RugbyRebels

As we all know, the All Blacks have not lost at Eden Park since about the time Damien McKenzie was conceived.

On the other hand, Wales haven't played us there since Owen Franks was in nappies.

The TAB has Wales at $3.75 to be the next team to beat us, ahead of everyone else but Aussie ($2.25), which seems curious given they are at $8.50 to win the first test, surely their best chance.

Wallabies don't play the All Blacks until they've had a few games under their belt, and if there is any team that has a chance of catching the ABs cold, I guess it would be the Welsh.

That said, I doubt they're in any danger of winning, barring some sort of major catastrophe that results in the entire ABs squad being unavailable, the next squad all being struck down, and a fourth string team is called in.

Seems as though Whitelock will not be playing in this test.

Whitelock has been on light training duties in Auckland this week and it seems unlikely the All Blacks will push his recovery from a hamstring injury. As a result, new father Brodie Retallick is expected to be paired with Crusaders lock Luke Romano, with Blues powerhouse Patrick Tuipulotu the other starting option.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all- ... lacks-test

As they say, one of Tuipulotu or Romano to start with the other on the bench. While Tuipulotu had well and truly overtaken Romano before his pre-RWC injury, I have a feeling they'll start with Romano on the basis of experience. Plus the Crusaders pack has been going alright.

Pre RWC Hansen was happy with a steady rotation of Whitelock, Retallick and Romano. I'm sure he would actually welcome the chance to give Tuipulotu a run as well.

Nosferatu has fathered a human child?

That's a tad harsh.


Anyway....
1. Joe Moody
2. Dane Coles
3. Owen Franks
4. Luke Romano
5. Brodie Retallick
6. Jerome Kaino
7. Sam Cane
8. Kieran Read

F*ckin' 'ell.

Moody is looking well set in.

I remember just how dangerous Coles and Franks were at the RWC.
I don't think it would be possible to pick a Rest of the World 8 that could compete with that pack.

When are the teams officially named?

Usually the Thursdays before nowadays.

WTF happened to team-naming-Tuesday?

That's hardly going to give us enough time to criticise the midfield, explain why the bench is unbalanced and speculate as to why Crockett is still an All Black.

We're also not going to have enough time to sort out the various Jonses, Davies and Williamses on the Welsh side.

And, most importantly of all, "who will lead the haka?"

zer0 wrote:And, most importantly of all, "who will lead the haka?"

Has anyone cleared it with the Welsh that we would like to please do a Haka?

And the leadership question is a good one. There aren't any Maori players with the requisite mana in the likely XV. Brodie would be a good choice, but personally I would love to see the pocket-rocket hairdresser, Aaron Smith, giving it both barrels.

Teams up:

New Zealand: 15 Ben Smith, 14 Waisake Naholo, 13 Malakai Fekitoa, 12 Ryan Crotty, 11 Julian Savea, 10 Aaron Cruden, 9 Aaron Smith, 8 Kieran Read (c), 7 Sam Cane, 6 Jerome Kaino, 5 Brodie Retallick, 4 Luke Romano, 3 Owen Franks, 2 Dane Coles, 1 Joe Moody
Replacements: 16 Nathan Harris, 17 Wyatt Crockett, 18 Charlie Faumuina, 19 Patrick Tuipulotu, 20 Ardie Savea, 21 TJ Perenara, 22 Beauden Barrett, 23 Seta Tamanivalu

Lizard wrote:

zer0 wrote:And, most importantly of all, "who will lead the haka?"

Has anyone cleared it with the Welsh that we would like to please do a Haka?

And the leadership question is a good one. There aren't any Maori players with the requisite mana in the likely XV. Brodie would be a good choice, but personally I would love to see the pocket-rocket hairdresser, Aaron Smith, giving it both barrels.

The two Aarons and Dane Coles are both within the team leadership group, and identify as Maori.

Starting XV is as expected. Tamanivalu about the only slightly interesting pick in the reserves.

The team:

1. Joe Moody (11 test caps)
2. Dane Coles (36)
3. Owen Franks (78)
4. Luke Romano (22)
5. Brodie Retallick (47)
6. Jerome Kaino (67)
7. Sam Cane (31)
8. Kieran Read - captain (84)
9. Aaron Smith (47)
10. Aaron Cruden (37)
11. Julian Savea (41)
12. Ryan Crotty (15)
13. Malakai Fekitoa (13)
14. Waisake Naholo (3)
15. Ben Smith (48)

16. Nathan Harris (2)
17. Wyatt Crockett (45)
18. Charlie Faumuina (33)
19. Patrick Tuipulotu (7)
20. Ardie Savea
21. TJ Perenara (17)
22. Beauden Barrett (36)
23. Seta Tamanivalu

cashead wrote:

Lizard wrote:

zer0 wrote:And, most importantly of all, "who will lead the haka?"

Has anyone cleared it with the Welsh that we would like to please do a Haka?

And the leadership question is a good one. There aren't any Maori players with the requisite mana in the likely XV. Brodie would be a good choice, but personally I would love to see the pocket-rocket hairdresser, Aaron Smith, giving it both barrels.

The two Aarons and Dane Coles are both within the team leadership group, and identify as Maori.

Joe Moody is Maori.

Wales team:

Liam Williams (Scarlets),
George North (Northampton Saints),
Jonathan Davies (Clermont Auvergne),
Jamie Roberts (Harlequins),
Hallam Amos (Newport Gwent Dragons),
Dan Biggar (Ospreys),
Rhys Webb (Ospreys),
Gethin Jenkins (Cardiff Blues),
Ken Owens (Scarlets),
Samson Lee (Scarlets),
Bradley Davies (Wasps),
Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys),
Ross Moriarty (Gloucester),
Sam Warburton (Cardiff Blues, CAPT),
Taulupe Faletau (Newport Gwent Dragons).

Replacements: Scott Baldwin (Ospreys), Rob Evans (Ospreys), Tomas Francis (Exeter Chiefs), Jake Ball (Scarlets), Ellis Jenkins (Cardiff Blues), Gareth Davies (Scarlets), Gareth Anscombe (Cardiff Blues), Scott Williams (Scarlets).

Doorzetbornandbred wrote:

cashead wrote:

Lizard wrote: Has anyone cleared it with the Welsh that we would like to please do a Haka?

And the leadership question is a good one. There aren't any Maori players with the requisite mana in the likely XV. Brodie would be a good choice, but personally I would love to see the pocket-rocket hairdresser, Aaron Smith, giving it both barrels.

The two Aarons and Dane Coles are both within the team leadership group, and identify as Maori.

Joe Moody is Maori.

Yes, and I remember he played for the Maori All Blacks last year prior to his World Cup call-up, but he's not part of the 11-player leadership group that Hansen announced earlier this year.

Sopoaga is massively unlucky. I had just come round to the idea that he should start. Barrett presumably gets the bench gig because he's the most versatile and Cruden starts for his experience. Hansen really doesn't like changing his team if he has to.

Eugene Wrayburn wrote:Sopoaga is massively unlucky. I had just come round to the idea that he should start. Barrett presumably gets the bench gig because he's the most versatile and Cruden starts for his experience. Hansen really doesn't like changing his team if he has to.

Hopefully he gets a shot in the second test.

By my count that's two non-kicking, shaky-under-the-high-ball wingers we're fielding. Have we time warped back to pre-2009 or something?

Eugene Wrayburn wrote:Sopoaga is massively unlucky. I had just come round to the idea that he should start. Barrett presumably gets the bench gig because he's the most versatile and Cruden starts for his experience. Hansen really doesn't like changing his team if he has to.

I wonder how much of it is Aaron Smith's influence. He's probably the key playmaker in the ABs at the moment, and the way he's going, you could have an inanimate carbon rod at 10, and he'd make it look like a million bucks.

zer0 wrote:By my count that's two non-kicking, shaky-under-the-high-ball wingers we're fielding. Have we time warped back to pre-2009 or something?

Savea and Naholo are decent under the high ball. Or are you talking about the Welsh?


Or, can you not do this ridiculous fetishising of fullbacks, because it's fucking stupid bullshit?

Do yo want every single player from 1 to 15 be a fullback?

Well, fullbacks are one of the only three proper rugby players on the field (first fives and one of the midfielders typically being the other two). Having an extra one never hurts. Especially when all you're loosing out on is a parasitic winger.