All Blacks 2023
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Is it bad to say this would be my preferred All Black backline?
- Smith
- Mo'unga
- Telea
- Lienert-Brown
- R Ioane
- Jordan
- J Barrett
Many will say that Jordie is our best 12, but I think ALB is our best midfielder, so one of Rieko or Jordie need to drop to the back three. Personally am of the belief that Jordie's aerial game and long punting makes him invaluable at 15. People love Jordan, me included, but I'm not convinced he has the kicking game required of a modern day test fullback.
It matters bugger all what I think though, because I'd bet my house on this being the starting lineup v France (Barring injuries)
- Moody
- Taylor
- Tu'ungafasi
- Retallick
- Whitelock
- S Barrett
- Cane
- Savea
- Smith
- Mo'unga
- Telea
- J Barrett
- Ioane
- Jordan
- B Barrett
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@friedrugby said in All Blacks 2023:
Is it bad to say this would be my preferred All Black backline?
Smith
Mo'unga
Telea
Lienert-Brown
R Ioane
Jordan
J Barrett
Many will say that Jordie is our best 12, but I think ALB is our best midfielder, so one of Rieko or Jordie need to drop to the back three. Personally am of the belief that Jordie's aerial game and long punting makes him invaluable at 15. People love Jordan, me included, but I'm not convinced he has the kicking game required of a modern day test fullback.Telea is on the wrong wing. He's easily the best right winger running around and has that spot sewn up.
At the moment, based on SR form, we're back to lamenting Ma'a hasn't discovered the fountain of youth.
Jordan's defence concerns me. Greatly.
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Telea used to play 11 for North Harbour, so I don't think it is an issue. Jordan has the right wing sewn up if he isn't at 15, and considering he has never played a test at 15 (I think?) the chances of them picking him there are slim to none.
If it isn't Beaudy, it will be Damian or Jordie.
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@friedrugby come on man!....just play him where he's playing well!
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@Kiwiwomble Who would you play on the left wing though? Clarke's form has been poor, I'm personally not a Fainga'anuku fan.
Since Julian Savea debuted in 2012, the ABs have run a power winger on the left, with a fullback on the right wing as another kicking option for at least 90% of big games. The only way they would do it the other way around is if they had a left-footed kicking winger they were confident in (Nareki 🤣)
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@friedrugby play someone out of position on the left if you have too, surely moving someone playing well on the right to the left just means we're risking having both wings weaker
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@Kiwiwomble I'd hardly call Jordan weak though. Telea isn't a kicking option, and at test level, teams want two kicking options in the back three. The only way around it would be to pick Sullivan/Fainga'anuku/Nareki on the left wing.
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@friedrugby weak...er...weak...er, not weak
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@friedrugby said in All Blacks 2023:
@Kiwiwomble I'd hardly call Jordan weak though. Telea isn't a kicking option, and at test level, teams want two kicking options in the back three. The only way around it would be to pick Sullivan/Fainga'anuku/Nareki on the left wing.
Or DMac.
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@Crucial Dmac isn't a left-footed kicker though, so they are unlikely to want to play him on the left wing if they are picking him for his kicking ability. For exits, you want to be clearing away from the defence, not through them. A right-footer from the left has to kick round the ball.
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@Crucial said in All Blacks 2023:
@friedrugby said in All Blacks 2023:
@Kiwiwomble I'd hardly call Jordan weak though. Telea isn't a kicking option, and at test level, teams want two kicking options in the back three. The only way around it would be to pick Sullivan/Fainga'anuku/Nareki on the left wing.
Or DMac.
Yeah, the 170cm 80 kg bloke is the power winger we've been searching for.
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@antipodean said in All Blacks 2023:
@Crucial said in All Blacks 2023:
@friedrugby said in All Blacks 2023:
@Kiwiwomble I'd hardly call Jordan weak though. Telea isn't a kicking option, and at test level, teams want two kicking options in the back three. The only way around it would be to pick Sullivan/Fainga'anuku/Nareki on the left wing.
Or DMac.
Yeah, the 170cm 80 kg bloke is the power winger we've been searching for.
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@Crucial said in All Blacks 2023:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2023:
@Crucial said in All Blacks 2023:
@friedrugby said in All Blacks 2023:
@Kiwiwomble I'd hardly call Jordan weak though. Telea isn't a kicking option, and at test level, teams want two kicking options in the back three. The only way around it would be to pick Sullivan/Fainga'anuku/Nareki on the left wing.
Or DMac.
Yeah, the 170cm 80 kg bloke is the power winger we've been searching for.
One of your better posts.
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@Bovidae said in All Blacks 2023:
I'm not sure why we are so obsessed with having a power winger. Ireland and SA don't.
because 10 years ago the ABs liked a 2nd fullback and a power winger. And some people can't move on from that.
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@mariner4life said in All Blacks 2023:
@Bovidae said in All Blacks 2023:
I'm not sure why we are so obsessed with having a power winger. Ireland and SA don't.
because 10 years ago the ABs liked a 2nd fullback and a power winger. And some people can't move on from that.
Everyone yearns for another Jonah.
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@mariner4life said in All Blacks 2023:
@Bovidae said in All Blacks 2023:
I'm not sure why we are so obsessed with having a power winger. Ireland and SA don't.
because 10 years ago the ABs liked a 2nd fullback and a power winger. And some people can't move on from that.
this is 100% fair except we do need to remember if we dont have a power winger....then we cant play like we have one...everyone remember Bridge trying to do crash balls of the back of lineouts...and getting wasted...or bridge only having to bowl over one dude to have a run at the line...and not doing that...horses for courses
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Chiefs have done OK with a fullback/wing on one side and a speed/agility guy on the other. Works well if you also want your 15 to get involved.
If Telea played 11 you'd get a similar mix with Jordan on the other side (except Jordan's most effective work isn't on the fringes) -
@friedrugby said in All Blacks 2023:
@Kiwiwomble I'd hardly call Jordan weak though. Telea isn't a kicking option, and at test level, teams want two kicking options in the back three. The only way around it would be to pick Sullivan/Fainga'anuku/Nareki on the left wing.
Stephenson then?
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@Crucial said in All Blacks 2023:
Yeah, the 170cm 80 kg bloke is the power winger we've been searching for.
175cm and an extra kilogram of oomph.
Damian McKenzie - Chiefs
Gallagher Chiefs all-time top point scorer, Damian McKenzie, began his playing career representing the New Zealand Under-20 during the 2014 IRB Junior World Championship. McKenzie made his Investec Super Rugby […]
