Landers v lions
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="SammyC" data-cid="564412" data-time="1457899875">
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<p>by his "bet ever rugby" I assume you mean he played OK.</p>
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<p>Joseph has definitely worked on the dynamic side of his game which has always been missing</p>
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<p>In inimitable Whitelock fashion he looks at least 35 already. I doubt he'd have much trouble buying a crate of Speights if he lost his drivers license.</p> -
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<p>Fekitoa just seems to be this dense ball of fast twitch muscle that goes full speed for the whole game. You'd think he'd be the ideal bench player to spark something against tiring defenses... if it wasn't for the fact he'll play that same speed for the full 80 minutes so you may as well start him. I suppose his main issue is that his backline needs to adapt to his aggressive defensive lines, that and his distribution game.</p>
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Milk" data-cid="564766" data-time="1458055329">
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<p>Fekitoa just seems to be this dense ball of fast twitch muscle that goes full speed for the whole game. You'd think he'd be the ideal bench player to spark something against tiring defenses... if it wasn't for the fact he'll play that same speed for the full 80 minutes so you may as well start him. I suppose his main issue is that his backline needs to adapt to his aggressive defensive lines, that and<strong> his distribution game</strong>.</p>
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<p>Which is getting better, he's started to bring in some nice touches handling wise, I think he's definitely got the ability, it's just he's so comfortable at doing the head down, run hard option, I think it's good he just keeps that on high repeat, makes it good to allow him to ease the other bits in as he progresses and keep defences guessing. His play recently has feature a couple of nice passes as he approaches the defensive line which has resulted in plenty of space outside him.</p> -
<p>Yeah he looks good at this stage. he also looks quite psycho around the eyes</p>
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<p>Hoping Wayne Smith equips him with a few more options though as that "tuck the ball under an arm and try to beat the man on the outside" (off first phase ball) will get found out pretty quick at international level. </p> -
<p>I think the interesting part about Fekitoa is where you play him , </p>
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<p>Is he a 12 or a 13 ? I know he mostly plays 13 , but sometimes I feel he would make a better 12 once he learns how to play there </p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="kiwiinmelb" data-cid="564805" data-time="1458063381">
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<p>I think the interesting part about Fekitoa is where you play him , </p>
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<p>Is he a 12 or a 13 ? I know he mostly plays 13 , but sometimes I feel he would make a better 12 once he learns how to play there </p>
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<p>I'd like to see him stick to outside - get used to the defensive channels there, he's really learning to time his defence well too. No reason why 12/13 can't interchange on various different offensive plays.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Milk" data-cid="564810" data-time="1458065451">
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<p>Until Nonu and Smith, didn't we typically have the hard ball runner at 13 anyway, and the distributor at 12? That said, I think Nonu was a better kicker than Smith so maybe that's why.</p>
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<p>Yeah I think Nonu's kicking game made him a better option there - not that he had to use it fuck all with the likes of Carter / Cruden and Dagg in the backline.</p>
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<p>Also, I have heard Carter say he always felt much more comfortable with Nonu on his shoulder as he provided a great bail out option in heavy traffic if the kick wasn't on.</p>
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<p>Nonu really did reinvent the 12 position.</p> -
<p>Having a ball carrier at 12 certainly opens up our room to attack. Just holds the defence enough to look to create space.</p>
<p>I think back to the Mauger/LukeMc days when the 3/4s would only ever have 1/3 of the width to work with.</p>
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<p>I'd like to see a Fekitoa 12/Ngatai 13 combo at some point. Just to see how it would go.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Milk" data-cid="564810" data-time="1458065451">
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<p>Until Nonu and Smith, didn't we typically have the hard ball runner at 13 anyway, and the distributor at 12? That said, I think Nonu was a better kicker than Smith so maybe that's why.</p>
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<p>nonu was the distributor. just happened to be a big fluffybunny as well - his long passing game came well before his kicking.</p> -
<p style="margin-left:40px;">only really been the past couple of seasons Nonu has had an accomplished kicking game, and it made him pretty much the complete 12 IMO, up there as one of the very best.</p>
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I really like Fekitoa's speed at 13 (mainly on defense, actually). With more experience he could be lethal there and is reading play better and better.<br><br>
Having said that, I also like Ngatai and Crotty at 13 for their defense. <br><br>
It's going to be very very hard to find someone who can play Nonu's game.<br><br>
But, Moala looks like the player with the most potential to develop into being a similar player.<br><br>
Right now, I'd say Ngatai and Fekitoa with Crotty about and Moala for development. -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="gt12" data-cid="564882" data-time="1458087972">
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<p>I really like Fekitoa's speed at 13 (mainly on defense, actually). With more experience he could be lethal there and is reading play better and better.<br><br>
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<p>Me too, he's lethal on the outside break. Nonu never had that same speed.</p>
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<p>Fekitoa's distribution looks to have improved a bit this year too.</p>
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<p>Mo'ala is like an early Nonu, before he developed his passing game. Apparently the Crusaders got pretty close to signing him a couple of years back, that's a huge lost opportunity.</p> -
<p>The funny thing about nonu at 12 , and being an all time great there </p>
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<p>He was almost selected there by default , </p>
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<p> Mauger and Mcalister were the prefered choices, when they departed , the talk was the cupboard was bare , we may have to play Nonu as a last resort ........ funny how that worked out </p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="kiwiinmelb" data-cid="565029" data-time="1458149322">
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<p>The funny thing about nonu at 12 , and being an all time great there </p>
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<p>He was almost selected there by default , </p>
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<p> Mauger and Mcalister were the prefered choices, when they departed , the talk was the cupboard was bare , we may have to play Nonu as a last resort ........ funny how that worked out </p>
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<p>Agree. NZ Rugby had been almost obsessed with having 2nd 5/8s rather than inside centres. Nonu became a hybrid of the two and now we are looking for a similar player to fill the gap he has left.</p>
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<p>I can't see either Fekitoa or Moala filling that role unless they are given extended runs in the position with a plan to alter their way of playing. Although I like the look of Ngatai at 13 because his play is most like Conrad's I also wonder if he is the best option out there to fill the Nonu role. He has some size and power and also the kicking and passing skills.</p>
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<p>As far as I can see we will either be changing the role of the 12 or the 13. 12 being closer to the action is possibly the one we want to change least.</p> -
<p>I think that Ngatai is the closest we'll have to a complete Nonu package for 12. Obviously Moala has potential but at the moment, and providing he stays uninjured Ngatai looks to have the right combination of skills and power.</p>
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<p>Ngatai is a bit like Nonu (aside from the early AB call up), burst on to the scene with a lot of hype and then it took him a number of years to get to the level he is now, and hopefully he can keep that line moving upwards on the graph.</p>
