Luke mCalister ab 2nd choice outhalf

[markshaw]

Better than Stephen 'I'm **** and lost the Bledisloe cup game because I'm so ****' Donald. Or Luke 'I'm too much of a coward to take the DG' McAllister. And that's saying something considering I bloody hate ROG.


If I were a New Zealander I'd be bloody petrified every time Danny Carter plays up until the World Cup. Donald is muck, McAllister is a centre who hasn't progressed to anywhere near his potential and it seems that no one else is ready. Who else is there? Slade? Berquist? Emmm?

Luckily they do have the best 10 in the world and with any luck he'll stay fit and they'll win the World Cup.

Without Carter I think we'd still take it.

 

[nik]

Without Carter I think we'd still take it.

I agree. We just need a player who does not implode time to time. Need some one who can slot in and do the basics right. Our forwards and the rest of the backs are good enough to compensate the loss of Carter. Just look at Sydney test last year. For the first 60 minutes the All Blacks pack were awful and going backwards. That made Aaron Cruden look bad. With 20 to go on the clock, in comes Jerome Kaino and Colin Slade along with other subs. The ABs pack bring in urgency into their game and get their act togather, get some go forward ball, giving Slade front foot ball for him to unleash the backs. It was simple in the end. The forwards gave good ball to the backs, the backs put the team in the right end of the field and then the forwards just crashed over the line.
The key is the ABs need cool headed players that don't try to win Test Matches themselves by doing silly grubber or chip kicks every 2 mins. Thats what Donald and Cruden do when the backs is against the wall.

 

[Black Heart]

Without Carter I think we'd still take it.

We are in serious s**t if we lose Carter.

The success of the All Blacks lies in the quality of our backline. Gone are the days of rumbling the ball foward to win the game. We've seen in the past that the All Blacks game plummits without DC.

 

[nik]

Hmm we won the Sydney Test last year playing only 20 mins of rugby. No Carter as well. The forwards played crap the first 60 mins, got their act togather and things got better. Even Carter won't be able to do much if the forward pack is playing crap. The All Blacks success lies not only in the quality of the backline, but also the ability of the forwards to attack and consistently get over the advantage line.

 

[Icemn]

We are in serious s**t if we lose Carter.

The success of the All Blacks lies in the quality of our backline. Gone are the days of rumbling the ball foward to win the game. We've seen in the past that the All Blacks game plummits without DC.

i understand your way of thinking but i think we can still win it without Carter or McCaw!!! yes it will show but the AB have too much class this year in their backs and forwards!!!

1st five-8 we can go with McAlister or Brett, hell even Slade but they will prob kill him in the 1st game ...but def not Donald!!!! hell what about Tony Brown

in McCaw's position we also have a lot of class...thompson, waldrom, messam etc

 

[Black Heart]

i understand your way of thinking but i think we can still win it without Carter or McCaw!!! yes it will show but the AB have too much class this year in their backs and forwards!!!

1st five-8 we can go with McAlister or Brett, hell even Slade but they will prob kill him in the 1st game ...but def not Donald!!!! hell what about Tony Brown

in McCaw's position we also have a lot of class...thompson, waldrom, messam etc

Messam at openside in a WC semi or final?

I think you're very optimistic.

 

[Black Heart]

Hmm we won the Sydney Test last year playing only 20 mins of rugby. No Carter as well. The forwards played crap the first 60 mins, got their act togather and things got better. Even Carter won't be able to do much if the forward pack is playing crap. The All Blacks success lies not only in the quality of the backline, but also the ability of the forwards to attack and consistently get over the advantage line.

That wasn't the test where McCaw scored the comeback try off a scrum despite breaking about 3 seconds before the ball was out was it?

The fact that the All Blacks struggled for the majority of the match without Carter proves that he is invaluable. The Wallabies deliberatly targeted Cruden all night and Nonu then didn't take control of the backline when he most needed to (which is another thought to consider). Slade did an exceptional job in that game when he came on and he would be my first choice for DC's replacment in the WC. Unfortunatly I don't think he will build the momentum he needs to due to his list of injuries.

 

[Icemn]

Surely McCaw will be missed....no question about it.....and it will be wrong to compair ANYONE with McCaw...He is in a diff class!!! not even Chuck Norris can compete with RM7!!!! so if the blacks have to do without him...someone else has to play....

i also like Slade..but they are going to target him.....he needs to add some weight to him....Luke is strong physically as a 1st choice and there is brett to back him up and slade as well

 

[Amobokoboko]

Donald isn't a bad player he's just not up to the international level. I reckon Henry knows this as well, unless McCalister gets injured hie's the back up 10

 

[Muzzy]

almost forgot about Robbie Robinson, if luke is injured i think they should give him a shot at first five

 

[TRF Mr Fish]

almost forgot about Robbie Robinson, if luke is injured i think they should give him a shot at first five

Seriously?

Robinson is barely up to Super Rugby level. I doubt he'd get a show in any of the other NZ teams.

 

[Larksea]

the major problem with cover for first 5 in NZ is goal kicking. I look at some of the contenders like Brett, Cruden and Robinson even Delany too who's I think is kicking less than 60% in this super15 - their goal kicking is just not up to scratch. Slade would be in that group as well though he has improved well over the 8 months or so.

Who in NZ with realistic chances of selection is good enough to kick for goal in test rugby?
Carter
McAlister
Donald
Weepu

This is the main reason why I think the job for dan's backup is going to come down to McAlister vs Donald. To be able to carry someone like Cruden or Brett as dans backup would require Weepu and someone else other than carter in the 22 who can kick goal.

Brown maybe good enough but I'm not convinced he's in selection frame. He seems to have a big problem with his knee, if it wasn't for that I think he's be a good chance.

Dagg was very good kicking for the Highlanders last year but he hasn't kicked for goal since and even turned down a kick for goal last year for the all blacks. I don't think he's really an option unless he kicks in super rugby.

I think NZ needs another kicking coach to spend time with kickers during the super season. I think Aussie and SA teams both use more kicking coaches than NZ during super rugby and it really does show.

Slade wont totally be out of selection but he will be seriously short on rugby when he comes back.

 

[Darwin]

the major problem with cover for first 5 in NZ is goal kicking. I look at some of the contenders like Brett, Cruden and Robinson even Delany too who's I think is kicking less than 60% in this super15 - their goal kicking is just not up to scratch. Slade would be in that group as well though he has improved well over the 8 months or so.

Who in NZ with realistic chances of selection is good enough to kick for goal in test rugby?
Carter
McAlister
Donald
Weepu

This is the main reason why I think the job for dan's backup is going to come down to McAlister vs Donald. To be able to carry someone like Cruden or Brett as dans backup would require Weepu and someone else other than carter in the 22 who can kick goal.

Brown maybe good enough but I'm not convinced he's in selection frame. He seems to have a big problem with his knee, if it wasn't for that I think he's be a good chance.

Dagg was very good kicking for the Highlanders last year but he hasn't kicked for goal since and even turned down a kick for goal last year for the all blacks. I don't think he's really an option unless he kicks in super rugby.

I think NZ needs another kicking coach to spend time with kickers during the super season. I think Aussie and SA teams both use more kicking coaches than NZ during super rugby and it really does show.

Slade wont totally be out of selection but he will be seriously short on rugby when he comes back.

I agree entirely with respect to the goal-kicking. Unless Slade makes a quick recovery (and shows some outstanding form), you would have to think it will come down to Donald v MacAlister for Carters backup (with MacAlister certainly ahead at this stage in my opinion). The problem with Slade is that his goal-kicking is a bit of an unknown quantity. He was a never a very good goal-kicker, but seemed to have improved a lot last year, and has kicked well in the limited game-time so far this year. It is unfortunate that Dagg isn't consistently goal-kicking at Super Rugby level, as he would have been another option (assuming off course he makes the RWC squad, which is far from certain at this stage). If Dagg had stayed with the Highlanders, he probably would be playing first-five now, and kicking goals...

 

[TRF_Olyy]

To be able to carry someone like Cruden or Brett as dans backup would require Weepu and someone else other than carter in the 22 who can kick goal.

Poor New Zealand being forced to play the best scrumhalf in the world to cover kicking duties

 

[Larksea]

Poor New Zealand being forced to play the best scrumhalf in the world to cover kicking duties

Yeah the problem is most of the time your best/starting halfback will only play ~60min so if you start weepu & Carter and take weepu off after 60min then there is no kicking cover if carter has to come off after that time if someone like Cruden is used on the bench. That or weepu rides the pine even though he's the best 9 in the world.

best would be to have someone like dagg in the 22 to cover kicking as well. You'd expect if all 3 are in the match 22 kiciking would be covered. And even if someone is having a bad day there would be options. Which is one thing Australia have which is really handy. Even carter has bad days with the kicking.

 

[donmcdazzle]

Cause Donald is up to kicking well at international level.. oh no wait he isn't at all. McAlister should get the nod due to the tightness of WC games which will rule out a running option I think. Cruden just needs to start consistently kicking well, nailing that game winner under pressure was a good start. His running game is unreal compared to the other potential back ups.

 

[Black Heart]

Clearly there's only 1 solution to this situation...








BRING BACK BUCK!

 

[Darwin]

Cause Donald is up to kicking well at international level.. oh no wait he isn't at all. McAlister should get the nod due to the tightness of WC games which will rule out a running option I think. Cruden just needs to start consistently kicking well, nailing that game winner under pressure was a good start. His running game is unreal compared to the other potential back ups.

What is wrong with Donald's goalkicking? He is a proven goal kicker at all levels, and is currently kicking at an acceptable 72% (21/29) during this Super Rugby season. Like all kickers he can have bad games, and personally I'd much prefer McAlister, but I think Donald is a solid goalkicker at test level. Cruden would be way down my list in terms of preferred All Black first-fives... he may be an option at the 2015 RWC, assuming he learns how to kick goals, and adds some distance to his general kicking game.

 

[Amobokoboko]

Donald is having a good S15 season , I just need some more time to be really convinced he is up to it for the RWC.

 

[ranger]

I don't think Donald has a shot while McAllister is fit.
When you look at Donalds strengths (Size, strength, kicking, goal kicking, set plays, top end pace, defense) McAlister can do all of those things at least as well as Donald can. Plus he has shown glimpses of ability to create and be a play maker in the open field where Donald never really has.