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Wales vs All Blacks (31/10/21) 5.15am NZDT

Ruggerz

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Crusaders RU
First choice team likely to be rolled out for this game although I'd like to see them shift Jacobson to 8 and bring in Blackadder & Savea at 6 & 7 respectively. Will they stick with Mo'unga at 10 or start Beauden instead?
I'd also give Tupaea another crack at 12 inside ALB to be honest. I'd have Weber start at 9 with Christie off the bench. I think de Groot deserves another crack at a starting spot too.
 
Ellis Jenkins is doubtful for this, I don't think that's a massive miss with him just coming back from long term injury and Basham is playing well enough to deserve a chance. Liam Williams however is also doubtful as that's a big loss. Johnny McNicholl is a reasonable step down in quality from LW. Oddly Cuthbert has been called up to the squad? There must be something going on between Holmes and Privac for him not to get called up. He's probably the more all round player compared to both McNicholl and Owen Lane.
 
I think we'll see a Wales side of

Wyn Jones, Owens, Francis
Beard/Rowlands, AWJ
Moriarty, Basham, Wainwright

Tomos Williams, Priestland
JD2, Haloholo
Lane, McNicholl, Adams

Elias, Carre, Lewis, Rowlands/Beard, Seb Davies?, Davies, Anscombe, Johnny Williams

Not a fan of the back 3 tbh, both Lane and McNicholl are defensively frail and prone to errors, though both are good going forwards. Not sure why Holmes isn't there.

If Ellis isn't fit then we're short a backrow cover from the bench, so could see Seb Davies covering 6/8?

Personally I'd start Johnny Williams alongside Haloholo, but think Pivac will go with Foxy.
 
I'd start Johnny Williams as well. Don't think he's the finished article yet but I can't see JD2 making the next world cup currently. As you said that back 3 isn't great defensively, can see NZ running in a few tries here..... it's fine though WRU makes a few mill from it.
 
Halaholo now out with Covid and Scott Williams called up....... this is really a cursed fixture.
 
I'd start Johnny Williams as well. Don't think he's the finished article yet but I can't see JD2 making the next world cup currently. As you said that back 3 isn't great defensively, can see NZ running in a few tries here..... it's fine though WRU makes a few mill from it.
At 33 and having had some injuries recently I can't see JD2 at the world cup either. You really need to be an outstanding player at 35 to still be competing at international level and if you have had some injury injuries in the past it's even more unlikely. AWJ is an example that his fitness and injury record is excellent. While people may disagree about how good he is, you know he's generally fit and competing at a high level. I don't see this with JD2 tbh.

On top with only 2 years until the world cup, you don't want to build a game plan that relies in part on a player who might not be there. It's why I don't Tuilagi in the England setup until he's shown he can stay fit for an extended period of time.
 
AWJ is in a position where you can loose a bit of explosiveness and still be effective. He used to be a decent carrier but is not used to break the line anymore but expected to get around the pitch, hit rucks and make tackles. His fitness still seems pretty good.
Unfortunately for JD2 he has looked like he has lost that half yard of pace and that's always going to be more of a detriment to a centre, especially one who's game was to break the line themselves more than to bring others into the game.
JD2 is the only natural 13 really available for this game for hallaholo out. Can't see Ben Thomas starting 12 so it's going to be a straight fight of the Williams, Scott or Johnny.
 
Pretty comfortable with either Scott or Johnny at 12 tbh. Both should trouble NZ ball in hand and defend well. JD2 is a bigger worry for me. He's been getting caught out and missing tackles recently, and not sure he has the pace anymore to trouble NZ.
 
As expected really....
Wales team: Johnny McNicholl; Owen Lane, Jonathan Davies, Johnny Williams, Josh Adams; Gareth Anscombe, Tomos Williams; Wyn Jones, Ken Owens, Tomas Francis, Adam Beard, Alun Wyn Jones (c), Ross Moriarty, Taine Basham, Aaron Wainwright.

Replacements:Ryan Elias, Rhys Carre, Dillon Lewis, Will Rowlands, Seb Davies, Gareth Davies, Rhys Priestland, Ben Thomas.

I think that back 3 might be a bit defensively frail but the biggest issue is the balance of the bench.
Two 2nd rows, no back row, then one 10, and a 10/12 in the backs.
 


Wtf was Owens doing in that 33mins between team announcement and replacement announcement
 
Adam Beard is big enough that not even Elias can miss him with his throws.
Would not have guessed Kirby Myhill playing against NZ last year.
 
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All Blacks team to play Wales:

Joe Moody, Codie Taylor, Nepo Laulala, Brodie Retallick, Samuel Whitelock (c), Ethan Blackadder, Dalton Papalii, Ardie Savea, TJ Perenara, Beauden Barrett, Rieko Ioane, David Havili, Anton Lienert-Brown, Will Jordan, Jordie Barrett.

Reserves: Samisoni Taukei'aho, Karl Tu'inukuafe, Tyrel Lomax, Tupou Vaa'i, Akira Ioane, Brad Weber, Richie Mo'unga, Sevu Reece.
 
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for those that like pics

Other than TJ at 9 and savea at 8 that is pretty much my first choice 15 so pretty happy

246704369_10158455313516915_4116328834795405005_n.jpg
 
With that Wales selection, the chances of them getting within even one score of the All Blacks are EXTREMELY low.
 
Amazed BB was selected ahead of Mo'unga at 10 - sounds more about sentimental crap from Foster because it would be his 100th test match... as usual I'm expecting BB to kick aimlessly in general play & poor option taking.

I'm a Canes supporter, but since Perenara has returned from Japan he has played pretty averagely... Weber should've started.

Don't like the flankers we've started with... for me Papalii is too slow for a 7 for the fast paced game the ABs play, also reckon Blackadder is a bit of a plodder, his old man use to be a similar type of player.

There's going to be plenty of rushing defence stuff from Wales, so unlike that last test against the Boks we definitely need to adjust much better there - that all starts with us cleaning out far better consistently at our breakdown, so we can recycle the ball faster, with good option taking by the playmakers... when we don't get enough numbers to our breakdown & receive slower ball from the forwards that's when we need to kick behind them into space, mainly towards the corners, or angle the ball towards the sidelines to really nullify their attacking options.
 
Thought this was a fitting video to show where beauden came from and because of the other people making a showing, including one who is playing for wales .



Also watched the first test of 2016 for the all blacks, against wales, last night. It was awj's hundredth and ardie savea's debut.
 
Thought this was a fitting video to show where beauden came from and because of the other people making a showing, including one who is playing for wales .



Also watched the first test of 2016 for the all blacks, against wales, last night. It was awj's hundredth and ardie savea's debut.

Actually 6 players from that 2011 baby blacks team are playing in this match (tj, anscombe, retallick, Taylor, Weber, beauden), a team that also included Sam cane, and world rugby's highest salary earner Charles piutau, amongst a host of other well known names eg sopoaga, luatua, Luke whitelock, Ben tameifuna, waisake Naholo, Dominic bird.
 

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