All Blacks 2023

[gt12]

@Machpants said in All Blacks 2023:

@ARHS said in All Blacks 2023:

@nostrildamus said in All Blacks 2023:

@Machpants said in All Blacks 2023:

"There are not many success stories among scrumhalves over six feet tall."

Is that a subtle dig at TJP?!

Joost VDW was best 9 I have ever seen.

Thus 'not many', he was specifically mentioned

This ‘reading the articles’ thing is not the fern way.

[nostrildamus]

@gt12 said in All Blacks 2023:

@Machpants said in All Blacks 2023:

@ARHS said in All Blacks 2023:

@nostrildamus said in All Blacks 2023:

@Machpants said in All Blacks 2023:

"There are not many success stories among scrumhalves over six feet tall."

Is that a subtle dig at TJP?!

Joost VDW was best 9 I have ever seen.

Thus 'not many', he was specifically mentioned

This ‘reading the articles’ thing is not the fern way.

I hope you don't refer to me, I can't be bothered to make an account but in what I read there was no reference to TJP who is allegedly taller than Roigard. And as an exception that article mentioned the tall English halfback who wasn't to my mind outstanding in that position.

[Yeahtheboys]

Current 23 going into the World Cup

1. Aidan Ross

2. Samisoni Taukeiaho

3. George Dyer

4. Brodie Retallick

5. Tupou Vaa’i

6. Samipeni Finau

7. Sam Cane

8. Luke Jacobson

9. Brad Weber

10. Dmac

11. ENS

12. Quinn Tupaea

13. ALB

14. Emoni Narawa

15. Shaun Stevenson

16. Tyrone Thompson

17. Ollie Norris

18. Angus Taavao

19. Josh Lord

20. PGS

21. Cortez Ratima

22. Bryn Gatland

23. Alex Nankivell

[Yeahtheboys]

In all seriousness

Current team (non-injured / out of form)

1. Aidan Ross

2. Samisoni Taukeiaho

3. Tyrell Lomax

4. Brodie Retallick

5. Sam Whitelock

6. Luke Jacobson

7. Same Cane

8. Ardie Savea

9. Aaron Smith

10. Dmac

11. Mark Talea

12. Jordie Barrett

13. Reiko Ioane

14. Shaun Stevenson

15. Beauden Barrett

16. Asafo Aumua

17. Aidan Ross

18. Jermayne Ainsley

19. Tupou Vaa’i

20. Dalton Papalii

21. Cam Roigard

22. Stephen Perofeta

23. David Havili

[Yeahtheboys]

Everyone available

1. Ethan De Groot

2. Samisoni Taukeiaho

3. Fletcher Newell

4. Brodie Retallick

5. Sam Whitelock

6. Luke Jacobson

7. Sam Cane

8. Ardie Savea

9. Aaron Smith

10. Dmac

11. Reiko Ioane

12. Jordie Barrett

13. ALB

14. Will Jordan

15. Beauden Barrett

16. Codie Taylor

17. Aidan Ross

18. Tyrell Lomax

19. Scott Barrett

20. Tupou Vaa’i

21. Dalton Papalii

22. Cam Roigard

23. Leicester Faninga’anuku

Possible Bolsters

Samipeni Finau
Zarn Sullivan
Shaun Stevenson
Emoni Narawa
Peter Lakai
Dom Gardiner
Tamaiti Williams

[SBW1]

@Yeahtheboys I thought Fletcher Newell was out for the season. No mention of Ethan Blackadder who is coming back into some reasonable form from injury.

[Steve]

In my opinion as it stands DMAC is the 10 and Beuaden struggles to get in the 23.

[cgrant]

Even without his injury, no way Newell starts. Lomax is the best THP by a country mile.

[Dolamite]

@Steve Foster seems to be in love with Beaudy at 15

[kiwi_expat]

Only 2 (at most) of Mo'unga, McKenzie, B.Barrett should be in our 23, or else it throws off the team mix/balance, B.Barrett's value is becoming redundant as already 2 out/out tens & Dmac can also play fullback, not to mention one of our wingers is most certainly going to be a fullback as well...

But sadly we've become accustomed to Foster's unbalanced XV's because he tries so hard to satisfy everyone that he ends up neglecting team balance entirely, playing both Cane & Savea in the starting backrow - having Mo'unga, ALB, Havili, DMac, sideways running, lightweight backs all in the same 23 a few years ago (2021?) without direct ball carriers to square-up the defensive line.

[ARHS]

@kiwi_expat said in All Blacks 2023:

sideways running, lightweight backs all in the same 23 a few years ago (2021?) without direct ball carriers to square-up the defensive line.

Thought that was why he persevered with Clarke and wanted LF Tupaea and Goodhue in the mix as well as Jordie Barrett.

What is wrong with Cane and Savea together if the 6 is a big unit?

[Tim]

Props

I thought that Ross and Dyer were very good on the weekend. Lomax and Tu'ungufasi were good too. de Groot had a strong game and, as always, scrums well, though may need to up the work rate against NZ teams. Moody was unimpressive. Laulala was playing pretty well (hands aside) before his injury, though I hope we can do better than him.

If five props are in the WC squad, then Tu'ungufasi is a lock. Add Lomax and de Groot, and you have two places left. Ross is probably the form loosehead in NZ, with Williams playing pretty well on the other side of the scrum too. Have doubts about the latter's defence and workrate though. Chiefs ruck work has been noticeably better than Crusaders this year.

[Old Samurai Jack]

@Tim A year or so too early for Williams I think. Moody is playing OK and having a grizzled old experienced prop backing up de Groot is common sense I think. His impact in the mauls and lineout drives might be just what is required in a knockout game.

[Steve]

@Dolamite

Not for me.

I like my Allblack 15 to be a prolific try scorer from the back.

Will Jordan or Stevenson.

Teams need to be punished for kicking it to us.

Beaudy is gun shy now.

[Tim]

Any thoughts on WC squad make-up? With Beauden Barrett, DMac, and Jordie Barrett (plus Mo'unga) in the squad, you probably only need to take 4 back-three players. With the mandatory 3x halfbacks and hookers, that would leave 5 props, 4 locks, 6 loose forwards, and 4 midfield backs.

[canefan]

@Steve said in All Blacks 2023:

@Dolamite

Not for me.

I like my Allblack 15 to be a prolific try scorer from the back.

Will Jordan or Stevenson.

Teams need to be punished for kicking it to us.

Beaudy is gun shy now.

I agree. BB barely rates as a squad player right now. But Fozz will take him for his experience

[Tim]

@Tim If this squad composition is assumed, then the next step is to look at who are squad certainties. I would suggest if fit:

de Groot
Lomax
Tu'ungufasi

Taukei'aho
Taylor

Retallick
Whitelock
S Barrett

Cane
Papalii
Savea
Sotutu

Smith

Mo'unga
B Barrett
McKenzie

J Barrett
R Ioane

Jordan

Probably will also see Clarke on the wing, with two of Stevenson, Narawa, Telea, and maybe Fainga'anuku joining him. (3)

Hooker will be Aumua or Coles, hopefully the former. (1)

The two props are tough to pick, and injury dependent. LH: Moody, Ross, maybe Numia. TH: Laulala, Williams, Dyer, Newell. (1 each)

Lock is between Vaa'i, Tuipulotu, and Lord. (1)

Loose forward: Frizell, Ioane, Blackadder, Jacobson, Finau. (2)

Halfback: Christie, Weber, Roigard. (2)

Midfield: Havili, ALB, RTS, Goodhue. (2)

[Bones]

Reckon you can throw Clarke into the certainties and tempted to throw in Christie, Havili and ALB too.

[Billy Tell]

I see Mackenzie is locked in until 2025.

[Victor Meldrew]

@chimoaus said in All Blacks 2023:

So, for some reason I can't help but feel weird about the current coaching setup given the saviour is taking over post world cup. How do you think this impacts Fozzie and the current crop? I honestly hope it gives them that extra motivation to say fuck you to all who doubt them or don't believe they are capable. I guess anything but winning the cup will be deemed a failure by his reign.

I think we'll do better than we expect, but the Rugby world has changed and the gap has narrowed hugely. There's 4-5 teams pretty close at the top of the tree these days.

I wonder if Razor is secretly hoping they lose the WC as it would make his job a little harder taking over the world champions and trying to retain it. Thoughts?

Nah, doubt that completely. That's the sort of crazy conspiracy-theory bollocks you'd expect loons to throw at Foster.