Post-RWC All Blacks Team?

[Kiwi_]

1.Crockett
2.Matu'u
3.Franks
4.Retallick
5.Whitelock
6.Vito/Kaino
7.Todd
8.Read

9.Smith
10.Barritt
11.Savea
12.SBW (if he stays, otherwise Crotty/Ngatai/Fekitoa(Try him at 12)
13. Fekitoa (I have a feeling Hurracaines will maybe try and push NMS to 13 next season because of Nonu and Smith going, so maybe scudder here also, anyone else have any thoughts on that?)
14. Naholo
15.Smith

Thanks Tony, i need to read topic before replying ay :lol:

Where's Coles? He's one of the best players in the world at the moment, great in the scrum, throwing the ball well and I don't even need to say how good his on the ball and off the ball game has been if you've being watching the ABs games

 

[William18]

1.Crockett
2.Matu'u
3.Franks
4.Retallick
5.Whitelock
6.Vito/Kaino
7.Todd
8.Read

9.Smith
10.Barritt
11.Savea
12.SBW (if he stays, otherwise Crotty/Ngatai/Fekitoa(Try him at 12)
13. Fekitoa (I have a feeling Hurracaines will maybe try and push NMS to 13 next season because of Nonu and Smith going, so maybe scudder here also, anyone else have any thoughts on that?)
14. Naholo
15.Smith

Thanks Tony, i need to read topic before replying ay :lol:

Proctor plays 13 for Wellington so will be picked there before NMS. There is also Laumape who we just picked up from rugby league. I don't have a clue how good he will be.

 

[rugby_mad]

My post-RWC match day 23..

1. Charlie Faumuina
2. Dane Coles
3. Owen Franks
4. Brodie Rettalick
5. Sam Whitelock
6. Victor Vito
7. Sam Cane
8. Kieran Read
9. Aaron Smith
10. Aaron Cruden
11. Julian Savea
12. Richard Buckman
13. Malakai Fekitoa
14. Waisake Naholo
15. Ben Smith

16. Codie Taylor
17. Nepo Laulala
18. Joe Moody
19. Patrick Tuipulotu
20. Ardie Savea
21. TJ Perenara
22. Ryan Crotty
23. Lima Sopoaga

 

[TobesHodges]

What does your post-RWC All Blacks starting XV look like?

Proctor plays 13 for Wellington so will be picked there before NMS. There is also Laumape who we just picked up from rugby league. I don't have a clue how good he will be.

Really proctor at 13? :/ I do genuinely think this will happen with NMS, but I think this for a pre-Super rugby thread next year..

Where's Coles? He's one of the best players in the world at the moment, great in the scrum, throwing the ball well and I don't even need to say how good his on the ball and off the ball game has been if you've being watching the ABs games

Just a preference, but your probably right if I think without personal opinion

 

[nickdnz]

1.Crockett
2.Matu'u
3.Franks
4.Retallick
5.Whitelock
6.Vito/Kaino
7.Todd
8.Read

9.Smith
10.Barritt
11.Savea
12.SBW (if he stays, otherwise Crotty/Ngatai/Fekitoa(Try him at 12)
13. Fekitoa (I have a feeling Hurracaines will maybe try and push NMS to 13 next season because of Nonu and Smith going, so maybe scudder here also, anyone else have any thoughts on that?)
14. Naholo
15.Smith

Thanks Tony, i need to read topic before replying ay :lol:

Pretty sure Matu'u is playing for Samoa.

Nope Barrett has announced he isn't playing 7's.

Are you sure? I know Aaron Cruden announced he wasn't playing for the 7's - but everything I have heard has indicated Barrett will be trialing for 7's.

EDIT: Oh, it is very recent news. Good call.

 

[Kiwi_]

Really proctor at 13? :/ I do genuinely think this will happen with NMS, but I think this for a pre-Super rugby thread next year..



Just a preference, but your probably right if I think without personal opinion

Probably right? Mate, Coles is one of our most vital players, he's simply awesome.

 

[TobesHodges]

Pretty sure Matu'u is playing for Samoa.

Yeah he got his first cap this year in the PCN, i guess his Grandmothers, uncles, Dads, Mothers, Half-Cousin was Samoan? :lol: Am i being to cynical

 

[Mcfadden]

So what does everyone think about Ardie Savea being in the loose trio, possibly at 6? I really do think Cane is next in line for 7 when McCaw is gone, and I can understand the arguments made that Todd looks like more of a steady choice as well. But it's hard to ignore Ardie's form, and he has the proven ability to shape the outcome of a match. He might not be the best turnover jackler we have, but he's still handy in that department, and he can run like a back (at times this season I had to double take because I thought it was Julian running).

Personally, while Kaino is an awesome player, I think after the WC they should look beyond him. The guy is 32, and you have to move on eventually. Otherwise you risk becoming over reliant and I think the best policy for debuting players is straight away after a major tournament. That way, by the time the next World Cup rolls around he'll have accumulated heaps of experience. Savea is young, fresh and eager to learn. In another couple of years Vito will be 30. Posters have remarked about how New Zealand doesn't turn the ball over as much as we use to. Having Savea's athleticism and energy combined with Cane's graft and workaholic nature would go some way to curing that.

Even if he was on the bench, I could settle for that. But I'd be questioning our aging choices at blindside flanker. Vito isn't super old or anything, but y'know, by the time the next World Cup rolls around we don't want too many Grandads. The risk is, other combinations need to be trailed as well. For example, the mid field. And if you try too many new combinations at once we could find ourselves on the receiving end of a few losses. The EOYT has always been used as a platform as well, so I guess they can spread it out.

 

[nickdnz]

Personally I like the look of Akira Ioane as our next option for blindside. Has the size and physicality I like in a 6, while certainly is a pretty lethal ball carrier. Would be pretty shocked if he didn't take the junior U20 awards at the end of the year. But who knows, Luatua could find form again, while Brad Shields has been knocked there abouts for a wee while. I'm not sure Ardie Savea has quite the physicality I like in a blindside - certainly not worth ruling him out as a great open-side option though. Even Kieran Read may not be able to make it to 2019..

 

[Umaga's Witness]

I'm going to assume, just to simplify this process, that anyone who wants to make the sevens will. that means SBW, fekitoa, vito, messam, savea, savea.

1. wyatt crockett
2. dane coles
3. nepo laulala
4. brodie retallick
5. sam whitelock
6. elliot dixon
7. sam cane
8. kieran read
9. aaron smith
10. aaron cruden
11. milne-skudder
12. moala
13. ngatai
14. naholo
15. smith

16. goodes
17. codey taylor
18. o.franks
19. tuipolotu
20. kaino
21. weber
22. barret (or d.mckenzie if he can learn to tackle)
23. buckman

 

[rugby_mad]

Personally I like the look of Akira Ioane as our next option for blindside. Has the size and physicality I like in a 6, while certainly is a pretty lethal ball carrier. Would be pretty shocked if he didn't take the junior U20 awards at the end of the year. But who knows, Luatua could find form again, while Brad Shields has been knocked there abouts for a wee while. I'm not sure Ardie Savea has quite the physicality I like in a blindside - certainly not worth ruling him out as a great open-side option though. Even Kieran Read may not be able to make it to 2019..

Akira Ioane should be considered as No.8 for long term..

 

[TobesHodges]

Personally I like the look of Akira Ioane as our next option for blindside. Has the size and physicality I like in a 6, while certainly is a pretty lethal ball carrier. Would be pretty shocked if he didn't take the junior U20 awards at the end of the year. But who knows, Luatua could find form again, while Brad Shields has been knocked there abouts for a wee while. I'm not sure Ardie Savea has quite the physicality I like in a blindside - certainly not worth ruling him out as a great open-side option though. Even Kieran Read may not be able to make it to 2019..

Akira is a great shout!

 

[smartcooky]

Did sopoaga play 12?

AFAIK, Sopoanga has never played at 12, although I imagine the way the Highlanders played this season, he could well have popped up in the 12 position.

If not it's a pointless stat comparison as tackling at 10 isn't the same as tackling at 12.

I agree. Tackling at 12 is harder

 

[TRF Mr Fish]

AFAIK, Sopoanga has never played at 12, although I imagine the way the Highlanders played this season, he could well have popped up in the 12 position.

If not it's a pointless stat comparison as tackling at 10 isn't the same as tackling at 12.

I agree. Tackling at 12 is harder

Sopoaga was used at 12 for the U20's, I'm fairly sure.

 

[Mcfadden]

Akira Ioane should be considered as No.8 for long term..

Maybe later on, but surely not for awhile. Read is going to become the captain having been under the learning tree of McCaw for so long, and he'll see us through until at least the next World Cup. I like Ioane, but it'll be a tight squeeze for everyone in the loose.

Versatility will be advantageous moving forward. Whether or not you can play multiple positions will be a big factor among a strong group of contenders.

 

[Peat]

Sopoaga was used at 12 for the U20's, I'm fairly sure.

Started the 2011 JWC final there, yup.

 

[goodNumber10]

I agree. Tackling at 12 is harder

Not really it's more confrontational for sure. But the 10 channel is more likely to have big forwards coming around the corner at you and there is far more defensive decision making as it's normally a channel that gets flooded with attackers.

10's get moved around lot more in defence, and like i said effect of missed tackles is far more important than number of missed tackles. Where did he miss those tackles, what impact did they have on the attacking move/game, did they have positive or negative outcomes and so on..

 

[austingtir]

Akira at 6 all day every day from what iv seen of him its a bit early, but he could be the next big thing for our forward pack the way he's developed and handled is critical and its actually disapointing for me he's playing for the Blues.... Read should be good enough for a few more years at 8. Then Shields or Akira can take over.

Does anybody know what Kaino's doing next year? IF he' sticking around the obvious thing is to get Akira in behind him for the AB games next year and really develop him for Kaino's retirement. I hope Hansen has convinced Kaino to play next year as we need an experienced 6 with Messam doing the 7's I dont think he'll get back in.

There are so many great 6's in NZ at the moment though it almost does not matter out of the top 5 which one we choose.

 

[smartcooky]

Sopoaga was used at 12 for the U20's, I'm fairly sure.

OOh, I forgot about that.

Maybe he would be an option there, but I maintain, his tackling will have to improve if the AB's are to seriously consider him as a permanent 12

That will likely be one of Shag's "work-ons" for him. Hansen has already said that SBW is hard to match on defence.

 

[Umaga's Witness]

as for Sopoaga at 12, I reckon Cruden benefits from a hard running 12 outside him, and Cruden would be one of my first players picked.

Sopoaga and barrett could work though. but who would be 13 with that combo? rene ranger could be ideal if he were still around (what do you know, I just googled it and he is coming back), with both Savea and Naholo on the wings, obviously smith at fullback.

thoughts?

Yeah he got his first cap this year in the PCN, i guess his Grandmothers, uncles, Dads, Mothers, Half-Cousin was Samoan? :lol: Am i being to cynical

Haha, maybe a bit cynical. In my view just because a player is born in a country doesn't mean they don't have an attachment to another country. Samoan culture is still prevalent in a lot of kiwis of samoan ethnicity. These people could therefore be equally passionate about playing for either country.

It's not like Martin Leslie playing for Scotland, as he would have little pride in his Scottish heritage, instead just wanting to play international rugby. Not that I know much of Motu's personal circumstances.

Now, someone tell me to get back on topic or get out of this thread.

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