Bledisloe #2
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Im putting a lot of eggs in the Izzy to bankrupt the ARU before the weekend. Its gods will.
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@Chris-B said in Bledisloe #2:
The RWC is so much more important.
I might be in the minority but I would prefer they keep the 25 year unbeaten streak at Eden Park going and the Bledisloe than go three on the trot. It's not even really close.
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@mariner4life said in Bledisloe #2:
didn't Ofa play tighthead through the entire Northern tour last year, and handle it more than adequately?
Ofa actually replaced Big Karl at LH in both the Irish and English tests, and started at LH vs Italy. My point is that although Ofa has mainly played TH prop previously he has also been used at LH by both the Blues and ABs, including both tests he has played this year.
The first time I remember Moli at LH was his AB debut off the bench on the 2017 EOYT vs the French XV, when Hansen mentioned they wanted to convert him into a LH prop. Last year he had a serious leg injury and never played. This year Moli had a late start to the SR season, and then was the regular starting LH prop for the Chiefs. He's still learning his trade at LH.
The AB selectors are still trying to finalise their 5 props with 2 spots to find after Moody, Franks and Tu'ungafasi. Laulala gets his opportunity at Eden Park.
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@mariner4life said in Bledisloe #2:
@Bovidae said in Bledisloe #2:
@pakman said in Bledisloe #2:
Laulala is good at scrumtime (only three in first half) and more mobile than Owen, so makes sense. Bigger issue is that Ofa on bench at LH will probably struggle bigtime with Tupou who is six inches shorter. Need Moli or Karl T in RWC squad.
Ofa has more experience than Moli at LH at this point. Moli was injured all of 2018 and only started playing regularly at LH for the Chiefs when he returned this season. We will get a better idea of the scrum battle when it is 8 vs 8.
didn't Ofa play tighthead through the entire Northern tour last year, and handle it more than adequately?
loosehead!! fucking loosehead!! that was my point at the time. He was a shit loosehead and then they developed him in to a good loosehead as well as a good tighthead
I reckon Ofa is still tainted by that night for the Blues v the Waratahs where he got reamed just so hard, and that's all anybody remembers. His scrummaging for the most part has been really solid for the ABs in the last couple of years.
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@rotated said in Bledisloe #2:
@Chris-B said in Bledisloe #2:
The RWC is so much more important.
I might be in the minority but I would prefer they keep the 25 year unbeaten streak at Eden Park going and the Bledisloe than go three on the trot. It's not even really close.
Luckily it's not mutually exclusive.
But, if it was a real choice I'd much rather bank another RWC, because that's something that can never be taken away - whereas the Eden Park record is up for grabs every time we play there.
Don't think Hansen should be putting the Bled at risk with an experimental line-up though. He should be playing whatever he thinks is our strongest available team this week.
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@Bovidae said in Bledisloe #2:
@Chris-B If this was the plan all along why not play Reece last week with Ioane on the left wing and Bridge this week with BFA?
I'm thinking they played what they thought was their strongest available team last week - so the first choice back three was Rieko, Ben and Beauden.
This week is a shootout for the RWC squad between Reece and Bridge.
But, I could easily be talking shit about this, because I haven't followed the logic of their wing selections from the first game vs the Argies when they played Jordie on the left wing.
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@ploughboy I don't like playing two opensides at all, but I've banged that drum enough.
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@Chris-B said in Bledisloe #2:
@ploughboy I don't like playing two opensides at all, but I've banged that drum enough.
and then having another one on the bench to provide... something
We're balls deep on the strategy too, because their choices for saturday are swap one openside for another, or play the locks for 80.
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@ploughboy said in Bledisloe #2:
is luke jacobson still injured. i must be the only person who is not happy with this loose forward mix.for me it just didnt work last week .
I think I read he had returned to training this week. I agree - i'd have him in the 23.
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Catching a few passes and making a few tackles always helps too.
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@taniwharugby said in Bledisloe #2:
Catching a few passes and making a few tackles always helps too.
she's a simple game
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@Chris-B said in Bledisloe #2:
But, if it was a real choice I'd much rather bank another RWC, because that's something that can never be taken away - whereas the Eden Park record is up for grabs every time we play there.
Also, how much psychological damage will we do to the rest of the Rugby world if we romp this RWC, after the buildup we had. Who's going to bet against us next time?
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@KiwiMurph said in Bledisloe #2:
@ploughboy said in Bledisloe #2:
is luke jacobson still injured. i must be the only person who is not happy with this loose forward mix.for me it just didnt work last week .
I think I read he had returned to training this week. I agree - i'd have him in the 23.
If true, then maybe he has been asked to play for Waikato this weekend.
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@Chris-B said in Bledisloe #2:
@ploughboy I don't like playing two opensides at all, but I've banged that drum enough.
All I can think of is , they don’t believe they got a proper look at it with losing a lock and playing with a weakened pack anyway.
But I’m on your side.
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@mariner4life said in Bledisloe #2:
Yep the starting wingers were definitely the issue
A bit more pace to chase the breaks would be useful, and to make some breaks as well.
Of course I take your point about everything inside that being a bit poo - but if you've got Mounga crossfield kicking to Reece, then that's a combination, right?
What about Barrett 10 Mounga 12?
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Well last weeks team seemed to get a fern seal-of-approval and that backfired horribly. Let's hope the lack of approval this week is the curse we need to win this one well and prove yet again we don't really know what we are saying but by damn we're not going to stop saying it!
