All Blacks v Ireland - 2nd Test

@mariner4life said in All Blacks Vs Ireland - 2nd Test:

@booboo said in All Blacks Vs Ireland - 2nd Test:

@mariner4life said in All Blacks Vs Ireland - 2nd Test:

@voodoo said in All Blacks Vs Ireland - 2nd Test:

@mariner4life said in All Blacks Vs Ireland - 2nd Test:

3 weeks ago we picked 5 locks, now we have 2, after 1 game. That's quite the attrition rate.

One assumes Patty T will come straight on to the bench. God help us if one of the starters goes down early.

Didn't you play lock bro? Time to book a flight...

Lol considering even at my playing weight I was about thr size of Ben Smith this place would fucking erupt

I mean, even I would log in to rubbish my selection

Don't think it'd only be about your weight though

Fuck you!!

I hope you realise you're talking to THE Booboo who picked up and dumped Mark Cooksley* on his arse. More than once.

But yeah, All Blacks are generally All Blacks for a reason.

My favourite is when I played against Daryl Mitchell's dad in a Waikato club rugby semi final...

... like where the fuck is the ball? How the fuck did he do that? ...

• noting it only Mark Cooksley ...

@mariner4life said in All Blacks Vs Ireland - 2nd Test:

@taniwharugby said in All Blacks Vs Ireland - 2nd Test:

@Victor-Meldrew forget them, I bet he weighs less than Rieko, and we know how quick he is!

Right now I probably weigh the same as Aaron Smith so I'll be smoking any linebreaks

Assuming my spine is still in place of course

Lucky prick.

I'm probably about Dalton Papali’i... about 6cm shorter ...

@Dice said in All Blacks Vs Ireland - 2nd Test:

@taniwharugby said in All Blacks Vs Ireland - 2nd Test:

@Dan54 in that situation, it wasnt like a split second decision that he mis-timed and accidentally collected the guys head like so many of the cards we have seen this year...he was in an off side position, both his height and where he was attacking, he was always going to be hitting high on the opposition

Risk vs reward, which in that case, risk far outweighed the reward...but, he got lucky, lucky the Irish player ducked his head when he did, meaning nothing came of it.

I like him as a player, think he brings alot to the table, but he has cost us before, and it doesnt appear he has learnt a great deal, there is a fine line between controlled aggression and stupidity, he seems to be treading with a wide stance.

I hope he doesnt do it again, or worse still, cost us again.

I'm not sure if there is much of a duck, it just looks like Scott's contact makes his head fold in.
View image

I think there is some head contact before hitting the shoulder, but I think the most dangerous part is how it ends up being like a crusher tackle. You can see Scott's weight on top of O'Mahony's head/neck which jams his head in. Not surprised when O'Mahony gets up he clutches the back of his neck a couple of times.

Add in the no arms, offside and coming from the side, and it's just all round silly.

No second look in real time and no citing is a fucking joke

Unless the Irish are hoping

1. SB is picked for Saturday
2. He does it again

@MiketheSnow said in All Blacks Vs Ireland - 2nd Test:

@Dice said in All Blacks Vs Ireland - 2nd Test:

@taniwharugby said in All Blacks Vs Ireland - 2nd Test:

@Dan54 in that situation, it wasnt like a split second decision that he mis-timed and accidentally collected the guys head like so many of the cards we have seen this year...he was in an off side position, both his height and where he was attacking, he was always going to be hitting high on the opposition

Risk vs reward, which in that case, risk far outweighed the reward...but, he got lucky, lucky the Irish player ducked his head when he did, meaning nothing came of it.

I like him as a player, think he brings alot to the table, but he has cost us before, and it doesnt appear he has learnt a great deal, there is a fine line between controlled aggression and stupidity, he seems to be treading with a wide stance.

I hope he doesnt do it again, or worse still, cost us again.

I'm not sure if there is much of a duck, it just looks like Scott's contact makes his head fold in.
View image

I think there is some head contact before hitting the shoulder, but I think the most dangerous part is how it ends up being like a crusher tackle. You can see Scott's weight on top of O'Mahony's head/neck which jams his head in. Not surprised when O'Mahony gets up he clutches the back of his neck a couple of times.

Add in the no arms, offside and coming from the side, and it's just all round silly.

No second look in real time and no citing is a fucking joke

Looks worse the more times you see it. I hope Foz makes SB watch that all day everyday to try and stop that shit

@Kiwiwomble said in All Blacks Vs Ireland - 2nd Test:

@mariner4life isn't that the beauty of the fern? i would say even the worse AB was an order of magnitude better than any of us...but we call them shit and we'd all put on the Black jersey in a heartbeat if asked

I have a recurring dream where I’m trying to find excuses not to train after telling Steve Hanson I’m past it!

@Chris-B said in All Blacks Vs Ireland - 2nd Test:

@Victor-Meldrew He's not the man they think he is at home Oh, no, no, no....

Elton John ft Dua lipa?

@pakman said in All Blacks Vs Ireland - 2nd Test:

I have a recurring dream where I’m trying to find excuses

Had those for years.

@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks Vs Ireland - 2nd Test:

@pakman said in All Blacks Vs Ireland - 2nd Test:

I have a recurring dream where I’m trying to find excuses

Had those for years.

They weren't dreams

I spoke with Havili on Tuesday and he described his Covid experience as a head cold, declaring himself ready to go this week.

Caleb Clarke is yet to resume full training after the hamstring strain he suffered six weeks ago with the Blues.

Akira Ioane was held back last week due to a lingering foot injury but after finishing 2021 as the incumbent blindside, he is likely to slot into that role this week.

Possible All Blacks squad: George Bower, Codie Taylor, Ofa Tuungafasi, Brodie Retallick, Scott Barrett, Akira Ioane, Sam Cane, Ardie Savea, Aaron Smith, Beauden Barrett, Sevu Reece, David Havili, Rieko Ioane, Will Jordan, Jordie Barrett

Reserves: Samisoni Taukei'aho, Karl Tu'inukuafe, Angus Ta'avao, Patrick Tuipulotu, Dalton Papalii, Folau Fakatava, Richie Mo'unga, Quinn Tupaea

@Tim be annoyed if they drop Tupaea for Havili, Tupaea earned another chance to start, Havili offers versatility so is actually a good option off the bench.

@taniwharugby yeah, these are the moments i feel use to be more common, something "happens" giving a new guy a shot (i know QT has played before)...he takes it and plays well and now its his to lose...i feel fozzie tends to go back to who he originally had in mind regardless of how the last game went resulting in the in and out of players we've seen over the last few years

Foster has talked a lot about how this year they will be focusing on building combinations more compared to previous 2 seasons so it will be particularly interesting what he does at 12.

Forget the selections, check out the title of the article

All Blacks v Ireland: Ian Foster's five big selection dilemmas for second test - The Sauce with Liam Napier

That is flat out plagiarism from the Fern.

If QT gets dropped after that performance thrn these selectors can get fucked

@mariner4life agreed

we talk about the selections that are made based on experience and the jump from super to international...well we should reward those that make the jump successfully

@mariner4life best back on the field on Saturday, definitely deserves another shot. I like the fact they are trying Jordie Barrett late in the game at 12 aswell to give him experience there at international level.

But.....according to Fozzie, when talking about RTS, he wants his 2nd fives to have a "triple threat" - running, passing, kicking. If he has that in mind still, then he'll probably choose Havili. QT deserves another start though.

The problem with Napier's team is that if Havili starts I don't see the point of having Tupaea on the bench. Rieko would need to cover winger which means Havili or (more likely) Tupaea then moves out to centre. It would be better to just have Fainga’anuku on the bench (wing/centre) and use JB as the backup 2nd 5 if required. Less disruption.

@Canes4life said in All Blacks v Ireland - 2nd Test:

@mariner4life best back on the field on Saturday, definitely deserves another shot. I like the fact they are trying Jordie Barrett late in the game at 12 aswell to give him experience there at international level.

He did ok, but best back on the field?

@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks v Ireland - 2nd Test:

Foster has talked a lot about how this year they will be focusing on building combinations more compared to previous 2 seasons so it will be particularly interesting what he does at 12.

So I guess the question is if Havili and Goodhue didn’t get COVID would QT have been picked to partner Ioane? And is that the combination they want/wanted?

For this test I think there should be minimal changes where possible.

@Bovidae hasn’t QT played some 13 and even wing?

@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks v Ireland - 2nd Test:

@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks v Ireland - 2nd Test:

Foster has talked a lot about how this year they will be focusing on building combinations more compared to previous 2 seasons so it will be particularly interesting what he does at 12.

So I guess the question is if Havili and Goodhue didn’t get COVID would QT have been picked to partner Ioane? And is that the combination they want/wanted?

For this test I think there should be minimal changes where possible.

@Bovidae hasn’t QT played some 13 and even wing?

He can play both, but he's pretty dicey at 13 - even worse on defense.

QT played on the wing for the Chiefs out of necessity (covid/injuries). He did reasonably well, but he doesn't have the speed to be an international winger. Yes, he can play centre, but as @gt12 says, it is not his preferred position.

I also don't think Havili is the utility player people think he is for the ABs. He isn't going to play fullback ahead of JB, Jordan or even BB, or 1st 5 ahead of BB/Mo'unga.

@Bovidae said in All Blacks v Ireland - 2nd Test:

QT played on the wing for the Chiefs out of necessity (covid/injuries). He did reasonably well, but he doesn't have the speed to be an international winger. Yes, he can play centre, but as @gt12 says, it is not his preferred position.

I also don't think Havili is the utility player people think he is for the ABs. He isn't going to play fullback ahead of JB, Jordan or even BB, or 1st 5 ahead of BB/Mo'unga.

Yep, Havili is a jack of all trades master of none. He's not really good enough in any of the positions individually, so seems to be getting picked because he can play a lot of positions to an OK level. We really need to move on.

I'm also not a fan of picking a bench player for their versatility. Yes we need to cover as many positions as possible, but players on the bench should have the ability to make an impact when they come on.

@No-Quarter said in All Blacks v Ireland - 2nd Test:

@Bovidae said in All Blacks v Ireland - 2nd Test:

QT played on the wing for the Chiefs out of necessity (covid/injuries). He did reasonably well, but he doesn't have the speed to be an international winger. Yes, he can play centre, but as @gt12 says, it is not his preferred position.

I also don't think Havili is the utility player people think he is for the ABs. He isn't going to play fullback ahead of JB, Jordan or even BB, or 1st 5 ahead of BB/Mo'unga.

Yep, Havili is a jack of all trades master of none. He's not really good enough in any of the positions individually, so seems to be getting picked because he can play a lot of positions to an OK level. We really need to move on.

I'm also not a fan of picking a bench player for their versatility. Yes we need to cover as many positions as possible, but players on the bench should have the ability to make an impact when they come on.

That’s why Marc Ellis went to league.

@No-Quarter said in All Blacks v Ireland - 2nd Test:

@Bovidae said in All Blacks v Ireland - 2nd Test:

QT played on the wing for the Chiefs out of necessity (covid/injuries). He did reasonably well, but he doesn't have the speed to be an international winger. Yes, he can play centre, but as @gt12 says, it is not his preferred position.

I also don't think Havili is the utility player people think he is for the ABs. He isn't going to play fullback ahead of JB, Jordan or even BB, or 1st 5 ahead of BB/Mo'unga.

Yep, Havili is a jack of all trades master of none. He's not really good enough in any of the positions individually, so seems to be getting picked because he can play a lot of positions to an OK level. We really need to move on.

I'm also not a fan of picking a bench player for their versatility. Yes we need to cover as many positions as possible, but players on the bench should have the ability to make an impact when they come on.

god thats a depressing state to be in

i don't mind a certain level of versatility, but more like 15/14 or 15/10 or 12/13...limited utility

@MN5 said in All Blacks v Ireland - 2nd Test:

@No-Quarter said in All Blacks v Ireland - 2nd Test:

@Bovidae said in All Blacks v Ireland - 2nd Test:

QT played on the wing for the Chiefs out of necessity (covid/injuries). He did reasonably well, but he doesn't have the speed to be an international winger. Yes, he can play centre, but as @gt12 says, it is not his preferred position.

I also don't think Havili is the utility player people think he is for the ABs. He isn't going to play fullback ahead of JB, Jordan or even BB, or 1st 5 ahead of BB/Mo'unga.

Yep, Havili is a jack of all trades master of none. He's not really good enough in any of the positions individually, so seems to be getting picked because he can play a lot of positions to an OK level. We really need to move on.

I'm also not a fan of picking a bench player for their versatility. Yes we need to cover as many positions as possible, but players on the bench should have the ability to make an impact when they come on.

That’s why Marc Ellis went to league.

thats what it feels like when we have guys that dont specialise, feels like an bog standard like of league backline

@Crazy-Horse yeah I thought he was, he had a very tidy game. R Ioane probably matched him as he also had a very sound performance.

@No-Quarter said in All Blacks v Ireland - 2nd Test:

so seems to be getting picked because he can play a lot of positions to an OK level

Is he though?

Of his tests he has played mainly 12 hasn't he, he has utility value, although aside from his debut at FB largely untested?

The coaches clearly rate him at 12, I don't, but see he could cover several positions from the bench.

All being fit, I'd have him behind Goodhue and Tupaea at 12, and even RTS too who has highest ceiling of the 4 IMO.

i really wish the AB's coaches would learn there is often a difference between a good bench/utility and a starter

@Kiwiwomble said in All Blacks v Ireland - 2nd Test:

i really which the AB's coaches would learn there is often a difference between a good bench/utility and a starter

I’m gonna have to be a grammar Nazi there as my eyes are hurting

wish

@Billy-Tell said in All Blacks v Ireland - 2nd Test:

@Kiwiwomble said in All Blacks v Ireland - 2nd Test:

i really which the AB's coaches would learn there is often a difference between a good bench/utility and a starter

I’m gonna have to be a grammar Nazi there as my eyes are hurting

wish

corrected....but that would be spelling....not grammar

@No-Quarter said in All Blacks v Ireland - 2nd Test:

@Bovidae said in All Blacks v Ireland - 2nd Test:

QT played on the wing for the Chiefs out of necessity (covid/injuries). He did reasonably well, but he doesn't have the speed to be an international winger. Yes, he can play centre, but as @gt12 says, it is not his preferred position.

I also don't think Havili is the utility player people think he is for the ABs. He isn't going to play fullback ahead of JB, Jordan or even BB, or 1st 5 ahead of BB/Mo'unga.

Yep, Havili is a jack of all trades master of none. He's not really good enough in any of the positions individually, so seems to be getting picked because he can play a lot of positions to an OK level. We really need to move on.

I'm also not a fan of picking a bench player for their versatility. Yes we need to cover as many positions as possible, but players on the bench should have the ability to make an impact when they come on.

I don’t think that’s the case. Since returning to the ABs last year he has only been used at 2nd 5. There was an issue with 2nd 5 with Laumape not being preferred and an injury to ALB.

Even when he’s come off the bench, eg France test he played at 2nd 5 despite replacing Jordan. They moved other players.

I think his best is definitely good enough and it’s not his versatility of being able to cover other positions that is the reason they select him, but that he provides a different type of 2nd 5 to Goodhue, ALB and QT.

For me Havili is a starting player or not in the 23.

@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks v Ireland - 2nd Test:

For me Havili is a starting player or not in the 23.

Agreed

@No-Quarter said in All Blacks v Ireland - 2nd Test:

Yep, Havili is a jack of all trades master of none. He's not really good enough in any of the positions individually,

Come on man. I get everyone likes to pile in on Dave because he ended last season pretty shabbily - but that's just not true.

A few seasons ago he was the best fullback in super rugby... for the winning side. Last year he was the best 12 in the country, but ended up not working out for the ABs towards the end.

Who's to say he couldn't have done exactly the same role Tupaea did on Saturday? New game plan and all...

He's got some excellent attributes and if we can find a way to have him shine like he does for the saders then it could be great for the ABs. His vision and distribution is brilliant.

The question is do we see Havs as our 12 come WC, clearly the Fern does not think so. QT, ALB, RTS, Goodhue are better options and should be getting the time there. I am slightly more concerned about 13 at the moment as RI is turning into Aaron Smith in that there is daylight between him and the next player. They missed a trick not bringing Sullivan into the squad IMO.

@ACT-Crusader TBH, none of Goodhue, Tupaea, Havili really seem like impact players from the bench.

@ACT-Crusader they definitely think 12 is his best position, but I think they like the fact he can cover multiple positions even as a starter as it makes it easier for them to pick their bench players when those extra positions are covered already. I'm also not convinced his best is good enough, I'd say adequate, though he hasn't really proven himself against top tier opposition. Was good against the Tier 2 teams and decent against the Wallabies then got badly found out after that.

@mariner4life said in All Blacks v Ireland - 2nd Test:

If QT gets dropped after that performance thrn these selectors can get fucked

Totally agree. Havili may have more all-round game but has a tendency to go flaky under pressure. QT was absolutely rock solid last week against some world-class opponents who will be really up for it this week.

We'll need that composure. Foster should stick with him.

@chimoaus said in All Blacks v Ireland - 2nd Test:

The question is do we see Havs as our 12 come WC, clearly the Fern does not think so. QT, ALB, RTS, Goodhue are better options and should be getting the time there. I am slightly more concerned about 13 at the moment as RI is turning into Aaron Smith in that there is daylight between him and the next player. They missed a trick not bringing Sullivan into the squad IMO.

They’ve got Goodhue in the squad as a midfield option.

Ioane is still only 25 so has years of rugby ahead of him. The more game time the better in my view. The odd rest here or there, but if we get 103 tests out of him like Nugget, then that is a very good thing for AB rugby.