@kiwimurph Alaimalo is the kind of player they like as the wing/FB, and he is about 6ft 5, so he and Jordie at the back would point toward a high ball game.
@mariner4life said in Bledisloe I:
@taniwharugby said in Bledisloe I:
but it wouldnt surprise if Goodhue is slotted in alongside Crotty
I'll throw my fucking toys fair out of the cot.
Would be as disgusting as Mark Robinson over Tana
ALB has done a great job coming off the bench, so I wouldn't go mental is it were Crotty/Goodhue with ALB coming on with whatever is left on the clock when Crotty inevitably gets a head knock.
Would love for someone with more time on their hands than me to review ALBs tackle stats. My impression of him is he's good on attack, but lets through a few.
@kirwan said in Bledisloe I:
Would love for someone with more time on their hands than me to review ALBs tackle stats. My impression of him is he's good on attack, but lets through a few.
shit impression. rock of Gibraltar. See his stop on the line v the Highlanders. Great defender. The best.
I have no idea actually, but can't say i've ever had the impression he's leaky. Has quick feet to make up for any positional errors.
Edit: plus stats are a shit prism to view rugby through.
@kirwan said in Bledisloe I:
Would love for someone with more time on their hands than me to review ALBs tackle stats. My impression of him is he's good on attack, but lets through a few.
According to Fox SR stats he misses less tackles per match than Goodhue (but makes less tackles as well).
@mariner4life said in Bledisloe I:
The All Blacks having a 1998-esque year could actually be a lot of fun
I'm not into your kind of fun, but I reckon this year could be where the injuries last season pay off. We had massive number of new players blooded, and it's got to be good.
Also, if Dane comes back well, I'll be absolutely stoked. Decent bastard, and would be welcomed back into the ranks (even though Codie is goign along really well)
@nzzp said in Bledisloe I:
@mariner4life said in Bledisloe I:
The All Blacks having a 1998-esque year could actually be a lot of fun
I'm not into your kind of fun, but I reckon this year could be where the injuries last season pay off. We had massive number of new players blooded, and it's got to be good.
Also, if Dane comes back well, I'll be absolutely stoked. Decent bastard, and would be welcomed back into the ranks (even though Codie is goign along really well)
come on, a perverse part of me wants to witness (and join in) the wailing and gnashing of teeth. The fingers of blame arranged neatly by provincial lines would be a thing to behold.
Coles was a massive point of difference for the ABs. A great set piece hooker with the pace of a centre. It's not so much his upside to Taylor, but his gargantuan up side to Harris.
where are our Australian brethren to come on here all faux-morose about their chances? But low-key braying about their chances at the same time.
Come on @barbarian and @NTA you blokes are deadset favourites. What sports coat are you wearing to the stadium this week? The lucky navy? Or the hopeful charcoal?
Controversial opinion: Jordie is now our number one fullback, and BFA is fighting it out with Naholo for the right wing spot.
@no-quarter said in Bledisloe I:
Controversial opinion: Jordie is now our number one fullback, and BFA is fighting it out with Naholo for the right wing spot.
wow. edgy stuff edge lord
As long as there's no loopy intercept passes from the likes of Sopoaga and DMac, we'll do pretty well.
@taniwharugby His comments were made in the series of articles when former ABs were asked about the contenders for the AB squad before the announcement.
Mils doesn't have a history with any of the contenders so I read it as a former AB fullback saying who he thought should be starting in a position he knows well. Hansen will have other ideas I believe.
Sorry if this has been covered...
I see Vaea Fafita has commited career suicide by basically calling team management liars for leaving him out.
@raznomore said in Bledisloe I:
Sorry if this has been covered...
I see Vaea Fafita has commited career suicide by basically calling team management liars for leaving him out.
nah, his "performances" did that for him
his mouth certainly hasn't helped the cause though
@mariner4life said in Bledisloe I:
Come on @barbarian and @NTA you blokes are deadset favourites.
Fuck off Shag, you unfunny fluffybunnny.
Forwards and halves pick themselves. Infact 1 - 11 do.
Moody, Taylor, Franks
BBBR, Whitelock
Cane, Squire, Read
Smith, Barrett
Ioane
After that I confuse myself. Multiple options, none of which are bad.
I suspect it will be ALB and Crotty in midfield But Goodhue gives me good vibes and Laumape may be the like for like for Dubs.
With BFA off his game slightly I'm inclined to go Giraffe at the back and BFA 14. Would not be devastated with BFA at 15, Naholo 14. Wouldn't like Jordie/Naholo.
Bench ... again 16-22 reasonably straightforward:
Harris (meh ... but can't see them picking Coltman)
Karl T
Ofa
Barrett
Savea
TJ
DMac
and 23.
23 will depend on selections 12-15. Someone who offers something different.
I'll bracket Jordie/Goodhue/Laumape.
@mariner4life the quote where he basically said he preferred to seagull and run out on the wing over doing his core duties and "running into a brick wall and getting your body tired. Then you can't do anything," was hilarious.
He was here for a good time not a long time, not with comments like that.
@booboo said in Bledisloe I:
Moody, Taylor, Franks
BBBR, Whitelock
Cane, Squire, Read
Smith, Barrett
Ioane
I'm pretty sure:
Crotty & ALB
BFA Barrett
@booboo said in Bledisloe I:
Forwards and halves pick themselves. Infact 1 - 11 do.
Moody, Taylor, Franks
BBBR, Whitelock
Cane, Squire, ReadSmith, Barrett
IoaneAfter that I confuse myself. Multiple options, none of which are bad.
I suspect it will be ALB and Crotty in midfield But Goodhue gives me good vibes and Laumape may be the like for like for Dubs.
With BFA off his game slightly I'm inclined to go Giraffe at the back and BFA 14. Would not be devastated with BFA at 15, Naholo 14. Wouldn't like Jordie/Naholo.
Bench ... again 16-22 reasonably straightforward:
Harris (meh ... but can't see them picking Coltman)
Karl T
Ofa
Barrett
Savea
TJ
DMac
and 23.23 will depend on selections 12-15. Someone who offers something different.
I'll bracket Jordie/Goodhue/Laumape.
looks shit
Wallabies by -10
@reprobate said in Bledisloe I:
anyone know if sam cane is going to start being good again soon?
Saturday
@antipodean said in Bledisloe I:
we don't have many right wingers running around,
Try the politics forum.
@majorrage said in Bledisloe I:
Wonder if Akira will get a start. Be good to see him on the field, maybe he could play 6.
be nice if someone could, it's been a while
@raznomore said in Bledisloe I:
@mariner4life the quote where he basically said he preferred to seagull and run out on the wing over doing his core duties and "running into a brick wall and getting your body tired. Then you can't do anything," was hilarious.
He was here for a good time not a long time, not with comments like that.
God bless him. His honesty is fucken refreshing I'll give him that.
I bet Rueben Thorne spat his cornflakes all over his morning paper while he read them though....
@mn5 said in Bledisloe I:
@raznomore said in Bledisloe I:
@mariner4life the quote where he basically said he preferred to seagull and run out on the wing over doing his core duties and "running into a brick wall and getting your body tired. Then you can't do anything," was hilarious.
He was here for a good time not a long time, not with comments like that.
God bless him. His honesty is fucken refreshing I'll give him that.
I bet Rueben Thorne spat his cornflakes all over his morning paper while he read them though....
Hansen called him to clarify 
fark, after saying something like that to the papers, your sphincter would be squeaky when you saw his number come up on the phone. Quality.
Also, the wise men don't seem too upset - clearly chill. Of course, we may never see him in black again, but it was a sound explanation I thought.
Edit:
The All Blacks see Fifita as a blindside flanker and want him to spend as many minutes there as possible. He'll get those with Wellington, in the national provincial competition, but was unlikely to as an All Black given Liam Squire and Shannon Frizell's presence in the squad.
*Hemopo's not destined to play a huge amount of Rugby Championship football either, but he will be introduced to the All Blacks' culture and protocols just as Fifita has in the last 18 months.
If Fifita gets the football he's after, while playing for the Lions, then a place on New Zealand's end-of-year tour beckons, following a season in which he was again confined to the Hurricanes' second row.*
ALB is bench fodder. Don't let those late season jinking feet fool you: he isn't half the centre Goodhue is, although he would be quicker. Goodhue is the man who can put the outside backs in holes. ALB may be nippy but he's a boy trying to do a man's job. Add to that the combination that Crotty and Goodhue have and this is why I expect to see ALB riding the pine.
@shark said in Bledisloe I:
ALB is bench fodder. Don't let those late season jinking feet fool you: he isn't half the centre Goodhue is, although he would be quicker. Goodhue is the man who can put the outside backs in holes. ALB may be nippy but he's a boy trying to do a man's job.
Obvious troll is obvious. ALB is way truth and light. Feeds outsides, runs quick, tackles. Total package.
The northland kid can wait his turn until both SBW and Crotty are on the sick list. Ie next week
@mariner4life said in Bledisloe I:
@shark said in Bledisloe I:
ALB is bench fodder. Don't let those late season jinking feet fool you: he isn't half the centre Goodhue is, although he would be quicker. Goodhue is the man who can put the outside backs in holes. ALB may be nippy but he's a boy trying to do a man's job.
Obvious troll is obvious. ALB is way truth and light. Feeds outsides, runs quick, tackles. Total package.
The northland kid can wait his turn until both SBW and Crotty are on the sick list. Ie next week
He's another midget Chief who doesn't know which position he is.
@mariner4life Tweed my good man, with a yellow flat cap.
@mariner4life Those Cantabs turn on their own once they leave little England.
I would be surprised if it wasn't Crotty/ALB that we see starting.
The ABs don't throw away experience unless there is a very good reason to do so.
Starting the season, a key match, a bit of a grudge....not time for selection whims.
Not necessarily a judgement on Goodhue, his time will come.
DMac is in that same boat. He has gathered a lot of test match experience in the past year so will get the bench alongside either Laumape or Goodhue. My feeling here is that Laumape brings more impact so will get the nod.
I do expect to see a Crusaders backline selection in one of the Argie games.
It's funny to see complaints about how our backline is unsettled, only to then suggest a new combination. Thereby ensuring the circus continues.
Goodhue's combination with Crotty isn't helpful because 1) the starting 2nd five is SBW when fit, 2) Crotty will just injured soon enough, and 3) the ABs play a very different pattern from the Crusaders, making provincial combinations rather less useful.
@mariner4life I'm in Switzerland, no idea how I'm going to watch the game.
After the last two Sydney Bledisloe matches I've decided that I am the problem. I'm the bad luck charm, and so have taken myself as far from the ground as feasibly possible.
Combine that with a stronger XV and hopefully a bit of luck, we might get to half time with a deficit of only 20-25.
@shark said in Bledisloe I:
@mariner4life said in Bledisloe I:
@shark said in Bledisloe I:
ALB is bench fodder. Don't let those late season jinking feet fool you: he isn't half the centre Goodhue is, although he would be quicker. Goodhue is the man who can put the outside backs in holes. ALB may be nippy but he's a boy trying to do a man's job.
Obvious troll is obvious. ALB is way truth and light. Feeds outsides, runs quick, tackles. Total package.
The northland kid can wait his turn until both SBW and Crotty are on the sick list. Ie next week
He's another midget Chief who doesn't know which position he is.
ALB is 1.87 m tall and weighs 103 kg. Not exactly a midget.