Kirifi will be interesting one. Has clearly been the favoured bench option, but has not yet provided anything special.

Feels like to me if he is on the bench again, it might be last chance saloon. Can see them giving Lakai a crack v Australia if he flatters.

@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:

@canefan said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:

@zedsdeadbaby said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:

Maybe a discussion for another thread but I just don’t think Jacobson is ever going to crack being a regular starter test level. I know he’s had his injury challenges but I feel like the time had passed him by.

He and Dalton feel like they are in the same boat. Their window is closing. Fast.

I think Dalton would do pretty well between Sititi and Parker.

Papalii skillet isn’t what they want out of a 7. They’ve clearly pivoted. I don’t think it is entirely coincidental to see Dalton playing 6 for Counties.

Am quite surprised they have opted for Carter, but keen to see how he gets on

All Blacks team to play South Africa in Wellington on Saturday: Damian McKenzie, Will Jordan, Billy Proctor, Jordie Barrett, Leroy Carter, Beauden Barrett, Noah Hotham, Wallace Sititi, Ardie Savea, Simon Parker, Tupou Vaa'i, Scott Barrett, Tyrel Lomax, Samisoni Taukei'aho, Ethan de Groot.
Reserves: Brodie McAlister, Tamaiti Williams, Fletcher Newell, Fabian Holland, Du'Plessis Kirifi, Finlay Christie, Quinn Tupaea, Ruben Love.

Would have preferred Clarke but will be interesting to see how Carter performs. If he has a good outing it increases our options and depth in that position.

Reiko has a bereavement in the family.
My source let me down with Clarke. Unless he got a niggle yesterday.

Carter is good on the kick chase so that is a plus with him on the LW.

I don’t mind the Hotham - Barrett combo because Hotham looks to take on the line and if he gets opportunity to do so, I think it will improve Beaudie running more.

No power wing? Assuming I have the metric conversions right, Carter is 5’9”” and McKenzie is 5’8”. Jordan is much taller (about 6’0”), but are they too little collectively for the inevitable blitzkreig of high balls?

PS: Carter is a giant compared with Grant Batty - who was 5’5”. The story was the groundsmen at Athletic Park wouldn’t mow the turf so Batty could run undetected down the touch line.

@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:

Carter is good on the kick chase so that is a plus with him on the LW.

I don’t mind the Hotham - Barrett combo because Hotham looks to take on the line and if he gets opportunity to do so, I think it will improve Beaudie running more.

and if the defence knows hotham has a running game then it might make then hold a set and give BB an extra second

Leroy BOOMFAH Carter!!!!

Lomax will hopefully be better for the run last week.

Hoping for a bit more out of Williams when he comes on too.

Last week it was interesting how we used the lock/loose forward substitutions. Was influenced by HIA plus how the game was panning out. Holland is there for insurance largely IMO because like Whitelock and Retallick who were largely 80 minute players as a combo, Barrett and Vaa’i are also.

Backs look good. I thought Clarke also, but like having a fast footed winger in Carter. Jordan is also good on the chase. Unlike @His-Bobness not too concerned about their heights, it’s all timing these days.

Pleased with that team. Hopefully will learn a lot about Carter and Noah. See how many minutes the likes of McAllister and Love get.

@His-Bobness said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:

No power wing? Assuming I have the metric conversions right, Carter is 5’9”” and McKenzie is 5’8”. Jordan is much taller (about 6’0”), but are they too little collectively for the inevitable blitzkreig of high balls?

PS: Carter is a giant compared with Grant Batty - who was 5’5”. The story was the groundsmen at Athletic Park wouldn’t mow the turf so Batty could run undetected down the touch line.

LOL Love that !!!

@His-Bobness have we really played a game to utilise a power winger?

@His-Bobness said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:

No power wing? Assuming I have the metric conversions right, Carter is 5’9”” and McKenzie is 5’8”. Jordan is much taller (about 6’0”), but are they too little collectively for the inevitable blitzkreig of high balls?

PS: Carter is a giant compared with Grant Batty - who was 5’5”. The story was the groundsmen at Athletic Park wouldn’t mow the turf so Batty could run undetected down the touch line.

Ioane is taller than all of them. What’s your point ?

@taniwharugby said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:

@His-Bobness have we really played a game to utilise a power winger?

yeah, not sure thats our game plan and hasnt been for a while, we're not even really trying to put the wing in a one on one in space kind of situatation

With Clarke, Ioane and Narawa out, they still haven't gone back to Reece. Hopefully, they've moved on from him for good. Lienert-Brown also may have slipped down the pecking order permanently.

@His-Bobness said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:

No power wing? Assuming I have the metric conversions right, Carter is 5’9”” and McKenzie is 5’8”. Jordan is much taller (about 6’0”), but are they too little collectively for the inevitable blitzkreig of high balls?

Yeah be nice to have a response to the monsters the likes of Ireland and SA have on the wing and when we play Australia, Tenfoot Toole is going to tear us apart.

McKenzie was best on the park last week under the high ball. Be interesting to see how/when Love is used, im guessing he is considered wing cover?

Watching a YouTube discussion on Game 1 between Jean de Villiers, Schalk Burger, and Robbie Fleck.

Fuck me the whinging about the refs...

@DurryMexted I wondered this too, who does he come on for - Barrett, Mackenzie, Carter? Or is he solely inury cover...

@NTA Saw the same one. Had to turn it off - was cringe inducing. Wondered if they were the same after Aus/SA game 1!

@ShaquilleOatmeal said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:

With Clarke, Ioane and Narawa out, they still haven't gone back to Reece. Hopefully, they've moved on from him for good. Lienert-Brown also may have slipped down the pecking order permanently.

I sincerely hope all of the above is true. Finally getting rid of ALB in particular would be a huge step in the right direction.

Right, look forward to seeing Carter. He's been talked up a lot, now is his time to show what he's made of.

Would have started Christie over Hotham as I think Hotham could add more in the back end of the game with the sting taken out of it and more tired bodies running round with Christie starting but it isn't the end of the world at the same time.

Congratulations to Leroy Carter.

@His-Bobness said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:

giant compared with Grant Batty

Batty was a power house tho . . . if he got sucked into a mall, he'd be the one who finished with the ball!

@chchfanatic This Lashes guy said on Monday that Will Jordan told him he's playing 14 ? Don't no .

Liking the balance of this side. Looking forward to seeing how Carter goes, will add a bit of zip to our attack.

Hoping we attack more this game and give our backline more opportunity to show what they are capable of.

Hopefully they've given Carter the lowdown on expectations this week:

• chase Noah's box kicks and Beaudies up'n'unders, but not so hard that you might actually catch one
• if you do get to one on the full, just knock it somewhere, doesn't matter where
• you'll be expected to make a lot of tackles around the rucks, especially near our tryline
• don't worry about running support lines out wide as nobody will pass it to you there - if you want to actually touch the ball you'll need to take some crash-ball off 12 or a forward, or call for a cross-kick (this can often work, especially if you're heavily marked)
• if you do find yourself with the ball out wide, you have a few options - kick it away (chip or grubber, your call), slow down and cut back in towards the fatties, or pick a defender out and run straight at them. Under no circumstances are you to try and beat someone on the outside, or find a support player that tries to link up (unless you pop a pass aimed at their head or feet in order to end the play).

Good luck son!

@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:

What is this thing called x-factor? It’s so elusive that it’s meaning has evaded me….

Think of Reece in an AB jersey. The opposite of that. I'm happy to be of assistance.

The SA wings are hardly goliaths

Jordan and Ioane are both supposed to be around 1.89 which is 6 foot 2 plus or so..

@mohikamo Never walked away from a stoush either!

@george33 Lashes gets some great oil from “his pigeons”. I wonder how much longer his pigeons will be able to leak info. .

@mohikamo said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:

@His-Bobness said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:

giant compared with Grant Batty

Batty was a power house tho . . . if he got sucked into a mall, he'd be the one who finished with the ball!

I need some tips from Grant. When I get sucked into a mall, I usually end up with a pair of shoes...

I remember this try and commentary well. Andy Irvine needed another 10 metres to gun down GB.

A bit sad realising several of these guys are no longer with us!

@Bovidae said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:

@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:

What is this thing called x-factor? It’s so elusive that it’s meaning has evaded me….

Think of Reece in an AB jersey. The opposite of that. I'm happy to be of assistance.

And the rest of them. The only winger that had x-factor in the last 20 years is Rupeni. Every one else just did their job

@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:

What is this thing called x-factor? It’s so elusive that it’s meaning has evaded me….

According to a certain poster x-factor is a fat but fast Fijian.

@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:

@Bovidae said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:

@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:

What is this thing called x-factor? It’s so elusive that it’s meaning has evaded me….

Think of Reece in an AB jersey. The opposite of that. I'm happy to be of assistance.

And the rest of them. The only winger that had x-factor in the last 20 years is Rupeni. Every one else just did their job

I would posit Shane Williams and Jason Robinson

They both bamboozled defences