AB squad for the EOYT
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I wouldn't bother taking Todd if Cane is right to play.
I think Akira Ioane needs to prove that he can play at a high level without failing the dickhead test by trying to start fights etc before being considered for higher honours. Especially when there is Luatua who is missing out.
Dixon should go because he has hardly had a chance. He will surely slot into 8 when/if Read has a rest.
Squire goes for me because he has played well and is the best backup for the Kaino role.
Don't think Bird will have moved past any of the locks and Hames is probably the next Prop of they are taking another.
Hooker they will probably go with Coltman or Parsons but time in the camp and a few minutes off the bench might help Riccatelli along. They may wait and see if he backs it up next year first though.Backs I would leave Seta at home. ALB has impressed, Moala needs some game time to show what he has got and Fekitoa has been around for a while so will get more chances. I would take R. Ioane as a right winger. B Smith and Dagg will be sharing 15 i would think so we will probably see a new 14 at some point. I guess giving Dmac time at 15 might reduce that need but i think Rieko would be worth a shot or Nanai for that matter.
Don't know where that leaves me for numbers but Im sure Hansen will work it out from my notes.
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@Sapetyvi said in AB squad for the EOYT:
As someone mentioned, what about Riccitelli as an apprentice? Coles and Parsons are 33 come the next RWC (highly doubt Parsons will be in the mix at that point) Codie Taylor just isn't as good as Coles and Harris is plagued by injury. Riccitelli seems to have good traits, good pace, physical in contact, could progress in to a great modern hooker.
Codie Taylor is on 25 so has plenty of time on his side to develop. I think they like his physicality, workrate and edge, just some of the other things of playing out wide that Coles does well to work on.
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See the media have run stories without saying much: Rieko seems a probable. Third hooker would seem likely to be Coltman or Parsons. Is there a sixth prop -- probably a LH?
But other than Rieko has anyone in particular put their hands up?
If not, we are left with the Todd/Nanai/Luatua extended squadee. And if one or more of these goes, who is left out?
Hard to see that there's going to be a bolter. -
With the talent bubbling under the surface, the relative ease of opposition and with a view to the Lions Tour and next RWC (not nearly as many new caps blooded this year as 2012) it wouldn't be a horrible time to leave a couple of campaigners at home if to do nothing but create space in match day 22's for the young guys.
But when you go down each candidate there aren't any perfect candidates.
Dagg already lost his spot and wouldn't give it up and had a good spell last year.
Kaino already had a spell a few years back and would be hesitant to give others a crack.
Read's first tour away as skip.
Coles probably needs the spell more than anyone but he is of a different vintage than those above - so less need to prepare for the future there.Ben Smith would be perhaps the most ideal candidate. Big workload this year, big workload the past 4 years without a break - but who wants to pick a team without Bender? Also VC.
Whitelock, Franks and Rettalick could do with a spell too - but that's one area where we don't have a bevvy of young options to try - just Patty T. So you can take them all but perhaps have them coming off the bench more than usual.
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@rotated Bird? Luatua too, I guess, as he can cover lock.
Though aside from when players go on sabbatical or are injured, when was the last time anyone was rested from the EOYT anyway? Marshall way back in 2004? I can't see them doing it now, at most they'll give the starters a one game rest.
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@Unco said in AB squad for the EOYT:
@rotated Bird? Luatua too, I guess, as he can cover lock.
Though aside from when players go on sabbatical or are injured, when was the last time anyone was rested from the EOYT anyway? Marshall way back in 2004? I can't see them doing it now, at most they'll give the starters a one game rest.
Agree, and that's usually the "easiest" test. So that would be Italy.
I also wonder what impact the simultaneous presence in Europe of the Maori All Blacks and many Kiwis in the Baabaas squad will have on the size and composition of the All Blacks squad, if any.
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Good call. There will be a ton of players "on-site" available to call up through injury - and there will almost certainly be injury.
Parsons, Slade and Bird got added to the 2014 EOYT mid tour when Harris, Jane and BBBR got injured (BBBR was a precaution and I don't know if he even missed a game in the end).
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@Unco said in AB squad for the EOYT:
@rotated Bird? Luatua too, I guess, as he can cover lock.
Though aside from when players go on sabbatical or are injured, when was the last time anyone was rested from the EOYT anyway? Marshall way back in 2004? I can't see them doing it now, at most they'll give the starters a one game rest.
Wasn't Conrad Smith rested on the 2013 tour? The tour that Bender played centre.
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@ACT-Crusader said in AB squad for the EOYT:
@Unco said in AB squad for the EOYT:
@rotated Bird? Luatua too, I guess, as he can cover lock.
Though aside from when players go on sabbatical or are injured, when was the last time anyone was rested from the EOYT anyway? Marshall way back in 2004? I can't see them doing it now, at most they'll give the starters a one game rest.
Wasn't Conrad Smith rested on the 2013 tour? The tour that Bender played centre.
That was a sabbatical wasn't it? Like Ali Williams' one.
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@WillieTheWaiter
Atu Moli is probably the long term successor at THP. His scrummaging has improved a lot and his workrate is excellent. His physique is more suited to international rugby than Laulala's IMO. -
@Stargazer said in AB squad for the EOYT:
@Unco said in AB squad for the EOYT:
@rotated Bird? Luatua too, I guess, as he can cover lock.
Though aside from when players go on sabbatical or are injured, when was the last time anyone was rested from the EOYT anyway? Marshall way back in 2004? I can't see them doing it now, at most they'll give the starters a one game rest.
Agree, and that's usually the "easiest" test. So that would be Italy.
I also wonder what impact the simultaneous presence in Europe of the Maori All Blacks and many Kiwis in the Baabaas squad will have on the size and composition of the All Blacks squad, if any.
I see Shields, Whitelock and Taufua all in the BaaBaas. Would be interesting to see the call up order from that one.
I would guess the known quantity Whitelock would probably be first in line followed by Shields (both with ability to cover two positions), Taufua the outside bet (although he is currently in hot form and can cover 6 and 7 at a pinch). -
@Crucial said in AB squad for the EOYT:
@Stargazer said in AB squad for the EOYT:
@Unco said in AB squad for the EOYT:
@rotated Bird? Luatua too, I guess, as he can cover lock.
Though aside from when players go on sabbatical or are injured, when was the last time anyone was rested from the EOYT anyway? Marshall way back in 2004? I can't see them doing it now, at most they'll give the starters a one game rest.
Agree, and that's usually the "easiest" test. So that would be Italy.
I also wonder what impact the simultaneous presence in Europe of the Maori All Blacks and many Kiwis in the Baabaas squad will have on the size and composition of the All Blacks squad, if any.
I see Shields, Whitelock and Taufua all in the BaaBaas. Would be interesting to see the call up order from that one.
I would guess the known quantity Whitelock would probably be first in line followed by Shields (both with ability to cover two positions), Taufua the outside bet (although he is currently in hot form and can cover 6 and 7 at a pinch).Taufua can cover 8, too. Not sure he's played there this year, with Read playing almost every game, but he has in previous years.
I actually find the presence of Goodes as a back-up much more interesting.
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@Stargazer said in AB squad for the EOYT:
@Crucial said in AB squad for the EOYT:
@Stargazer said in AB squad for the EOYT:
@Unco said in AB squad for the EOYT:
@rotated Bird? Luatua too, I guess, as he can cover lock.
Though aside from when players go on sabbatical or are injured, when was the last time anyone was rested from the EOYT anyway? Marshall way back in 2004? I can't see them doing it now, at most they'll give the starters a one game rest.
Agree, and that's usually the "easiest" test. So that would be Italy.
I also wonder what impact the simultaneous presence in Europe of the Maori All Blacks and many Kiwis in the Baabaas squad will have on the size and composition of the All Blacks squad, if any.
I see Shields, Whitelock and Taufua all in the BaaBaas. Would be interesting to see the call up order from that one.
I would guess the known quantity Whitelock would probably be first in line followed by Shields (both with ability to cover two positions), Taufua the outside bet (although he is currently in hot form and can cover 6 and 7 at a pinch).Taufua can cover 8, too. Not sure he's played there this year, with Read playing almost every game, but he has in previous years.
I actually find the presence of Goodes as a back-up much more interesting.
Agree. He is the most obvious one in there.
My comment was more regarding the AB squad makeup and whether they take into account the loose cover on hand (would guess Akira in the Maori team as well)
With no Laulala and Ofa's TH play not strong enough, Goodes is a solid option. -
When is the last time a BaaBaas or NZM player actually got used on a tour? I can recall Mike Brewer being called in from a holiday in England in about 1993 (?) to take a huge shit on Liam Barry... but since then?
I mean there is a LOT of talk about how we will draft from those 2 sides, but when have we ever actually done that? We've played what? 20 odd EOYT tests under Hansen and has he ever gone outside the touring party for a player who has had a single minute of gametime?
Maybe a prop?
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@gollum said in AB squad for the EOYT:
When is the last time a BaaBaas or NZM player actually got used on a tour? I can recall Mike Brewer being called in from a holiday in England in about 1993 (?) to take a huge shit on Liam Barry... but since then?
Parsons
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@gollum said in AB squad for the EOYT:
When is the last time a BaaBaas or NZM player actually got used on a tour? I can recall Mike Brewer being called in from a holiday in England in about 1993 (?) to take a huge shit on Liam Barry... but since then?
Parsons, Bird and Slade in 2014
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@Duluth said in AB squad for the EOYT:
@gollum said in AB squad for the EOYT:
When is the last time a BaaBaas or NZM player actually got used on a tour? I can recall Mike Brewer being called in from a holiday in England in about 1993 (?) to take a huge shit on Liam Barry... but since then?
Parsons
That was an interesting move. Harris went down injured and we had just come off a tough test vs England using Coles and Mealamu. Hansen took a punt and called in Parsons after his Baabaas game to start ahead of Coles and Kev.
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@ACT-Crusader said in AB squad for the EOYT:
@Duluth said in AB squad for the EOYT:
@gollum said in AB squad for the EOYT:
When is the last time a BaaBaas or NZM player actually got used on a tour? I can recall Mike Brewer being called in from a holiday in England in about 1993 (?) to take a huge shit on Liam Barry... but since then?
Parsons
That was an interesting move. Harris went down injured and we had just come off a tough test vs England using Coles and Mealamu. Hansen took a punt and called in Parsons after his Baabaas game to start ahead of Coles and Kev.
And he was found wanting. He's better now. But he was short of a gallop then.
Given his age he is not a long term answer and not worth persevering with imo.
