RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland
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@Crazy-Horse said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
I almost want Christie to be on the bench. The meltdown will make great reading.
Such a shame Havili is injured too.
George Bridge might be in France on standby though ?
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@Crazy-Horse then he plays the game if his life scoring a 60m solo try to win it!
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@george33 said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
De Groot worries me big time ,not sure if he is as great as sum think , scrum time he's hit and miss , around the park ok,
Literally our best scrummaging loosehead, so if you think he is fine round the park, he is your man.
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@Crazy-Horse said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
I almost want Christie to be on the bench. The meltdown will make great reading.
There are just some things you shouldn't say.
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@frugby said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
@george33 said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
De Groot worries me big time ,not sure if he is as great as sum think , scrum time he's hit and miss , around the park ok,
Literally our best scrummaging loosehead, so if you think he is fine round the park, he is your man.
I read a former loosehead prop saying De Groot was our most destructive loosehead in quite some time, so if he knows what he is talking about, that'll do me.
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@Crazy-Horse said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
I almost want Christie to be on the bench. The meltdown will make great reading.
There will only be a meltdown if the ABs lose, draw, or win.
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@nostrildamus we need OG Redbeard to make a guest appearance to answer all things prop related
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@stodders said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
@nostrildamus we need OG Redbeard to make a guest appearance to answer all things prop related
He was one of my favourite posters
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@mariner4life said in RWC QF: All Blacks v Ireland:
looking back to the last time we played Ireland, we are so much better than we were then
Fullback: J Barrett was okay, B Barrett is frustrating us all. Lets call it even
Wings: Reece/Jordan v Jordan/Telea. This Jordan is better than the 2022 version that was feeling his way back in. Telea is better than Reece. 2023 wins
Centre: Ioane/Ioane even
2nd 5: Havili v JBarrett. A nothing player against a big lump who will get us on the front foot and can throw a dinky little pass. Huge upgrade for 2023
1st 5: BBarrett v Mo'unga. This was the death throws of BB at 10, and while RM is hardly a world beater, he's significantly better than 2022 BB
9: Smith/Smith even
Loose Forwards. Cane/Savea/A Ioane v Cane/Savea/Frizzell 2023 wins this by virtue of Frizzell's current form and the way he plays making the others, particularly Savea, better.
Locks: Retallick/Whitelock v SBarrett/Retallic (assumed) 2023. Retallick wasn't in great form, SBarrett has grown and grown and now plays with the aggression and accuracy we need
Props: Bower/Laulala v actually we don't know yet. This could be even though you could argue that Laulala has improved. If Lomax can play then 2023 is ahead
Hooker: Taylor/Coles v Taylor/ST I give this to 2023 just, as Taylor is playing better, but ST has dropped away a little. It wouldn't shock me to see Coles in the 16 shirt this weekendBench: This is telling
Coles, Karl T, Ofa, Vaa'i Paps, Fakatava, Mo'unga, RTS v
Coles/ST, Props, Whitelock, Paps, Roigard, Dmac, ALB
This is a huge improvement. There is genuine impact and experience there. That 2022 bench is so ordinary.Ireland have the same players playing the same way. We lost that game by 10 points, and this AB side is more than 10 points better than June 2022.
Nice work Mariner.
Two minor comments:
2022 Ioane < 2023 Ioane
2022 Smith > 2023 Smith -
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@Bovidae Wayne Barnes in a WC quarter final.... here we go.
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No issue with Barnes. Everyone makes mistakes and sure he would go back and change things if he could... Generally I find him a good ref.
