ABs squad named

[ricardominyardo]

Backs:

Halfbacks
Tawera Kerr-Barlow (Waikato, 25)
TJ Perenara (Wellington, 29)
Aaron Smith (Manawatu, 58)

First five-eighths
Beauden Barrett (Taranaki, 49)
Aaron Cruden (Manawatu, 47)
Lima Sopoaga (Southland, 6)

Midfielders
Ryan Crotty (Canterbury, 26)
Ngani Laumape (Manawatu, uncapped)
Anton Lienert-Brown (Waikato, 9)
Sonny Bill Williams (Counties Manukau, 33)

Outside backs
Jordie Barrett (Taranaki, uncapped)
Israel Dagg (Hawke's Bay, 61)
Rieko Ioane (Auckland, 2)
Waisake Naholo (Taranaki, 12)
Julian Savea (Wellington, 52)
Ben Smith (Otago, 60)


Forwards:

Hookers
Dane Coles (Wellington, 49)
Codie Taylor (Canterbury, 15)
Nathan Harris (Bay of Plenty, 4)

Props
Wyatt Crockett (Canterbury, 58)
Charlie Faumuina (Auckland, 46)
Owen Franks (Canterbury, 90)
Joe Moody (Canterbury, 24)
Ofa Tu'ungafasi (Auckland, 4)

Locks
Scott Barrett (Taranaki, 4)
Brodie Retallick (Hawke's Bay, 60)
Luke Romano (Canterbury, 26)
Samuel Whitelock (Canterbury, 84)

Loose Forwards
Sam Cane (Bay of Plenty, 40)
Jerome Kaino (Auckland, 74)
Kieran Read, captain (Counties Manukau, 97)
Ardie Savea (Wellington, 12)
Liam Squire (Tasman, 8 )

[ricardominyardo]

The selectors have also named the following five players as injury cover: midfielder Jack Goodhue, hooker Liam Coltman and loose forwards Matt Todd, Vaea Fifita and Akira Ioane.

[ricardominyardo]

biggest losers

Fekitoa - ridiculous having goodhue as back up over him. Guess he has a point to prove on wednesday now
Mckenzie - very unlucky...has done nothing wrong, i guess his size and defense may be counting against him
Luatua - unlucky....but his overseas contract has killed him here
pulu - TKB gets the rub here
milner skudder - the skud looked ok the other day
Todd - unlucky again

[Spy]

You're a handsome man, ricardo.

[Spy]

Good to see Laumape rewarded for an excellent season. Also well deserved for Reiko Ioane and Jordie Barrett. Tu'ungafasi can count himself lucky, having not generally started for the Blues this year.

Looks a pretty good squad.

[Lizard]

Pretty hard to complain about that. Scud, McKenzie and A Ioane are in the Maori squad and I wouldn't be surprised to see them moved across later. TKB, R Ioane are doubling up.

[Eugene Wrayburn]

biggest losers

Fekitoa - ridiculous having goodhue as back up over him. Guess he has a point to prove on wednesday now
Mckenzie - very unlucky...has done nothing wrong, i guess his size and defense may be counting against him
Luatua - unlucky....but his overseas contract has killed him here
pulu - TKB gets the rub here
milner skudder - the skud looked ok the other day
Todd - unlucky again

Can't disagree with any of that. I'd probably say Todd should be ahead of Cane but behind Ardie.

[cashead]

Not sure what the issue that some have with Goodhue being involved as injury cover is - he's played incredibly well all year, consistently. Fekitoa's had some flashes, but Goodhue has had the better year overall.

[dk4]

Suspect Fekitoa and NMS will get their chance as well in the next weeks.

Out of the selected players, who are returning from injury?

[morepork]

Laumapi. Nice.

[Lizard]

Laumapi. Nice.

Yeah, I hope he gets a good shot. Maybe off the bench for 20 minutes rampaging through tired defenders?

The mid-field is hard to pick though.

Crotty (13 caps/12 starts) and ALB (9 caps/7 starts) are the incumbent pairing and I think will start the 1st test. SBW has put his hand up but his relative experience (10 caps/5 starts) needs to be balanced against his recent lack of match time. Reiko Ioane has been named at wing but can cover centre well.

I think we'll see a preference for Crotty/ALB starting and a rotation on the bench with SBW as the impact man in the first test, Laumape in the second, and whoever is best in the 3rd.

[zer0]

Out of the selected players, who are returning from injury?

Kaino, Read and Crotty will be returning from injury while Coles is under an ongoing concussion cloud. Retallick also pulled out of the Chiefs match with a concussion, so he could be another as well.

It seems very unlikely to happen, but I'd also like to see R.Ioane start on the left wing ahead of Savea. Put him on the receiving end of B.Barrett's cross field kicks and he'd be less dynamite and more nuclear ICBM. Plus, you know, he can catch a ball and make tackles.

[Stom]

How fit is Coles? Is he likely to make it?

[Lizard]

Nah. His head is fucked.

[Eugene Wrayburn]

Nah. His head is fucked.

I was surprised he was named in the squad.

[Lizard]

Me too. I assume he's there for mentoring and leadership.

[jared_7]

http://www.thecivilian.co.nz/hot-take-d ... ever-lost/

[Mellsblue]

Very good.

[Timmyspicyman]

Looks weak