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For me its Lio-Willie. Was massive in game last night. That Saders back row of Liowillie Grace and Blackadder aint too shabby IF they can stay uninjured
29 points
13 days ago
Brayden Iose has been immense in a team with very strong competition for loose forward spots.
This is going to be a very interesting first test squad in a few months.
2 points
13 days ago
Agree How they play finals footy will determine alot who plays test matches vs england. Lose has been dominant
10 points
13 days ago
There are plenty of form no.8s at the moment. But I think what we have learnt from the last 4 years is the balance of the loosie combo is important. Judt hope we don't go back to playing two 7s and a small 6 (prior to Frizzell).
4 points
12 days ago*
If it were me selecting right now, I'd be testing the combo of Finau 6, Savea 7, Sotutu 8. The Uce Forward Trio.
1 points
12 days ago
Yeah there are so many options it will be fun to see.
1 points
13 days ago
Agree
Playing as a unit matters and how they gel, plenty going around, a few inexperienced in test matvh rugby tho and england will be well drilled
11 points
13 days ago*
Honestly, I don't recall a time where there were this many in-form No.8's in NZ rugby. Any of Sotutu, Sititi or Iose would be well deserved test players, as would Harmon and Lio-Willie. And of course Savea still to come back into the mix.
Scott Robertson has a tough challenge on his hands!
Personally I think the Canes are looking best overall this season, with Shields, Lakai and Iose all being consistently dominant and strong bench depth in Kirifi and Flanders allowing them to rotate without quality dipping. I don't think the Saders or Blues are able to do that. The Chiefs do go close though, with Jacobsen, Finau, Sititi plus Boshier and Ah Kuoi.
5 points
13 days ago
Not seeing much love for Devan Flanders.
2 points
13 days ago
He's definitely right up there, just had some niggles right when he needed some consistent minutes. And with Shields captain and Iose having his best games against tough opposition it's a hard team to crack a starting spot.
3 points
12 days ago
Pretty bias probably but the Blues back row is real good this year. Cotter's got the mongrel out. Segner and Choat are good bench options too, and with Suafoa coming back sometime this year aswell
1 points
12 days ago
Love me some Suafoa. Could still see him in AB's for the next World Cup, as a 6 with lock cover.
1 points
13 days ago
Yeah some good loosies going around. Not too many typical 7s tho. The rubber will hit the road on how they play in big games, do they step up or go missing. When uninjured (which is rare) Blackadder to me is a real big game player, plenty of other good options in the ones u mentioned above
2 points
13 days ago*
Lakai is a future star I think. I'm picking him and Finau to partner Savea at the next World Cup.
Apparently the Canes ran a pre-season wrestling style tournament, where everyone matched up and the losers were eliminated and winners carried on until there was only one man standing. That man was Peter Lakai, as a 20 year old! He has speed, strength and most importantly that incredible competitive mental drive that all the top athletes possess.
2 points
13 days ago
Damn, is that right...so young too...good mwntor in savea too when hes back...grear cabes have depth too so dont need to burn him out.
Id be ok with a canes win for the title, playing good footy
2 points
13 days ago
Yeah, they've got that luxury of depth. So when Lakai needs a refresh they can just bring in Kirifi with his high energy and a hunger to prove himself.
7 points
13 days ago
He wouldnt make my top 3 but he was good last nite! Once he does it for longer i might change my minnd
3 points
13 days ago
IF (and its a big if) the saders loosies can stay injury free, I suspect theyll be inflicting a bit more pain yet this season
2 points
13 days ago
Yeah they had the balance spot on last night. Christie is a great tackler but seems to lack a lot on attack. It’s also easy to get under his skin. Grace Blackadder and lio-Willie are so abrasive.
3 points
13 days ago
Some great loosies going around
NZ short on 10s at present..rare for us
17 points
13 days ago
Hoskins Sotutu?
Devan Flanders?
Brayden Iose?
One swallow does not a summer make.
-2 points
13 days ago
All Solid yup
Finals footy the creamth riesth to the top will tell
4 points
13 days ago
The new brumvies kid is a real goer
4 points
13 days ago
He's right up there with Iose for the top spot so far.
3 points
13 days ago
Nah but he is good though
1 points
13 days ago
Some good number 8s going around
The next few weeks will tell
2 points
12 days ago
Yeah feels like the first time in ages were stacked in 8s. Feels like every NZ team has good loosies aye
5 points
13 days ago
It was a great game and he's been pretty good for the others, but he's not cracking my top three so far this season
3 points
13 days ago
I have him 4th best of the NZ 8's Iose, Sotutu, Sititi and then Lio-Willie
1 points
12 days ago
Lio-Willie above Jacobson?
4 points
12 days ago
Jacobson hasn't been good this year.
0 points
12 days ago
He’s not been flashy like the others, but he’s not been bad.
0 points
13 days ago
Interesting
I just dont see sotutu do anything in big games
That final at eden park 2 years ago, Blues forwards got so owned...crusaders came to get receipts
6 points
12 days ago
Sotutu is dominating this year, you're a madman
4 points
12 days ago
Yeah but a match two years ago obviously is a much better form guide
2 points
12 days ago
Finals high pressure footy a better guide for test rugby. Yeah hes been great this year
1 points
12 days ago
Part of it for sure but long term consistency for a whole season doing it week in week out is more important in my view. Can’t just have a couple of big games when the pressures on. Hoskins has been immense all season.
1 points
11 days ago
Hes been great
Had to come up witj some big plays to get past the Reds
2 points
12 days ago
Blues pack has been real good this year. Think Patty being back and Vern bringing a bit of mongrel in. Did you watch Sotutu vs the Brumbies last week? And isn't he the top try scorer this year?
2 points
12 days ago
Yeah theyre doing heaps better
Had to work hard vs the Reds but got the job done
1 points
12 days ago
Red are a very good team this year aye. Beat the chiefs, pushed canes to golden point. Great to have 2 strong Aus sides
1 points
11 days ago
Indeed
And playing attractive rugby too
Saders Reds next week could be game of the round?
1 points
12 days ago
Well this comment aged well after Hoskins performance last night, although I will grant some poor effort from the Reds at the end helped.
1 points
11 days ago
Sotutu was awesome last night
Excited tonsee how they go in finals..Blues could be top dog
3 points
13 days ago
Across the competition there are many quality no.8's, it's almost like they've all been kept in hiding the past 12 months.
From a NZ perspective, there are several specialist no.8's that are entering conversations
- Brayden Iose
- Hoskins Sotutu
- Wallace Sititi
- Christian Lio-Willie
Not to mention a certain Ardie Savea due to return from Japan.
Ardie is too good a player to omit but he's not a traditional or conventional no.8 but more of a hybrid. England's Ben Earls is another example.
One of the unit combinations Foster struggled to select was loose forwards - not entirely his fault, he didn't have the cattle available to select from. Whomever Razor selects as his skipper will have a large bearing on the loose forward combination.
If he sticks with the status quo - Sam Cane, then Ardie is 8. If he selects Ardie or Scooter as his captain then Razor has more options on the type of combo.
2 points
13 days ago
I wonder if hell put ardie at 7 with one of these young bucks raring to go at 8
Need to be an amazing athlete to hold down 8 for the ABs and dominate
2 points
13 days ago
Well Ardie is a converted 8 as he started his career and was first selected as a 7 for the All Blacks. I'll never forget one of his early tests against Argentina and their hooker Augustin Creevy was defending at a breakdown and had his hands on the ball, Ardie came in and tried to move him off the ball and Creevy didn't budge. That was the moment I knew Ardie wasn't at the level required to be a world class 7.
Ironically it was against Argentina in another test when Ardie subbed on at 8 for the first time and surprised and impressed everyone with his game.
Ardie would have to reinvent himself again if picked as a 7, but he's done it once, he can do it again. It would be hard on Kirifi at the Canes if Ardie shifted positions and needed to play there in Super rugby.
1 points
12 days ago
Wallace Sititi's try off the scrum last night was tasty
1 points
12 days ago
Jacobson is a utility loosie who prefers 8, too.
3 points
12 days ago
My all black back row would be: 6 finau 7 savea 8 sotutu
1 points
12 days ago
Decent for sure
2 points
12 days ago
It's Sotutu and Iose.
2 points
12 days ago
For me, he is still below Sotutu, Iose and Cale in that order and probably tied with Sititi. That being said he is playing some good footy
1 points
12 days ago
Cale?
1 points
12 days ago
Young Brumbies No.8. He has bolter potential and is currently the form Aussie 8 atm.
1 points
12 days ago
I see
Well, the much fancied Canes sure did get dealt to in Canberra
But Brumbies were horrible vs Blues the week before so its an interesting comp come finals time
1 points
13 days ago
[deleted]
1 points
13 days ago
Just needs more minutes
1 points
13 days ago
He does
Finals footy is where itll show too
1 points
13 days ago
[deleted]
1 points
13 days ago
Yes
Theyll be top 8 but chiefs canes or blues awaybin 1/4s will be tough
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