[2014 Mid-Year Tests] New Zealand vs England (1st Test)

[TRF_Olyy]

All Blacks: Michael Dagg, Michael Smith, Michael Smith, Michael Nonu, Michael Jane, Michael Cruden, Michael Smith, Michael Kaino, Michael McCaw (c), Michael Messam, Michael Whitelock, Michael Retallick, Michael Franks, Michael Coles, Michael Woodcock. Reserves: Michael Mealamu, Michael Crockett, Michael Faumuina, Michael Tuipulotu, Michael Vito, Michael Perenara, Michael Barrett, Michael Fekitoa.

ftfy

 

[Patchey]

Three Michael Smiths playing for the ABs eh? New record that surely?!



England 'team announcement' due tonight.

 

[Mrs. Peter Quinn]

In terms of Northern Hemipshere Rugby Knowledge, Wasps just signed Alapati Leiua who literally had never heard of Wasps when Dai got in touch to offer him a deal. He was excited because a team he'd never heard of were suddenly offering him bigger money than he'd ever been offered in Super rugby. I suspect this level of knowledge is probably quite typical.

 

[Big Ewis]

[video=youtube_share;bB8Fk6c9CnU]http://youtu.be/bB8Fk6c9CnU[/video]

haha, so he does have a history with forgetting people's names. And it's fun to see him at home like that playing PS and talking like a normal human being, because seeing him on the field he's a bit of a monster.

 

[Darwin]

Very predictable ABs side. The only one I didn't pick was Perenara on the bench over Kerr-Barlow. This is a slight surprise to me, as the ABs selectors seem to be quite big fans of Kerr-Barlow, and Perenara's form hasn't been great for the Canes. When on form I rate Perenara as the most complete 9 in the country, but his distribution this season has been rather poor. I imagine his excellent support play and ability to sweep back behind the backline in defense to cover kicks - two attributes they clearly value in Aaron Smith - may have been deciding factors in his selection. I'm hoping he finally gets his debut this weekend and performs well, as I think he is potentially a far more valuable bench option than Kerr-Barlow.

 

[Patchey]

England team is up. It's worse than we thought. Also, Care is carrying a shoulder knock.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

F*cks sake, Freddie f*cking Burns is starting the f*cking game.
I hope he breaks in training. I'd rather go into the test with one flyhalf than have the (handsdown) worst 10 in the premiership starting.

 

[ratsapprentice]

Joe Gray...
Ahahah he's third choice for his club, behind a player who only played vs the BaBaas and a guy who hasn't been selected at all! :lol:
I know why he's there... but still - that's possibly the most uninspiring set of front row replacements I have ever seen.

Tom Johnson again.


That midfield has the potential to be magic though - would be amazing if it clicked in their first game together, but I think we can all recognize what it could become.

 

[Big Ewis]

that's a nice third row for England. Some good backs in there too. Many names I don't know on the bench...oh well, I guess it's going to be a NH decimation on Saturday morning...good luck, England.

 

[j'nuh]

F*cks sake, Freddie f*cking Burns is starting the f*cking game.
I hope he breaks in training. I'd rather go into the test with one flyhalf than have the (handsdown) worst 10 in the premiership starting.

tbf, he played better at the end of the season. And I did want to see whether Burns would play better under a better/different coaching team. I just didn't want this game to be the game where we found that out.

So we are missing Corbs, Mako, Hartley, Cole, Lawes, Wood, Billy, possibly Care, Farrell, Ford, Twelvetrees, Wade, Nowell, Foden.

And Hansen thinks that we have the advantage from the timing of this game?

 

[ratsapprentice]

Care is a big worry though, if he's pulled out then I have genuine concerns over our ability to score points.

And if we end up with the replacement front row on then we will be getting mullered in the scrum.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

If Care pulls out then who's on the bench?
I'm under the impression that the players who played in the final are literally not allowed to be in this test because of IRB "stand down" or something like that, on the bench or otherwise, so we'd have no 9 replacement....?

 

[ratsapprentice]

I thought that was the case too - hence why we have such a big tour party.

Supposedly Dickson is on standby.

 

[Big Ewis]

So we are missing Corbs, Mako, Hartley, Cole, Lawes, Wood, Billy, possibly Care, Farrell, Ford, Twelvetrees, Wade, Nowell, Foden.

And Hansen thinks that we have the advantage from the timing of this game?

yeah, I didn't really understand that article...I can't even remember if I read his actual argument about this, or if I read smt that was so ridiculous it was forgettable. What was his point about it actually being NZ that was at a disadvantage ?

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I'm having flashbacks to the Saints vs Gloucester game, where Saints were well on top and Burns just couldn't be arsed with the whole game. 0 breaks, 0 metres, and just looked completely disinterested in the game. I remember Austin Healey tearing what little hair he has out over Burns' performance.

I really hope Burns has his head straight.




The England not available XV:

1. Corbisiero
2. Hartley
3. Cole
4. Lawes
5. ((dunno))
6. Tom Croft
7. Wood
8. Vunipola
9. Dickson
10. Farrell
11. Wade
12. Twelvetrees
13. Burrell
14. Nowell
15. Foden

 

[donmcdazzle]

Am I crazy in thinking the England 1-15 line-up is actually alright? I've never seen Burns play, but if you subbed in Farrell then I would be legitimately worried about a loss as a NZ supporter.

I rate Launchbury and Parling, the whole loose trio is pretty good (Morgan was awesome against us in 2012 from memory), and your scrum won't go backwards against ours. Midfield is good and there is pace out wide.

That pack you named above Olyy is really good. England have developed some nice depth now.

 

[squirrel]

anyone know where I can watch the game in southkorea

 

[goodNumber10]

Lancaster on Burns & Eastmond:

""Freddie was disappointed with his form mid-season but my message to him was that there would be a good chance that he would be starting in the first Test and that he had to make sure that he was on the money," Lancaster said. "Once he got his head around that, he has been excellent, very diligent and is ready to run the game.

There are no qualms, either, of their defensive rigour and resolve. "Andy Farrell has put them through it to make sure that the physicality is there," Lancaster said. "They are going to be tested, no doubt about it, so they will have to be ready because it is going to be coming their way.""

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/ru...ning-Test-despite-Danny-Care-injury-fear.html

And Brian Ashton would have gone for Cipriani:

vhttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/international/england/10876415/New-Zealand-v-England-Brian-Ashton-says-selection-of-Freddie-Burns-ahead-of-Danny-Cipriani-is-a-risk.html

 

[Darwin]

So this Michael Burns character..... what is it about him that everyone seems to dislike? I haven't seen much of him apart from at U20 level a few seasons ago (and off the bench versus the AB's in a match that shall not be mentioned). Is he an erratic player ala Quade Cooper, or a more conservative player ala Michael Farrell. What is his defense like? I'm just trying to identify England's weaknesses so I can pass it on to the AB's coaching staff.....

 

[goodNumber10]

Nothing in particular, Michael is just out of form.

Two years ago it was a straight shoot out between him and Michael Farrell, but this season he's had a real drop off in performance, to the point that some of the games, where he's clearly been forcing it, have been almost embarrassing.

If you go on pure league form then Cipriani deserves the start, but Burns was a pretty complete package until the drop off. Last couple of games he was ok, nothing amazing but in camp i'm sure they've worked with him, and we should also remember that during the course of the season he played for a club that sacked it's head coach at the end of the season and behind a pack that folded like a cheap h**ker who'd been punched in the gut.