the injury cover with Darry and Lord unavailable, he was a clear standout in Super Rugby and is only 23 younger than Lord and Ah Kuoi.

He plays for the Blues.

@African-Monkey said in All Blacks v France 2:

@fghg said in All Blacks v France 2:

@Landers92 said in All Blacks v France 2:

There’s also a slim chance that Tuipulotu comes in for Barrett and starts, Vai’i stays at 6 and Ah Koi is used off the bench in jersey 19, he has been in camp as injury cover the whole time. Would be between Finau or Kirifi who drops out then. Slim chance, but still another option they could use is Jacobson isn’t fit.

I can't understand why Josh Behree isn't the injury cover with Darry and Lord unavailable, he was a clear standout in Super Rugby and is only 23 younger than Lord and Ah Kuoi.

He plays for the Blues.

They already got Ah Khuoi on the sqaud as lock cover.

@kiwiinmelb said in All Blacks v France 2:

@No-Quarter said in All Blacks v France 2:

@gt12 yeah, they've got a lock in Holland now that is built for test footy, and boy do we need his size. That added to Vaa'i completely outplaying Barrett last year has put them in a bit of a spot re: the three. Dropping Vaa'i when he's really come of age at test level would be crazy, and they can't drop their captain, but one of the shorter locks has to make way. The problems at 6 have given them a bit of an out so to speak, but it's dependent on Vaa'i making it work there, which is not that fair on him. If Vaa'i can make the transition from playing like a lock to more of a 6 then I can obviously see the big upside to that, but it's a risk.

If ardie looks impressive as captain in the rest of this series it could add a bit of spice to all this

Well Vaai was more effective at 6 last game than a lot of the 6s we have had over the past 2-3 years.
He's becoming a first rate player

A bit of discussion earlier in the thread about the ref, but it really should be about who the TMO is. He makes the actual big calls after all.

As an aside Ridley was the ref when our U20s were beaten by Wales in 2019. Some of the newer ABs will remember him fondly I’m sure. The TMO is Cronan, and the FPRO is our mate Damon. It was bad when Jonkers was “watching”* but it seems that things won’t improve.

*read “interfering”

@BerniesCorner said in All Blacks v France 2:

@kiwiinmelb said in All Blacks v France 2:

@No-Quarter said in All Blacks v France 2:

@gt12 yeah, they've got a lock in Holland now that is built for test footy, and boy do we need his size. That added to Vaa'i completely outplaying Barrett last year has put them in a bit of a spot re: the three. Dropping Vaa'i when he's really come of age at test level would be crazy, and they can't drop their captain, but one of the shorter locks has to make way. The problems at 6 have given them a bit of an out so to speak, but it's dependent on Vaa'i making it work there, which is not that fair on him. If Vaa'i can make the transition from playing like a lock to more of a 6 then I can obviously see the big upside to that, but it's a risk.

If ardie looks impressive as captain in the rest of this series it could add a bit of spice to all this

Well Vaai was more effective at 6 last game than a lot of the 6s we have had over the past 2-3 years.
He's becoming a first rate player

Come on now, he wasn't all that good and the opposition were mediocre. He's become our best lock, but the jury is still out at 6.

Sorry I couldn’t get the back line for last week. Made up for it this week and getting Test 2’s nice and early.

9. C. Roigard
10. B. Barrett
11. C. Clarke
12. J. Barrett
13. B. Proctor
14. R. Ioane
15. W. Jordan

Bench
21. C. Ratima
22. T. Tavatavanawai
23. D. McKenzie

Bench impact from Tavatavanawai and Dmac… top notch.

Stoked for Jim to be in line to get his debut. Awesome to see

@Landers92 said in All Blacks v France 2:

Sorry I couldn’t get the back line for last week. Made up for it this week and getting Test 2’s nice and early.

9. C. Roigard
10. B. Barrett
11. C. Clarke
12. J. Barrett
13. B. Proctor
14. R. Ioane
15. W. Jordan

Bench
21. C. Ratima
22. T. Tavatavanawai
23. D. McKenzie

not huge changes and obvious injury based so im ok with it, pity Big Jim couldnt play last week in dunedin

Proctor and Ioane suck fat donkey dicks in test 1, but get to play again while the form midfielder of Super Rugby gets rissolled despite not putting a foot wrong when he got a chance.

These selectors are as cooked as they sound

Rieko looked sluggish in test 1 so he better show more attacking threat in this game. If the weather is shit there will be even more high balls.

The interest will be in the locks/loose forwards.