RugbyRebels

The first All Blacks test of the year is now looming upon us, and the ABs will already have to go without some key players.

Sam Whitelock, the named squad captain is likely to miss out, and both Tim Perry and Brodie Retallick will be definitely missing the test on Saturday. Sam Cane is also in doubt, while SBW and Ryan Crotty will be joining Retallick in the "definitely out" ward alongside Kieran Read and Dane Coles.

In their place, Luke Romano, Matt Todd and Tom Franklin have been called in.

Pretty good set of replacements.

be good to have a look at them running together.

Team named:
15. Jordie Barrett, 14. Ben Smith, 13. Anton Lienert-Brown, 12. Ryan Crotty, 11. Rieko Ioane, 10. Beauden Barrett, 9. Aaron Smith, 8. Luke Whitelock, 7. Sam Cane, 6. Liam Squire, 5. Scott Barrett, 4. Sam Whitelock (c), 3. Owen Franks, 2. Codie Taylor, 1. Joe Moody.

Reserves: 16. Nathan Harris, 17. Karl Tu'inukuafe, 18. Ofa Tuungafasi, 19. Vaea Fifita, 20. Ardie Savea, 21. TJ Perenara, 22. Damian McKenzie, 23. Ngani Laumape.

That is a nice, keen bench.

Glad to see the guys with injury clouds pull through.

morepork wrote:That is a nice, keen bench.

Isn't it just. Scary even.

cashead wrote:Glad to see the guys with injury clouds pull through.

I hope none are being risked too early.

Just dawned on me that there are three Barrett bros in the starting lineup, is that a first?

I’ve heard from someone I know, who works with someone close to an All Black, that Sam Cane doesn’t actually have an abdominal strain. Rather, he’s suffering complications from surgical mesh used to repair a hernia suffered in his teens. This would not be good.

J Dory wrote:Just dawned on me that there are three Barrett bros in the starting lineup, is that a first?

Yep.

See this about sets of three brothers being All Blacks: http://rugbyrebels.co/board/viewtopic.p ... 300#p68542

Since that post, Jordie has been capped twice, on both occasions Scott and Beauden have been in the 23 but only once were they all on the field at the same time:
16 June 2017 v Samoa: Beauden 10 (subbed off 59th minute, before Jordie got on), Scott 19 (subbed on 50th minute), Jordie 23 (on 63rd minute)
8 July 2017 v Lions: Beauden 10, Jordie 15, Scott 19 (77th minute)

So that's a total of about 3 minutes of tri-Barrett so far.

Am I the only one not particularly enamoured with the bench? Fifita and Savea have been part of an under-performing pack that has been beaten up a whole lot recently. Fifita, in particular, hasn't been up to much, from what I recall. McKenzie, meanwhile, can't consistently control the Chiefs at first five.

Would have rather seen guys like Taufua, Todd, Mo'unga and Goodhue involved.

zer0 wrote:Am I the only one not particularly enamoured with the bench? Fifita and Savea have been part of an under-performing pack that has been beaten up a whole lot recently. Fifita, in particular, hasn't been up to much, from what I recall. McKenzie, meanwhile, can't consistently control the Chiefs at first five.

Would have rather seen guys like Taufua, Todd, Mo'unga and Goodhue involved.

Taufua and Goodhue are good calls. Where is Matt Todd?