Coles gone
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Dane Coles will be 'back bigger and stronger'
All Blacks starting hooker Dane Coles faces a lengthy injury break after rupturing his ACL in Sunday's win over France. The All Blacks expect Coles to feel
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Boo
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Buggeration! Top front row all out. Throw in BBBR and we're significantly depowered.
That said, next tier getting some great experience. Taylor was very good on Saturday.
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@pakman been good all year I reckon.
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Pretty drastic tactics to just get some of the guys a rest...
From the number one pack that most would have selected at the start of the season we are now missing 5. Only Whitelock, Cane and Read left
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So it looks like Riccitelli will get another busy season for the Canes. I assume he'll be the starting hooker, at least in the beginning, and will also be busy fending off Aumua, who will be trying to steal that starting spot.
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What a real bugger!
Coles hasn't hit top form yet since returning from his head knocks, add this to the mix, can he re-gain the best in the world crown when he comes back from this?
I really hope so.
In the mean time I hope they give Aumua time off the bench in the rest of the games this tour, we need to fast track his development. Taylor does an honest job at test level but don't think Harris offers much.
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@stargazer said in Coles gone:
So it looks like Riccitelli will get another busy season for the Canes. I assume he'll be the starting hooker, at least in the beginning, and will also be busy fending off Aumua, who will be trying to steal that starting spot.
Not necessarily as Aumua is an All Black and Riccitelli is not. On that alone it would be expected that an All Black will have the inside running and get more games than than someone who isn't. However this is the Hurricanes and those selectors might have different opinions. We already have heard that when Chris Boyd is reported as saying he sees Vaea Fifita as a lock thus opening the way up to play Brad Shields, his longtime usual first choice blindside, in that position again.
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Maybe a blessing in disguise after the head knock shenanigans and gives some of these other guys some valuable gametime at both AB and super level. Hopefully come back strong in prep for 2019 and if not we should have some well prepared deputies to fill in.
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With the improvement in Taylor as a starting hooker , and the lack of impact on our bench, I wonder how coles would go as an impact player . Not so much in a demotion sense ,although some would see it that way , but it may help give us more strike power ,
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@taniwharugby said in Coles gone:
@pakman been good all year I reckon.
Agree, the work ethic that the coaches talked about early in his career appears to be paying dividends. Good to see.
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@pakman said in Coles gone:
Buggeration! Top front row all out. Throw in BBBR and we're significantly depowered.
That said, next tier getting some great experience. Taylor was very good on Saturday.
Moody was the biggest loss IMO because Hames' work in the loose is not at the same level. But the latter is a formidable scrummager and has worked out the silly penalties of his first games in black.
Laulala has been very good this season. He is a powerful scrummager and has made his presence felt in the rucks. He is also as quick as Franks in the loose. -
"as quick as Franks"? Damned with faint praise.
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@cgrant said in Coles gone:
@pakman said in Coles gone:
Buggeration! Top front row all out. Throw in BBBR and we're significantly depowered.
That said, next tier getting some great experience. Taylor was very good on Saturday.
Moody was the biggest loss IMO because Hames' work in the loose is not at the same level. But the latter is a formidable scrummager and has worked out the silly penalties of his first games in black.
Laulala has been very good this season. He is a powerful scrummager and has made his presence felt in the rucks. He is also as quick as Franks in the loose.That slow huh?
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@cgrant I tend to agree about Moody, whom I rate best LH in world rugby. That said, I thought Hames on Saturday had his best game in the loose, the offload to Read being a real peach. Think we miss Moody and Franks (not to mention BBBR) big time in the clean out.
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So we're down to 3 hookers.
If we lose one tomorrow who is next in line?
Personally am a huge fan of Ben Funnell. I suppose Riccitelli is probably in front. Really not a fan of Parsons.
