45 tries..When will the bus stop?
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After last nights brace I think big Jules is on 45, one behind Rokocoko and Cullen, 4 behind Howlett to become our best try scorer ever.
Thought he was going to cruise it until the last couple years when it started to seem like he was going to pull a Rokocoko, certainly some glimpses of him coming right again. Very good chance of cracking the 50 on the end of year tour, but with Naholo nipping at his heals I"m not sure he'll reach Ohata's 69 tries.
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It is difficult for NZ to ever have world try scoring records as our depth is too great and we are able to ditch someone when their form wanes. Even a player like Habana would be off collecting his retirement monies by now.
Julian's saving grace is that he is still young so his form issues are usually down to fitness and getting his head in the right space, both things the coaching team back themselves on fixing. If he starts to lose the ability to bump through tackles though he could be gone. We do need one power wing. The other up and coming contenders don't have that power in the collision.
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@Crucial not to mention how many years did Rok (still playing), Howlett and Dougie keep playing off shore ineligible for the ABs and in Dougies at least he was likely to have had the opportunity for more tests.
This is also why it took us so long to get a player to 100 tests.
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@reprobate yep, I wouldnt have started him either, but he did a couple of things in that game that no other winger could have, granted Naholo might have created something else that got him 2 tries, but they wouldnt have been like that.
Naholo woulda caught Speight though...
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Speaking to this, isn't he re-signed all the way through 2019?
14 AB test / year = 42 tests he might play in, 2/3 of that is 28, at his current rate he scores 21-24 tries, by the RWC Final, he may have scored 66-70 tries in 77-80 tests.
Is 69 by Ohata the record? there's plenty to say he could get there. If he's learnt his lessons this year, stays professional, its not too unrealistic to think it could happen. lets start a hashtag #saveascores70