post of the day!

its sad because you think ‘blogging’ , ie sitting at a desk tapping away on a computer, equates to “enjoying each others company”.

I cant entertain the concept of ‘meeting friends’ with anyone unless its face2face.

This is a blog. Not a halfway house for the recently de-friended.

So why exactly is that sad?

exactly what I was alluding to re Guildford. Odd because it essentially ranks him as our No1 winger at the moment.

@aliboy(aliboy)-348:

The 3 Blind Mice like what Ali brings to the team dynamic too, an ability to lighten the mood off the pitch and turn on the nutcase all-action gig on the pitch. He is vastly experienced and his lineout prowess both on or off AB throw has returned to high standards. Its noticeable that the speed has left him, understandably with an achilles injury, and the sneaky shirt-pulls are going to catch his team out when he gets found out in the centres. He strikes me as a bigmatch player tho, a willingness to take the lead. He’ll also be playing on home turf at Eden Park and in front of his family who are tight.

I don’t like it, but I think Williams will be the starting lock partnered with with Brad Thorn (the latter a certainty to start in all the big games). I just can’t see what Williams would offer off the bench, and Henry and Co aren’t going to leave him out of the match day 22.

Williams won’t be good for the whole 80 mins, so they will have to run Whitelock or, I suppose, Boric off the bench. That means we will only have one loose forward to cover all three positions, that will be Thomson I guess or Vito if he is injured.

Henry might go for a 5/2 split against a team like the boks, and have both Vito and Thomson on the bench…. with Weepu and Toeava covering the whole backline.

If Brad Thorn was was tall enough to be a strong lineout jumper, Vito could cover lock and 6/8 (he is actually taller than Thorn I think), but Thorn isn’t a real lineout option against the boks in particular and also Aus – so we have to have a tall, specialist lock on the bench.

I think this is why Gear and Sivivatu missed out. They are not going to be starting players, and are no good on the bench as they cover only one position. If one of the starting wingers picks up a serious injury, Henry & Co can always bring Gear or Sivi back into the team as a specialist replacement.

can anyone say, with absolute certainty, who the starting AB lock combo is ? Ali W has been played to get him up to speed, and rightly so, but Whitelock is the come’r and has the combo with Bad Thorn who, presumably, is a starter.

and they must think alot more of Boric than the rest of us to have picked him without any gametime.

Hosea 6th Gear is desperately unlucky, the Gear whanau must dread RWC announcements. He was injured at the wrong time, which didnt seem to affect the less-worthy Boric. Interesting to nb there being only one specialist-winger in Guildford, the others being wing-fullback’s.

I hope the selectors have made the right calls in keeping Ali Williams (who has been great in the lineouts but terrible in all other facets of the play including messing up backline moves that he has no place in) and Tony Woodcock (who was clearly well off the pace in PE. Hard to second guess the selectors at this stage however, they have all the data on where the fitness of these guys is at, and will have accurately plotted how fit the will be come the world cup.

Crockett Gear and Sivi are unlucky, but I can understand the reasons for them missing out. If Woodcock goes down, I think Crockett will be straight back in. I think the boks killed off the chances of Gear and Sivi – I think the first choice wings will be Dagg and Jane, as the selectors want fullbacks in those positions who are great under the high ball and who can kick. I.e. I think they have made essentially defensive selections rather than choosing the most exciting attacking players.

The team isn’t as exciting as in 2007, but hopefully we are better prepared for the road ahead!!!

From your concerned kiwi brother

so this is where you come to meet friends and hang out with people “who mostly like each other” ?

Sad and Sadder….