@act-crusader yeah I really would have liked to see Makalio brought into the fold. Although I guess they've put their chips on Aumua so looking for him to make it back strong.
@mariner4life you got suckered.
@nzzp said in Bledisloe I:
@act-crusader said in Bledisloe I:
A combination of Crottys injuries, ALBs second year form slump and SBW coming back, the selections have been a little all over the place and we have seen a few different combos that just quite haven’t hit the mark. Don’t get me wrong I think we are well served with these guys (although I worry about Laumapes defence) but we hope that guys can stay fit and build towards 2019 with the least interruption.
I think we need to see a big hard running munter at 12. Like Laumape. I wouldn't be surprised to see 10 Barrett 12 Laumape 13 Crotty .
I guess that means 15 JB, 14 BFA, 11 God after a few weeks rest
Laumape definitely punches above his size, but he isn't big. Given he didn't make the original squad but was brought in because of SBW's injury, I'm not sure they see him as the answer.
@nzzp said in Bledisloe I:
@act-crusader said in Bledisloe I:
A combination of Crottys injuries, ALBs second year form slump and SBW coming back, the selections have been a little all over the place and we have seen a few different combos that just quite haven’t hit the mark. Don’t get me wrong I think we are well served with these guys (although I worry about Laumapes defence) but we hope that guys can stay fit and build towards 2019 with the least interruption.
I think we need to see a big hard running munter at 12. Like Laumape. I wouldn't be surprised to see 10 Barrett 12 Laumape 13 Crotty .
I guess that means 15 JB, 14 BFA, 11 God after a few weeks rest
I reckon 12. Crotty 13. ALB
DMac and Laumape on the bench for impact.
Everyone keeps moaning about our lack of right wings, while completely forgetting how good Beauds has been there. You're welcome.
If we want a stable centre pairing, then the solution is to stop picking SBW and Crotty. Neither are good for more than half the games, although SBW at least finishes when he starts, if he isn't red carded.
Picking the Crusaders pair to "give stability" sucks. Why not just pick Hall and Mo'unga as well? (which of course, some have asked for).
And picking Goodhue because our other centres are too small is beyond bizarre. He's exactly the same size as the other options.
@dogmeat said in Bledisloe I:
@barbarian said in Bledisloe I:
@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.
Antipode of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
The opposite side of the world to Sydney is Relva, Azores, Portugal
If You're quick - there's still time
Mine
The opposite side of the world to Llandeilo is Papatowai, Otago, New Zealand.
Worth a trip?
@mikethesnow said in Bledisloe I:
@dogmeat said in Bledisloe I:
@barbarian said in Bledisloe I:
@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.
Antipode of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
The opposite side of the world to Sydney is Relva, Azores, Portugal
If You're quick - there's still timeMine
The opposite side of the world to Llandeilo is Papatowai, Otago, New Zealand.Worth a trip?
Hell yeah, the Catlins are a sensational part of NZ. Chronically underrated.
@chester-draws said in Bledisloe I:
If we want a stable centre pairing, then the solution is to stop picking SBW and Crotty. Neither are good for more than half the games, although SBW at least finishes when he starts, if he isn't red carded.
Picking the Crusaders pair to "give stability" sucks. Why not just pick Hall and Mo'unga as well? (which of course, some have asked for).
And picking Goodhue because our other centres are too small is beyond bizarre. He's exactly the same size as the other options.
Goodhue is marginally bigger at 1.87m and 98kg but for some reason he looks a lot bigger than that. Possibly due to his guns. Which may also be why he appears ponderous to some.
@chester-draws said in Bledisloe I:
If we want a stable centre pairing, then the solution is to stop picking SBW and Crotty. Neither are good for more than half the games, although SBW at least finishes when he starts, if he isn't red carded.
Picking the Crusaders pair to "give stability" sucks. Why not just pick Hall and Mo'unga as well? (which of course, some have asked for).
And picking Goodhue because our other centres are too small is beyond bizarre. He's exactly the same size as the other options.
Sounds good.
J. Moody
C. Taylor
O. Franks
T. Chief
S. Whitelock
S. Barrett
M. Todd
K. Read
B. Hall
R. Mo’unga
T. Blue
R. Crotty
J. Goodhue
T. Lander
T. Cane
Every franchise represented.
@chester-draws Oddly, ALB looked quicker on his feet than ever before towards the end of the SR season, too.
@nzzp said in Bledisloe I:
@mikethesnow said in Bledisloe I:
@dogmeat said in Bledisloe I:
@barbarian said in Bledisloe I:
@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.
Antipode of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
The opposite side of the world to Sydney is Relva, Azores, Portugal
If You're quick - there's still timeMine
The opposite side of the world to Llandeilo is Papatowai, Otago, New Zealand.Worth a trip?
Hell yeah, the Catlins are a sensational part of NZ. Chronically underrated.
Cheers. Looks uncannily like where I am 
All Blacks team
ANZ Stadium, Sydney, 10.05pm
15: Ben Smith
14: Waisake Naholo
13: Jack Goodhue
12: Ryan Crotty
11: Rieko Ioane
10: Beauden Barrett
9: Aaron Smith
8: Kieran Read (c)
7: Sam Cane
6: Liam Squire
5: Sam Whitelock
4: Brodie Retallick
3: Owen Franks
2: Codie Taylor
1: Joe Moody
- Nathan Harris
- Karl Tu'inukuafe
- Ofa Tuungafasi
- Scott Barrett
- Ardie Savea
- TJ Perenara
- Damian McKenzie
- Anton Lienert-Brown
Ah. Read and Retallick. Just looks better than the French series.
Happy with that especially Goodhue starting. Only qualm is 14, but I prefer the guy from marketing (or is it IT or maybe accounts, I forget) at 15.
I feel a lot better with Smith at full back.
Just looked up the team that played in Dunners last year - this team isn't that far off at all - DMac at fullback, and the midfield are the real significant changes.
I can't really remember that game, but reading the player ratings it was the midfield that let us down / broke down early due to head knocks:
Ryan Crotty 6: Not up to his usual high standards, as went off twice for head assessments (second permanent). Left for dead by Foley in his try and early tackle on Folau rubbed one out for Ioane. Will bounce back.
Sonny Bill Williams 7: Poor start with four early handling errors. But tidied his play after that and came into his own in second half with some nice offloads in the tackle. A night when the chances came outside his channels.
Excited to see how Crotty and Goodhue work out with a different support cast around them.
@jaycee said in Bledisloe I:
I feel a lot better with Smith at full back.
Just looked up the team that played in Dunners last year - this team isn't that far off at all - DMac at fullback, and the midfield are the real significant changes.
wasn't Lima starting at 10 in Dunners ?
@mikethesnow said in Bledisloe I:
@dogmeat said in Bledisloe I:
@barbarian said in Bledisloe I:
@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.
Antipode of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
The opposite side of the world to Sydney is Relva, Azores, Portugal
If You're quick - there's still timeMine
The opposite side of the world to Llandeilo is Papatowai, Otago, New Zealand.Worth a trip?
Be careful if you are planning on drilling through to get there. I think your map is a bit wonky. You’ll end up drowning in the southern ocean
Interesting calls on Goodhue and Naholo although I think the latter benefits from wanting BFA at 15.
Don’t mind Goodhue there just expected them to go for match experience.
ALB is possibly being looked at as the new Kahui. Might see him as center/wing cover
Two power wingers is not the AB norm nowadays, and vs Folau. I reckon they'll be peppered and turned, if the Ozzies have any sense. Interesting to see how goodhue goes again, at least he vs a crappy new Ozzie midfield. If they shut down Beale, it's all over in the midfield. Squire and cane better pick up their game vs pooper, we have the way better tight five, esp locks.
Naholo's complete meltdown in the quarter final rewarded with a start in the first Bledisloe.
I remember saying it in 2015 I think it was, but it's worth noting Naholo is actually pretty good under the high ball, at least as good as NMS. He's worthy of his selection and I'm sure will show that. Oh but wait what about when he played shit in a super game...
Also happy to see BFA at fullback. DMac will be injected in the 2nd half with Smith moving to the right wing.
My biggest concern is the loose forward cover, particularly if there was an early injury to Read or Squire. There are options using Cane or Barrett at 6 and Savea at 8 but none are ideal.
@jaycee said in Bledisloe I:
@nzzp
Beauden Barrett 8: Off his game early, but two tries showed his class in second half as came back from head assessment. Made plenty of tackles too. Not quite back to his vintage 2016 form, but a big step in the right direction
cheers - was watching while exercising, and Lima must have been on for the head knock
Big test for Goodhue though he is likely to be up against a makeshift 13 in Hodge and has Crusaders combo with Crotty.
The loose forward trio need to be on the mark though then again Hooper hasnt played in a almost a couple of months.
@kiwimurph said in Bledisloe I:
Big test for Goodhue though he is likely to be up against a makeshift 13 in Hodge and has Crusaders combo with Crotty.
The loose forward trio need to be on the mark though then again Hooper hasnt played in a almost a couple of months.
At this stage of their respective test careers Goodhue has more to worry about IMHO
To me the acid is on Beauden Barrett,he’s the player that’s got both Mckenzie and Mo’unga breathing down his neck,he’s on notice as far as I am concerned.
As for Goodhue I have no issues,especially when you hear the endorsements coming from many of the players that front up along side him.
I have no doubts that ABL and Goodhue will be a long term midfield combo just as they were in the 2015 AB under 20s.
@bones said in Bledisloe I:
I remember saying it in 2015 I think it was, but it's worth noting Naholo is actually pretty good under the high ball, at least as good as NMS. He's worthy of his selection and I'm sure will show that. Oh but wait what about when he played shit in a super game...
More what about when he was completely underwhelming in every single AB test he's played in, and shat the bed when the pressure came on in Super rugby.
Would love him to prove me wrong but right now he's nothing more than a flat track bully. He's really only there due to BFA struggling on the wing vs the French. My concern with BFA is his struggles were more to do with age rather than playing wing as he's never struggled with that position in the past.
@steven-harris said in Bledisloe I:
To me the acid is on Beauden Barrett,he’s the player that’s got both Mckenzie and Mo’unga breathing down his neck,he’s on notice as far as I am concerned.
As for Goodhue I have no issues,especially when you hear the endorsements coming from many of the players that front up along side him.
I have no doubts that ABL and Goodhue will be a long term midfield combo just as they were in the 2015 AB under 20s.
Based on form he shouldn't be worried about DMac
@no-quarter what the fuck? Underwhelming? That's just stupid. Not much point discussing.
Be good for Naholo to have a good game, IMO he has gone ok at this level, but not shown the kind of form he does at super level, he is great over the ball, the other area of his game I do worry about is attacking the high ball, he has done dumb shit there a few times.
So when Crotty gets injured, we will see a mid-field of Goodhue-ALB (which way round is the question)
@canefan said in Bledisloe I:
@steven-harris said in Bledisloe I:
To me the acid is on Beauden Barrett,he’s the player that’s got both Mckenzie and Mo’unga breathing down his neck,he’s on notice as far as I am concerned.
As for Goodhue I have no issues,especially when you hear the endorsements coming from many of the players that front up along side him.
I have no doubts that ABL and Goodhue will be a long term midfield combo just as they were in the 2015 AB under 20s.Based on form he shouldn't be worried about DMac
Based on AB coach thoughts and team selection he should
@canefan said in Bledisloe I:
@steven-harris said in Bledisloe I:
To me the acid is on Beauden Barrett,he’s the player that’s got both Mckenzie and Mo’unga breathing down his neck,he’s on notice as far as I am concerned.
As for Goodhue I have no issues,especially when you hear the endorsements coming from many of the players that front up along side him.
I have no doubts that ABL and Goodhue will be a long term midfield combo just as they were in the 2015 AB under 20s.Based on form he shouldn't be worried about DMac
DMac Derangement Syndrome
Perhaps ALB is on the bench so that he can be subbed on together with DMac. That way at least one of the All Blacks backline will vaguely know which type of intercept/non pass DMac @ 10 will attempt next...
@stargazer yeah no shit - but it's the best i've got as a recap without watching that game again, i was more interested in who was actually playing and the individual recaps from that game (Crotty went off twice for a head knock / handling errors) than putting any value in the numbers.
@donsteppa All jokes aside, I expect BB to play the full 80 mins so DMac would only be at 10 if BB went off injured, or was playing very poorly.
Aren't you also assuming that TJP's pass actually finds their target first?