Pretty happy with the team. Good continuity and Hotham starting with Ginga on the bench is a good opportunity to develop new-ish talent backed by a 9 who's played pretty damn well in the last 2 games.
Think the back 3 are way better with DMac at 15. Want Love to have some serious game-time.
Wonder what's happened to the Vaa'i at 6 experiment?
@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:
Wonder what's happened to the Vaa'i at 6 experiment?
Parker.
Plus Vaai will be the captain by 2027...
@Bones said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:
@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:
Wonder what's happened to the Vaa'i at 6 experiment?
Parker.
Plus Vaai will be the captain by 2027...
Or Sititi.
@mohikamo said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:
@Frank said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:
Rupeni was the most dangerous attacking player of all time at his peak - better than Lomu and Cullen
Definitely better than Lomu.
Rupes had better moves and near the same explosive power. No arm tackle was ever guna stop him (nor stop Lomu for that matter). But he was always guna flame out. Zero professionalism really - haha. Enjoyed himself much more back in Fiji I'd say.
I'm thinking Cullen was just as good early on; but with the gap glide not the power. Then his knees went and it slowly faded away. Not the same player at the end.
Bit sad watching him soldier on towards the back end, when you consider his first few seasons.The only player i'd rate better as stepper would be Barry Sanders (Detroit).
No
@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:
I can see greatness regardless of the colour of the jersey ... For completeness Caleb Ralph and Scott Hamilton were a close 2nd and 3rd behind the great Fijian.
Should have gone to specsavers.
@brodean said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:
Interesting to see that Jordan has been demoted from fullback to wing.
Interesting you see that as a demotion. Played at fullback, did you?
@Old-Samurai-Jack said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:
@brodean said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:
Interesting to see that Jordan has been demoted from fullback to wing.
Interesting you see that as a demotion. Played at fullback, did you?
I think if your preferred position is fullback - which requires more skill, more vision, and has more influence/responsibility - then yes - being moved from your preferred position to a position with less tactical influence is a demotion.
@brodean said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:
@Old-Samurai-Jack said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:
@brodean said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:
Interesting to see that Jordan has been demoted from fullback to wing.
Interesting you see that as a demotion. Played at fullback, did you?
I think if your preferred position is fullback - which requires more skill, more vision, and has more influence/responsibility - then yes - being moved from your preferred position to a position with less tactical influence is a demotion.
So has BB been promoted or demoted to 10 from 15? Has Parker been promoted or demoted to 6 from 8? Has Vaai been promoted or demoted to lock from 6 or the other way around? Has DMac been promoted or demoted for this game? Do you have a type of Bloom's Taxonomy for rugby positions, or is it just your bias showing through once again?
@brodean said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:
@Old-Samurai-Jack said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:
@brodean said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:
Interesting to see that Jordan has been demoted from fullback to wing.
Interesting you see that as a demotion. Played at fullback, did you?
I think if your preferred position is fullback - which requires more skill, more vision, and has more influence/responsibility - then yes - being moved from your preferred position to a position with less tactical influence is a demotion.
It may be - but, I think we'll only be able to tell if it's a demotion after a few more games.
I'm inclined to think it's probably more like when someone goes on holiday at your work and your boss asks you if you can go back for a week and cover for him (or her) in your old job, because no-one else knows how to do it.
@brodean I do understand what you are saying.
I think that his approach has been reasonably balanced so far, in terms of who has actually been capped. I agree Fihaki was a weird one but he was probably an outlier. If he had been too focused on 'depth for depth sake', i doubt we would have seen Barrett start so many games at 10, or Jordie at 12
@Kruse said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:
Rassie - "“You know, we are still two in the world, ..."
Ummm... sorry to break it to you mate, but...
So after the young blokes/ expansive play let the Wallabies win at Ellis Park he went back to a limited gameplan. Which lost at Eden Park so he's now going back to the start..?
I see this game as a bit of a watershed moment for Razor.
Has a decent set of forwards now; working on the backs. Recognised one or two of the back incumbents may need to move on. Recognised the talents/genius of DMac , need pace on the wings and giving Love game time. Using McCaw head in training for the mental steel. Huge game, good setup.
@antipodean said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:
@Kruse said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:
Rassie - "“You know, we are still two in the world, ..."
Ummm... sorry to break it to you mate, but...So after the young blokes/ expansive play let the Wallabies win at Ellis Park he went back to a limited gameplan. Which lost at Eden Park so he's now going back to the start..?
Innovation. Genius.
(cough... fishtailing... cough)
@pakman said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:
How ironical would it be if Boks convince ref to be tough on scrums and then we do a number on them?
You would imagine we will be better at scrum time and them better in the line outs with each side prioritising their weakness’s from last week.
Relatively warms and dry tonight - but, windy from the west - that's a cross breeze at the caketin?
@pakman said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:
How ironical would it be if Boks convince ref to be tough on scrums and then we do a number on them?
That would be outstanding. I expect a huge improvement tonight
@Chris-B said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:
Relatively warms and dry tonight - but, windy from the west - that's a cross breeze at the caketin?
Always seems to swirl around in there
@antipodean said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:
@Kruse said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:
Rassie - "“You know, we are still two in the world, ..."
Ummm... sorry to break it to you mate, but...So after the young blokes/ expansive play let the Wallabies win at Ellis Park he went back to a limited gameplan. Which lost at Eden Park so he's now going back to the start..?
He has almost dictatorial freedom in the way he selects the team.
That many changes against us at home with many new players.
Genius or stupid?
I read an article which said that the SA players knew in advance if they were only going to play in game 1.
@Canes4life said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:
Special moment for Proctor. He will lead the haka tonight.
I thiught it would be Billy or Quinn
Very different emotions for me than last week.
Last week was all about getting a win. That was all that mattered
This week I'm looking for a strong performance from the All Blacks, making the experience really difficult for the Boks and Robertson's side showing how they've grown in the last 14 months.
Got a feeling the ABs are finally going to release the shackles and attack tonight. Here’s hoping.
@sparky said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:
Feeling relaxed and optimistic. ABs by 10-14.
Me too, Sparky!
Hope it's not misplaced! 
@Bones said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:
29kph is a strong wind?
Moderate to fresh breeze and not a strong wind at all by Wellington standards. It's about average.
Superb start to the night thanks to some beautiful singing from the Signature Choir doing the National anthems. Was lucky enough to see them live at The Michael Fowler Centre a while back where they had the sell out crowd eating out of their hands and dancing in the isles - truly magnificent.
@Higgins said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:
Superb start to the night thanks to some beautiful singing from the Signature Choir doing the National anthems. Was lucky enough to see them live at The Michael Fowler Centre a while back where they had the crowd eating out of their hands and dancing in the isles - truly magnificent.
That was fabulous
@kiwiinmelb said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:
Hope carter goes well for no other reason we need some wingers to put their hand up
I think Hotham going well will be pivotal.
@Darth-Sader said in All Blacks vs Springboks II:
I enjoyed that haka
Back to the "wedge" - I like that
