All Blacks EOYT Squad - Take 2, sans trolling

[Puja]

Apologies for hijacking the other thread with having fun at Rowan's expense. Let's talk about rugby instead, shall we?

Hookers
Asafo Aumua (Wellington)
Dane Coles (Hurricanes/Wellington)
Nathan Harris (Chiefs/Bay of Plenty)
Codie Taylor (Crusaders/Canterbury)

Props
Wyatt Crockett (Crusaders/Canterbury)
Kane Hames (Chiefs/Tasman)
Nepo Laulala (Chiefs/Counties Manukau)
Tim Perry (Crusaders/Tasman)
Jeffery Toomaga-Allen (Hurricanes/Wellington)
Ofa Tu'ungafasi (Blues/Auckland)

Locks
Scott Barrett (Crusaders/Taranaki)
Luke Romano (Crusaders/Canterbury)
Patrick Tuipulotu (Blues/Auckland)
Samuel Whitelock (Crusaders/Canterbury)

Loose Forwards
Sam Cane (Chiefs/Bay of Plenty)
Vaea Fifita (Hurricanes/Wellington)
Jerome Kaino (Blues/Auckland)
Kieran Read (Captain, Crusaders/Canterbury)
Ardie Savea (Hurricanes/Wellington)
Liam Squire (Highlanders/Tasman)
Matt Todd (Crusaders/Canterbury)

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

First five-eighths
Beauden Barrett (Hurricanes/Taranaki)
Lima Sopoaga (Highlanders/Southland)

Midfielders
Ryan Crotty (Crusaders/Canterbury)
Jack Goodhue (Crusaders/Northland)
Ngani Laumape (Hurricanes/Manawatu)
Anton Lienert-Brown (Chiefs/Waikato)
Sonny Bill Williams (Blues/Counties Manukau)

Outside backs
David Havili (Crusaders/Tasman)
Matt Duffie (Blues/North Harbour)
Rieko Ioane (Blues/Auckland)
Damian McKenzie (Chiefs/Waikato)
Waisake Naholo (Highlanders/Taranaki)
Seta Tamanivalu (Crusaders/Taranaki)

So, will Aumua really get any serious test time without having played any Super Rugby? I've seen highlights videos, but is he really good enough to be that fast-tracked?

Out of interest, which of the tests do you guys see as being the big one this autumn? Or are they all there for rotation and building depth?

Puja

[rowan]

He's better than you know. Aumua will be the All Blacks' starting rake within a few years. There are no big tests. Wales and France are not big tests. All Blacks will have both of them for breakfast.

[scuzzaman]

I think it's more a case of testing some critical combinations.

The midfield is still brittle after the loss of Smith and Nonu. They run red hot to ice cold from one game to another, and back again.

The loose forwards trio is still not a fully working unit to my mind.

The back three have almost endless wealth on the wings but the fullback position and combination with the wings isn't convincing. I like young McKenzie but I dunno if he's the right guy to go with Ioane & Naholo, for example. Who is? A question I leave for those with more recent exposure to Super/Mitre 10 rugby than I have, as I am in the wrong timezone to see enough of it on a regular basis.

[scuzzaman]

P.S. Aumua looks a genuine pocket battleship, but I don't believe there's any real problem there so if he works out, good, if he doesn't, good.

[Puja]

I think it's more a case of testing some critical combinations.

The midfield is still brittle after the loss of Smith and Nonu. They run red hot to ice cold from one game to another, and back again.

The loose forwards trio is still not a fully working unit to my mind.

The back three have almost endless wealth on the wings but the fullback position and combination with the wings isn't convincing. I like young McKenzie but I dunno if he's the right guy to go with Ioane & Naholo, for example. Who is? A question I leave for those with more recent exposure to Super/Mitre 10 rugby than I have, as I am in the wrong timezone to see enough of it on a regular basis.

Mind, the argument could be made that there's very little that can be proven on this tour. Barbarians will be a jamboree, France are still a shadow of their former selves and ground down by the stupid schedule of the Top 14, and Scotland are so injury-plagued that they're calling up mid-20s rejects from other home nations with a smidge of Scots ancestry. Wales are the toughest game you'll face, but they tend to go into games against your lot having lost before the game has started.

So you face the problem that you might find a centre combination or loose forwards trio that looks really good, but won't actually stand up to more intense tests.

Puja

[Puja]

P.S. Aumua looks a genuine pocket battleship, but I don't believe there's any real problem there so if he works out, good, if he doesn't, good.

Yeah, I don't know I approve of you having another top-drawer loose hooker. It's bad enough that you've got Coles!

Puja

[Doorzetbornandbred]

I think it's more a case of testing some critical combinations.

The midfield is still brittle after the loss of Smith and Nonu. They run red hot to ice cold from one game to another, and back again.

The loose forwards trio is still not a fully working unit to my mind.

The back three have almost endless wealth on the wings but the fullback position and combination with the wings isn't convincing. I like young McKenzie but I dunno if he's the right guy to go with Ioane & Naholo, for example. Who is? A question I leave for those with more recent exposure to Super/Mitre 10 rugby than I have, as I am in the wrong timezone to see enough of it on a regular basis.

Just my opinion but I reckon Jack Goodhue is the new Conrad Smith in waiting.

[zer0]

Just my opinion but I reckon Jack Goodhue is the new Conrad Smith in waiting.

Pretty much. IIRC he was supposedly poised to be sent in against the Lions if need be, so he should, hopefully, get some decent game time on tour.

On Aumua, I haven't watched much of the NPC this year, but he is indeed supposed to be pretty handy outside of the highlights reel stuff.

[morepork]

I think it's more a case of testing some critical combinations.

The midfield is still brittle after the loss of Smith and Nonu. They run red hot to ice cold from one game to another, and back again.

The loose forwards trio is still not a fully working unit to my mind.

The back three have almost endless wealth on the wings but the fullback position and combination with the wings isn't convincing. I like young McKenzie but I dunno if he's the right guy to go with Ioane & Naholo, for example. Who is? A question I leave for those with more recent exposure to Super/Mitre 10 rugby than I have, as I am in the wrong timezone to see enough of it on a regular basis.

Just my opinion but I reckon Jack Goodhue is the new Conrad Smith in waiting.

Good call.