All Blacks v Tonga
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@crucial said in All Blacks v Tonga:
@antipodean said in All Blacks v Tonga:
They're clearly resting players given we're playing the Tonga Invitational Second XV.
BBBR doesn't need a rest he needs a game.
An underwhelming team for an underwhelming game.
Yeah, that's silly not to chuck him in, even if they only get 40 minutes out of him.
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Meh, yeah its hardly the most competitive of games but better than nothing. Good opportunity for some of the island boys to play at the top level too so no complaints here.
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@crucial said in All Blacks v Tonga:
@antipodean said in All Blacks v Tonga:
They're clearly resting players given we're playing the Tonga Invitational Second XV.
BBBR doesn't need a rest he needs a game.
An underwhelming team for an underwhelming game.
It's a fixture we have desperatly been missing over the last few years. A low stakes game to start blooding new players and weeding out those that aren't up to it. I expect to see lots of changes across these three games.
It's been almost impossible to be dropped from the ABs over the last 2/3 years, to our detriment. Pretty much only got new players in when injuries happen.
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@mn5 said in All Blacks v Tonga:
Underwhelming team. They’ll only win by about 70 or so.
yeah...very little interesting this game...even less seeing the team
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@mn5 I will be surprised if they dont hit triple figures.
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@taniwharugby said in All Blacks v Tonga:
@mn5 I will be surprised if they dont hit triple figures.
Feels like a 100 is on the cards. Lots of players in the team playing for a proper starting spot.
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@rapido said in All Blacks v Tonga:
NZRU should actually let some Tongans play professional rugby in NZ and remain Tongan (and so should the Aussies). Reap what you sow. A loss making 'The massacre of the amateur brigade'.
We have nothing to do with clubs in the NH not releasing players, and circumstances meaning even if they did they would have to spend two weeks in quarantine.
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@rapido plenty of them have played in NZ, Takalua played for Northland, was selected for Tonga, then got an overseas contract (currently at Toulon?) so they often choose to leave to earn much better money than they do as super players anyway.
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Geez, aren't we all chirpy today! We all know why the ABs are playing tests against Tonga & Fiji, and not against stronger opposition. We all know that Tonga and Fiji (and Samoa) can't field all the players they'd want to have in their squad, and why. And we all know that they wouldn't even be strong enough, if they had all the players they'd like to have.
So what? Why can't you lot just be happy to see the team play? These are exceptional times, so expect things to be different from our usual July Series. Just enjoy the game, even if it's a one-sided one.
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@kirwan said in All Blacks v Tonga:
@rapido said in All Blacks v Tonga:
NZRU should actually let some Tongans play professional rugby in NZ and remain Tongan (and so should the Aussies). Reap what you sow. A loss making 'The massacre of the amateur brigade'.
We have nothing to do with clubs in the NH not releasing players, and circumstances meaning even if they did they would have to spend two weeks in quarantine.
3 uncapped born and bred Tongans in Super Rugby not playing. I wonder why. Let alone in NPC which is too hard to research.
Let alone NZ players with Tongan heritage (who are what plenty of these European based players are anyway)
The gaps left by European based players are being filled by NZ amateurs rather than NZ based professionals because NZRU and ARU central contracting blocks them. We are a funnel, we are not saints.
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@kirwan said in All Blacks v Tonga:
@crucial said in All Blacks v Tonga:
@antipodean said in All Blacks v Tonga:
They're clearly resting players given we're playing the Tonga Invitational Second XV.
BBBR doesn't need a rest he needs a game.
An underwhelming team for an underwhelming game.
It's a fixture we have desperatly been missing over the last few years. A low stakes game to start blooding new players and weeding out those that aren't up to it. I expect to see lots of changes across these three games.
It's been almost impossible to be dropped from the ABs over the last 2/3 years, to our detriment. Pretty much only got new players in when injuries happen.
I know, George Bridge is still there.
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@rapido said in All Blacks v Tonga:
@kirwan said in All Blacks v Tonga:
@rapido said in All Blacks v Tonga:
NZRU should actually let some Tongans play professional rugby in NZ and remain Tongan (and so should the Aussies). Reap what you sow. A loss making 'The massacre of the amateur brigade'.
We have nothing to do with clubs in the NH not releasing players, and circumstances meaning even if they did they would have to spend two weeks in quarantine.
3 uncapped born and bred Tongans in Super Rugby not playing. I wonder why. Let alone in NPC which is too hard to research.
Let alone NZ players with Tongan heritage (who are what plenty of these European based players are anyway)
The gaps left by European based players are being filled by NZ amateurs rather than NZ based professionals because NZRU and ARU central contracting blocks them. We are a funnel, we are not saints.
Presumably because they want to play for the All Blacks.
Also, why should a NZer of Tongan heritage be automatically be available for Tonga? I presume most of them want to try for the ABs.
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@nepia said in All Blacks v Tonga:
@rapido said in All Blacks v Tonga:
@kirwan said in All Blacks v Tonga:
@rapido said in All Blacks v Tonga:
NZRU should actually let some Tongans play professional rugby in NZ and remain Tongan (and so should the Aussies). Reap what you sow. A loss making 'The massacre of the amateur brigade'.
We have nothing to do with clubs in the NH not releasing players, and circumstances meaning even if they did they would have to spend two weeks in quarantine.
3 uncapped born and bred Tongans in Super Rugby not playing. I wonder why. Let alone in NPC which is too hard to research.
Let alone NZ players with Tongan heritage (who are what plenty of these European based players are anyway)
The gaps left by European based players are being filled by NZ amateurs rather than NZ based professionals because NZRU and ARU central contracting blocks them. We are a funnel, we are not saints.
Presumably because they want to play for the All Blacks.
Also, why should a NZer of Tongan heritage be automatically be available for Tonga? I presume most of them want to try for the ABs.
Tokolahi? really? He's paying lip-service for employment reasons.
Taukei'aho? Yes, he will be an All Black.
Kata? He might play 1 year for Australia before buggering off like many of their Fijian wingers. He's still got a few years to go before qualifying. He is paying lip-service for employment reasons, but to his Australian employers.Re: this part:
why should a NZer of Tongan heritage be automatically be available for Tonga?
They shouldn't and they aren't. But plenty at NPC level (and a few at SR level) would IMO if it didn't hinder their employment chances. A few out of huge numbers would leave a team to pick from. Not club players.
We're not evil, but we are reaping what we sow here. We are a producer of talent and developer/polisher of talent (of the scholarships kids) - But we are not an an employer of non-NZ available talent. We have a only 5 poxy professional teams - for which those dual-qualified in those teams and those wanting to one day get in those teams delay their potential non-AB international careers.
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I did hear that Toutai Kefu asked a number of players based in NZ but some declined. He should be able to understand why, as he did exactly the same when choosing Aust over Tonga. Sekope Lopeti-Moli might have been one of those as his brother is starting at hooker.
