New Zealand vs England 2nd Test (13/07/24)

[Kiwiwomble]

TJ out for next week, two new halfbacks in the squad now, Christie to start i assume

bit of a blow to fakatava to have fallen to 6th choice after being seen as heir apparent for a while

 

[Five Meters Out]

Best of luck to TJ. He's a great bloke, played well and led the haka with some passion.
Looked like a medial ligament and could have been 9 months out, so sounds like not too much damage. Here's hoping.
Fakatava is a little bit like the late Super Sid Going. Dynamic, crowd pleaser with the ball in hand, but a little lacking in some core skills.

 

[Kiwiwomble]

Hotham being called up has ruffled some feathers, young and inexperienced and the crusaders did not play well....compared to Funaki where the blues won the comp and lots feel Funaki outplayed Hotham in the head to head

 

[Umaga's Witness]

Hotham being called up has ruffled some feathers, young and inexperienced and the crusaders did not play well....compared to Funaki where the blues won the comp and lots feel Funaki outplayed Hotham in the head to head

Hotham played really well at the end of the season and his upside is huge. Funaki might have been a more fair pick but whoever they picked wouldn't play against England anyway so may as well go with a development option for your fifth choice halfback. Hothams clearance time from ball available was pretty quick at the end of the season too, better than Christie, ratima, Fakatava, or Funaki.

 

[Kiwiwomble]

Hotham played really well at the end of the season and his upside is huge. Funaki might have been a more fair pick but whoever they picked wouldn't play against England anyway so may as well go with a development option for your fifth choice halfback. Hothams clearance time from ball available was pretty quick at the end of the season too, better than Christie, ratima, Fakatava, or Funaki.

that was my argument too, bring an injury during training this week we're talking about, we're talking about work experience


i do kind of see the other side though, when making the choice theyve gone with another cantab rather than arguably the form option....i also get the argument that Fakatava might have been a safer bet as he's spent more time in the AB's camp in the past so less of a step up

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Team for first test was announced last Tuesday. It's now Wednesday.

Must be drama. Get the conspiracy theories going!

C'mon Steve, what's going on? Earl dropped, Smiths swapping round, Steward back in…..

 

[Reiser99]

Team for first test was announced last Tuesday. It's now Wednesday.

Must be drama. Get the conspiracy theories going!

C'mon Steve, what's going on? Earl dropped, Smiths swapping round, Steward back in…..

Haskell is back!

 

[BrokenWing]

Haskell is back!

At inside centre

 

[BrokenWing]

I don't mind paying to watch rugby, but I really object to giving sky my money so they can give it to F1 and the multitudes of other dross they invariably will.

 

[BPM]

Team for first test was announced last Tuesday. It's now Wednesday.

Must be drama. Get the conspiracy theories going!

C'mon Steve, what's going on? Earl dropped, Smiths swapping round, Steward back in…..

To be fair, it was more unusual to o name our team early. We usually do it on a Thursday for Saturday games.

 

[Reiser99]

To be fair, it was more unusual to o name our team early. We usually do it on a Thursday for Saturday games.

Stop being so logical and give us a conspiracy theory!

 

[Which Tyler]

Stop being so logical and give us a conspiracy theory!

There's full-blown dysentery gong through the camp - thought to have been deliberately introduced by a local waitress called Suzie. Apparently, it's a real shit-show.
Dan Cole is thought to be immune.
Otherwise though, it's last man standing.

 

[Reiser99]

There's full-blown dysentery gong through the camp - thought to have been deliberately introduced by a local waitress called Suzie. Apparently, it's a real shit-show.
Dan Cole is thought to be immune.
Otherwise though, it's last man standing.

I mean, at this point Dan Cole is probably a robot, so that makes sense.

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

There's full-blown dysentery gong through the camp - thought to have been deliberately introduced by a local waitress called Suzie. Apparently, it's a real shit-show.
Dan Cole is thought to be immune.
Otherwise though, it's last man standing.

Phew. For a minute there I thought I was going to see the words Dan Cole and runs in the same sentence.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Phew. For a minute there I thought I was going to see the words Dan Cole and runs in the same sentence.

Fortunately you're touring New Zealand. South Africa and Japan would make that very possible.

 

[BrokenWing]

There's full-blown dysentery gong through the camp - thought to have been deliberately introduced by a local waitress called Suzie. Apparently, it's a real shit-show.
Dan Cole is thought to be immune.
Otherwise though, it's last man standing.

It's getting bad when you have a gong for it.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

There's full-blown dysentery gong through the camp - thought to have been deliberately introduced by a local waitress called Suzie. Apparently, it's a real shit-show.
Dan Cole is thought to be immune.
Otherwise though, it's last man standing.

They don't call him dank hole for nothing

 

[Kiwiwomble]

unchanged XV other than TJP, hoping Perofeta can build on last week

 

[Kiwiwomble]

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Disappointed Roebuck isn't involved but an unchanged (barring injury) side isn't a shock tbh