Bledisloe 3
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@family-man no worries. Just being a smart arse.
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@bones said in BLEDISLOE 3:
@booboo Surely Jonah Lowe and Blake Gibson are unavailable.
And Ngatai....
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As has been said , has all the ingredients of a banana skin game this one ,
just gone through a few consecutive wins , very little on the line , not a lot of interest in the game overall , injuries , up against a side that is craving a win against us ,
Has a similar vibe to when we went into that Chicago game ,
But having said all that , it usually happens when you least expect it
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Not that I think he’s been terrible as some commentators have said, but I wouldn’t mind if Sonny got a spell and we saw Laumape start at 2nd 5 with Crotty at centre.
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@act-crusader said in BLEDISLOE 3:
Not that I think he’s been terrible as some commentators have said, but I wouldn’t mind if Sonny got a spell and we saw Laumape start at 2nd 5 with Crotty at centre.
I would like to see that combo as well but I really doubt the selectors are going to take the guy with the best backline defensive numbers out of this game.
I think they are well aware that if through circumstance or good play the convict crew get a decent amount of ball to play with they will be throwing everything at us. We need to be well prepared to blunt them and start eroding whatever confidence they have built up. Make them try and force the issue. -
@family-man get up to them being smart arses. They're a chippy bunch.
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@crucial Tend to agree. One thing that we seem likely to see for an extended is the Nugget-Lima-SBW-Crotty combo, and it will be interesting to see if Lima's presence adds fluidity to what has been quite clunky from set piece.
Main selection interest is whether or not Kaino gets a run and third reserve back: Laumape or Albie. -
@pakman said in BLEDISLOE 3:
@crucial Tend to agree. One thing that we seem likely to see for an extended is the Nugget-Lima-SBW-Crotty combo, and it will be interesting to see if Lima's presence adds fluidity to what has been quite clunky from set piece.
Main selection interest is whether or not Kaino gets a run and third reserve back: Laumape or Albie.I think Laumape might get a run as ALB has clocked up a lot of playing minutes already this year. Laumape's numbers were also high after Super but he will have have more time refreshing. There is also the aspect of forward planning for the EOYT and the required rotation.
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@pakman said in BLEDISLOE 3:
Main selection interest is whether or not Kaino gets a run and third reserve back: Laumape or Albie.
I reckon Mo'unga is in that mix ... see rationale above.
I'm not really a fan but can see the arguments in favour.
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@kiwimurph said in BLEDISLOE 3:
@booboo Foster seemed to heavily indicate DMac will cover 10 and that Mounga was there to learn about the environment.
Righto
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@kiwimurph That's what I thought, too. Don't think they'll throw him into the deep end with only 5 days in camp for a test match (even a Bledisloe dead rubber test), unless there's an emergency. Dmac was in the squad for months, before getting his first cap; Havili several weeks; even Scott Barrett got more time, although they capped him pretty quickly (forced by injuries to Retallick & Whitelock, and Romano on bereavement leave).
I can imagine that, apart from having Mo'unga there as injury cover, they wanted to have a closer look at him for a possible EOYT spot and having more time to bring him up to speed with structures etc. The first game against the Baabaas is already in 18 days. Having him in the squad this early, might indicate that they're considering giving him game time in that game.
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@stargazer Think the chief driver for him being in Brisbane was in case Lima turns an ankle. The foreshadowed release for Mitre semi suggests wrong to read too much into it.
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@pakman That's what I said, for an emergency. But Hansen already said when the squad for the RC was named that Mo'unga was on their radar, so it's not so far-fetched to assume that they're thinking of him in terms of an EOYT spot (but by no means a certainty).
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And here's the 23 for Saturday:
1 Kane Hames (5)
2 Dane Coles (54)
3 Nepo Laulala (9)
4 Samuel Whitelock (92)
5 Scott Barrett (13)
6 Liam Squire (12)
7 Sam Cane (49)
8 Kieran Read (106) - Captain
9 Aaron Smith (67)
10 Lima Sopoaga (12)
11 Rieko Ioane (9)
12 Sonny Bill Williams (42)
13 Ryan Crotty (31)
14 Waisake Naholo (14)
15 Damian McKenzie (8)16 Codie Taylor (25)
17 Wyatt Crockett (67)
18 Ofa Tu’ungafasi (10)
19 Patrick Tuipulotu (14)
20 Matt Todd (10)
21 TJ Perenara (38)
22 Anton Lienert-Brown (18)
23 David Havili (2)http://www.allblacks.com/News/31624/all-blacks-team-named-for-final-test-against-australia
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Let’s be honest. Squire is now the ABs incumbent 6. It’s a long way back for Kaino.
