Pumas v All Blacks II: can the juggernaut be stopped?

[Spy]

FT 17-36. Good second half if you like scrums and hate running rugby. Good comeback from Argentina, who are a decent side.

[rowan]

I think the Pumas might shock the All Blacks this weekend.

Yeah, it might be a 20-point margin, rather than a 30-point one!

Wishful thinking, obviously. There was a horrible air of predictability about both this weekend's games. Somehow I still find the 6 Nations far more entertaining, if only for the unpredictability. Another team or two, and a single round of games, would spice up the RC.

Good call on your part, btw

[Len]

ALB carving up. Canterbury boy see.

[Eugene Wrayburn]

ALB was fantastic. Might be one of those rare creatures who is better at Test level than they are in the level below.

[Len]

ALB was fantastic. Might be one of those rare creatures who is better at Test level than they are in the level below.

Our boy Crotty has been very good this entire championship too don't you think?

[J Dory]

What's white with a yellow arm?....

Len, shit stirrer.

[J Dory]

I've been impressed with Crotty too BTW. Been a couple of times he's shown a real turn of pace I didn't know he had, and of course has continued to do all the things he does well, defend, support, run good lines etc.

[Eugene Wrayburn]

ALB was fantastic. Might be one of those rare creatures who is better at Test level than they are in the level below.

Our boy Crotty has been very good this entire championship too don't you think?

He's been Crotty. He has a low error rate and with excellent players around him won't fuck up the opportunities that others have to create for him.

[Lizard]

ALB learned all he knows at Waikato and the Chiefs.

Crotty has done well, for a placeholder journeyman.


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[cashead]

Unless there is a short and sharp decline in form, coupled with the definitive emergence of a preferable alternative (think Whitelock's elevation to test level in 2010, and the dramatic fall in Tom Donnelly's form later that same year), it's hard to justify the dropping of Crotty. He's been the form 12 in the competition.

As it stands, he's the most experienced of a fairly raw bunch, with a few potentials that are between 0~5 caps.

From the injured list, I would like to see Richard Buckman and Charlie Ngatai be offered an opportunity to prove their worth, so hopefully they'll be back next year in decent form.

[zer0]

Ngatai's head injuries don't bode well, unfortunately. After Crotty, Leinart-Brown is the obvious second choice for the moment. Williams returns next year which will give us at least three options. Four if Ngatai recovers.

The really contentions position is one-out at centre. Fekitoa hasn't seized his opportunity thus far. Moala had a good go of it in his one chance but still needs to pass more, and generally just needs more game time there. Unfortunately that brings us to the third, and best (IMO), long term option of Rieko Ioane. Both he and Moala are at the Blues, which means someone will be shifted to the wing.

[J Dory]

Any word on Ranger's recovery?

[cashead]

Ranger won't be back until next year as well.

Speaking of Ranger, the Blues midfield next year is going to be ridiculously stacked.

Piers Francis, George Moala, SBW, Ranger, Rieko Ioane, Michael Little and possibly Male Sa'u. Something is going to have to give, basically. Some can be placed on the wing like Ranger, Ioane and Moala, but you've also got Matt Duffie and Lolagi Visinia.

I wouldn't be surprised if one of the other teams needing a midfielder like the Crusaders might swoop in and snag a couple of them by the end of the season. The Blues did nab Gus Pulu from the Chiefs out of a log-jam of 3 All Black halfbacks there, so turnabout might be fair play here.

[zer0]

Ranger won't be back until next year as well.

Speaking of Ranger, the Blues midfield next year is going to be ridiculously stacked.

Piers Francis, George Moala, SBW, Ranger, Rieko Ioane, Michael Little and possibly Male Sa'u. Something is going to have to give, basically. Some can be placed on the wing like Ranger, Ioane and Moala, but you've also got Matt Duffie and Lolagi Visinia.

Having seen the writing on the wall, Francis is aiming to move in to first-five. Meanwhile Ranger is 30, so should not be wasted in the midfield. The main midfielders should be Williams at second-five, Ioane at centre and Moala being the main backup for both (although I'd rather he focused more on second-five in the long run).

I wouldn't be surprised if one of the other teams needing a midfielder like the Crusaders might swoop in and snag a couple of them by the end of the season. The Blues did nab Gus Pulu from the Chiefs out of a log-jam of 3 All Black halfbacks there, so turnabout might be fair play here.

They look set to sign Tamanivalu. And, besides, f*ck them. They hoarded first-fives like Scrooge McDuck while the Blues were rudderless for years. So we'll stack up on midfielders and outside backs, and leave them with a popgun backline.

[cashead]

Ranger won't be back until next year as well.

Speaking of Ranger, the Blues midfield next year is going to be ridiculously stacked.

Piers Francis, George Moala, SBW, Ranger, Rieko Ioane, Michael Little and possibly Male Sa'u. Something is going to have to give, basically. Some can be placed on the wing like Ranger, Ioane and Moala, but you've also got Matt Duffie and Lolagi Visinia.

Having seen the writing on the wall, Francis is aiming to move in to first-five. Meanwhile Ranger is 30, so should not be wasted in the midfield. The main midfielders should be Williams at second-five, Ioane at centre and Moala being the main backup for both (although I'd rather he focused more on second-five in the long run).

Personally, I think Francis' best position at the Super Rugby level is at 12 as a second playmaker, and having him at 12 saw a marked improvement in the Blues backline. He's also definitely the most reliable goalkicker available. If he has to be at 10, I'd probably place him there, with SBW at 12 and Moala at 13, with Ioane at 11, while juggling Duffie, Visinia and Nanai at 14/15.

I wouldn't be surprised if one of the other teams needing a midfielder like the Crusaders might swoop in and snag a couple of them by the end of the season. The Blues did nab Gus Pulu from the Chiefs out of a log-jam of 3 All Black halfbacks there, so turnabout might be fair play here.

They look set to sign Tamanivalu. And, besides, f*ck them. They hoarded first-fives like Scrooge McDuck while the Blues were rudderless for years. So we'll stack up on midfielders and outside backs, and leave them with a popgun backline.

As nice as it would be to have so much talent there, I do think that the younger crowd like Moala and Ioane would get a lot more out of being in a team where they're likely to get regular game time at 13, so I genuinely can't say I'd begrudge them if they choose to head south.