Maori Tour
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Very poor Maori side. Akira Ioane was invisible for most of the game. Was he told to keep some energy for next Wednesday against the French XV ?
Hemopo was the only forward to show some grunt. The others were well dominated by their French counterparts. Ruru was active when he came in. All in all, I think the final score is flattering the Maoris. -
Bachop playing behind a Wellington pack and huge backs ofcourse is gonna look good. Get him behind the rebels pack and now a Maoris pack going backwards he can't play. Always better for a good player to shine in a shit team then shining when things are going good
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@crazy-horse you may be confusing him with A Ioane or Super Ngatai.
Although it seems odd that Hall, Gibson, Cowley-Tuioti and Gatland haven't been selected for any national team this weekend.
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@bones I think they were all injured at the end of the season and I know Gibson had a shoulder operation.
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@daffy-jaffy Yep, all those players are injured.
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@daffy-jaffy said in Maori Tour:
@bones I think they were all injured at the end of the season and I know Gibson had a shoulder operation.
Parsons, Smith, Nansen, Vaega?
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@bones said in Maori Tour:
@crazy-horse you may be confusing him with A Ioane or Super Ngatai.
Although it seems odd that Hall, Gibson, Cowley-Tuioti and Gatland haven't been selected for any national team this weekend.
Nope!
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@bones nah somebody in their wisdom suggested JGB was All Black material based on his season with Wellington. May have been one of the more fanatical Wellington posters...
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Just finished watching the game. Haven't read the comments, but I thought Franklin and Hemopo were the best of the Maori forwards. Bateman and Ngatai of the backs. Garden-Bachop has done West a favour by showing that he (GB) should play for the Canes development team, while West backs up BB in the senior squad. GB was absolute garbage material and shouldn't have been in this squad. He was the worst player on the field. Marty McKenzie would have been a better option (not sure which other Maori 10s would have been better and available).
I'm the first to admit the Maori ABs were ill-disciplined, but that ref! I checked it several times, and Manihera did nothing that wasn't permitted and he cleaned out before the whistle, not after (which was the ref's reason for the yellow). The yellow for the French prop's high tackle was fully deserved, but that penalty try? I don't think so. I can't remember him ever saying whether his on-field decision was try or no try. So I'm not sure what the TMO was asked to check initially. That would have mattered if the ref hadn't changed his mind and awarded the penalty try. I think the try was scored, but the grounding wasn't visible.
This was the weakest Maori squad in years. A lot of new players; more players with little or no SR experience than in previous squads; and I really question some of these selections. Not a good start for the new coach. Not sure though whether at some positions there were better alternatives, especially in the forwards, but in the backs there certainly were better options.
Bleh, I hate when the French win. I hope the ABs smash their senior squad.
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@stargazer said in Maori Tour:
Garden-Bachop has done West a favour by showing that he (GB) should play for the Canes development team, while West backs up BB in the senior squad. GB was absolute garbage material and shouldn't have been in this squad. He was the worst player on the field. Marty McKenzie would have been a better option (not sure which other Maori 10s would have been better and available).
Would he be good enough the make that team?
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@higgins said in Maori Tour:
Who were the back up first fives for the 'Poo and HB? Come to think of it there is more chance of some kid first year out of a Wellington School 1st XV making it than someone from outside of Wellington if past selections are any guide.
That was exactly what I was thinking after my previous post. Falcon's back-up last year was Ben Wyness, but he didn't make Manawatu squad. Maybe the mysterious, never seen playing for the Canes, TJ Va'a may get the nod if he's not injured? Or they pick Jade Te Rure if he's still in the region, who - I think - wouldn't be a bad choice?
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@higgins was it Jade Te Rure??
Watching Maori game now...just poor cohesion, the 9/10 axis had no direction and seemed indecisive
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@taniwharugby Jade Te Rure wasn't in the Canes Dev team last year due to injury, but should be someone to look at this year for the development team. The Magpies 3rd option at first-five was a 29 year old from their development team.
