Super Rugby 2023

AbusesToilets

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120697690#Comment_120697690

Was screaming when they gave away that dumb penalty after a brilliant turnover. They did great to sort themselves out after giving up 17 straight points. Massive ask to beat the Chiefs at home next week, though the Reds really put it to them.

Dillonb3

Crusaders have taken the Blues apart in that first half

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120721084#Comment_120721084

Yeah, absolutely shredded them. Mo'unga pulling the strings really well.

sydthebeat

This is some performance by the crusaders

Yeah_Right

Well that was a crappy start to the weekend. What a hiding.

Any early predictions for All Blacks squad?

How many potential new caps in the squad? I've seen a good amount of Super Rugby but definitely not enough, and the names that jumped out to me were Cam Roigard, Tamaiti Williams and potentially the Chiefs winger Emoni Narawa.

Will Shaun Stevenson get a shot?

Yeah_Right

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120721712#Comment_120721712

Those are all good calls. Possibly Dallas McLeod from the Crusaders as he is playing well and covers several positions.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120722272#Comment_120722272

Yeah, I've liked McLeod. He doesn't look elite like Jordan, but busy sort of player who looks effective.

Yeah_Right

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120722462#Comment_120722462

Agreed. Don't think he would be a starter but could be useful in the RWC squad as he plays midfield and wing. He might have even played a bit of fullback.

sydthebeat

those a 4 good names to begin with.

ive no idea how many will be named but going by the bokke training squad, the might name 40.

riogard could certainly make it. lets assume they name 4 9's, Smith and Weber would be certainties. Perenara hasnt played this season i dont think so i dont think is in the picture. fakatava spent the majority of the year injured but has credit in the bank. Drummond has never been on the test radar despite being the senior scrum half for an all conquering crusaders for the last two seasons. This seems to be something of a curse for saders 9's and their lack of test recognition. The last crusader scrum half who was a regular test starter was probably Justin Marshall from 20 years ago. So riogard certainly has an opening, and has taken his hurricanes chance with both hands.

im going to throw out quinten strange as another possible bolter into the training squad. hes been in fosters squads before without being capped, and hes been pretty instrumental in the crusaders raising of form over the last 8 weeks. Should whitelocks injury be long term, Strange is definitely a good option

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120723019#Comment_120723019

Yeah, I've been impressed by Strange a couple of times this year. He's plenty athletic too.

I really like Roigard, whereas feel Finlay Christie has had a limited enough season. Agree on Weber and Smith obviously, but Roigard to me looks like a long term option at 9, who has a great boot on him as well.

sydthebeat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120723036#Comment_120723036

between riogard (22), fakatava (23) and cortez ratima (22), the ABs will have some tasty battles for the 9 jersey for the next decade.

Locke_Lamora

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120723048#Comment_120723048

Did fakatava have a great year? Wasn't that impressed by him whenever I got to see him.

sydthebeat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120723242#Comment_120723242

Been injured for most of it, but as I mentioned above he has credit in the bank.

sydthebeat

Riogard, McLeod, narawa, and Sami finau in, with Stevenson in as cover for telea.

Brad Webber and Fakatava out,

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120729326#Comment_120729326

Very surprised at the Brad Weber call.

Hoskins Sututu and Akita Ioane can’t have helped their cases with that performance on Friday.

Fakatava and Weber both in the All Blacks XV selection alongside a few prominent names like Oli Jäger, Alex Nankivell and others.

sydthebeat

The 30-strong All Blacks XV squad is as follows (age, Super Rugby club, province):

Forwards:

Props

Jermaine Ainsley (28, Highlanders, Otago)

Oli Jager (27, Crusaders, Canterbury)

Tevita Mafileo (25, Hurricanes, Bay of Plenty)

Xavier Numia (24, Hurricanes, Wellington)

Aidan Ross (27, Chiefs, Bay of Plenty)

Hookers

Asafo Aumua (26, Hurricanes, Wellington)

Ricky Riccitelli (28, Blues, Taranaki)

Tyrone Thompson (23, Chiefs, Wellington)

Locks

Naitoa Ah Kuoi (23, Chiefs, Bay of Plenty)

Quinten Strange (26, Crusaders, Tasman)

Isaia Walker-Leawere (26, Hurricanes, Hawke’s Bay)

Loose Forwards

Billy Harmon (28, Highlanders, Canterbury)

Akira Ioane (28, Blues, Auckland)

Du’Plessis Kirifi (26, Hurricanes, Wellington)

Christian Lio-Willie (24, Crusaders, Otago)

Pita Gus Sowakula (28, Chiefs, Taranaki)

Cameron Suafoa (27, Blues, North Harbour)

Backs:

Halfbacks

Folau Fakatava (23, Highlanders, Hawke’s Bay)

Brad Weber (32, Chiefs, Hawke’s Bay)

First-five-eighths

Brett Cameron (26, Hurricanes, Manawatū)

Stephen Perofeta (26, Blues, Taranaki)

Midfielders

Jack Goodhue (27, Crusaders, Northland)

Alex Nankivell (26, Chiefs, Tasman)

Billy Proctor (24, Hurricanes, Wellington)

Bailyn Sullivan (24, Hurricanes, Waikato)

Outside Backs

Sam Gilbert (24, Highlanders, Otago)

AJ Lam (24, Blues, Auckland)

Ruben Love (22, Hurricanes, Wellington)

Etene Nanai-Seturo (23, Chiefs, Counties Manukau)

Jona Nareki (25, Highlanders, Otago)

sydthebeat

Sotutu out of both squads.

Nice to see oli jager included, but I think at this stage if he really wants to pursue an all black cap he needs to get out of the crusaders. His younger team mates for that jersey have leap frogged him at test level.

Kinda surprised at the Weber dropping. I'm not impressed by Christie and riogard is obviously very green. Smith is very much "aged" at this stage. 9 is a point of weakness now for the ABs.

I'm also very surprised not to see zarn Sullivan on the seconds squad. He's been one of the better back three this season in my opinion. He's certainly put in better performances than Caleb Clarke anyway.

Yeah_Right

Smith is still the best halfback in NZ but this is his final season. Surprised at Christie over Weber but I think he was generally ahead of him last year so I guess he has credit in the bank. Fakatava just hasn't played enough so I'm happy to see Roigard there. Fakatava has had bad luck with injuries since he became eligible for NZ.

Can't remember what injury TJP has but I hope he comes back from it and has a good run of games so he can get a proper send off. He's been a great servant to NZ rugby.

Also surprised that Zarn Sullivan didn't make the second team.

AbusesToilets

Who do think gets the starting 10 jersey? Has DMC shown enough get a start?

Yeah_Right

I think Richie Mo starts. Barrett or D Mac on the bench.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120729748#Comment_120729748

You think Jordan at 15, or any chance Barrett or McKenzie back there?

What's your likely 23 from that squad?

sydthebeat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120729718#Comment_120729718

mo'unga all the way, hes playing at a different level this year.

DMCK at 15 for me, with jordan and Leicester on the wing.

what they do with Beauden barrett is the big puzzle. I see him in the 23 jersey.

amazingly, of the barrett brothers, i see scott as the one playing the best rugby at the moment.

Yeah_Right

What I would like to see is:

1 Williams

2 Taukei'aho

3 Laulala

4 Retallick

5 Whitelock

6 Frizell

7 Papali'i

8 Savea

9 Smith

10 Mo'unga

11 Jordan

12 Barrett

13 Ioane

14 Telea

15 McKenzie

16 Coles

17 Tu'ungafasi

18 Newell

19 Barrett

20 Jacobson

21 Roigard

22 Barrett

23 Clarke

But thats not going to happen. I do think Aumua should have been included ahead of Taylor.

AbusesToilets

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120733433#Comment_120733433

You'd pick Clarke over Stevenson? Read a lot of surprise that Clarke was included at all.

Yeah_Right

Yeah I think if Clarke gets his form back, he's better than Stevenson.

AbusesToilets

Has he shown any improvement in his defense? He's looked very weak there in the past

Are the All Blacks a little lacking in back three options?

Fainga'anuku is pretty young to be heading to Europe (23). I've been seriously impressed by Emoni Narawa in Super Rugby, and I absolutely am a huge fan of Ruben Love (didn't play much this season with injury etc), but the rest of the All Blacks XV back three options don't look to have next level potential with the possible exception of Etene Nanai-Seturo.

sydthebeat

nanai-seturo promised an awful lot from his u20s days, but hasnt fulfilled that potential yet.

a back 3 of jordan, dmack and faingaanuku is among the worlds best. but yeah, options after them arent stacked.

Yeah_Right

The back 3 kind of sums up the whole ABs squad. Some good players there but on current form, very few of them would be in the conversation for a World XV. Apart from Savea and Mo'uaga. In the great AB teams of the past, pretty much every starter and most of bench would be in that conversation. And there would be a few who were undeniably the world's best. But not now.

Theres a lot of talent in that squad but I don't think Foster is the man to get the most out of that talent.