All Blacks centre partnership

[Tadginator]

Who should be starting 12 and 13, sonny bill, maa nonu, Conrad smith Robbie freuean or toeava. Answer with your starting centers and mention if I missed anyone

 

[Aedaphon]

... We've definitely been here before http://www.therugbyforum.com/forum/showthread.php?21841-All-Blacks-centre-pairing
But to summarise as far as I'm aware:

General consensus seems to be Sonny-Bill + Conrad Smith to start with Nonu on the bench as centre sub and Toeava as a utility back sub/starting winger.

Personally I'm a fan of a the SBW Fruean partnership but Conrad Smith is undeniably one of the best (if not the best) centre in the world.

 

[tgd]

SBW 100% certainty..... 12 is sewn up barring injury.... so i think it would be more the question of who would the no. 13 be....

Smith- out of form, playing in a bad side, now injured.... age looks to be catching up on him

Fruean- people are saying he misses alot of tackles but thoses tackles seem to be minor misses... crucial centre one on ones he never misses... have to be in squad for sure

Nonu- just dont get this bloke too hot and cold.... never consistently brings energy to his game

Toeava- been exceptional at fullback... if mills doesnt step up for the rest of super rugby i think toeava may be a bolter at fullback...

Kenny Lynn- while a massive outsider.... his form is undeniable

 

[Larksea]

I believe both Nonu and Sonny Bill will get gametime for the All Blacks before the world cup to see what they have got. Smith will start out as the first choice 13 and Kahui should be in the squad too. I find it hard to believe that there will be room in a 30 man squad for two dedicated 13's so kahui's record as a proven test performer and ability to cover anywhere from 11 - 14 should see him in the squad ahead of Fruen.

Great to have so many options for midfield, Payne & McAlister would be worthy of selection as well on form. There will be mid fielders left out of the AB's squad which would most likely make any other countries world cup squad.

can't wait, lets get the super14 over and done with already...

 

[dan the man]

I think that Nonu and Smith will be still be the 1st choice picks, although SBW is really staking his claim and McAlistar is worth having in there as his form has been great and he's another Goal-kicking option and going into a World Cup they really need 3 solid Goal-kickers (Carter, Weepu, McAlistar) I hope that they don't use Toeava in the centres!!! Keep him at Fullback or Wing.

12: Nonu, SBW, McAlistar
13: Smith, Kahui

 

[tgd]

I think that Nonu and Smith will be still be the 1st choice picks, although SBW is really staking his claim and McAlistar is worth having in there as his form has been great and he's another Goal-kicking option and going into a World Cup they really need 3 solid Goal-kickers (Carter, Weepu, McAlistar) I hope that they don't use Toeava in the centres!!! Keep him at Fullback or Wing.

12: Nonu, SBW, McAlistar
13: Smith, Kahui

thank god ur not a selector

 

[Darwin]

SBW / Smith. Nonu will have to have a huge second half of the Super 15 season, and be dominant in early AB's tests (if he gets a chance) if he wants to start the big games in the RWC. The only way Smith won't be the starting centre is if he is injured (and luckily AB centres never get injured in RWC year... oh wait...).

 

[Larksea]

thank god ur not a selector

Just because Nonu hasn't had a great time this season with the hurricanes doesn't mean he wont do the job for the All Blacks. We wont really see who the best option at 12 is till both sonny bill and nonu have been given a run in the tests leading upto the WC. hell imagine nonu in a crucaders shirt. You think honestly think he will be struggeling like he is for the canes right now?

 

[dan the man]

thank god ur not a selector

Haha...

Nonu is suffering a bit from a poor Hurricanes side, and the fact that SBW is playing like a man possessed... But Nonu is a quality player who has proven himself to be NZ's top no.12.

Super 15 from means very little (especially this early in the season,) when it comes to players who are already in the mix. There is no way that Nonu will miss out, if he doesn't perform during the Tri-Nations and SBW has a blinder then yeah he may lose his spot.
Either way the selectors go the AB's centre's stocks are pretty stacked atm.

 

[tgd]

Just because Nonu hasn't had a great time this season with the hurricanes doesn't mean he wont do the job for the All Blacks. We wont really see who the best option at 12 is till both sonny bill and nonu have been given a run in the tests leading upto the WC. hell imagine nonu in a crucaders shirt. You think honestly think he will be struggeling like he is for the canes right now?

fair point... however i dont think nonu has ever dominated game after game like sbw is doing at the moment... fair enough sbw is running off an awesome platform in the crusaders pack but the consistency and continual improvement of his game is phenomenal.... yet to see him have a bad game in all rugby games..... nonu on the other hand

the crusaders having been playing good rugby without mccaw and carter... they've managed without em.... what would happen if u took sbw out??? oh thats right 1st round loss to blues...

 

[d1e1m]

Just because Nonu hasn't had a great time this season with the hurricanes doesn't mean he wont do the job for the All Blacks. We wont really see who the best option at 12 is till both sonny bill and nonu have been given a run in the tests leading upto the WC. hell imagine nonu in a crucaders shirt. You think honestly think he will be struggeling like he is for the canes right now?

I doubt the Crusaders would want Nonu in their shirt at his current age and with his current skillset. Even Laulala passed more than he did. I would start with SBW for a solid offensive setup and then bring Nonu on for some second half impact onto a weary backline.

 

[d1e1m]

To be fair tgd, the loss to the blues was more due to Ranger stepping up and the Crusaders defensive system forgetting what the hell they were supposed to do. Warning to Blues fans, they will be on the end of a hiding when they play at Timaru.

 

[tgd]

Haha...

Nonu is suffering a bit from a poor Hurricanes side, and the fact that SBW is playing like a man possessed... But Nonu is a quality player who has proven himself to be NZ's top no.12.

Super 15 from means very little (especially this early in the season,) when it comes to players who are already in the mix. There is no way that Nonu will miss out, if he doesn't perform during the Tri-Nations and SBW has a blinder then yeah he may lose his spot.
Either way the selectors go the AB's centre's stocks are pretty stacked atm.

when was that 2 years ago when SBW wasnt around and donald was the other option!!! lol

 

[tgd]

To be fair tgd, the loss to the blues was more due to Ranger stepping up and the Crusaders defensive system forgetting what the hell they were supposed to do. Warning to Blues fans, they will be on the end of a hiding when they play at Timaru.

dont want to sound like sbw's lover... but its those times when nothing is on and sbw can get an offload away that can be the difference bro...

 

[dan the man]

when was that 2 years ago when SBW wasnt around and donald was the other option!!! lol

What is wrong with you??? Did you watch any Test matches last year???

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYCuB1AE6HQ

 

[tgd]

What is wrong with you??? Did you watch any Test matches last year???

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYCuB1AE6HQ

not saying ma'a is no good... he's the man..... he's just not the best no. 12 anymore...

this reminds me of the osborne vs cullen debate in 1996... osborne was solid did nothing wrong however cullen got selected and went on to change the game... same scenario...ma'a has done the jersey proud but there is no way, if both players are fit, he'll be preferred as the 1st choice 12...

is there any footage of nonu doing anything decent this season???

the pressure was on him to perform this season and he just hasnt stepped up so far...

look forward to rd 18 tho

 

[dan the man]

Yeah, i get what your saying... Although over the past few years the All Blacks game has changed to accommodate players like Nonu... with the kicking game now being with the 9 and 10 instead of 10 and 12.

SBW is currently playing great and Nonu isn't but I can't see Ted dropping Nonu until he's seen more of both of them in a black jersey

 

[tgd]

Yeah, i get what your saying... Although over the past few years the All Blacks game has changed to accommodate players like Nonu... with the kicking game now being with the 9 and 10 instead of 10 and 12.

SBW is currently playing great and Nonu isn't but I can't see Ted dropping Nonu until he's seen more of both of them in a black jersey

they wont have to change as sbw is in the same mould as nonu...

super 15 you test yourself against the best week in week out and consider the core of the all blacks are from the crusaders... henry's mind will be made up well before anyone wears black this year... he might rotate them, depending on opposition and significance of game, throughout the tri- nations and wc but sbw is the best 12.....

.... after the world cup is back in nz hands you'll look back and think "did i really think nonu was better than sbw"...

 

[ranger]

they wont have to change as sbw is in the same mould as nonu...

super 15 you test yourself against the best week in week out and consider the core of the all blacks are from the crusaders... henry's mind will be made up well before anyone wears black this year... he might rotate them, depending on opposition and significance of game, throughout the tri- nations and wc but sbw is the best 12.....

.... after the world cup is back in nz hands you'll look back and think "did i really think nonu was better than sbw"...

SBW isn't playing in the same mould as Ma'a at the moment though. Conrad passes and Nonu runs, thats how it goes down now and it works. Too often SBW jogs into contact with a high body position looking to offload, it works with the hardrunning Fruean next to him but it wont work as well with Smith. If he is to replace Nonu he will have to run onto the ball hard more often, like that try he scored last outing.

 

[tgd]

so in essence he is that good he can be moulded to anything the ab's require of him... making him the best 12..