ABs Touring Squad

[signmanParticipant]

Lousy bloody call to select an injury prone Carter over Slade… weird selection to take Romano too, he hasn’t played any rugby for 5 months and like 1st-fives we have good depth at lock as well.

ALL BLACKS TOURING SQUAD :
Forwards : Dane Coles, Nathan Harris, Keven Mealamu, Wyatt Crockett, Charlie Faumuina, Ben Franks, Owen Franks, Joe Moody, Brodie Retallick, Luke Romano, Jeremy Thrush, Patrick Tuipulotu, Sam Whitelock, Sam Cane, Jerome Kaino, Richie McCaw (capt), Liam Messam, Kieran Read, Victor Vito.

Backs : Aaron Smith, TJ Perenara, Augustine Pulu, Beauden Barrett, Dan Carter, Aaron Cruden, Ryan Crotty, Malakai Fekitoa, Conrad Smith, Sonny Bill Williams, Cory Jane, Israel Dagg, Charles Piutau, Julian Savea, Ben Smith.

TOUR ITINERARY :
Nov 2nd v USA – Soldier Field, Chicago
Nov 9th v England – Twickenham, London
Nov 16th v Scotland – Murrayfield, Edinburgh
Nov 23rd v Wales – Millennium Stadium, Cardiff

[SSMOParticipant]

Building well for RWC 2015. Carter, Vito and Romano, good stalwarts of Pre 2014 world rugby.

If they had their heads screwed on they’d have blooded another openside for backup. Luatua unlucky especially when they say Romano is in. Luatua is also a useful replacement lock. Vito is not.

And now the RSA National Anthem.

They shall grow not old, as AB’s that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor next year condemn.
At the going down of the whistle and in the aftermatch
We will remember them.

[signmanParticipant]

Thought Naki player Blade Thomson was pretty unlucky.

On our 3 older players McCaw, Carter & Mealamu… would of only selected McCaw,
he’s shown he can play the whole game test after test & is still playing well at test level, Mealamu played well in that whole game against S.A, just can’t see him doing it game after game at this level & Carter’s too big a risk, if he starts there’s every chance he’ll come off with a leg injury early in the first half, which would then leave us without cover at 10 on the bench.

McCaw would have to go down as our best player ever… was watching one of the ITM Cup matches about 3 weeks ago & a former player was telling the sky commentator that when he was playing with McCaw in the under 20 stuff all the team mates use to call him ‘ 3rd lung ‘ sounds about right, the bloke has an amazing engine.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 6 months ago by  signman.

[SSMOParticipant]

Yeah but how amazing is that 3rd lung these days when the blindside is getting subbed off with 20 to play, Richie moved to 6 and new 7 on. Coaches admission McCaw’s ticker is waning.

[signmanParticipant]

True, his ticker is waning, lost a bit of pace, that’s going to happen to anyone with the age thing though, but when you consider he’s played most of the time at 7 where you get a hell of a pounding, it’s a wonder he can still walk let alone keep playing, hahaha, our depth off the bench made a big diff to get us across the line.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 6 months ago by  signman.

[signmanParticipant]

Was good quick thinking by Aaron Smith to take a tap & score close to the line, but most times these days refs don’t allow players to take a quick tap, so I suppose we were very lucky he allowed it.

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