New Zealand Rugby Team Watch

[Dismal Pillock]

9. Kelleher, B 10. Lavea, T 11. Ralph, C 12. McAllister, L 13. Ellison, T 14. Blair, B 15. Farrell, C*

​

​

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

^^^^^^^^ best vid of 15. Farrell, C I've ever seen, where'd ya find it? Or is it 15. Fawcett, K? Always get them mixed up, I does..............

 

[Waterboyrugby]

oh God, its just dawned on me, in 4 short months the tenured professorship of messrs Nonu and Conrad Smith will be GONE from the AB midfield.

C.Smith to be replaced by either Crotty or Ngatai? wft, seems a bit of a sad choice.

2nd 5 G.Moala? Ran way afoul of the No Dickheads policy, has he made up enough ground?
Money Bill at 2nd 5? Yeah right. The guy is a proven mercenary, not in it for the jersey, just the cash and the glory. He'll probably be back in the NRL by Xmas.

What a hole.

What a pickle.

WHO THE HELL WILL TAKE THEIR PLACE?

Fekitoa @ 12 B.Smith @ 13

 

[qwerty51]

Who is fullback? As a Wallabies supporter, by all means remove Smith from 15.

Fekitoa is a 13. SBW @ 12?

 

[ChargerWA]

Is SBW even signed for next year? I was under the impression he was flitting off to France to chase the cash after the RWC.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Is SBW even signed for next year? I was under the impression he was flitting off to France to chase the cash after the RWC.

Latest reports are that he'll have a crack at our 7's team for Rio (Sir Gordon is on record as liking his potential, given he's never actually played the game), if that doesn't work out then God knows but to be fair it's about time people got past the "chasing the $/€/¥" thing, he's honoured every contact he's ever signed bar the dodgy one with the Bulldogs & probably turned down as many $/€/¥ as he's earned from his footy (vs his everything else) in that time.

 

[Bairdy]

12. Ngatai 13. Fekitoa

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

^^^^^ if it's all the same to you I'll go,with 12. Crotty 13. Fekitoa in the short term. Long term replacements will take care of themselves.

 

[the sabanator]

Latest reports are that he'll have a crack at our 7's team for Rio (Sir Gordon is on record as liking his potential, given he's never actually played the game), if that doesn't work out then God knows but to be fair it's about time people got past the "chasing the $/€/¥" thing, he's honoured every contact he's ever signed bar the dodgy one with the Bulldogs & probably turned down as many $/€/¥ as he's earned from his footy (vs his everything else) in that time.

This is an excellent point. He's always stuck to his word on every rugby contract he's ever signed and he's talented in both codes. Good luck to him honestly, it's his life. He has a skill set that is really only good to him until 35 (maybe a little longer because of his excellent conditioning), may as well get the cash while you can.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

^^^^^^ word is that NZRU threw more potential $$$$ his way in 2011/12 than NRL but he went back on pretty much a handshake deal he'd done with Roosters & NRL bigwigs. Then came back to union on pretty much the same basis. Hard to fault that IMO.

 

[Dismal Pillock]

oops, almost forgot.......

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Pulu out for ~10 weeks after having a plate inserted to fix his broken arm:

http://www.sanzarrugby.com/superrugby/news/pulu-sidelined-by-broken-arm/

Rumour on PlanetRugby that Hosea Gear may take the place earmarked for Naholo at Clermont.

EDIT: apparently it's as done a deal as anything involving a French club can be:

http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,3551_55481,00.html

Assuming he completes both years I'd think that's him done in terms of Super Rugby & beyond. Can't help wondering what might've been had he not gotten injured just prior to RWC 2011, he was arguably the best 14 in the game in 2010.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Gear to Clermont confirmed:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/super-rugby/69455644/hosea-gear-signs-twoyear-clermont-deal

 

[Dismal Pillock]

T-minus 2 hours and counting till squad announcement, wft, if another Crusaders bench warmer gets in, this time ahead of Hika Elliot, there will be blood on the streets, the drapes, the lambs, and the children of Hamtown

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

^^^^^^^ they're naming 41 so I'm picking there'll be 4 x hookers with one to be cut from the RWC 31. Coles likely won't be available for Samoa so they'll take Elliott & Mealamu to play & Taylor (a good 'nua boy) for cover & the experience.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Here's the squad:

Forwards:
Hookers
Dane Coles - Hurricanes / Wellington (27)
Hikawera Elliot - Chiefs / Poverty Bay (3)
Keven Mealamu - Blues / Auckland (123)
Codie Taylor - Crusaders / Canterbury *

Props
Wyatt Crockett - Crusaders / Canterbury (27)
Charlie Faumuina - Blues / Auckland (20)
Ben Franks - Hurricanes / Hawke's Bay (31)
Owen Franks - Crusaders / Canterbury (57)
Joe Moody - Crusaders / Canterbury (8)
Tony Woodcock - Blues /North Harbour (110)

Locks
James Broadhurst - Hurricanes / Taranaki *
Brodie Retallick - Chiefs / Bay of Plenty (36)
Luke Romano - Crusaders / Canterbury (17)
Jeremy Thrush - Hurricanes / Wellington (11)
Samuel Whitelock - Crusaders / Canterbury (62)

Loose forwards
Sam Cane - Chiefs / Bay of Plenty (22)
Jerome Kaino - Blues /Auckland (56)
Richie McCaw (captain) - Crusaders / Canterbury (137)
Liam Messam - Chiefs / Waikato (40)
Kieran Read - Crusaders / Canterbury (72)
Matt Todd - Crusaders / Canterbury (2)
Victor Vito - Hurricanes / Wellington (26)

Backs:
Halfbacks
Tawera Kerr-Barlow - Chiefs / Waikato (15)
TJ Perenara - Hurricanes / Wellington (11)
Aaron Smith - Highlanders / Manawatu (38)

First five-eighths
Beauden Barrett - Hurricanes / Taranaki (28)
Daniel Carter - Crusaders / Canterbury (102)
Colin Slade - Crusaders /Canterbury (17)
Lima Sopoaga - Highlanders / Southland *

Midfielders
Ryan Crotty - Crusaders / Canterbury (13)
Malakai Fekitoa - Highlanders / Auckland (8)
Ma'a Nonu - Hurricanes / Wellington (94)
Conrad Smith - Hurricanes / Wellington (85)
Sonny Bill Williams - Chiefs / Counties Manukau (23)

Outside backs
Israel Dagg - Crusaders /Hawke's Bay (46)
Cory Jane - Hurricanes / Wellington (48)
Nehe Milner-Skudder - Hurricanes / Manawatu *
Waisake Naholo - Highlanders / Taranaki *
Charles Piutau - Blues /Auckland (14)
Julian Savea - Hurricanes / Wellington (33)
Ben Smith - Highlanders / Otago (38)

5 x newbies, marked *
13 x Crusaders
12 x Hurricanes
6 x Chiefs
5 x Highlanders, all of them backs
5 x Blues

A nice neat 1,500 test caps between them.

Dagg & Jane arguably luckiest to be there but Shag is nothing if not loyal so will give them every opportunity to prove they're still RWC quality. If having Naholo & NM-S around doesn't inspire them to re-capture their former glories nothing will & they'll be gonski: he may be loyal but he ain't a sentimentalist.

Just on the Samoa test, ideally you'd want to rest all the 'canes & Clan players but that'd leave us short in the backs so someone(s) will have to back up from their SF if not the GF.

 

[SaderCheif]

On ya Broadhurst! Grew up in Gisborne together and played againt him a few times. Good Bloke. That lock line up is mongrel.

Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

^^^^^^^^^ I've often wondered if he's in any way related to Mark, Broadhurst being a reasonably uncommon name. Certainly plays like his namesake, minus the biff of course

 

[Dan54]

Codie Taylor - Crusaders / Canterbury *
Ahh not only a Levin boy, but played for Logan City rugby club in Brisbane (ok only when he about 6yo but....), I will have to get behind this boy.

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Confirmation from Shag that depending on Saturday's results player may need to be added for the Samoa match:

"But we'll have a good side. If both the Highlanders and Hurricanes are successful we may need to bring a couple of extra players in.

"We don't want to chuck someone back in just for the sake of breaking them again."

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/...-balance-goals-on-the-road-to-rugby-world-cup

Looks almost certain that Andy Ellis will go to Samoa, TKB playing club footy this week & next then pencilled in for NZ Maori v Fiji on July 11.