Robertson's gone pretty much experimental for the first 2 Tests so I'd be tempted to stick with what works or looks to be working, Scooter for Pat T in the forwards (if fit) and some rotation in the front row. Start Ratima with DMac, and keep Reiko & Jordan in place.
Give QT, Hotham & Lakai plenty of time off the bench.
Did Billy P do enough in the second half to keep him there and does Robertson give Love a shot over BB?
Wow we now have substitutes for the substitutes who in at least one case were the originals substituted! (Scott Barrett). Would like a peek at another 6 and wing option (and maybe 8?) and hope we don't lose too much at 15.
@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks v France III:
Robertson's gone pretty much experimental for the first 2 Tests so I'd be tempted to stick with what works or looks to be working, Scooter for Pat T in the forwards (if fit) and some rotation in the front row. Start Ratima with DMac, and keep Reiko & Jordan in place.
Give QT, Hotham & Lakai plenty of time off the bench.
Did Billy P do enough in the second half to keep him there and does Robertson give Love a shot over BB?
I know I'm a broken record on this, but every man and his dog knows exactly what BB offers. The only possible point in playing him in a dead rubber against France C is if you want continuity and are experimenting with other players around him. But we already know Jordie and Roigard are 9 and 12.
Playing him in this game - even ignoring my opinion that he shouldn't be there in the first place and was poor last game - would make no sense.
@sparky said in All Blacks v France III:
Vaa'i is a major injury doubt so something like
1 De Groot
2 Taukei'aho
3 Newell (Lomax)
4 Tuipolutu
5 Holland
6 Jacobson
7 Kirifi
8 A. Savea (c)
9 Hotham
10 Love
11 R Ioane
12 J. Barrett
13 Q. Tupaea
14 Narawa
15 Jordan16 McAlister, 17 Norris 18 Tosi 19 Finau 20 Papalii 21 Roigard 22 Big Jim 23 DMac
If you're going to give Love a run, at least put him outside Roigard to start. Hotham would be good for a run off the bench.
@Bones said in All Blacks v France III:
@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks v France III:
Lakai
Have I missed something?
Nah. I forgot he's out with injury.
Pretty much agree with all of that, but just don't think Robertson will ditch him from the 23 - should do though.
But we already know Jordie and Roigard are 9 and 12.
Which gives a good platform to try new players at 10 & 13, He's done that with Billy P, why not at 10?
@Bones said in All Blacks v France III:
@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks v France III:
Lakai
Have I missed something?
Haven't heard what his injury actually was but it didn't look good at the time. I think someone mentioned 5-8 weeks.
@sparky said in All Blacks v France III:
Vaa'i is a major injury doubt so something like
1 De Groot
2 Taukei'aho
3 Newell (Lomax)
4 Tuipolutu
5 Holland
6 Jacobson
7 Kirifi
8 A. Savea (c)
9 Hotham
10 Love
11 R Ioane
12 J. Barrett
13 Q. Tupaea
14 Narawa
15 Jordan16 McAlister, 17 Norris 18 Tosi 19 Finau 20 Papalii 21 Roigard 22 Big Jim 23 DMac
Jeez, can’t wait to see that massive loose forward trio knock blokes on their arse all game
@reprobate On domestic form DMac has been the best 10 for the past 2 years. I don't get it.
@MN5 said in All Blacks v France III:
@BerniesCorner said in All Blacks v France III:
@canefan said in All Blacks v France III:
Razor is basically selecting how he should have last season
Yes
It was a fault.
We need to explore options at first five right now. Currently our first five tactical kicking and exits are poor. Still getting too many aimless up and unders.
Roigard showed outstanding skill with tactical kicking on Saturday and the 10 needs to do the same.Sititi-Roigard-?-Jordie is now strong. Who's going to grab the ? to take us to 2027.
He'll be thrilled getting a mention despite not playing this year. Charlie Ngatai never had it so good.
It's called extrapolation in my mind
@voodoo said in All Blacks v France III:
@sparky said in All Blacks v France III:
Vaa'i is a major injury doubt so something like
1 De Groot
2 Taukei'aho
3 Newell (Lomax)
4 Tuipolutu
5 Holland
6 Jacobson
7 Kirifi
8 A. Savea (c)
9 Hotham
10 Love
11 R Ioane
12 J. Barrett
13 Q. Tupaea
14 Narawa
15 Jordan16 McAlister, 17 Norris 18 Tosi 19 Finau 20 Papalii 21 Roigard 22 Big Jim 23 DMac
Jeez, can’t wait to see that massive loose forward trio knock blokes on their arse all game
You will have to wait until the props have finished running rampant with the ball.
@reprobate said in All Blacks v France III:
But we already know Jordie and Roigard are 9 and 12.
That's a very big 9 and a small 12 you have there.
I'd be pretty keen to see the following 23 for Saturday:
Love might get a start at fullback.
Flanker/lock Tupou Vaa'i failed his HIA after his head knock in the late stages of Saturday's Test, and lock Patrick Tuipulotu and fullback Will Jordan have both suffered niggling knee injuries.
@Bovidae said in All Blacks v France III:
Love might get a start at fullback.
Flanker/lock Tupou Vaa'i failed his HIA after his head knock in the late stages of Saturday's Test, and lock Patrick Tuipulotu and fullback Will Jordan have both suffered niggling knee injuries.
If Tuipolotu is down as well, that likely means Ah Koui starts and Finau comes into the reserves.
@Canes4life said in All Blacks v France III:
@Bovidae said in All Blacks v France III:
Love might get a start at fullback.
Flanker/lock Tupou Vaa'i failed his HIA after his head knock in the late stages of Saturday's Test, and lock Patrick Tuipulotu and fullback Will Jordan have both suffered niggling knee injuries.
If Tuipolotu is down as well, that likely means Ah Koui starts and Finau comes into the reserves.
If Ah Kuoi is starting at lock I'd rather see Finau start at 6. At this stage they should bring another lock into the squad as cover.
@BerniesCorner said in All Blacks v France III:
@reprobate On domestic form DMac has been the best 10 for the past 2 years. I don't get it.
Except when it mattered in the finals
@Bovidae said in All Blacks v France III:
Finau at 6 and Jacobson at no.7 or 8 for me.
Good shout, I think I'd prefer Jacobsen at 7 and Savea at 8, simply because Ardie's more explosive on attack.
@Frank said in All Blacks v France III:
@BerniesCorner said in All Blacks v France III:
@reprobate On domestic form DMac has been the best 10 for the past 2 years. I don't get it.
Except when it mattered in the finals
You know who else wasn't the best in the finals? Tuipolotu, Vaai, Finau, Beauden Barrett, Jacobson, Roigard, Ratima, Taukeiaho, Proctor, Ioane, Narawa, Norris, Tosi, Kirifi.
And what about Holland, Savea, De Groot, Tavatavanawai, Jordie Barrett - not even good enough to make the finals!
Drop 'em all I say, cantablacks all the way.
Looks like Love could be a good shout for some time in the 10 jersey on Saturday.
@Canes4life said in All Blacks v France III:
Looks like Love could be a good shout for some time in the 10 jersey on Saturday.
You'd think that on account of where they played him in training but this seems a give away to me, the word order:
“To have him at his absolute best I think he’s either a 15 or a 10.”
But, we shall see!
@nostrildamus said in All Blacks v France III:
“To have him at his absolute best I think he’s either a 15 or a 10.”
That's stating the obvious. Also, I don't take what Holland says too seriously based on his selections at the Canes when he was coach.
If both Barrett and McKenzie go down, we really need to be developing a third ten to step in. I think Love is that guy, it's annoying that they don't just straight up say that instead of beating around the bush.
I really think they should give him minutes at 10 off the bench more so than 15.
@Canes4life said in All Blacks v France III:
If both Barrett and McKenzie go down, we really need to be developing a third ten to step in. I think Love is that guy, it's annoying that they don't just straight up say that instead of beating around the bush.
I really think they should give him minutes at 10 off the bench more so than 15.
I agree, we have 3-5 ABs at least who can easily play at the back, not so many at 10.
@brodean said in All Blacks v France III:
@Canes4life said in All Blacks v France III:
@Bovidae said in All Blacks v France III:
Love might get a start at fullback.
Flanker/lock Tupou Vaa'i failed his HIA after his head knock in the late stages of Saturday's Test, and lock Patrick Tuipulotu and fullback Will Jordan have both suffered niggling knee injuries.
If Tuipolotu is down as well, that likely means Ah Koui starts and Finau comes into the reserves.
If Ah Kuoi is starting at lock I'd rather see Finau start at 6. At this stage they should bring another lock into the squad as cover.
Laughable that Ah Kuoi can be considered a replacement for what Tuipolotu brings.
These selections are fucking retarded.
@antipodean said in All Blacks v France III:
@brodean said in All Blacks v France III:
@Canes4life said in All Blacks v France III:
@Bovidae said in All Blacks v France III:
Love might get a start at fullback.
Flanker/lock Tupou Vaa'i failed his HIA after his head knock in the late stages of Saturday's Test, and lock Patrick Tuipulotu and fullback Will Jordan have both suffered niggling knee injuries.
If Tuipolotu is down as well, that likely means Ah Koui starts and Finau comes into the reserves.
If Ah Kuoi is starting at lock I'd rather see Finau start at 6. At this stage they should bring another lock into the squad as cover.
Laughable that Ah Kuoi can be considered a replacement for what Tuipolotu brings.
These selections are fucking retarded.
Is that official that Ah Kuoi is in then? Who would be a replacement for what PT brings?
Most of the newbies/returners have looked pretty good in these tests - but this is not a top rate French team. We've seen Havili look a million bucks at this time of year before.
I think what is more telling is when guys can't impact in games like these, because if you can't do it now, I give you little chance against the Boks.
@frugby said in All Blacks v France III:
but this is not a top rate French team.
It's the team France Rugby chose to send. It's the team that wears the French jersey. It's team that has the cockerel badge. It's the team for whom the Tricolore flies during the game. It's the team for whom La Marseillaise is played before the match.
It's two nil down currently and looking at the prospect of a humiliating 0-3 zip whitewash. Can it salvage any French pride before the long journey home?
My preference would be to make two changes to the starting backline, Reece back from HIA stand down, and Jordie rotated out for Quinn. This assumes Jordan is fit to play. If he’s not, a direct swap with Love.
Hotham and Love come on to the bench (or DMac keeps his bench spot) and TNT keeps his bench position.
Roigard
Barrett
Ioane
QT
Proctor
Reece
Jordan (Love)
Hotham, Love (DMac), TNT
@pakman said in All Blacks v France III:
A backline of Ratima, DMac, Tuapea, ALB, Narewa, Rieko and Jordan will tick the home ground and cohesion boxes.
Bench backs then Hotham, Love and Big Jim.
ALB hasn't played since forever so he can come off the bench and can cover 12/13. I would also start Love at 15, sounds like Jordan has a niggle anyway.
I think the ABs will go somewhere close to this: 9. Ratima, 10. DMac 11. Ioane 12. Tupaea 13. Proctor 14. Reece 15. Love, with the impact players being Hotham, ALB and Jordie, with Jordie having the ability to cover 11-15.
@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks v France III:
My preference would be to make two changes to the starting backline, Reece back from HIA stand down, and Jordie rotated out for Quinn. This assumes Jordan is fit to play. If he’s not, a direct swap with Love.
Hotham and Love come on to the bench (or DMac keeps his bench spot) and TNT keeps his bench position.
Roigard
Barrett
Ioane
QT
Proctor
Reece
Jordan (Love)Hotham, Love (DMac), TNT
I think Beaudy definitely drops out for this test match. DMac will get a chance at home and Love will get gametime, Roberston has already said that all players will get some time in this series.
@brodean said in All Blacks v France III:
With Scott Barrett injured I can't see them resting JB given he's the vice captain but I guess we will see. Plus there are no games for month after Saturday.
If they are not resting JB then Tupaea on the bench over Tavatavanawai.
An AB XV without a single Barrett seems unthinkable.
