Warm Up Match 5: Maori All Blacks v British & Irish Lions (Rotorua)

[Umaga's Witness]

Ncurd answered it for me.

Did you see him play against the Blues? While he's usually a safe pair of hands, he looked very static.

yeah. i just see that gatland will want the best goal kicker for his style. i'm not sure i'd trust farrell or sexton under pressure against the all blacks either, not that i know them well. and there hasn't really been any outside backs putting their hands up on this tour.

 

[The Jones Boy]

@CJ ; Coach = Brian Williams or Peter Fatialofa

 

[Caitlyn Jenner]

@CJ ; Coach = Brian Williams or Peter Fatialofa

Umaga perhaps? Or Pat Lam...

 

[Umaga's Witness]

I love the concept too, I tink it's important that we keep the Maori side alive.
Just as a bit of a hypothetical, I wonder what a NZ Pacific Islander team would look like, or even an NZ European... I imagine the 3 teams would actually be quite even.

.

well the NZ European side would obviously be better than the NZ maori because all the NZ maori would be eligible for the NZ european.

i have no agenda in saying that, i'm just a stickler for logic

 

[big ginger 8]

While fine as individual players that centre partnership is where creativity goes to die...

Don't know what Gatland is doing with McGrath, he started the Blues game and has been on the bench since I think. Hopefully he gets a start in the coming week.

 

[General Melchett]

yeah. i just see that gatland will want the best goal kicker for his style. i'm not sure i'd trust farrell or sexton under pressure against the all blacks either, not that i know them well. and there hasn't really been any outside backs putting their hands up on this tour.

Some of the goal kicking decision making has been odd. Biggar retained goal kicking duties after Laidlaw came on even though the latter is a far superior goal kicker. He should also have taken the one that Farrell missed seconds after coming on as he hadn't even touched the ball.

 

[ALJ]

i don't know, i reckon he originally planned te'o as a sub because he was taking about his ability as an impact player. also, i think he might have changed his mind with sexton farrell and although they probably won't start the first test, they will probably finish it together.

who would you have put in there on form that isn't in there? i thought, for the most part, he has picked on form.

The way I see it, Te'o can only be sub if other elements of the squad are set up in a specific way.
Generally you have 3 backs on the bench - you're not going in without a SH & FH, which leave 1 sub spot available and Te'o can only really cover I/C (I know some see him also as an O/C but he looked horribly exposed defending the outside channel when Davies went off injured the other week).

Given that Farrell can (and probably will) cover I/C then you're probably looking at Daly or Joseph for the bench with Watson (starting) covering fullback - that way you're covered for all positions.

In other words, if Te'o is going to play in the tests, I think he has to start.

More generally, the side looks OK to me.
1/2penny looks a cert for the tests now.
I think Davies will come good at O/C as his pre-tour form was excellent.
Having some difficulty imagining a test 23 without Stander but POM is in great form so who knows.

The big question for me is whether SO'B can really keep Gatland from picking SW in the starting XV? If he performs like he did last week, seems there's a damn good chance.

 

[ALJ]

Some of the goal kicking decision making has been odd. Biggar retained goal kicking duties after Laidlaw came on even though the latter is a far superior goal kicker. He should also have taken the one that Farrell missed seconds after coming on as he hadn't even touched the ball.

Must admit, I thought it was asking a lot of Farrell to take that pen just after coming on.

But knowing Farrell, my bet is he wanted the responsibility.

 

[MikeTheNative]

Some of the goal kicking decision making has been odd. Biggar retained goal kicking duties after Laidlaw came on even though the latter is a far superior goal kicker. He should also have taken the one that Farrell missed seconds after coming on as he hadn't even touched the ball.

Dan Biggar has just as good and in some case better kick percentage than Laidlaw.

 

[The Jones Boy]

Robbed from the paper...

"Maori a 'unique spectacle'
Gatland says a fixture against the Maori is one of the "unique spectacles in world rugby".

The Maori starting XV features experienced All Blacks such as scrum-half Tawera Kerr-Barlow and wing Nehe Milner-Skudder.

The potent backline also includes fly-half Damian McKenzie, Charlie Ngatai and Reiko Ioane, who scored against the Lions for the Blues and has been named in the New Zealand squad for the Test matches.

"We experienced a powerful powhiri on Monday which really resonated with the boys and it's been great to be here in Rotorua and feel all the support," said Maori head coach Colin Cooper.

"It's really lifted the team and helped bring them together as a unit. We recognise the challenge that is ahead of us on Saturday, but we're really excited as a group by the opportunity we have to represent New Zealand, Maoridom and the fans that will descend on Rotorua this weekend." -


I hope it's an awesome game and I hope that the lack of an injured Faz in the Lions side doesn't have too much of a negative factor for them. Sexton has to sink or swim. With any luck the Lions playing will lift themselves in his absence.

Umaga perhaps? Or Pat Lam...

NEVER Pat Lam...

 

[General Melchett]

Dan Biggar has just as good and in some case better kick percentage than Laidlaw.

At international level? I highly doubt that. Biggar never gets take any while 1/2P is on the field.

1/2P, Farrell & Laidlaw are the three best goal kickers on this tour.

 

[MikeTheNative]

They back line is extremely talented but i've got to admit that I don't really know any of the tight 5. How do you NZ's rate them up front?

 

[Caitlyn Jenner]

well the NZ European side would obviously be better than the NZ maori because all the NZ maori would be eligible for the NZ european.

i have no agenda in saying that, i'm just a stickler for logic

Well assuming the Maori players are not eligible for the European side too...

 

[MikeTheNative]

At international level? Biggar never gets take any while 1/2P is on the field.

Yes, there are times when he was injured and not playing, Biggar got 90% in 2015, Laidlaw only at 85%.

 

[Caitlyn Jenner]

They back line is extremely talented but i've got to admit that I don't really know any of the tight 5. How do you NZ's rate them up front?

Real work-horse type players. Hames is a specialist scrummager, May has been a solid performer in Super Rugby for years, Dixon is a great player, does a lot of the dirty work. The locks are both workhorse Highlanders boys. Franklin especially is very good player.
Elliot, Hames and Franklin have actually all been in the ABs before...
So, nothing spectacular, but they're the type of unit that will do their jobs well and lay a pretty solid platform. Then again, there's a chance that the international class of the Lions Tight 5 will overpower them... I doubt it though.

 

[ALJ]

I can't really see that man-for-man that there's that much to choose between the sides overall.

The advantage for the Lions is probably organisation when the fatigue starts to set in.

Dare say they'll need it too.

 

[mosfeldt]

I'm so hyped for POM being captain.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I'd question whether Halfpenny is the best kicker in the world.
Probably was a couple of years ago when he was knocking over any and everything, But he misses a few now (not to say he's a bad kicker by any stretch or the imagination, just not 100% anymore)
I'd have as much confidence in Farrell as Leigh, and I certainly wouldn't weaken the back 3 just have halfpenny's kicking there.
Annoying that Sanjay hasn't been given a real go at 15, think he's got the tools to be a starter there.

 

[MarkyH]

i don't know, i reckon he originally planned te'o as a sub because he was taking about his ability as an impact player. also, i think he might have changed his mind with sexton farrell and although they probably won't start the first test, they will probably finish it together.

who would you have put in there on form that isn't in there? i thought, for the most part, he has picked on form.

I don't think any of them are particularly on form, or out of form. (Gats has a chosen style so by default picks based on that) Te'o has done ok, but distribution meant Williams didn't score VS Crusaders. Same game and JD didn't get his pass of to North. Both decent defenders and Te'o has ran some great lines. To be fair to JD2 he deserves another shot this weekend.
Henshaw I like, his game has everything and I don't think he's a weaker carrier than Te'o but has much better ability with ball in hand (and feet). Showed vs Hurricanes how good his defence is.

JJ showed up at the start vs Hurricanes in defence, but normally he defends quite well. He ran a line in the first half which ended up with the Seymour/Webb chance. He ran another quality line in the 2nd half which lead to Warburtons try. Was isolated a couple of times but managed to make metres. Also scored. Passing was decent.

I think all of them are on the same level, and on similar form so I'd pick on class. So I'd always go for Henshaw and JJ. I don't think that makes us much weaker in defence, but brings more of our backs into the game. Lions are going to play 8 man rugby, and earn the right to go wide and I'd rather see Henshaw at 12 with JJ or JD playing 13.

 

[MikeTheNative]

They both play 13 but it's hard to compare JJ and Davies they are such different players. I would love for a Henshaw JJ combo to start the 1st test but with the way Gatland wants to play it's probably going to be Davies. I just hope henshaw starts 12 instead of Teo then at least one of the centres can pass.