Who should start at 10 in Bledisloe I?
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It would be peculiar to start Mo'unga in the first test. He's missed some of the training, hasn't played much outside Smith, and it would be a massive kick in the crotch to Beauden (of the sort these selectors know not to do). To do that for the start of a big series?
I'm all for him getting a start or two, even in games against South Africa and Australia. But not the first game.
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I like Richie's pace. I also think his decision making has been top notch lately. Yes he is playing behind a bloody decent pack, but he stood up tonight, didn;t rest on his laurels and was a catalyst for some good front foot ball.
Dare I say he looks like the "new" BB of about 3 seasons ago, -
I have voted for BB because there is no reason why he should be discarded. Has he ever been bad with the 10 jersey for the All Blacks ?
But I would take Richie Mo'unga on the bench for the presumed tight games (vs South Africa (x2), Ireland and England in November). -
With youth/pace on his side I really can't see why Richie couldn't be a superb impact sub at this stage of his career. He's like DMac but without the ridiculous brain farts, so a much better fit for test footy.
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How did @mariner4life get to vote 8 times?
Obviously BB. Still have nightmares about RM vs the actual Lions. Didn't have a dominant pack and went to shit. Flat track bully.
🎣
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@rancid-schnitzel tbf that was well over a year ago, he looks a much better player now even behind his Rolls Royce pack.
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@bones not to mention that BB can move back to 15 anyway, didnt he do this when Dmac went to 10 in one game?
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@taniwharugby said in Who should start at 10 in Bledisloe I?:
@rancid-schnitzel tbf that was well over a year ago, he looks a much better player now even behind his Rolls Royce pack.
No he shall be forever tainted.
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@rancid-schnitzel I guess if Wayne Barnes is still a cnut, we cant let Mounga off something so recent it may as well have been yesterday
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@bones said in Who should start at 10 in Bledisloe I?:
Thing is, if DMac can play ten, why the fuck can't Mounga play fifteen? This is what puzzles me the most.
His high ball take in the final and break shows he can handle that part of the game, has the pace for it too.
Be a good way to ease him into the side and force DMac to cut the comedy errors out of his game.
And until I see a Sopanga debut again South Africa type performance from Mounga at Test level, then BB is safe as houses at 10.
It’s DMac’s position that’s under threat.
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@taniwharugby yeah although I can see the theory of bringing on bench impact. But if there's one thing Mounga has always had it's pace. Now he reads the game beautifully. Fullback would be easy as.
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@siam best in who's opinion?
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@taniwharugby well put simply, Barrett and Mounga are simply the 2 best at five eighth so they go into the match 23, beaudie first.
No need to shoehorn in any "ex factor" broken field runner when those 2 can adequately control a backline to score tries.
I'll take no notice of anyone proclaiming DMac is a better first five than the other 2
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@siam thing is, it is the opinion of Hansen and Co that do matter, not us, I suspect they will leave Dmac at 10/15 off the bench.
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The "playing behind a dominant pack" argument has been over-used, when talking about Mo'unga as an AB first five-eighth. In some instances, it will give him more time to make decisions, but he still has to make the right decisions. And some of the other great stuff he does on the field, has nothing to do with playing behind a dominant pack. Example:
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The only problem RM has concerns the way that the Ab coaches want to use the 10 reserve, which is as a cover of 10, who can come on a make an impact from 15. They've made it reasonably clear that Dmac is playing that role, so although he does a lot from first receiver, he generally comes on at 15, because they want BB to have 80 at 1st five, in the same way that they wanted DC to have 80 at 1st.
I suspect that BB is off at the end of next year, so if RM is patient, he should have the starting position in 2020.
I'd give him a start in one or two tests this year, one of two for Dmac.
Given that I'm pretty sure that BB is going overseas post WC, and his quality at 15, my preferred pair would BB and RM with RM doing the old Cruden role.
