Lions tour: All Blacks call up Malakai Fekitoa for third Lions test . Rugby Stuff

 

All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has called in the cavalry, with Malakai Fekitoa getting a repreive ahead of the third and deciding test against the Lions in Auckland on Saturday.

 

Hansen has moved with Sonny Bill Williams likely to be suspended by the judiciary, when he appears on Sunday evening.

 

Williams was sent off for a shoulder charge in the 25th minute of the second test.

 

 

 

Highlanders centre Fekitoa, who some felt was unlucky not to be picked initially, is the man.

 

 

Meanwhile, wing Waisake Naholo had passed his head injury assessment after taking a forearm from Sean O'Brien.

 

He could have returned to the field on Saturday, but Hansen said he opted not to risk it.

 Will be interesting to see who Hansen selects for the midfield and wings. Not exactly Smith and Nonu days. I think he will start Fekitoa as he needs some stability in thinking and good defense & Fekitoa has shown that. On the wing he most likely will stick with Ioane and Naholo but this is an area of weakness in terms of the high ball. I haven't heard anything about bringing in Savea.
If ABs can keep 15 men on the field they should win enough ball for the backs and rack up some tries. This will take the pressure off the back 3 where only Dagg is good.

as I said in another thread, I think bringing an inexperienced Laumape was a mistake,.... I would have opted for experience and bring Fekitoa instead of Laumape (besides, he's still not ready and is so unidimensional,... he's strong hitting the defense but it's his only contribution, running straight against the defensive line,... but this is another discussion)

logical to call Fekitoa now

I only hope Crotty is fit for the decisive game,.... he's fundamental organizing the backline both in attack and in defense,.... with him at 12 ALB or Fekitoa could play 13,.... ALB is a more complete palyer (and better IMO) but Fekitoa has more experience,..... I would probably go with Fekitoa starting and ALB from the bench

if Crotty is not fit,... then the only possibility is
12. ALB,  13. Fekitoa

Fekitoa wearing eye liner and lip stick worries me. I could have sworn that when he scored that try against the wallabies years ago he had the ball in his hand and forgot to give it to the 1st five to convert because he was looking at himself on the big screen and smiling at himself 
The 1st five converted to give the ABs a narrow win but if he had failed  to convert, there wouldn't have been any time left to recieve a Wallabies kick start as Fekitoa had used it all up smiling at himself on the big screen 

 Nonu used to wear eye-liner which I found weird but no one had the guts to ask him about it

 Kbbs I said Feki should have been in the team before sunni bill who looked SLUGgish and and a loafer of note.I anticipate a wee ab win although nothing is cast in  stone.If the wee abs do lose could we please., pretty please not have this again! - it's so unseemly:BEENO trying to raise the profile of your typical Kbb!

 Beeno, displaying your photo (as shown above) is a little bit over the top mate - shameless self promotion.
Yes, the ABs should win the next test but they will have to play better to ensure the ref is not the determining factor. Playing with 15 men should help.
Are the wee Boks playing anytime soon or have they declared victory after the French series and retired for the season?

 The ref was very good. I trust we wont have a bent down under ref or some SA stooge handing the game to the wee abs. Anyhow its going to be a great match - we hope. We all hope our kbbs friends will man up if they lose. Poor Hacked waaghahaha had a snowflake type of meltdown. I will have to ask the Admin to creat a safe place on the board for any shattered kbbs to retire to! Hahahahahhahahaha

Beeno, thanks for tapping your great pool of knowledge on how to deal with a loss, no one knows more about losing. However, I recall rants about refs, "score boards don't count", etc. so I think you should review your notes.
As far as I know Hakwa hasn't taken up tennis so he's still a loyal fan.

 Well according to three Kiwi journalists the starting centers will be ALB and Fekitoa. I agree with that.
Here's the article as published in the NZ Herald.

Two weeks ago Ryan Crotty and Sonny Bill Williams were the starting All Blacks midfield against the Lions. When the All Blacks return to Eden Park on Saturday neither of the two will be there.

Crotty suffered a hamstring injury in the first test victory while Williams has been hit with a four-week suspension for his red card offense in Wellington.

All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has a big decision to make with Malakai Fekitoa, Anton Lienert-Brown, Ngani Laumape, Jack Goodhue all vying for the 12 and 13 jerseys.

Herald rugby writers Gregor Paul, Patrick McKendry and Liam Napier weigh in on the midfield dilemma.

Gregor Paul - Lienert-Brown and Fekitoa
These two have played before - at the end of last year - and they stack as the most experienced combination. This is a huge game and experience will matter. Fekitoa was outstanding when he played for the Highlanders against the Lions and if he can deliver another similar defensive effort, the All Blacks will be more than happy.
Harsh on Ngani Laumape but his long term development might not benefit from being asked to start such a big game. He can be injected from the bench.

Patrick McKendry - Lienert-Brown and Fekitoa
Fekitoa will be the favourite for the No12 jersey for his greater experience. Laumape did well four days after playing the Lions for the Hurricanes, and is a possibility, but another bench spot might be considered a safer option. Crusaders midfielder Goodhue, included in the squad at the start of the series as injury cover, has an exciting future, but a test debut in a series decider against the Lions must be considered a big roll of the dice.

Liam Napier - Lienert-Brown and Fekitoa
The most experienced combination, and one that's started three times previously in the All Blacks midfield for three victories. The first came in Lienert-Brown's debut, a 29-9 win over the Wallabies in Wellington last year. The other two were against Italy in Rome and Ireland in Dublin; a match of similar magnitude after the All Blacks loss in Chicago two weeks prior. While the All Blacks believe Lienert-Brown is best suited to centre, he is well adept at second five-eighth, too. With Ryan Crotty and Sonny Bill Williams out, Fekitoa's recall does not surprise. Rumours persist about his departure to France at the end of this year after initially falling down the pecking order. But, right now, his defensive work is too good to overlook. That's what the All Blacks need opposite classy Lions centre Jonathan Davies. No doubt Jack Goodhue and Ngani Laumape are quality players with big futures but it would seem a big ask to throw either rookie into start a test of this stature.

 
I told you guys that your midfield was the weak link.

You arrogant pr!cks told me that it wouldn't matter who was brought in. You have so many stars to select from. The usual boastful, puffed up response that's become the Kiwi way over the years.  

Well ... I guess you'll be looking for another "star" then , right?

Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahahahahaaa!!

Maybe it's third time lucky.

Oh and by the way ... Crotch is as average as they come. He is not test material ... not even for the Goats.



 

 CC what weed r u smoking? I will be taking over from SBW (who??) in the midfield. Me hakwa, midfield supremo/extraordinaire etc etc 

 "I told you so, so there!!"Back at Broderbond Kindy are we CC??

 cc we lost a game, it's as simple as that. Your being so excited about it says a lot about you mate.

 I didn't leave Cloudy  kidding! Cheer up sis. All good.

 We want and need you on here Cloudy

 
Stay if you want ... go if you want ... it doesn't matter ... but for heavens sake stop feeling so damn sorry for yourself.

It's pathetic.

I personally don't think the AB's have anything to worry about with regards to replacing SBW. Plenty of talent in the midfield. All our centers are nearly's and almost's, so I would not be too boastful.  

 ALB and Fekitoa for me.Laumape hasn't had enough big time rugby to risk as a starter.Better to bring him on if required in the last 20.

Cloudy

Status: Rugby Legend
Posts: 5515 RE: Lions tour: All Blacks call up Malakai Fekitoa for third Lions test . Rugby Stuff
July 04, 2017, 09:36:27

otherwise people will think we are having a lovers spat.

Now we wouldn't want them to think that would we???

 

Impossible to believe that anyway Cloudy

For that to happen, that means CC would have to have feelings for another person

 Expecting 5C tonight Cloudy here in the Tron,  so not one of those horrible frosts we get at times!

 @DA 

 
Do you have hair on your lip, Cloudy?

I hear most Kiwi woman suffer with this all their lives. I'm not sure what's more disturbing ... your hairy lip ... or the fact that Kiwi men seem to love it.

Isn't that right, Kakwa ... you too like a little hair on your "partners" lip ... right?

 yeah?
what I heard is that those macho-men making s€xist slurs have huge inferiority complex because of their diminutive d¡ cks and their premature ejaculation problems