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

[GoTheNaki]

Im not a fussy guy...

But i want a massive game from McKenzie, the Ioane bros. Ngatai, NMS, and TKB. I think the forward pack will be fine, got a few tough guys in there, i hope they give it to 'em.

 

[mania]

Before you start all that chat about the greatest Maori team ever bear in mind there are some players who have gone before that need to be acknowledged... like Kees Meeuws...
Waka Nathan, George Nepia...

merely my opinion, but ive watched the maori's for over 30 years and i stick by my statement. this maori team could take the ABs to the wire i reckon

 

[mania]

Before you start all that chat about the greatest Maori team ever bear in mind there are some players who have gone before that need to be acknowledged... like Kees Meeuws...
Waka Nathan, George Nepia...

merely my opinion, but ive watched the maori's for over 30 years and i stick by my statement. this maori team could take the ABs to the wire i reckon.
but there have been great maori sides in the past. my last favourite was when they took the wallabies to the cleaners and it was only the intervention of a saffa ref (andreWatson i think it was) that saved them. that team had my favourite maori player and imo the best player to never play for the allBlacks; bruce ,bruiser, reihana

 

[Nubiwan]

I'm pretty sure that the replacements will be Scottish, one will be Russell, the others

Yes he is the best option and if fit plays in the tests, his kicking ratio is second to none and Farrells is below average, plus I would rather Farrell concentrates on his game.

If Lawes concussion forces him out, then where is the case for Launchbury to step in? Lets be having you. Lad should have been a shoe in for this Lions squad. That is my humble one. Controversial - no doubt. most lads I chat with shake their heads in bemusement at his omission.

 

[Nubiwan]

The last Maori team to play the Lions was pretty bloody good too - maybe less X factor though.

Maori All Blacks: 15 Leon MacDonald, 14 Rico Gear, 13 Rui Tupoki, 12 Luke McAlister, 11 Caleb Ralph, 10 David Hill, 9 Piri Weepu, 8 Angus MacDonald, 7 Marty Holah, 6 Jono Gibbes (c), 5 Sean Hohneck, 4 Ross Filipo, 3 Carl Hayman, 2 Corey Flynn, 1 Deacon Manu
Replacements: 16 Scott Linklater, 17 Greg Feek, 18 Daniel Braid, 19 Wayne Ormond, 20 Craig McGrath, 21 Carlos Spencer, 22 Neil Brew

Pretty impressive team, and just shows me how long I have watched Super Rugby from the North. Recognize just about every name in the starting XV. Who is David Hill to keep Carlos Spencer on the bench. Always loved watching that Spencer lad. Talk about x-factor players.

 

[TRF Mr Fish]

Pretty impressive team, and just shows me how long I have watched Super Rugby from the North. Recognize just about every name in the starting XV. Who is David Hill to keep Carlos Spencer on the bench. Always loved watching that Spencer lad. Talk about x-factor players.

David Hill is my favourite ever player - arguably the best goal kicker we've had in New Zealand in the last 20 years. Great distributor, makes everyone around him look better.

 

[Caitlyn Jenner]

David Hill is my favourite ever player - arguably the best goal kicker we've had in New Zealand in the last 20 years. Great distributor, makes everyone around him look better.

Favourite player ever? really? Wow.

 

[mania]

David Hill is my favourite ever player

hill was organising a referee course i went to recently

 

[Larksea]

doesn't seem right to call any of these games warm up games

 

[Nubiwan]

David Hill is my favourite ever player - arguably the best goal kicker we've had in New Zealand in the last 20 years. Great distributor, makes everyone around him look better.

Wasn't Grant Fox a pretty decent kicker? What about Dan Carter? Reckon Carter one of my favourite all round NZ players. Honestly cannot remember Hill.

The others in this side were more outstanding from my memory at least. Rico Gear, Spencer, Holah, Gibbes, Weepu. Is that an all Highlanders front row? Its a great side. Who did Hill play for in SR? Mebbe it will jog my memory.

Anyhow, Spencer was always a delight to watch. Never knew what to expect, and had decent jets in the Barrett mode.

ON that note, a question. Is there anyone faster in NZ rugby than B. Barrett? Like, is he faster than your wingers. The boy can fly, and once he's through a gap, he's gone. Nesbo: "No ones's gonna catch him now...."

 

[Nubiwan]

doesn't seem right to call any of these games warm up games

I know. For both sides, they are like tests. To be fair to the tour, all these games have more intrigue than many a Super Rugby match. It is a great world rugby tradition this Lions lark. Say what you want about the quality either side. Its a rugby feast for 6 weeks. Made even better by the high quality opposition in every game. No gimmies anywhere for the Lions tour.

 

[mania]

ON that note, a question. Is there anyone faster in NZ rugby than B. Barrett?

apparently naholo is hands down fatest AB at the moment.
some of the players interviewed were asked if naholo is as fast as he looks on TV.
they replied "No; he's faster"
seen naholo burn julianSavea. he made julian look like he was walking

 

[TRF Mr Fish]

Wasn't Grant Fox a pretty decent kicker? What about Dan Carter? Reckon Carter one of my favourite all round NZ players. Honestly cannot remember Hill.

The others in this side were more outstanding from my memory at least. Rico Gear, Spencer, Holah, Gibbes, Weepu. Is that an all Highlanders front row? Its a great side. Who did Hill play for in SR? Mebbe it will jog my memory.

Anyhow, Spencer was always a delight to watch. Never knew what to expect, and had decent jets in the Barrett mode.

ON that note, a question. Is there anyone faster in NZ rugby than B. Barrett? Like, is he faster than your wingers. The boy can fly, and once he's through a gap, he's gone. Nesbo: "No ones's gonna catch him now...."

Fox was a great kicker, I think Hill is the most accurate goal kicker we've had since then - better than Carter. He played one test for the All Blacks, but he was never really the complete package. He represented the Chiefs and spent a year with Blues as a coach a couple of seasons ago.

Barrett is the fastest 10 that I can recall, probably the fastest we've ever seen.

 

[The Jones Boy]

Fox was a great kicker, I think Hill is the most accurate goal kicker we've had since then - better than Carter. He played one test for the All Blacks, but he was never really the complete package. He represented the Chiefs and spent a year with Blues as a coach a couple of seasons ago.

Barrett is the fastest 10 that I can recall, probably the fastest we've ever seen.

Barrett is lightning, and he's gotta rugby brain with a ferrari gear box, he sees things so quickly, and changes gear in the blink of an eye. What a nightmare trying to mark that bloke, especially for someone like me who has the turning circle of the ***anic.

Ben Smith is pretty quick.

Grant Fox was the slowest first five I've ever seen. Not slow with his hands but his running speed looked like slow motion.

 

[Nubiwan]

apparently naholo is hands down fatest AB at the moment.
some of the players interviewed were asked if naholo is as fast as he looks on TV.
they replied "No; he's faster"
seen naholo burn julianSavea. he made julian look like he was walking

I find this very hard to believe that Naholo would run down Barrett. I reckon Barrett is faster over the first 25 which is all the difference. Lighting! However, I will submit to your NZ report.

 

[Caitlyn Jenner]

ON that note, a question. Is there anyone faster in NZ rugby than B. Barrett? Like, is he faster than your wingers. The boy can fly, and once he's through a gap, he's gone. Nesbo: "No ones's gonna catch him now...."

Supposedly Tony Pulu is the fastest man in NZ rugby, though tbh I haven't really seen evidence of that. In the ABs, I'd say Naholo, Barrett and Ioane would probs be the top 3.

 

[GoTheNaki]

Supposedly Tony Pulu is the fastest man in NZ rugby, though tbh I haven't really seen evidence of that. In the ABs, I'd say Naholo, Barrett and Ioane would probs be the top 3.

Yeah, this. Waisake is disgustingly fast. I watched him at grassroots... And i just couldnt fathom trying to stop him.. Just nah, honestly, f*** that.

 

[MikeTheNative]

Who gives a flying? Like, honestly? If making the test team is decided by who has the higher kicking percentage in the line up, between those players mentioned, then we might as well all **** off home. I'd suggest kicking is merely a "nice bonus" for many NZ 10s. For Northern Hemisphere, our entire game is structured around it. Give it a rest with who is the best kicker.

If you want to discuss statistics, then how about more Scots should be in the squad than Welsh or Irish players, based on the last 6N? No one really cared about those minor hiccups in form.

???? Did you actually read the comment i was replying too? Somebody claimed that Laidlaw was a lot better goal kicker than Biggar. Perhaps they do it differently in the southern hemisphere but statistics is usually the best way of doing that.

 

[TopTen2003]

The last Maori team to play the Lions was pretty bloody good too - maybe less X factor though.

Maori All Blacks: 15 Leon MacDonald, 14 Rico Gear, 13 Rui Tupoki, 12 Luke McAlister, 11 Caleb Ralph, 10 David Hill, 9 Piri Weepu, 8 Angus MacDonald, 7 Marty Holah, 6 Jono Gibbes (c), 5 Sean Hohneck, 4 Ross Filipo, 3 Carl Hayman, 2 Corey Flynn, 1 Deacon Manu
Replacements: 16 Scott Linklater, 17 Greg Feek, 18 Daniel Braid, 19 Wayne Ormond, 20 Craig McGrath, 21 Carlos Spencer, 22 Neil Brew

For some reason I always thought Carlos Spencer started that game? I remember that game as being the writing on the wall!

 

[The Jones Boy]

David Hill is my favourite ever player - arguably the best goal kicker we've had in New Zealand in the last 20 years. Great distributor, makes everyone around him look better.

Billy Bush.