@Stargazer yeah i would be pretty surprised if they left him out completely.

Interesting to see plenty of people have elevated Bridge and Reece above Ioane and Smith on the back of one game. Even suggesting Smith and Ioane might not make the cut.
Just can’t see it myself. I don’t see the point in taking both Reece and Bridge with BB now playing at 15 and I don’t think those guys have done enough to go past Ioane or BFA and they don’t have the versatility of Jordie.

@Stargazer said in Tasman v Wellington:

In 30 minutes, Connor Garden Bachop has already looked better than his older brother has in several years.

I was thinking the same thing. And he has even dropped the ball several times.

I really can’t wait for the Black caps to play Sri Lanka. It has been such a long time since these great rivals met in a series. I must be what? 6 months? And 18 months since the time before that?

@Rapido said in Bledisoe #1:

Do the All Blacks ever run the ball from Number 8 from a scrum?

It would seem a criminal waste of space to me.

Ardie at faux 8, running some scrum ball, during the warm-ups/friendlies/TRC/Bled - I might be OK with as a giant decoy for the bigger picture later on, to hold defences closer in - when in actual fact we have no intention of going down the fatty-Vunipola type channels.

I'm OK with a big unit doing some pick and goes, and rumbling up some messy ruck ball. But not from beautiful sweet, sweet set piece scrums.

They prefer to have an elaborate backline setup, then have the 11 perform a slow hit up somewhere between the opposition 10 and 12.

Works every time.

He must have been rubbing some of that special powder on it.

@shark said in What's Wrong With Reiko Ioane?:

@KiwiMurph said in What's Wrong With Reiko Ioane?:

Does this really need it's own thread where you just copy the whole article?

Is it uncommon for a new thread to be lead off by an online story?!

What I find more strange is that no-one else thinks it's odd Mo'unga didn't try a single kick-pass last week. Unless I missed them?

I think that is actually a good thing. That tactic has been done to death and rarely works.

The other point that has been completely mossed in all the whinging about BB rolling a ball a couple of feet forward is how the hell was the forward pass from Le roux to the winger before the final try not picked up? The AR was right there.

@Chris-B said in AB squad for the Rugby Championship:

@pukunui He didn't have any that weren't straight, did he? They were just "a bit short" and picked off by the Argies.

Same thing used to happen when we had a loose trio of Jerry, Richie and Rodders. Our hookers just couldn't throw....

I can’t remember if the length was his only issue. Still think it is a long bow to draw to blame his poor throwing on the height of the back row when he was throwing low to the guys who supposedly too short.

To be honest i agree height is important and ideally your 6 would have it all but along with speed i would have height well down the list of attributes that are essential in an AB 6.
Hard hitting defence and work rate would be the top and probably ball carrying next. I think you get those things and the attributes of an AB 7 in a combination of Cane and Savea with Savea bring the ball carrying.

Scott Barrett or Hemopo may be the answer too.
Fifita is not and Jacobson is an unknown. Time is running out.

@Chris-B said in AB squad for the Rugby Championship:

Yes - you've got to get a man in front. But, that guy has to be tall and fast enough to be competitive.

Last weekend's game saw us get some soft wins at the front from Frizell - no-one up against him.

Contrast that with what we saw at the end of the Argentina game - Liam Coltman being singled out for wonky lineout throwing - but, who were his targets?

Retallick (good), Hemopo, Jacobson, Savea, Cane.

The Argies took us down!

So Coltman couldn’t throw straight because the back rowers were a few cm too short? Hmm not sure i buy that.