All Blacks Rugby Championship Squad?

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

Ngatai is our real future, his running game at 12 is unrivaled, I would put him as the best centre in the world currently. Ngatai - SBW pairing is the one, Fekitoa and Crotty and competent decent back ups.

2 12s? As good as they both are, I think you need to pick 1 of them at 12 and then have a 13 at 13 (With Fekitoa, Moala and Seta you aren't exactly lacking options. All 3 would walk into any other team in the world). I'd like to see 12. SBW 13. Fekitoa 23. Moala/Ngatai. Ngatai's just come back from injury, so if he can come back to form and show that he is better than SBW then put him at 12. Until then, keep him on the bench.

I think the reason Fekitoa wasn't very threatening this series was because he thrives when he has space to run in. Crotty offered no real threat at 12 so defenders could just mark Fekitoa. SBW attracts defenders at 12, lots of them, and so Fekitoa would have a lot more space to work with outside him. Fekitoa's best peformances in a black shirt so far have been outside SBW. I doubt that that's a coincidence.

 

[Bada-Bing!]

Ngatai is our real future, his running game at 12 is unrivaled, I would put him as the best centre in the world currently. Ngatai - SBW pairing is the one, Fekitoa and Crotty and competent decent back ups.

His concussion is a worry though; until that clears his career is on hold. You only have to look at Afeaki (retired) and James Broadhurst - anyone know when he's back?

 

[Aotearoa_]

Yeah Charlie is very injury prone, so I will expect SBW - Fekitoa to be the usual pairing.

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

Ngatai is our real future, his running game at 12 is unrivaled, I would put him as the best centre in the world currently. Ngatai - SBW pairing is the one, Fekitoa and Crotty and competent decent back ups.

Best centre in the world? You've obviously not heard of Brad Barritt

 

[Aotearoa_]

Best centre in the world? You've obviously not heard of Brad Barritt

Who?

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

Who?

Only the best centre to ever grace the sport.

 

[Aotearoa_]

Only the best centre to ever grace the sport.

Ah, is he like one of those jokes that he's so bad that he's good? Similar to Nicklas 'Lord' Bendtner?

 

[Pieter Steph du Teague]

Ah, is he like one of those jokes that he's so bad that he's good? Similar to Nicklas 'Lord' Bendtner?

How dare you even suggest such a thing. He's unrivalled in defence and in attack runs like a bat out of Hell. His passing and kicking game is sublime. Far better than any of the crap New Zealand's tossing out at the moment.

 

[Aotearoa_]

How dare you even suggest such a thing. He's unrivalled in defence and in attack runs like a bat out of Hell. His passing and kicking game is sublime. Far better than any of the crap New Zealand's tossing out at the moment.

:lol:

 

[The Jones Boy]

I think the reason Fekitoa wasn't very threatening this series was because he thrives when he has space to run in. Crotty offered no real threat at 12 so defenders could just mark Fekitoa. SBW attracts defenders at 12, lots of them, and so Fekitoa would have a lot more space to work with outside him. Fekitoa's best peformances in a black shirt so far have been outside SBW. I doubt that that's a coincidence.

That is an accurate assessment.

 

[Bada-Bing!]

How dare you even suggest such a thing. He's unrivalled in defence and in attack runs like a bat out of Hell. His passing and kicking game is sublime. Far better than any of the crap New Zealand's tossing out at the moment.

:lol:

 

[Ali AK9]

How dare you even suggest such a thing. He's unrivalled in defence and in attack runs like a bat out of Hell. His passing and kicking game is sublime. Far better than any of the crap New Zealand's tossing out at the moment.

No ways in hell is Brad Barritt the best currently or the best ever. MAYBE amongst the top 15, but nowhere near top 5. Better centres than him currently - Matt Faddes, Charles Ngatai, George Moala, SBW, Lionel Mapoe, Rohan Janse van Rensburg, Matt Toomua etc... Best ever that are better than him - Jean de Villiers, Frans Steyn, Jaque Fourie, Ma'a Nonu, Brian O' Driscoll, Tana Umaga, Tim Horan etc...

 

[Peat]

No ways in hell is Brad Barritt the best currently or the best ever. MAYBE amongst the top 15, but nowhere near top 5. Better centres than him currently - Matt Faddes, Charles Ngatai, George Moala, SBW, Lionel Mapoe, Rohan Janse van Rensburg, Matt Toomua etc... Best ever that are better than him - Jean de Villiers, Frans Steyn, Jaque Fourie, Ma'a Nonu, Brian O' Driscoll, Tana Umaga, Tim Horan etc...

The original post was a joke.

 

[easy2288]

[h=2]Shocked with the selection for Props position coming from Crusaders especially Crockett

All Blacks squad named for 2016 Investec Rugby Championship[/h]

allblacks.com 01 Aug 2016 Getty
The All Blacks selectors, Steve Hansen, Ian Foster and Grant Fox, have selected their squad for the 2016 Investec Rugby Championship.

The squad is as follows: (with province, Investec Super Rugby team and Test caps in brackets)

Forwards:

Hookers
Dane Coles (Wellington / Hurricanes, 39)
Codie Taylor (Canterbury / Crusaders, 5)
Nathan Harris (Bay of Plenty / Chiefs, 4)

Props
Wyatt Crockett (Canterbury / Crusaders, 48)
Charlie Faumuina (Auckland / Blues, 36)
Owen Franks (Canterbury / Crusaders, 80)
Joe Moody (Canterbury / Crusaders, 14)
Ofa Tu'ungafasi (Auckland / Blues, 1)

Locks
Brodie Retallick (Hawke's Bay / Chiefs, 50)
Luke Romano (Canterbury / Crusaders, 24)
Patrick Tuipulotu (Auckland / Blues, 9)
Samuel Whitelock (Canterbury / Crusaders, 75)

Loose Forwards
Sam Cane (Bay of Plenty / Chiefs, 34)
Elliot Dixon (Southland / Highlanders, 1)
Jerome Kaino (Auckland / Blues, 69)
Kieran Read, captain (Canterbury / Crusaders, 87)
Ardie Savea (Wellington / Hurricanes, 2)
Liam Squire (Tasman / Highlanders, 1)

Backs:

Halfbacks
Tawera Kerr-Barlow (Waikato / Chiefs, 21)
TJ Perenara (Wellington / Hurricanes, 19)
Aaron Smith (Manawatu / Highlanders, 50)

First five-eighths
Beauden Barrett (Taranaki / Hurricanes, 39)
Aaron Cruden (Manawatu / Chiefs, 39)
Lima Sopoaga (Southland / Highlanders, 2)

Midfielders
Ryan Crotty (Canterbury / Crusaders, 18)
Malakai Fekitoa (Auckland / Highlanders, 15)
George Moala (Auckland / Blues, 2)
Sonny Bill Williams (Counties Manukau / Chiefs, 33)

Outside backs
Israel Dagg (Hawke's Bay / Crusaders, 51)
Waisake Naholo (Taranaki / Highlanders, 6)
Julian Savea (Wellington/ Hurricanes, 43)
Ben Smith (Otago / Highlanders, 51)

 

[austingtir]

Julian and Wyatt are pretty bloody lucky imo.

 

[TRF_heineken]

Is it just me, or does it seem like the All Blacks don't see the scrum as an attacking weapon anymore? Did they not see what the Lions pack did to the Crusaders last week??

 

[austingtir]

Is it just me, or does it seem like the All Blacks don't see the scrum as an attacking weapon anymore? Did they not see what the Lions pack did to the Crusaders last week??

Its concerning and iv been saying its a weak point in our game for years but its never really happened like I thought it would.... BUT with this Lions pack that could change in a big way. They decimated the Saders and HL... although the Saders were missing moody..... Not even sure if it would of made any difference.

Franks was good in his earlier years but now I dont see much value in him other than experience and being pretty solid. Moody is the future cornerstone of our pack to my mind we need another good BIG lock like Dominic Bird and a long term replacement for Franks as I cant see him getting any better than he is now. Luke Romano probably should be dropped for Dominic Bird if he keeps his form up next year.

I was really surprised how the Lions beat the Crusaders and then backed up against the HL so theres no doubt in my mind they are the real deal.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Is it just me, or does it seem like the All Blacks don't see the scrum as an attacking weapon anymore? Did they not see what the Lions pack did to the Crusaders last week??

Well if thats the case I'd still say look at the WR rankings, the fact that the NZ SR teams have been doing rather well and the ABs have back to back RWC ***les. Maybe then that's the way to go if you can at least secure your ball and not give away a raft of penalties and those tight 5 players can add value elsewhere?

 

[TRF_heineken]

Well if thats the case I'd still say look at the WR rankings, the fact that the NZ SR teams have been doing rather well and the ABs have back to back RWC ***les. Maybe then that's the way to go if you can at least secure your ball and not give away a raft of penalties and those tight 5 players can add value elsewhere?

True, But the Lions showed that dominance at the scrum plays a massive role in winning their matches. Against both the Crusaders and Highlanders the past 2 weeks. Getting scrum penalties and taking the points helps in the accumulation and inevitably getting an unassailable lead.

On Defence it also helps, as an example I'll use this past weekend's match between the Lions and Highlanders, when Dixon knocked the ball on when attempting to score a try, the Lions got a 5m scrum, and they pushed the Highlanders back, Ackermann picked up the ball at the back, and had a good run to give Elton enough space to kick it downfield and win a lot of territory.

 

[austingtir]

True, But the Lions showed that dominance at the scrum plays a massive role in winning their matches. Against both the Crusaders and Highlanders the past 2 weeks. Getting scrum penalties and taking the points helps in the accumulation and inevitably getting an unassailable lead.

On Defence it also helps, as an example I'll use this past weekend's match between the Lions and Highlanders, when Dixon knocked the ball on when attempting to score a try, the Lions got a 5m scrum, and they pushed the Highlanders back, Ackermann picked up the ball at the back, and had a good run to give Elton enough space to kick it downfield and win a lot of territory.

I agree the Dixon knockon turned out to be a huge moment in that game. Had the HL scored there they might of had a sniff but when the Lions just roared out of their 22 like they were on the back of a huge explosion it was all over.