AB 1st 15
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@Stargazer you know when I was thinking about this, Crotty/ALB was my mid-field and the main reason I put BB at 10 was to put BFA at 15, yet didnt in the opening post...
Was more that I dont think we will plug holes significantly better if we selected from outside.
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@taniwharugby said in AB 1st 15:
Was more that I dont think we will plug holes significantly better if we selected from outside.
I totally agree with that.
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@taniwharugby said in AB 1st 15:
@Stargazer you know when I was thinking about this, Crotty/ALB was my mid-field and the main reason I put BB at 10 was to put BFA at 15, yet didnt in the opening post...
Was more that I dont think we will plug holes significantly better if we selected from outside.
Agreed, there’s been plenty of talk about his SA could be dramatically stronger by picking players who are contracted outside SA. For us, there are really only a few positions: Blindside and this year, lock. You could make an argument though that in both cases we had the opportunity to keep the ‘natural’ replacements but missed them through poor selecting and contracting. There is no way we should abandon the ‘playing in NZ’ criteria.
I’m hoping Alaimalo has a massive year and really focuses on being a Folau-like (as in playing, not preaching) wing. He keeps saying he wants to be a FB but he’s much better on the wing. He could be a massive weapon if it comes together. In fact, with the younger Nahoko boy, I the Chiefs have two of the most dangerous players in the NZ conference.
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In fact, with the younger Nahoko boy, I the Chiefs have two of the most dangerous players in the NZ conference.
I'm still on the fence regarding Kini Naholo. He's been hyped up in the media for all the tries he scored for Hastings Boys 1st XV, but most of the credit for all those tries should have gone to Toala, Fakatava, and especially McClutchie. Kini was an excellent finisher for Hastings and used many opponents as a speed bump, and he had some defending qualities as well, but he didn't create too much of his own opportunities.
Unfortunately, injuries have kept him out of the game for Taranaki, so we haven't had too many opportunities too watch him play since his school days and don't know how he has developed since then. Maybe he has improved a lot. I can't wait to watch him play, but - of course - we don't know yet how much game time he'll get in 2020 SR.
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Good point, I should have added a ‘may’ to that statement. I’m really excited about Super rugby this year, I’m just hoping we can also turn up some tough tall forwards - they are getting rarer and rarer.
Stevenson is a good player who is underrated ... a back three of Alaimalo (lets face it if he' stayed in Chch he'd probably have played for the ABs three years ago), Stevenson and DMac is as exciting as any out there.
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I thought he’d move actually as I know we have three guys who want to play 15. I like him though, he’s been great for us at times - I just don’t quite see him being an AB with the same potential as Alaimalo - he’s very James Lowe-y, which isn’t a bad thing at all.
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Stevenson is a good player who is underrated ... a back three of Alaimalo (lets face it if he' stayed in Chch he'd probably have played for the ABs three years ago), Stevenson and DMac is as exciting as any out there.
When Stevenson was finally selected at the end of this season the back three looked threatening again. Wainui is a decent defender but lacks top-end speed for a winger.
@gt12 I also prefer Alaimalo on the wing. I can understand why he has been picked at fullback (strong in the air, a decent boot) but my main criticism of him is that he doesn't always back himself to beat defenders, even when running it from deep.
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@Nepia Assuming that he will only debut at earliest in June of next year - he'll already be two years older than Jordie when he made his debut.
Arguably if Will hadn't got hurt during he Super season, Sevu Reece wouldn't have got enough opportunities to press his case and could easily have been Jordan and Ennor in the mid year ABs.
Any later for Will and we're starting to waste his speed.
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Agreed, for whatever reason he didn’t beat many men playing from 15 but looked like a new player when on the wing.
He’s an ideal type for an AB wing - fast, tall, can beat a man, is good in the air, has a boot, and isn’t named Jordie Barrett.
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@taniwharugby
If you were watching La Rochelle, you would see that Vito is past it. I hope for him and his team this is just a problem of fitness.
12. I can't wait to see what Nankivell could do. He has developed very quickly this year and could be a bolter for the ABs. -
@taniwharugby
If you were watching La Rochelle, you would see that Vito is past it. I hope for him and his team this is just a problem of fitness.
12. I can't wait to see what Nankivell could do. He has developed very quickly this year and could be a bolter for the ABs.You really dislike the current midfield eh? 😁