Bledisloe II: Is it time for a Mike (Cheika) drop?

[morepork]

RETALIKA/NOSFERATU!

[Doorzetbornandbred]

I wonder if it's worth making a sneaky bet that Owen Franks will finally score his first test try this weekend, on his 100th test.

Theres a bit of me now doesn't want to see him ever score a test try so he becomes a complete one off for evermore.

[zer0]

With you there. He's ~60 minutes away from greatness. If he finds himself in danger of scoring then i hope he just off's it to Retallick or someone.

[J Dory]

Teams up:

15: Jordie Barrett
14: Ben Smith
13: Jack Goodhue
12: Ngani Laumape
11: Waisake Naholo
10: Beauden Barrett
9: Aaron Smith
8: Kieran Read
7: Sam Cane
6: Liam Squire
5: Sam Whitelock
4: Brodie Retallick
3: Owen Franks
2: Codie Taylor
1: Joe Moody

Reserves:
16: Nathan Harris
17: Karl Tu'inukuafe
18: Ofa Tuungafasi
19: Scott Barrett
20: Ardie Savea
21: TJ Perenara
22: Damian McKenzie
23: Anton Lienert-Brown

[Spy]

That's probably my only slight beef with the team, in that I'd have preferred to have seen Lienert-Brown start ahead of Laumape. ALB played pretty well last week, and he's more a like-for-like substitute for Crotty.

Also, maybe we could just keep the vice-captain and one of the best fullbacks in the world in his preferred position. Poor old Ben always seems to be the one who gets moved to accommodate some one else at 15. Stick Jordie at 14, and see how he goes there.

Irrelevant quibbles, really, as we should win regardless.

[Spy]

As for ALB, I'm not fully convinced he's fully progressed since his break-out year of 2016.

Some truth in that, although one could make exactly the same statement about Laumape. Fair to say, probably, that there isn't a clear-cut winner, only preferences.

[Doorzetbornandbred]

I guess we shouldn't be too surprised with Laumape starting. He and Goodhue combined well last year against that France XV team the All Blacks played. I suppose Hansen and Foster want another look at it. With Crotty out for as long as it'll probably take, why not give Goodhue an extended run?

I think Goodhues there to stay, he looks the real deal. Very very good at doing the ordinary things extroadinarily well.

[morepork]

Non spaz stream....pleeeeze

[Lizard]

Good luck. SkyGo was spazzing during the Black Ferns' game.

[rowan]

It's the Beauden Barrett show!

[Lizard]

Points before and after half time. Again.

[morepork]

Savea fucking Pocock right up.

[zer0]

So, assuming both conversions went over, we'd have had more points disallowed then Australia actually managed. On that, disappointed not to get the half century. But it's ultimately neither here nor there.

I particularly enjoyed the full frontal assault, Crusaders style, try to open the second half. Would like to see a bit more of it at times, and glad it was Moody who crashed over and sacrificed himself to enable O.Franks to attain front-row apotheosis.

[Lizard]

In the Bledisloe matches so far, aggregate first half score is 19-13 to NZ. Second half aggregate is 59-12.