Bulls v Crusaders
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Crusaders:
1 Joe Moody, 2 Codie Taylor, 3 Mike Alaalatoa, 4 Mitchell Dunshea, 5 Scott Barrett, 6 Jordan Taufua, 7 Matt Todd (c), 8 Kieran Read
9 Bryn Hall, 10 Richie Mo'unga, 11 George Bridge, 12 Ryan Crotty (vc), 13 Jack Goodhue, 14 Sevu Reece, 15 David HaviliReserves:
16 Andrew Makalio, 17 Harry Allan, 18 Oliver Jager, 19 Luke Romano, 20 Whetukamokamo Douglas, 21 Mitchell Drummond, 22 Mitchell Hunt, 23 Braydon Ennor -
Strong argument that is our best backline.
Looking for better performances from our front row and loosies this week.
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@ACT-Crusader said in Bulls v Crusaders:
Strong argument that is our best backline.
Looking for better performances from our front row and loosies this week.
Probably only Whitelock and Franks away from best pack as well.
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Bulls:
1-Lizo Gqoboka, 2-Schalk Brits, 3-Trevor Nyakane, 4-Jason Jenkins, 5-RG Snyman, 6-Marco van Staden, 7-Jannes Kirsten, 8-Duane Vermeulen, 9-Andre Warner, 10-Handre Pollard (c), 11-Rosko Specman, 12-Burger Odendaal, 13-Johnny Kotze, 14-Cornal Hendricks, 15-Warrick GelantReserves:
16-Jaco Visagie, 17-Simphiwe Matanzima, 18-Wiehahn Herbst, 19-Thembelani Bholi, 20-Paul Schoeman, 21-Embrose Papier, 22-Manie Libbok, 23-Divan Rossouw -
Only concerns for me - and these are amplified against SA teams - are the green bench props and not having any genuinely tall timber by modern standards.
Our three locks are 1.99, 1.97 and 1.98m. Read is another option but the rest of our loosies aren't tall, Douglas is the next tallest at 1.9m.
Snyman is a whopper at 2.07m and Jenkins is 2.01m. Kirsten on the blindside is 1.97m. Vermeulen and Read match up at 1.93m. The Bulls don't have a lot of height on the bench but start with a signficant advantage there.
The height difference, recent scrummaging issues and less effective mauling of recent times are concerns. But we should still win even if we lack a little of the pill.
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@ACT-Crusader said in Bulls v Crusaders:
Strong argument that is our best backline.
Looking for better performances from our front row and loosies this week.
I'd add Franks, Perry and Whitelock and say that is our best 23 - though there would be some quibbles in the outside backs.
Funnily enough - without Franks and Whitelock - it doesn't look as strong as this suggests - in part because of the weaknesses in the bench props. Wonder if that's why Romano is on the bench - add a bit of scrum starch.
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@Nepia said in Bulls v Crusaders:
@shark Have no fear, 1.9m locks are the standard these days.
Ardie Savea is 1.88cm. He could play lock!
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@Chris-B said in Bulls v Crusaders:
@ACT-Crusader said in Bulls v Crusaders:
Strong argument that is our best backline.
Looking for better performances from our front row and loosies this week.
I'd add Franks, Perry and Whitelock and say that is our best 23 - though there would be some quibbles in the outside backs.
Funnily enough - without Franks and Whitelock - it doesn't look as strong as this suggests - in part because of the weaknesses in the bench props. Wonder if that's why Romano is on the bench - add a bit of scrum starch.
Yeah we need Romero when there is a big drop off in our front row come the second half.
I also think any two of Jordan, Ennor and Reece at this point would still make it the ‘top 23’
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@ACT-Crusader Yes - any one of those three is unlucky.
Tough job for Mataele to reclaim his place in the pecking order next year - and for Punavai and Faingaanuku to get much of a look in.
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@Nepia said in Bulls v Crusaders:
@shark Have no fear, 1.9m locks are the standard these days.
There is definitely a general shrinking in NZ thats for sure. Between utility forwards starting at lock, and then comparitive midgets like specialist lock James Blackwell at 1.9m, it's starting to look like club footy at SR level.
How many 2m+ locks are there in NZ SR squads this year? Off hand I can think of Josh Dickson, Paripari Parkinson, Whitelock, Retallick and Tuipulotu.....
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@Tim Robinson is 1.98m, but played 6 this season, but has played majority of his M10 cup rugby at lock.
Plenty of dudes just under 2m.
