New Zealand Rugby Team Watch

[waiopehu oldboy]

Levi Aumua probably regretting his transfer right about now: would've signed as an AB-eligible player so can't turn out for Samoa without somehow getting his status changed which I doubt can happen in the time remaining before RWC & overlooked not only for AB but also AB XV so well down the depth chart.

 

[Dismal Pillock]

Not surprised he was overlooked. Defensively he was even more ponderous and lost in space positionally than Caleb Clarke....

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

FWIW here's my predicted 36:

Props: Lomax, Ofa, deGroot, Williams, Nepo, Ross
Hookers: Samisoni, Taylor, Aumua
Locks: SamW, Lurch, ScoBar, Vai'i, Lord
Loosies: Cane (c), Ardie, Frizell, Papali'i, Jacobsen, Harmon
9: AS, Weber, Roigard
10: RMo, DMac, Beaugan
Midfield: Rieko, JBar, AL-B, Aumua
Back 3: Jordan, Stevenson, Clarke, Faianganuku, Telea, Narawa

Went back & highlighted the ones who missed out. Really puzzled by Christie over Weber.

 

[Dan54]

Well I stoked with squad named, May of had one or two different ones, but all told bloody good.
Real pleased with the new boys too, and although I never saw it coming pleased for Dallas MacLeod, really like this boy solid as.
Great for Finau too, he has a real future I reckon, bit and bloody hard runner and tackler! Roigard I expected singing his praises after seeing hil little cameo in Levin preseason, Narawa and Williams good picks too!

 

[Rugbyman2023]

Can’t bellieve the depth of these squads considering the below are still out
Out for season
Angus taavaou
George bower
Sevu Reece
potentially coming back
Ti perenara
Quin teupau
Pat tuipulotu
Joe moody
Ethan Blackadder
Cullen grace
David haavili
Out of these guys can see moody, Blackadder and havili making all blacks RWC

unlucky not to make all blacks but not surprised
Aumua
Aidon Ross
Akira ioane
Sotutu - is he injured? Not making 15 either
Webber
Stevenson

not making 15
Dickson and Parkinson
Christie
Ratima / Josh ioane
sotutu - again just be injured?

 

[Dismal Pillock]

sotutu - again just be injured?

Dumped on his arse from both squads.

ALL the skills in the world, should be revolutionising the game, and rocks up from the hair salon and wanders around and gets his cock and balls blasted up his own arse by some no-name Cantab counterparts en route to the most pathetic loss in Blues history.

 

[Highlander35]

Does Shaun Stevenson wanna turn out in Navy instead

Genuinely don't understand how he's not nailed on for a back 3 jersey or the 23 one at least.

 

[Dctarget]

Pretty impressive Akira isn’t there, I’d have him over Jacobsen and Frizell.

 

[Dan54]

Ratima didnt make the ABXV either
Yeah I dont get it. Weber is 32 though, maybe some of the AB's super duper analytics stuff shows he's a nanosecond slower to rucks now or something. Christie has been amateur hour for the Bleus.

I was surprised a bit about Christie over Weber, but think they keen on Christie's defence?Actually forgot about Ratima, may of been unlucky to miss ABXV

 

[Dan54]

Pretty impressive Akira isn’t there, I’d have him over Jacobsen and Frizell.

Hell I wouldn't, I would Jacobson and Finau well ahead of Akira, not sure about Frizell, but I have no real argument with any of squad. As Ryan says they had pretty robust discussions, and he has learnt to select teams you go to games and watc the players, then you spend a lot of time on computers etc checking on things you want to see in detail of what they doing

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Does Shaun Stevenson wanna turn out in Navy instead

Genuinely don't understand how he's not nailed on for a back 3 jersey or the 23 one at least.

Fozzie pretty much said his D isn't up to scratch & hinted they'll be doing some extra work on it while he's in camp.

 

[Dismal Pillock]

Fozzie pretty much said his D isn't up to scratch & hinted they'll be doing some extra work on it while he's in camp.

What an absolute dickhead.

By that metric, he'll also have to do "extra work on" the D of Will Jordan (still a liability), Clarke (zero spatial awareness), Faianganuku, (his last test was a shambolic mess defensively), and Telea (bolts up out of the line leaving acres of space behind him)

 

[zer0]

They'll go down the Kahui master race strategy and play McLeod and Ennor on the wings.

Broke: Dynamic attacking rugby with spectacular tries
Woke: Never missing a tackle

 

[Dan54]

Yep but it's not about never missing a tackle, it's holding systems together. I think LF looks to rush up out of line , and Foster said as much early in year. If you listened to Ryan he was talking about actually watching as much of the players live at games, and then they spend hours on computere looking at exact areas of game they worried about when before naming team. And there are 3 doing it, so I take it they have idea what they want to see players doing. Even Ryan said they had some long ,robust discussions before naming squad. I was at a lunch a couple of years back when Fox was talking about what they go through when selecting teams, he reckons it's a fulltime jon the the last month.

 

[Union on Top]

Tom Christie, the saders open-side has been playing really well recently (I believe he got motm against blues last week). He’s really good over the ball and does all the little things really well; he’s a workhorse. I thought he was unlucky not to make the All Blacks XV

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Nepo Laulala is off to an as yet unnamed French Club.

The stuff article lists six confirmed departees from the current AB but doesn't look complete/ up to date.

 

[Pone's Mullet]

See Tom Robinson has left the Blues, would be a handy pick up

 

[Dan54]

See Tom Robinson has left the Blues, would be a handy pick up

Yep but he already signed in Japan apparently. but as you say he would of been a handy pick up for any team.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Mark Telea has re-signed for two years.

 

[Dan54]

Story is Vern Cotter has got the Blues job. Well according to news last night. Good pick up I think if true.
Also seems maybe Jason O'Hallaron, maybe getting a job too. Got the makings of good combo.