He's probably thinking to himself "If Bridge can make the ABs...."

There's two outstanding number 8s in the country that are both excellent lineout exponents. If you had either of them at 8 you wouldn't need to shoehorn in a lock at 6.

At least he won't get benched now.

@Bones said in All Blacks v Ireland - 1st Test:

@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks v Ireland - 1st Test:

@Bones said in All Blacks v Ireland - 1st Test:

@Stargazer said in All Blacks v Ireland - 1st Test:

@Bones Those stats only say something about where a player starts. It doesn't give info about a player changing position during a game as a result of substitutions.

We're talking about starting aren't we?

To me starting at 6 is what's weird about his selection. It means either Retallick & Whitelock play the full game or one is replaced by a SB who's played 6 since kick-off.

I think that's the hardest part to swallow for me - after all the talk of the 6's, as well as Vaai playing 6 (presumably at Foster's suggestion) and excelling, we go back to a guy who should be starting at lock and hasn't exactly set the world on fire at 6.

What also annoys me is it takes away another chance to see a young player get some game time.

Vaai was a bolter in 2020 - went better than expected - and has barely been sighted in black since.

Grace picked in 2020 - one test off the bench for a handful of minutes I think (the Bledisloe loss in Brisbane) - never seen again.

Sotutu barely played last year - Hodgman picked and discarded - De Groot picked and discarded - Peter Umaga Jensen impressive cameo then never seen again.

Meanwhile nearly 3 years after the RWC 2019 semi we roll out a forward pack that is pretty damn close to our forward pack then.

@nzzp said in All Blacks 2022:

Christ on a bike, how good would

12 Laumape

look right now.

Considering he did nothing at test level not very?

Ardie Savea saying in his press conference today that he didn't know that the All Blacks had never lost to Ireland in NZ before Saturday.

Seriously wtf?

A senior leader in the team and the ABs home record isn't touched upon at all in the leadup to the series?

What the hell is going on with the AB culture?

The ref saw Bridge so that ruled out the try option.....

@Dan54 said in All Blacks vs Ireland - series decider:

@Stargazer said in All Blacks vs Ireland - series decider:

Taukei’aho didn't have the impact in the Ireland tests that he had last year. I can also understand them not starting Coles, who hasn't played much at all, this year. So in that light, starting Taylor makes a lot of sense. I don't think he's been as bad as people are posting here.

Yep almost seems some players are more effective against super defences etc huh Star?

But Samisoni is effective at test level.

He was effective on the weekend.

He got 25 minutes off the bench when were one man down and made the most running metres of any AB forward in the game.

What a moment.

What a team.

What an era.

Legends.

Sitting through the Black Ferns v Wallaroos XVs game was an absolute treat compared to sitting through the 2018 Blues season.

@Duluth said in Blues MOTM v Force:

@KiwiMurph said in Blues MOTM v Force:

Suafoa

He’s having a very good season so far. He was a 60min player at the start of the year but he’s extending that every week

His accuracy is a big step up from NPC too.

Perofeta, Fusitu'a, Suafoa.

@Old-Samurai-Jack said in Blues v Force:

Perofeta runs the cutter with so much more control than BB these days. With the Blues firepower out wide, I would have thought he is just what the team needs at pivot. Control with the punch if you know what I mean.

It's obvious to everyone except the head coach.

The way TJ commentates you'd think the Force were ahead by 13. Such a muppet.

@kev said in Blues v Force:

@KiwiMurph said in Blues v Force:

@kev said in Blues v Force:

Not sure where Big Red sits in the Blues plans now.

I imagine he'll start at 6 next week with Hoskins rested and Akira at 8.

He has had a couple of light weeks. Just load balancing between players?

Edit - sorry I thought you meant Hoskins.

Yeah bit weird how Leon is preferring two starting 7s.

@Steven-Harris said in Blues v Force:

How the hell did Auckland Rugby not hang onto Felix Kalapu ..?,but somehow manage to extract a very average lock out of Sydney Club Rugby
Kalapu has got genuine physicality to go with his superb lineout work

The same Auckland Rugby that played Pugh over Ekuasi.

@kev said in Blues v Force:

Not sure where Big Red sits in the Blues plans now.

I imagine he'll start at 6 next week with Hoskins rested and Akira at 8.

@Machpants said in Blues v Force:

@KiwiMurph said in Blues v Force:

@Machpants said in Blues v Force:

How's perofeta doing at Tenn? I've just got back home

Excellent. He's been the Blues best player.

Showing beaudy as not for for ten in that case, sad how far back he's fallen.

It's very frustrating as a Blues fan that Beaudy will be no doubt be 10 next week.

@Machpants said in Blues v Force:

How's perofeta doing at Tenn? I've just got back home

Excellent. He's been the Blues best player.

Plummer got smacked in the chops