Ireland in NZ

[Grandpa]

Team naming day.

If Whitelock's fit, I'd like to see the same starting XV as the first test, with Scooter at blindside.

Surely Will Jordan starts?

I wouldn't be surprised to see Goodhue and Nepo Laulala starting as well....

[Gumboot]

Team naming day.

If Whitelock's fit, I'd like to see the same starting XV as the first test, with Scooter at blindside.

Surely Will Jordan starts?

I wouldn't be surprised to see Goodhue and Nepo Laulala starting as well....

It's just what I'd prefer. No doubt there will be changes... probably the ones you mentioned and maybe Havili, Clarke and Vaa'i in the 23 if fit. Not at all keen on Laulala, but apart from Bower our front-rowers have been bloody average.

[Ymx]

Can’t Foster find someone with Barrett surname to play front row?

[Guy Smiley]

The big question is whether he sticks to his guns and names pretty much the same side, or does he try to mix it up and use a different starting line up.

[Gumboot]

Would you give Leicester another start, Guy?

[Guy Smiley]

Would you give Leicester another start, Guy?

No... not on the wing. I'd make wholesale changes to the back line though... which should come as no surprise

[Gumboot]

Do tell...

[Guy Smiley]

ok... for the laughs,

Mo'unga
Rieko
Havili
Goodhue
Reece
Jordan

BB and Fainga'anuku on the bench

[Grandpa]

ok... for the laughs,

Mo'unga
Rieko
Havili
Goodhue
Reece
Jordan

BB and Fainga'anuku on the bench

And up front...

1. Bower
2.Taukei'aho
3. Laulala
4. Retallick
5. Whitelock
6. S Barrett
7. A Savea
8. Sotutu

[Gumboot]

Who's your halfback?

[Grandpa]

Mine would be Smith with Fakatava on the bench.

[Guy Smiley]

Mine would be Smith with Fakatava on the bench.

I’d swap that around.

[Gumboot]

[Guy Smiley]

Yeah…

Oh well.

[Kiwias]

Taukei'aho not even in the 23

[Gumboot]

When the squad for this series was named, Foster said they'd picked Karl T because he's our strongest scrummaging loosehead. So he gets 20-odd minutes off the bench in the first test...and that's that. Tactical genius.

[Guy Smiley]

When Buck Shelford is being quoted in the press saying the coach is no good you’ve got issues.

[Gumboot]

Taukei'aho not even in the 23

Yeah, that's a strange call. They should've dropped Taylor.

[Dan54]

Funnily enough James Parsons was saying on rugby pod that he thought Coles should come in. I not sure if ST deserves dropping that's for sure, but neither do I think Taylor has been bad.

[Guy Smiley]

Slightly off topic but this is probably the best place for it...

Christchurch council voted today to get on with it and build the mooted new stadium, after concerns over the cost blowout had them canvass the community for submissions over whether to carry on or not.

Finally.

[Grandpa]

Funnily enough James Parsons was saying on rugby pod that he thought Coles should come in. I not sure if ST deserves dropping that's for sure, but neither do I think Taylor has been bad.

Parsons and Hall really came out in defence of Cane didn't they. I much prefer their rugby discussions to the Breakdown... they at least actually sound like ex players. Even if Hall is still playing, compared to the cheerleaders on the Breakdown.

[Grandpa]

Slightly off topic but this is probably the best place for it...

Christchurch council voted today to get on with it and build the mooted new stadium, after concerns over the cost blowout had them canvass the community for submissions over whether to carry on or not.

Finally.

Lets hope it actually happens this time. Is there a timeframe?

[Kiwias]

Taukei'aho not even in the 23

Yeah, that's a strange call. They should've dropped Taylor.

Nice bait but the obvious call was start Taukei'aho and have Taylor on the bench

[Guy Smiley]

Slightly off topic but this is probably the best place for it...

Christchurch council voted today to get on with it and build the mooted new stadium, after concerns over the cost blowout had them canvass the community for submissions over whether to carry on or not.

Finally.

Lets hope it actually happens this time. Is there a timeframe?

Well, first you're going to have to come to terms with the idea that the common perception around how space and time work is all wrong.

Here, have one of these mushrooms and come with me...

[Kiwias]

Slightly off topic but this is probably the best place for it...

Christchurch council voted today to get on with it and build the mooted new stadium, after concerns over the cost blowout had them canvass the community for submissions over whether to carry on or not.

Finally.

Lets hope it actually happens this time. Is there a timeframe?

Well, first you're going to have to come to terms with the idea that the common perception around how space and time work is all wrong.

Here, have one of these mushrooms and come with me...

Is your real name Alice?

[Guy Smiley]

Lets hope it actually happens this time. Is there a timeframe?

Well, first you're going to have to come to terms with the idea that the common perception around how space and time work is all wrong.

Here, have one of these mushrooms and come with me...

Is your real name Alice?

[Kiwias]

Well, first you're going to have to come to terms with the idea that the common perception around how space and time work is all wrong.

Here, have one of these mushrooms and come with me...

Is your real name Alice?

[Gumboot]

Taukei'aho not even in the 23

Yeah, that's a strange call. They should've dropped Taylor.

Nice bait but the obvious call was start Taukei'aho and have Taylor on the bench

If you're only as good as your last game, Taylor would be gone. Others have paid the price.

[Kiwias]

Yeah, that's a strange call. They should've dropped Taylor.

Nice bait but the obvious call was start Taukei'aho and have Taylor on the bench

If you're only as good as your last game, Taylor would be gone. Others have paid the price.

Coles has hardly been knocking the door down.

[Dan54]

Funnily enough James Parsons was saying on rugby pod that he thought Coles should come in. I not sure if ST deserves dropping that's for sure, but neither do I think Taylor has been bad.

Parsons and Hall really came out in defence of Cane didn't they. I much prefer their rugby discussions to the Breakdown... they at least actually sound like ex players. Even if Hall is still playing, compared to the cheerleaders on the Breakdown.

Yep they good to listen to I think,

[Guy Smiley]

Yeah, that's a strange call. They should've dropped Taylor.

Nice bait but the obvious call was start Taukei'aho and have Taylor on the bench

If you're only as good as your last game, Taylor would be gone. Others have paid the price.

he should change his last name to Barrett.

[Gumboot]

Nice bait but the obvious call was start Taukei'aho and have Taylor on the bench

If you're only as good as your last game, Taylor would be gone. Others have paid the price.

he should change his last name to Barrett.

Yeah nah, sorry you've lost me there...

Looking forward to seeing how our back three go - no idea if Clarke's still crook but happy Reece is at 11. And good to see the first test backrow back together - they look a well balanced unit to me.

[Guy Smiley]

We also had Stuff rugby columnist Mark Reason laud Sexton as he called on Crusaders' Richie Mo'unga to start ahead of Beauden Barrett in the Third Test.

'In the 90 or so minutes he has played against Johnny Sexton in this series,' Reason wrote, 'Beauden Barrett has finished tactically a long way in second place. Time and again his tactical kicking is found wanting at the top level.'

I mean... last game and all that.

[Gumboot]

We also had Stuff rugby columnist Mark Reason laud Sexton as he called on Crusaders' Richie Mo'unga to start ahead of Beauden Barrett in the Third Test.

'In the 90 or so minutes he has played against Johnny Sexton in this series,' Reason wrote, 'Beauden Barrett has finished tactically a long way in second place. Time and again his tactical kicking is found wanting at the top level.'

I mean... last game and all that.

I was talking about Taylor, but for some, er, reason you seem desperate to introduce a Barrett into every discussion.

But you frequently suggest I'm trolling. Go figure...

[Guy Smiley]

We also had Stuff rugby columnist Mark Reason laud Sexton as he called on Crusaders' Richie Mo'unga to start ahead of Beauden Barrett in the Third Test.

'In the 90 or so minutes he has played against Johnny Sexton in this series,' Reason wrote, 'Beauden Barrett has finished tactically a long way in second place. Time and again his tactical kicking is found wanting at the top level.'

I mean... last game and all that.

I was talking about Taylor, but for some, er, reason you seem desperate to introduce a Barrett into every discussion.

But you frequently suggest I'm trolling. Go figure...

Look, I'm sorry if I'm boring you with this but when you have a habit of criticising the Canterbury players, as you often do, suggesting their form in one game justifies dropping them then I feel duty bound to point out that the country's highest profile player is likewise open for a solid dropping due to either having a form slump or no fucking idea of how to ignite a backline.

Cody Taylor is more worthy of a game than Dane Coles at 2... Coles' form wasn't spectacular this year and his tendency to cause trouble on field hardly justifies selection.

[Gumboot]

Look, I'm sorry if I'm boring you with this but when you have a habit of criticising the Canterbury players, as you often do, suggesting their form in one game justifies dropping them then I feel duty bound to point out that the country's highest profile player is likewise open for a solid dropping due to either having a form slump or no fucking idea of how to ignite a backline.

Cody Taylor is more worthy of a game than Dane Coles at 2... Coles' form wasn't spectacular this year and his tendency to cause trouble on field hardly justifies selection.

Look, I'm sorry if I'm boring you but I've explained on more than one occasion (thought once should've been enough, but hey ho) that I don't troll. Once the ABs are selected I don't give a shit which franchise, province or club they're from. You're obsessed with the notion that I'm rabidly anti-Cantab, which quite frankly has become tiresome and made it difficult to engage in any sort of rugby discussion with you that doesn't rapidly degenerate into partisan nonsense.

[Guy Smiley]

I didn't say you were trolling...

I don't see you applying the same rigour to your criticsm of other players as you do with the Canterbury guys... so it's hard not to assume there's a bit of leg pulling going on.

It's not partisan provincial rivalry for me... I'm quite genuine in my criticsm of BB and Jordie. I'd rather see Perofeta getting the starts at the Blues over BB and selecting Jordie as a Test winger was farcical, highlighting the favouritism that flourishes under our current coach. In the context of a player being as good as his last game, I reckon both Barrett boys in the backline could have justifiably been dropped or relegated to bench roles, and I'm hardly alone in that view... hence my comment earlier.

[Ymx]

SAM, come on, you regularly participate in anti sader rhetoric.

I’m sure it’s a legacy of having to converse with AC on PR, but it’s still there.

[OomStruisbaai]

Look like the Kiwis do a Saffer here. Happen when you lose now and again.

[convoluted]

Always hoped that when RTS debuted it would be with the less-predictable (than Smith) Fakatova at halfback to provide initial distraction to the defence.
With both as run-on replacements tomorrow night, that will surely eventuate.

Though, having said that, just as Smith's first act in Dunedin was to set himself for a box kick when the Auckland test had repeatedly shown that once gifted possession the Irish would almost inevitably surge to our goal-line to either score or be held up over it, Fakatova's initial test match possession similarly gnashed the teeth.
That first Fakatova touch started with a few steps to the left from the scrum base only to switch to the right to launch an absolute nothingness of a kick as per the night's apparent ordained 'tactic'.
That kick went way beyond any backup, leading the commentator to note of the Irish claimant "... and he has plenty of time to ..."