All Black Squad for Rugby Championship
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@taniwharugby I could see him coming back for the 2019 RWC and then signing for a NH club again after that. Would be great to have him back and he would definitely be in the AB mix.
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@taniwharugby @akan004 would he be starting behind the 8 ball and suffering a touch of Luatuaitis first up?
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@Billy-Tell said in All Black Squad for Rugby Championship:
F me. Ye olde anti-Dagg sentiments are peppering this forum lately.
I'm not personally saying he is a lock for a starting jersey, but Naholo has never ever impressed me in black yet (OK fleetingly when he scored his first try in his brief cameo at the RWC 2015), NMS looks a shadow of his former self, Ioane looks good at times, but has workrate issues in my opinion, and his clearing kick is a hollow impression of Dagg's, Savea...
I don't think we are as flush in the back 3 as people like to think. I personally would still put Piutau straight back into the starting XV for example. I do like the look of Jordie though.
I have no beef with Dagg on the wing for the purpose of balance but him at FB is nuts when we have a better option right here and now.
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@taniwharugby said in All Black Squad for Rugby Championship:
@booboo the path back from the NH is a well worn and one that doesn't often lead back to the ABs.
Yep he'll be unrecognizable if he comes back - fat and lazy as fuck and expecting the forwards to do all the work.
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@Frye said in All Black Squad for Rugby Championship:
@ACT-Crusader said in All Black Squad for Rugby Championship:
Against the Aussies I reckon we go with
15 Dagg
14 Naholo
11 Ioane / SaveaAgainst the Boks I'd prefer the Jordie and Dagg back division.
Dagg at fullback isn't going to happen. It was a retrograde step in the 2nd test and they admitted as much by moving him back to the wing in the 3rd test. When Dagg was a fullback he missed out the RWC squad. He never regained his fullback form, he just became a solid option on the right wing.
Dagg is extremely lucky that Ben Smith is having a sabbatical otherwise he could have found himself back playing ITM cup.
Dagg at fullback wasn't the issue in the 2nd test. In fact him being at fullback other than the wing was more beneficial when we used him to play field position.
I doubt they are dropping him even if Bender were available. He would probably start as the 1st test showed.
So with Bender out they will probably try a couple of different things.
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@akan004 said in All Black Squad for Rugby Championship:
@Billy-Tell When is Piatau due back if he does decide to not renew his contract up morth? Next year or in 2019?
Must be due to run out end of this year. I personally think if he genuinely does want to come home that NZRU should insist on a contract to at least 2020. Otherwise, it's not hard to see him commit for the minimum period that includes RWC 2019 before heading overseas again - no need for a malevolent mercenary influence in the AB camp.
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@Frye said in All Black Squad for Rugby Championship:
@Billy-Tell said in All Black Squad for Rugby Championship:
I have no beef with Dagg on the wing for the purpose of balance but him at FB is nuts when we have a better option right here and now.
Yeah I agree there. I thought he was utterly woeful at wing under Blackadder...but now I think wing is his best position. If Smith is out, would just hand the 15 shirt to Jordie - goal-kicking woes finished for the ABs.
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@Crash said in All Black Squad for Rugby Championship:
@taniwharugby said in All Black Squad for Rugby Championship:
@booboo the path back from the NH is a well worn and one that doesn't often lead back to the ABs.
Yep he'll be unrecognizable if he comes back - fat and lazy as fuck and expecting the forwards to do all the work.
Jerome came back from Japan.
you never know - modern NH rugby pitches aren't what htey used to be. Piutau could do it... unlikely, but possible
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@nzzp said in All Black Squad for Rugby Championship:
@Crash said in All Black Squad for Rugby Championship:
@taniwharugby said in All Black Squad for Rugby Championship:
@booboo the path back from the NH is a well worn and one that doesn't often lead back to the ABs.
Yep he'll be unrecognizable if he comes back - fat and lazy as fuck and expecting the forwards to do all the work.
Jerome came back from Japan.
you never know - modern NH rugby pitches aren't what they used to be. Piutau could do it... unlikely, but possible
Jerome refreshed his body while in Japan. Piatau is playing for a crap team with a donkey coach. He's been placed on the wing because he created too many chances in the midfield none of his teammates could capitalise on so he'd end up losing the ball. Now he looks like Piri has been his trainer.
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@Frye said in All Black Squad for Rugby Championship:
@ACT-Crusader said in All Black Squad for Rugby Championship:
Against the Aussies I reckon we go with
15 Dagg
14 Naholo
11 Ioane / SaveaAgainst the Boks I'd prefer the Jordie and Dagg back division.
Dagg at fullback isn't going to happen. It was a retrograde step in the 2nd test and they admitted as much by moving him back to the wing in the 3rd test. When Dagg was a fullback he missed out the RWC squad. He never regained his fullback form, he just became a solid option on the right wing.
Dagg is extremely lucky that Ben Smith is having a sabbatical otherwise he could have found himself back playing ITM cup.
Dagg missed out on the RWC because he had been injured for a long time and couldn't get back to full fitness in time. It had nothing to do with the position he was playing. He was selected last year based on his excellent form at fullback during the 2016 Super Rugby season (he didn't play on the wing for the Crusaders last year). Because the AB coaches wanted to play both him and Bender, he ended up on the wing and proved to be outstanding in that position. That has considerably improved his versatility and hence his chances for further AB selection.
So even if Bender had been in the squad for the RC, Dagg would definitely have been in the team, regardless of whether he's playing fullback or wing.
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It took them a long time, but World Rugby has finally published the decision from the independent disciplinary committee relating to Sonny Bill Williams' red card against the British and Irish Lions and subsequent four-week suspension.
Since the hearing on 2 July, the disciplinary committee has been receiving and reviewing additional submissions and evidence from the player’s side relating to his upcoming schedule of matches. Following due consideration, the disciplinary committee has ruled that Williams’ suspension will extend up to and including 19 August. As such, he is free to play again from 20 August.The first Bledisloe Cup match is on Saturday, 19 August, so SBW will miss that test.
The Player was suspended for four weeks. One week equates to one match and all rugby matches are treated equally provided they are meaningful and have a meaningful playing consequence for the player.Games they counted: the 3rd match v B&I Lions, the last Blues game v Sunwolves, the preseason game Counties Manukau v North Harbour and the first Bledisloe Cup match.
The games they didn't count: the preseason game Counties Manukau "A" v Counties Manukau "B" and the All Blacks game of two halves (v Taranaki and Counties Manukau).
Full decision from disciplinary committee – Sonny Bill Williams
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@Stargazer I don't have a problem with that logic.
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@antipodean Neither do I, although I find it hard to believe he would have played for Counties in those preseason games.
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@Stargazer said in All Black Squad for Rugby Championship:
@Frye said in All Black Squad for Rugby Championship:
@ACT-Crusader said in All Black Squad for Rugby Championship:
Against the Aussies I reckon we go with
15 Dagg
14 Naholo
11 Ioane / SaveaAgainst the Boks I'd prefer the Jordie and Dagg back division.
Dagg at fullback isn't going to happen. It was a retrograde step in the 2nd test and they admitted as much by moving him back to the wing in the 3rd test. When Dagg was a fullback he missed out the RWC squad. He never regained his fullback form, he just became a solid option on the right wing.
Dagg is extremely lucky that Ben Smith is having a sabbatical otherwise he could have found himself back playing ITM cup.
Dagg missed out on the RWC because he had been injured for a long time and couldn't get back to full fitness in time. It had nothing to do with the position he was playing. He was selected last year based on his excellent form at fullback during the 2016 Super Rugby season (he didn't play on the wing for the Crusaders last year). Because the AB coaches wanted to play both him and Bender, he ended up on the wing and proved to be outstanding in that position. That has considerably improved his versatility and hence his chances for further AB selection.
So even if Bender had been in the squad for the RC, Dagg would definitely have been in the team, regardless of whether he's playing fullback or wing.
Oh yeah the coaching staff rated Dagg so highly they took two rookies to the World Cup instead, one of them who had a broken leg.
He hasn't played well at fullback in black in probably three or four years. And while he is doing an adequate job of the "safe" winger he is a place holder at best. I'd honestly pick Goodhue on the wing ahead of him.
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@Stargazer said in All Black Squad for Rugby Championship:
The games they didn't count: the preseason game Counties Manukau "A" v Counties Manukau "B" and the All Blacks game of two halves (v Taranaki and Counties Manukau).
Full decision from disciplinary committee – Sonny Bill Williams
It's hard to shed a tear for SBW after his stupidity, but this logic is ridiculous. If SBW was under contract to North Harbour for example he would miss in the same time frame, all of which would count:
- BIL 3rd test.
- Blues vs Sunwolves.
- Harbour vs Counties Trial 29th July
- Harbour vs Northland Trial 4th August
- Harbour vs Northland Trial 10th August
- Harbour vs Otago Round 1 17th August
- Bledisloe I - 20th August.
He would be free and clear comfortably with a couple of conditioning runs under his belt.
Also worth noting that he misses both the Counties Round 1 fixture at 7:30 NZT and the Bledisloe at 9:30 NZT that day. There is a strong argument that he is being double penalized there - because if he was scrubbed out for the Bledisloe and Counties were playing on the Sunday instead he would likely play that game.
I hope NZ appeal this, they would have a strong case. No matter how you count the games he should be free to play following the conclusion of the Counties round 1 fixture which would end about 20 minutes before the test starts.
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@mariner4life said in All Black Squad for Rugby Championship:
Get Nanai in
I am a great fan of Nanai but I think Havili has more chances than him to be named in the squad. He's had Dagg set on the right wing for the quarter and semi-finals.
