Not sure what the goals of the team are. If I was selecting a team it would be based on potential to reach a higher level that's why I don't understand the selection of Gatland. I can appreciate he did a great job for North Harbor but he would be swallowed up at international level.
@Bovidae said in All Blacks XV:
Ryan says they picked on NPC form. That doesn't explain the selection of some bench players.
How on earth did Laghlan McWhannell & Ollie Norris not make the squad then?
@broughie said in All Blacks XV:
Not sure what the goals of the team are. If I was selecting a team it would be based on potential to reach a higher level that's why I don't understand the selection of Gatland. I can appreciate he did a great job for North Harbor but he would be swallowed up at international level.
I believe the selection is for next year. As in - who is the next cab of the rank next year if people start falling over (ala first fives in the 2011 RWC). I suppose one thing in Gatland's favour is he is very experienced but on form/potential I would think Fergus Burke is perhaps a better option.
@KiwiMurph yeah I don’t mind the Gatland selection and he could do a job ala Donald should Mo’unga, Beaudie, Perofeta, DMac (and probably Jordie) all get a visit from Suzie
@Bovidae said in All Blacks XV:
Ryan says they picked on NPC form. That doesn't explain the selection of some bench players.
Eek, I made the mistake of reading the comments to that article. Self uppercut.
@Nepia said in All Blacks XV:
@Bovidae said in All Blacks XV:
Ryan says they picked on NPC form. That doesn't explain the selection of some bench players.
Eek, I made the mistake of reading the comments to that article. Self uppercut.
Never go full retard Stuff comments
@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks XV:
@Nepia said in All Blacks XV:
@Bovidae said in All Blacks XV:
Ryan says they picked on NPC form. That doesn't explain the selection of some bench players.
Eek, I made the mistake of reading the comments to that article. Self uppercut.
Never go full
retardStuff comments
TBF I was assigning some comments to Fern posters in my head. 
@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks XV:
@broughie said in All Blacks XV:
Not sure what the goals of the team are. If I was selecting a team it would be based on potential to reach a higher level that's why I don't understand the selection of Gatland. I can appreciate he did a great job for North Harbor but he would be swallowed up at international level.
I believe the selection is for next year. As in - who is the next cab of the rank next year if people start falling over (ala first fives in the 2011 RWC). I suppose one thing in Gatland's favour is he is very experienced but on form/potential I would think Fergus Burke is perhaps a better option.
Burke getting selected along with all the other Cantabs? That would have been a poplar selection.
@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks XV:
@Nepia said in All Blacks XV:
@Bovidae said in All Blacks XV:
Ryan says they picked on NPC form. That doesn't explain the selection of some bench players.
Eek, I made the mistake of reading the comments to that article. Self uppercut.
Never go full
retardStuff comments
comments section on you tube videos can be pretty interesting too 
@KiwiMurph Might be true but could you imagine that scenario? Could Beaver come out of retirement?
@broughie said in All Blacks XV:
@KiwiMurph Might be true but could you imagine that scenario? Could Beaver come out of retirement?
It's hard to imagine a scenario of 4 or 5 guys that would be ahead of Gatland all going down, but never say never aye.
The thing with Donald and 2011 is that he knew Henry's system so it wasn't completely foreign to him when lightning struck for the third time! I'm not as down on Gatland and actually prefer that the likes of Burke aren't being rushed.
@Crazy-Horse said in All Blacks XV:
@Nepia said in All Blacks XV:
@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks XV:
Flanders form this season has clearly been down on previous seasons (carrying an injury?)
His form at the tail end of the NPC was actually really good. IIRC he has been carrying an injury most of the year.
I am a fan of Flanders but I reckon he needs a season of showing he can get through intense games at Super level without cramping/breaking down before being selected at the next level.
Agreed. He looks to be the big, physical - defence & offence that is ideal for test rugby. However he seems to be cursed by the injury bug.
@Bovidae said in All Blacks XV:
Bridge was in the promo so always looked like being selected.
Yeah. Although Ollivon certainly won't be available. France play SA the day before.
Every test team is in action that weekend so unless they get dispensation (like Tuisova must have) then it will mostly be club players. I'm sure it should still be a strong lineup.
I expect some more NZ players to be involved, if they get a NZR release. How about some of those considered unlucky not be to playing in black in this game?
For example:
Hodgman
Eklund
Thompson
Ah Kuoi
Sangster/MSR
Suafoa
PGS
Stevenson
@Cpt-Kumera For Ta'avao?
@Cpt-Kumera said in All Blacks XV:
Heard bop prop tevita mafilio called into nz xv
That's great news, I assume that's for Brewis? He had a great season for the Canes and ended up being one of our best looseheads by the time the season was out.
@Canes4life said in All Blacks XV:
@Cpt-Kumera said in All Blacks XV:
Heard bop prop tevita mafilio called into nz xv
That's great news, I assume that's for Brewis? He had a great season for the Canes and ended up being one of our best looseheads by the time the season was out.
For Ta'avao TH for TH .He has been playing TH for BOP with Ross on the LH side.
@Cpt-Kumera said in All Blacks XV:
Heard bop prop tevita mafilio called into nz xv
It was mentioned in the Canterbury-BOP commentary that he was on standby.
@Chris said in All Blacks XV:
@Canes4life said in All Blacks XV:
@Cpt-Kumera said in All Blacks XV:
Heard bop prop tevita mafilio called into nz xv
That's great news, I assume that's for Brewis? He had a great season for the Canes and ended up being one of our best looseheads by the time the season was out.
For Ta'avao TH for TH .He has been playing TH for BOP with Ross on the LH side.
He can also play loosehead which is a big bonus if he can do it at the higher level.
@Crazy-Horse said in All Blacks XV:
That would have been a poplar selection
We'd end up with everyone pining for Gatland.
@Canes4life said in All Blacks XV:
@Chris said in All Blacks XV:
@Canes4life said in All Blacks XV:
@Cpt-Kumera said in All Blacks XV:
Heard bop prop tevita mafilio called into nz xv
That's great news, I assume that's for Brewis? He had a great season for the Canes and ended up being one of our best looseheads by the time the season was out.
For Ta'avao TH for TH .He has been playing TH for BOP with Ross on the LH side.
He can also play loosehead which is a big bonus if he can do it at the higher level.
Yeah I saw he covered both sides for the Canes.
Very valuable if he can do it at test level.
@Bones said in All Blacks XV:
@Crazy-Horse said in All Blacks XV:
That would have been a poplar selection
We'd end up with everyone pining for Gatland.
Warren? I don't think they'd rimuve Foster because of one bad selection.
@Frye said in All Blacks XV:
@Bones said in All Blacks XV:
@Crazy-Horse said in All Blacks XV:
That would have been a poplar selection
We'd end up with everyone pining for Gatland.
Warren? I don't think they'd rimuve Foster because of one bad selection.
I guess the higher up the tree you go, the harder you are to reach.
NZ Rugby granted the licence for Moana Pasifika to participate in Super Rugby Pacific, and it is understood that the All Blacks can select up to three players from the franchise.
@Tim said in All Blacks XV:
NZ Rugby granted the licence for Moana Pasifika to participate in Super Rugby Pacific, and it is understood that the All Blacks can select up to three players from the franchise.
this is an interesting case, and one that rams home how fucked up rugby is with regards to eligibility
Born in NZ. Lived in Aus for a long time. Played basically all his pro rugby in NZ. The only reason he got a decent crack at Super rugby was because MP was created. He's 28 years old and hasn't been capped, which probably means he wasn't on a radar 3 years ago when he couldn't get a game at the Chiefs.
I tend to think that MP was created to give these guys a gig and get them to the level to help build the pro ranks available to the Pacific nations. However, this guy is 100% a product of NZ rugby. NZ money and expertise has done all the heavy lifting here. He's played in the Country for like 6 years (barring an unsuccessful jaunt to Japan).
He's unlikely to have an anywhere near decent career in Black. Let him go
@mariner4life said in All Blacks XV:
Let him go
If he wants to go. From the article it appears he's turned down Mapusua twice already and at least one time was before selection in the ABXV.
It's up to the players to make that personal decision, and you would hope that Aumua is getting the right advice from his agent etc. There are a number of midfielders ahead of him before he would get anywhere near the ABs.
@Nepia said in All Blacks XV:
@mariner4life said in All Blacks XV:
Let him go
If he wants to go. From the article it appears he's turned down Mapusua twice already and at least one time was before selection in the ABXV.
yeah, i wonder if the AB's ever are so frank as to say to these guys "you might get some games...but its a long shot and probably only if several others are injured...where as Samoa wants you starting"
so not so much "let him go" as "give him a wee nudge"
or do we dangle that carrot out right until we capture their eligibility
@Kiwiwomble said in All Blacks XV:
@Nepia said in All Blacks XV:
@mariner4life said in All Blacks XV:
Let him go
If he wants to go. From the article it appears he's turned down Mapusua twice already and at least one time was before selection in the ABXV.
yeah, i wonder if the AB's ever are so frank as to say to these guys "you might get some games...but its a long shot and probably only if several others are injured...where as Samoa wants you starting"
so not so much "let him go" as "give him a wee nudge"
or do we dangle that carrot out right until we capture their eligibility
I really don't think the ABs have ever selected a player to capture their eligibility, that's just a conspiracy theory.
@Kiwiwomble said in All Blacks XV:
@Nepia i dont think we have dont it to screw over another country...i definitely think we've done it "just in case" so we know they are available for us if 1st 2nd 3rd choice go down
I don't believe that is true at all. Coaches select players they think are good enough, and in most cases a player of PI heritage is just any other NZ player and their selection is based only on that. There's likely been many non PI heritage players selected like this as well.
@Nepia see Aumua has more right to be an AB than say Reece, and players who follow the path Reece, PGS et al have taken, is not ideal IMO, but these guys are adults and can make thier own decisions, although again you'd hope someone is giving them advice in that regard, although at that level, these guys must believe in thier ability and know that of others to the point they believe they can become a multi test AB than just a few?
Reece has played way more than I expected him to!
@taniwharugby said in All Blacks XV:
@Nepia see Aumua has more right to be an AB than say Reece
If you are available for selection it is because you have made yourself so.
No one available for selection has a greater “right” than others.
