Bledisloe I

you know what, fuck this. If the actual camps won't do any thing about building up this game, then we may as well.

First Bledisloe this weekend fullas. Super Rugby is finally over, someone won, i don't even remember who now, that was old shit. Bring on the real rugby.

As traditional (a tradition finally coming to an end) we start in Sydney at the soulless ANZ Stadium. It will be 2/3rds full. Half of the crowd will be kiwis, the rest will be Sydney rugby "fans" in the standard uniform of brown leather shoes, designer jeans, a checked shirt, sports coat, and wallaby scarf. They will also be braying morons.

Interestingly, both teams enter as the underdog. Australia for all sorts of legitimate reasons, and us because Steve Hansen thinks he's being funny. No one actually believes him. Except maybe a couple of those braying morons mentioned above.

Teams won't be named until fucking late in the week, because god help us if Cheika finds out we are starting Whitelock and Retallic in the 2nd row. Just once i would like Steve Hansen's arrogance to extend to naming the team on Monday arvo just to fuck with everybody.

Why We Will Win: We're the All Blacks, we always win. The team will be full of Crusaders, and they not only played a couple of weeks ago, they played pretty well, and importantly didn't have to leave Christchurch. There enough freaky players in the team that 20 good minutes is usually enough to put on enough points to win. A couple of fairly important Wallabies haven't played for a while, their two best centres are both out.

Why we will Lose. hahahaha. yea right. Well, actually, okay. A couple of guys who are key for us haven't played in a while. We're as weak as i have seen us in a couple of positions. Our bench is actually pretty shit. We didn't play that well v France in our last outings, while i thought the Wallabies really showed up v Ireland.

I think we'll win, probably by about 10, but i find the Wallabies paying $4+ to be ridiculous odds in this game.

Submit that to Stuff, better than that shizen.

We'll lose cos we didn't start Mo'unga, I heard it from those Crusaders mentioned above...

@mariner4life I love that Vangelis music...

@chris-b said in Bledisloe I:

@mariner4life I love that Vangelis music...

you're a vangelis

Nice work.

The Black Ferns v Wallaroos curtain raiser game is being shown live on Fox which is a nice touch.

@mariner4life The way it rises to a crescendo that says..."You're fucking conquered, son"!

More importantly - who starts? Naholo or Jordie? Goodhue or Lienert-Brown?

Because Hansen is pretty conservative, I reckon it will be Jordie and ALB.

There's nearly always gotta be something to be concerned about and what worries me this week is the following:

• We don't have a settled back three
• We don't have a settled midfield combo, and there's less depth and certainty there than the back three
• The midget we have covering fullback and one of the most crucial positions on the park
• Our best three loosies are coming together off all sorts of differing amounts of playing time, and form

@chris-b said in Bledisloe I:

@mariner4life The way it rises to a crescendo that says..."You're fucking conquered, son"!

More importantly - who starts? Naholo or Jordie? Goodhue or Lienert-Brown?

Because Hansen is pretty conservative, I reckon it will be Jordie and ALB.

ALB is the best midfielder in teh country you cantab fucks, he should absolutely start at centre. And i guess, as he is the only 12 in the squad for the weekend, square-wheels Crotty gets 12 by default. Part of the reason we might lose is Crotty being forced off the field in the first half, demanding an immediate reshuffle.

At the back? Fuck knows. If we play our best fullback, we don't actually have a good right winger. If we play our 2nd best fullback, we don't actually have a good right winger. If Naholo plays, i am going to bet on him getting a yellow card

@mariner4life We've magnanimously sent Matt Todd to Japan so that your Sammy can get a game.

We're going to have the marvelous Richie twiddling his thumbs in the stand while your midget buzzes about like a fart in a bottle.

And we've got to have ALB ahead of Jack?

It's a sort of Chiefs charity match?

@chris-b said in Bledisloe I:

@mariner4life We've magnanimously sent Matt Todd to Japan so that your Sammy can get a game.

We're going to have the marvelous Richie twiddling his thumbs in the stand while your midget buzzes about like a fart in a bottle.

And we've got to have ALB ahead of Jack?

It's a sort of Chiefs charity match?

Now Chris, you well know that Todd being given the brush by the Cantab in charge of the ABs has just allowed another wildly ineffective Hurricanes "forward" to get a game.

And our little midget has given the best performance by an AB 10 in the last 2 years, and that was his last test. If anything, Richie twiddling those thumbs is just giving another Hurricane a game. It's like someone feels sorry for them after watching the Hurricanes get regularly gaped by the Crusaders.

And ALB is so much better than Northland's Jack. I could like with ALB and him as a pairing though.

@chris-b cant recall who I was listening to yesterday, but was in the ALB @13 JB @15 camp.

TBF, as has been the way the past few years, it all but picks itself, with JB over BFA the most contentious call I reckon.

I think BFA is a better International wing than Naholo, and JB is a better Int FB than Naholo is wing, so for me it makes sense to go that way.

ALB shades Goodhue on experience and he's been in good form too, but it wouldnt surprise if Goodhue is slotted in alongside Crotty, although at some point I'd like Goodhue moved in to 12...could make things interesting then

@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

@mariner4life haha pretty sure you have yawned at most team namings for the past couple of years, and now you are gonna go postal if that call is made, isnt that what you want

@taniwharugby said in Bledisloe I:

@mariner4life haha pretty sure you have yawned at most team namings for the past couple of years, and now you are gonna go postal if that call is made, isnt that what you want

I am trying to re-engage with the game i love. Spittle-flecked outrage on a sports forum seems to be the way to do it these days. Even if i have to manufacture it.

The All Blacks having a 1998-esque year could actually be a lot of fun

yea i know i know, 3 week ban

@taniwharugby said in Bledisloe I:

I think BFA is a better International wing than Naholo

Then we don't have many right wingers running around, because he was pretty pants on the wing against France.

@antipodean said in Bledisloe I:

@taniwharugby said in Bledisloe I:

I think BFA is a better International wing than Naholo

Then we don't have many right wingers running around, because he was pretty pants on the wing against France.

We don't.

@antipodean who BFA or Naholo (or both...)

I think you are right though, we are light on quality on that right side, Naholo has struggled at the higher level, BFA is usually reliable but is looking old form time to time....NMS is alot slower.

Need to find another option.

@taniwharugby said in Bledisloe I:

@antipodean who BFA or Naholo (or both...)

I think you are right though, we are light on quality on that right side, Naholo has struggled at the higher level, BFA is usually reliable but is looking old form time to time....NMS is alot slower.

Need to find another option.

i fucking hate myself for saying this but

that Bridge looks alright.

Should have splashed the cash on RTS.

I think Hansen will go with his tried and true options to get the Bledisloe wrapped up and then we'll see a bit of experimentation.

Starting team pretty much picks itself aside from the two slight question marks above.

Bench probably does as well. Big Karl probably gets the nod over Perry. Harris, Ofa, Barrett, Ardie, TJP, DMac, Goodhue - with a slight possibility of Laumape.

@mariner4life Bridge could be an option although @Chris-B might allow Alaimalo now that he's a Ta$man-ian.

@mariner4life I know it's only standing wide and catchign and running, but Bridge plays mostly 11 doesnt he?

@taniwharugby said in Bledisloe I:

@mariner4life I know it's only standing wide and catchign and running, but Bridge plays mostly 11 doesnt he?

good enough for me. Bridge you're goooorn

Be interesting to see how Bridge and Alaimalo go on Friday night Ta$man v Canterbury.

@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.

@nepia with all those tackles Mounga and Goodhue miss those Crusaders must be a bit shit

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

Mils said BFA should be the starting fullback. But what does he know...

As long as there's no loopy intercept passes from the likes of Sopoaga and DMac, we'll do pretty well.

@bovidae probably about the same as DC when asked about Mounga...

@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.

@bovidae was tongue in cheek comment...at the end of the day, ex-AB's opinions carry about as much weight as ours (except Grant Fox) although they probably have a better insight than us.

Sorry if this has been covered...

I see Vaea Fafita has commited career suicide by basically calling team management liars for leaving him out.