2017 NZ Schools

[cgrant]

@stargazer said in 2017 NZ Schools:

Weird. If you want to select the best possible team, you don't name Tavita Metcalfe, Lincoln McClutchie and Danny Toala on the bench, but in the starting line-up. It seems they've gone for good try scorers instead of a good goal kicker, because who do you take off if you name Toala at fullback? Faingaanuku, Punivai, Naholo and Nanai are all good finishers, but the fact is, Reihana missed a lot of kicks at goal v Fiji and also isn't the best pivot. I wonder whether they couldn't have shifted Punivai to 12 and Nanai to 13 to accommodate a line-up that includes McClutchie and Toala (leaving Tupaea out).

And if you want the strongest and best possible pack, you need Tavita Metcalfe in it. He's a monster. If you've seen his winning try in the Top 4 final, you know why.

Tupaea is the playmaker of the backline so it's hard to leave him out while George Dyer has been strong in the tight against the Australian Barbarians, that's why Metcalfe is on the bench.

[KiwiMurph]

Nz up 5 nil.

Reihana and Mua have started well.

Great run by Leicster.

[KiwiMurph]

Vaai crashes over for a try. NZ winning territory and collision battle.

Leicester misses a kick again. 10 nil.

[Stargazer]

After the unconverted try from Mua, now a great try from the giant Vaa'I.
There isn't a real kicker in the starting XV, so again unconverted. Bring on Toala.

[KiwiMurph]

@stargazer id be tempted to bring him on at 15 and shift Nanai to 14. Naholo has been poor so far.

[Stargazer]

@kiwimurph I've found, during the season, that Naholo is a great finisher and sometimes has his moments creating things, but if he isn't served well by his team mates, he can become invisible. In the Hastings squad that worked well, but without players like McClutchie and esp. Fakatava, it becomes a lot more difficult, apparently.

[KiwiMurph]

@stargazer fair. Have only seen highlights of Naholo until now but his handling looks a bit suspect in this game.

[KiwiMurph]

Nz butchering try scoring opportunities - should be up by more.

[Stargazer]

Funny, just when I was about to post that I like what I'm seeing from Flanders, the Aussies single him out on screen. Flanders is the ultimate workhorse; relentless.

[KiwiMurph]

Aus Schools have done really well considering they are playing much of the game in their own half - great scrapping. 10-6 halftime

[Stargazer]

I hope our bench can make the difference.

[Bovidae]

Too individualistic in the 1st half, and NZ needs to cut out those miracle passes and build some phases.

[Bovidae]

The other thing is that the ref is really liberal at the breakdown. Players going off their feet and sealing off appears to be the norm. That should suit NZ as the game will flow.

[Nepia]

FYI Oz based Ferners - this is on Fox Sports 501.

[Stargazer]

Lucky that the Aussie right wing was so far away; very fast lad! Try Nanai under the sticks; converted.

[Stargazer]

Geez, that was a high tackle on Flanders. Not penalised.

[Stargazer]

@kiwimurph said in 2017 NZ Schools:

@stargazer id be tempted to bring him on at 15 and shift Nanai to 14. Naholo has been poor so far.

Looks like the coach has read your post and took your advice!

[KiwiMurph]

@stargazer said in 2017 NZ Schools:

@kiwimurph said in 2017 NZ Schools:

@stargazer id be tempted to bring him on at 15 and shift Nanai to 14. Naholo has been poor so far.

Looks like the coach has read your post and took your advice!

Haha hope it works! So far it has.

[Stargazer]

McClutchie on for Reihana.

[Nepia]

Damn, the skinniest prop in the world scores out wide for the Aussies.