Pleased to see LF selected as he is a very good wing (as is Talea) but he is also very good at securing the ball at the breakdown and has proven to be good around the rucks and with the pick and go. I think this extra dimension is needed against Ireland.
JW to me Sam Cane has really dipped in form and he was pretty ordinary to begin with… the team seems to function better without him.
Moz, we keep hearing about the unseen work Cane does but I agree with you. We will see how Pap does from the bench.
Talea dropped for disciplinary reasons(curfew)
Pity... exciting player who slips past defences.
Sam Cane is pretty ordinary much like McCaw was - similar players
Not sure about Christie ahead of Roigard. Obviously Fozzie expects to have a good lead going into the 2nd half and thinks Christie is the better option to protect that. However if we are behind, I know who I’d rather have come on….. McCaw ordinary Saffex? That’s laughable and in line with your delusional thoughts about DDA’s ability……
De Groot would be my other concern. I rewatched the French opener and boy did he have a nightmare of a game. I was picking the spindly French loosehead as a weakness, but he hung in there.
I would have started Whitelock to manage the lineouts and kickoffs.
His experience could be essential in such an important match.
Barrett is more of a number 4 style of lock, even though he did play blindside flanker.
Barrett is good but not a world-beater, unlike the ageing Whitelock, albeit now a bit long in the tooth.
I would have put Roids on the bench as an impact player.
Unless he failed a drug test
Sam Cane is an inferior version of Mccaw, a wannabee that is an inferior clone, a copy of a copy... To make him captain is a bit uninspiring, given the number of quality candidates within the team
I am still unconvinced that Beuden Barret should be at fullback,
Flyhalf has been his best spot. He is also not as fast as he used to be for an outside back.
No one plays better behind the line of advantage on backfoot ball to get attacking movements going - which is important if the All-Black forwards do not deliver 50% possession.
All Black backs are better than the Irish, but the Irish pack has been playing better.
If the All Black forwards deliver 50% of the possession - the AllBlacks should win.
..
I am so looking forward to the Test.
18,568 posts
New Zealand: Beauden Barrett, Will Jordan, Rieko Ioane, Jordie Barrett, Leicester Fainga’anuku, Richie Mo’unga, Aaron Smith; Ardie Savea, Sam Cane (capt), Shannon Frizell, Scott Barrett, Brodie Retallick, Tyrel Lomax, Codie Taylor, Ethan de Groot.
Reserves: Dane Coles, Tamaiti Williams, Fletcher Newell, Sam Whitelock, Dalton Papalii, Finlay Christie, Damian McKenzie, Anton Lienert-Brown.