AB bolters thread

Siam

At the Dunedin club in 1990 Joe was playing 2nd five in the U19's

mikedogz

who was that Hawkes Bay and Hurricanes lock selected by henry, I didn't even know who he was. I still wouldn't recognise him if I saw him.

gollum

I think there were a few bolters who got picked to literally lock them into the ABs. There's a LOT of guys with Tongan / Samoan hereitage who didn't really look like ABs but got 1 or 2 caps then dumped. The cynic in me feels that was less because the selectors thought they might be good right now, more because they thought they might be good in 5 years & didn't want them getting poached by Samoa on the back of a Samoan granny. 
 
 
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="mikedogz" data-cid="573874" data-time="1461237955">
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who was that Hawkes Bay and Hurricanes lock selected by henry, I didn't even know who he was. I still wouldn't recognise him if I saw him.
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Bryn Evans?

booboo

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="MN5" data-cid="573844" data-time="1461228178">
That guy as an AB ? you serious ????/</blockquote> 
Cgrant isn't Robinson Crusoe on Buckman. I reckon he's got something. Just because he looks a little weird shouldn't count him out.

Calf

Bryn Evans?
 
Maybe I wasn't paying enough attention, but the first time I registered Ben Smith and Toeava was during respective EOYT selections.

gollum

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Calf" data-cid="573877" data-time="1461238888">
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Bryn Evans?
 
Maybe I wasn't paying enough attention, but the first time I registered Ben Smith and Toeava was during respective EOYT selections.
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Hadn't Toeava won player of the tournament while captaining the U21's to a WC or something?
 
So he'd been earmarked right through the youth grades but was very much a bolter as he'd not even played Super. So I'd guess most coaches etc in NZ rugby had him penciled in as a future AB, but not till probably a year or 2 later. In hindsight he could have done with that extra year...

rotated

Yeah Bryn Evans was a bit of a head scratcher. That 2009-10 period had a few where they were perhaps known on fringe super level but not at all discussed before selection. 
I recall the fern gearing up for Donnelly or Beckhius to get picked in 2009 and then they pulled Hoeata off the Highlander bench. 
Isaac Ross I don't remember being in the frame before selection either and the strength of conviction they had with him (albeit briefly) was equally baffling.

Billy Tell

Steve Hansen is a waaaay better selector than Henry, who had quite a few hit and misses.

Milk

Does a player have to be uncapped to be a bolter?
 
Personally I would consider Bird, Hika Elliot and even Cory Jane to be more of a bolter than someone like Damien McKenzie.

Nepia

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="rotated" data-cid="573881" data-time="1461243603">
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Yeah Bryn Evans was a bit of a head scratcher. That 2009-10 period had a few where they were perhaps known on fringe super level but not at all discussed before selection. 
I recall the fern gearing up for Donnelly or Beckhius to get picked in 2009 and then they pulled Hoeata off the Highlander bench. 
Isaac Ross I don't remember being in the frame before selection either and the strength of conviction they had with him (albeit briefly) was equally baffling.
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Greg Rawllinson, Kevin O'Neil - basically if you were a lock in that era and you didn't get picked you have every right to feel shafted.

gollum

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Nepia" data-cid="573884" data-time="1461245107">
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Greg Rawllinson, Kevin O'Neil - basically if you were a lock in that era and you didn't get picked you have every right to feel shafted.
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They went thru about 3 years randomly picking locks to try fix our terrible lineout, then in the end just switched the coach responsibilities & stopped that "4 runs to 6, 6 runs to 2, 2 turns and lifts 5, we throw it to 7 who is being lifted by 4 & Matfield catches it at 4 having not moved at all" bullshit we did every lineout & weirdly it all clicked.
 
The bolter for me this year will be them having another look at Ben Smith at 13 by the time the EOYT rolls around.

Milk

I think getting in Keith Robinson and Tom Donnelly at various times also seemed to tighten the lineout up.

TeWaio

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="gollum" data-cid="573886" data-time="1461247972">
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They went thru about 3 years randomly picking locks to try fix our terrible lineout, then in the end just switched the coach responsibilities & stopped that "4 runs to 6, 6 runs to 2, 2 turns and lifts 5, we throw it to 7 who is being lifted by 4 & Matfield catches it at 4 having not moved at all" bullshit we did every lineout & weirdly it all clicked.
 
The bolter for me this year will be them having another look at Ben Smith at 13 by the time the EOYT rolls around.
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Actually lol'd. God I don't miss those days.

African Monkey

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="ACT Crusader" data-cid="573868" data-time="1461236290">
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Agree SM, Moody was a genuine come from nowhere. He was a sometimes bench player not that long ago and then when he started to feature more in the Saders prop rotation all of a sudden he was wearing black. 
I thought Tuipoluto was a bit of a bolter.
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Not really. He was smashing sides around in 2014.

Chris B.

Lineout got fixed when Kaino and Read came on the scene an our third and fourth options were no longer guys standing on tiptoe to cast a shadow on Ardie Savea.
 
A bolter is likely to come at tighthead prop, because you need two of them for every test and pickings behind Franks and Faumuina are pretty slim. I know or suspect people like Alaalatoa, Halanukunuku and Geldenhuys are ineligible - so, you're probably looking at a very small group from the North Island franchises. Toomaga-Allen might be a reasonable bet. I guess he's had 10 minutes of AB rugby so he's not uncapped, but I'd class him as a bit of a bolter.

mariner4life

Our lineout at that time played a lot against a couple of fairly decent units as well. Add in some inadequate options, and some ropey throwers and it looked awful. 
Remember that year they simplified everything, including the throwing mechanics, and it killed? 
We're blessed at the moment with 2 great jumping locks, and 2 tall loosies. That's really hard to counter

rotated

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Nepia" data-cid="573884" data-time="1461245107">
Greg Rawllinson, Kevin O'Neil - basically if you were a lock in that era and you didn't get picked you have every right to feel shafted.</blockquote>
 
At least Rawlinson was an injury selection. Locks are always injury prone given the body type and position but we had a woeful run with injuries. Just after we found a cornerstone they would get a career threatening multi-year injury like Ryan, Williams, Jack, Robinson to a degree. 
Thorne and Flavell played lock that year too from memory - hardly ideal RWC preparation.

ACT Crusader

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="African Monkey" data-cid="573889" data-time="1461257966">Not really. He was smashing sides around in 2014.</blockquote>
 
It was his first super season if I recall and whilst it was a good one, it was still a surprise to many.

Chris B.

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Billy Tell" data-cid="573882" data-time="1461244541">
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Steve Hansen is a waaaay better selector than Henry, who had quite a few hit and misses.
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<a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://stats.allblacks.com/asp/playorder.asp?icount=1100#pagestart'>http://stats.allblacks.com/asp/playorder.asp?icount=1100#pagestart</a>
 
Hansen's selections start with Brodie Retallick so I think 37 new caps under his regime and probably only 4-5 that are a bit questionable. Mainly guys picked in 2013.

pukunui

The other image that comes to mind when talking about the lineout from those days way Kev holding his hand up to his ear with a confused look on his face, crowd getting louder, rushing back and throwing a wonky throw down one side of the lineout. Throwing was definitely Kev's main/only? weakness. On the plus side it we got through 2x world cup finals without it sinking us.
 
Parsons getting selected at hooker would have to be the most recent bolter/WTF selection for me. Maybe Manu being called into the RWC squad also but that was injury cover.
 
There will be a couple of new selections this year with people leaving but not sure they can all be classified as bolters because they have been playing well and are on the radar. D mac, Elliot Dixon etc.
 
Scott Barrett might be a semi bolter if he leapfrogs Romano. And any midfielders outside of Crotty, Fekitoa, Ngatai and possibly Moala would class as a bolter for me.

The Silver Fern

AB bolters thread