All Blacks Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread

CatFromHue

Wales will have their own problems as they play SA, Arg, Tonga, and then Oz all on consecutive weekends. That could go very well or equally pretty bad for them.

In fairness to Oz one of their recent losses to Scotland was in such bad conditions that only because it was a pro game was the reason it went ahead.

Swiwi.

CatFromHue wrote: »

Wales will have their own problems as they play SA, Arg, Tonga, and then Oz all on consecutive weekends. That could go very well or equally pretty bad for them.

In fairness to Oz one of their recent losses to Scotland was in such bad conditions that only because it was a pro game was the reason it went ahead.

Wales should beat Tonga, but SA of course & Arg will rate their chances. Depends which Argentina shows up. Tonga might cause injuries though...

Morf

CatFromHue wrote: »

Wales will have their own problems as they play SA, Arg, Tonga, and then Oz all on consecutive weekends. That could go very well or equally pretty bad for them.

In fairness to Oz one of their recent losses to Scotland was in such bad conditions that only because it was a pro game was the reason it went ahead.

Oz and the rain don't mix unless you play all Force and Brumbies players.

CatFromHue

Morf wrote: »

Oz and the rain don't mix unless you play all Force and Brumbies players.

It wasn't just rain that day, it was a tropical storm i.e. you'd be drier in a swimming pool!

Morf

CatFromHue wrote: »

It wasn't just rain that day, it was a tropical storm i.e. you'd be drier in a swimming pool!

True. See Oz v Munster.

Or QLD playing the Force when it tips it down.

Morf

Nonu has signed on for two more years.

Joining the Blues.

I'll be a big feather in the cap of Kirwan if he can stop the squad imploding next year.

Any rumours of a sweetener for Auckland to take him? Canes and Highlanders have been burned and Crusaders would seem to have a team atmosphere completely incompatible with "that kind of player".

Aotearoa

Morf wrote: »

Nonu has signed on for two more years.

Joining the Blues.

I'll be a big feather in the cap of Kirwan if he can stop the squad imploding next year.

Any rumours of a sweetener for Auckland to take him? Canes and Highlanders have been burned and Crusaders would seem to have a team atmosphere completely incompatible with "that kind of player".

as happy as i am for him i would have liked him at another franchise.
benji is gonna play 15 and saili and piutau at 12 and 13 respectively .

to accomodate nonu piutau switches back to full back and benji goes to 10.

was really interested in seeing piutau at 13.

Swiwi.

Morf wrote: »

Nonu has signed on for two more years.

Joining the Blues.

I'll be a big feather in the cap of Kirwan if he can stop the squad imploding next year.

Any rumours of a sweetener for Auckland to take him? Canes and Highlanders have been burned and Crusaders would seem to have a team atmosphere completely incompatible with "that kind of player".

I imagine some pressure was brought to bear. With SBW staying in league NZ really needed Nonu to stay. I reckon he'll go OK.

Journeyman_1

Its so frustrating that a player of Nonus' ability just refuses to perform with a club. I can't even imagine how the club coaching staff feel.

Morf

Journeyman_1 wrote: »

Its so frustrating that a player of Nonus' ability just refuses to perform with a club. I can't even imagine how the club coaching staff feel.

I think it might be more of an achievement for the national team to get the best out of him rather than focusing on the regions struggling not to implode while he is there.

Swiwi.

Will be interested to see the team chosen for Japan. Tony Woodcock, Luke Romano, Sam Whitelock, Kieran Read, Liam Messam, Israel Dagg, Cory Jane, Julian Savea, Ardie Savea and Aaron Cruden are not being considered for selection for this game, so it will be more of a "B" side.

toomevara

Don't know if you guys are across this, but the Kiwis had a crunching game against the Samoans in the RLWC last night and poor old Sonny Bill had a complete howler moment blowing a try…the vid's on the RL forum...

Glass Prison 1214

toomevara wrote: »

Don't know if you guys are across this, but the Kiwis had a crunching game against the Samoans in the RLWC last night and poor old Sonny Bill had a complete howler moment blowing a try…the vid's on the RL forum...

Its just been posted in the off topic thread here, its hilarious!

bilston

toomevara wrote: »

Don't know if you guys are across this, but the Kiwis had a crunching game against the Samoans in the RLWC last night and poor old Sonny Bill had a complete howler moment blowing a try…the vid's on the RL forum...

I was about to come on and post about this too. The look on SBW's face was priceless. To be fair he wasn't even showboating, he just slipped! Still very very funny.

Swiwi.

So what's going on in AB land ahead of the upcoming test against Ireland?

• Everyone agrees the ABs were well below par against Japan, Charles Piutau excepted (who is being suggested as giving Cory Jane a good run for his money for the 14 jersey)
• There is growing concern about the AB scrum, which is not quite yet an Achilles Heel, but the last thing you'd want to do is give NH teams a sniff
• France are never really seen as a threat outside of RWC (where of course they are always very much a threat), so a win is seen as fairly likely this weekend, with the usual platitudes about depending on which French side turns up etc
• Despite the fact we look down our noses at the style of rugby England play, there is a healthy dose of wariness, especially regarding the scrum. No-one wants to say it, but there would be much hand-wringing, sackcloth etc if we lost again at Twickenham
• Ireland not really being discussed yet, in fact I don't suspect they will come too much into focus until after the English game

Morf

If there's a Cory Jane going spare . . . you know . . . we'd fine a squad spot for him somewhere. D4 possibly . . .

Swiwi.

Julian Savea has the 'flu. Which annoys me as I really wanted Hansen to have to choose between Jane & Piutau. Now the decision has been made for him if Savea doesn't recover. There is no way Frank Halai would be trusted with the 11 jersey.

Swiwi.

How times have changed. In a NZ Herald poll 2/3 people voted Kieran Read more important to the ABs than Richie McCaw.

Buer

Swiwi. wrote: »

How times have changed. In a NZ Herald poll 2/3 people voted Kieran Read more important to the ABs than Richie McCaw.

You couldn't really disagree with it though, could you? Lose McCaw and you've got Sam Cane to come in who has done a really good job. Lose Read and who replaces him? McCaw?

Regardless of suitability for position, Read has just become freakishly consistent. He turns in top level performances nearly every cap.

Oh for the days from 2008-10 when Heaslip was cleaning up winning MOTM awards in pretty much every second Ireland and Leinster game.

Swiwi.

Buer wrote: »

You couldn't really disagree with it though, could you? Lose McCaw and you've got Sam Cane to come in who has done a really good job. Lose Read and who replaces him? McCaw?

Regardless of suitability for position, Read has just become freakishly consistent. He turns in top level performances nearly every cap.

Oh for the days from 2008-10 when Heaslip was cleaning up winning MOTM awards in pretty much every second Ireland and Leinster game.

Yeah, I was one of the 2/3!!!

There is no backup to Read. McCaw at a pinch on this tour, otherwise Victor Vito will be watching the game on the box back home. Whitelock is way too green, and I'm not convinced anyway.

Morf

Read is a phenomenal player.

I remember possibly 18 months or more back watching the behind the black video of him on his first NH tour. He was so genuinely delighted just to be there. Seems just as down to earth now as he was then.

Just as McCaw seems to be on the wane NZ have another back-row leader who is head and shoulders over everyone else in his position. Hansen must feel pretty satisfied about how that has gone.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shNwVflrvWY

Sorry, it was Inside The Black Jersey series.

Swiwi.

Team to face France

New Zealand: 15 Israel Dagg, 14 Cory Jane, 13 Ben Smith, 12 Ma'a Nonu, 11 Charles Piatau, 10 Dan Carter, 9 Aaron Smith, 8 Kieran Read, 7 Richie McCaw (capt), 6 Liam Messam, 5 Sam Whitelock, 4 Brodie Retallick, 3 Owen Franks, 2 Keven Mealamu, 1 Tony Woodcock.

Replacements: 16 Dane Coles, 17 Wyatt Crockett, 18 Charlie Faumuina, 19 Steven Luatua, 20 Sam Cane, 21 Tawera Kerr-Barlow, 22 Aaron Cruden, 23 Ryan Crotty.

I'm too fatigued to do a match preview & thread...but if anyone is interested here are the main talking points of the selection:

• If Julian Savea had been fit, Piutau would have started ahead of Jane. Piutau's star is definitely on the rise.
• Big games for B. Smith (v Fofana) and for Crotty on the bench. The public is not convinced about Crotty's merits yet, but a nice little effort against the French would help silence some detractors.
• Carter & McCaw are back!
• Owen Franks keeps his TH starting spot. Easily enough apparently. Despite the media feeling Faumuina might have overtaken him.
• The rotating door award goes to Mealamu this week, who gets the starting hooker spot.
• Luatua covering 6 & lock. Which I agree with. Thrush, nice guy and all, is a journeyman filling in for the soon-to-be uninjured Luke Romano, and Dominic Bird is totally unproven.
• Tawera Kerr-Barlow is a lucky lucky man.
• No Beauden Barrett Well that's the end of spectacular tries during a 10-minute end-of-match cameo

duckysauce

All blacks will be all White on Saturday . Will be odd .

The All Blacks will wear their alternate white strip with a poppy on a sleeve to commemorate Armistice Day, held on Monday, November 11, which marks the anniversary of the end of World War I.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11153166

Swiwi.

duckysauce wrote: »

All blacks will be all White on Saturday . Will be odd .

The All Blacks will wear their alternate white strip with a poppy on a sleeve to commemorate Armistice Day, held on Monday, November 11, which marks the anniversary of the end of World War I.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11153166

As long as the jersey is not grey. Doubt we'll see that again. I actually have the white away jersey rather than the bulk standard black one. Should be a good game I hope, looking forward to seeing Cory Jane back in action, hopefully he can resume where he left off in 2012.

Morf

Swiwi. wrote: »

As long as the jersey is not grey. Doubt we'll see that again. I actually have the white away jersey rather than the bulk standard black one. Should be a good game I hope, looking forward to seeing Cory Jane back in action, hopefully he can resume where he left off in 2012.

A certain Tullow Tank has bragging rights . . .

Swiwi.

Can't disagree with this

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/9390815/Reason-Gap-to-All-Blacks-starting-to-narrow

Morf

Any NZ related opinion pieces or news from camp?

I'm treading carefully with AllBlacks youtube channel as they seem to like showing the haka at least once in every video.

Or a montage of the best NZ player "haka-face". facepalm.jpg

Swiwi.

Morf wrote: »

Any NZ related opinion pieces or news from camp?

I'm treading carefully with AllBlacks youtube channel as they seem to like showing the haka at least once in every video.

Or a montage of the best NZ player "haka-face". facepalm.jpg

Basically all eyes on England. Andrew Hore may well play his last game for NZ, Dan Carter is due to play his 100th, will the returning Luke Romano get a bench spot or will Luatua cover 6/lock again, which of Savea or Jane will get a wing spot? (IMO it will be Savea at 11, and Piutau at 14)

If we had a better front-row, I'd predict a handy victory, but the NZ scrum has regressed not progressed as the season has gone on...which is weird considering Stu Cron (scrum coach) is supposed to be an expert and was on the IRB scrum panel that recommended the new engagement.

thomond2006

So there's a chance that Cory Jane, CORY JANE, won't be good enough to make a starting XV. Ah here...

Swiwi.

thomond2006 wrote: »

So there's a chance that Cory Jane, CORY JANE, won't be good enough to make a starting XV. Ah here...

Like I said elsewhere we swap you a winger for Jack McGrath