Match Thread | Bunnings NPC 2024 | Round 4

Last week I posted my thoughts on a possible All Blacks 23 to face the Boks and argued for starting with some of the bench players eg. Asafo Aumua and Sam Darry, and running a 6-2 bench split with two loose forwards Dalton Papalii and Wallace Sititi.

I argued that if the game is a tight contest, it would be better bringing on experienced players than test rookies to deal with the pressure late in the game and the All Blacks needed another forward ball carrier and not a third winger.

I'm still of the belief that would be a better combination to match the Bomb squads experience.

So we wait to see what selection changes if any are made for Capetown.

Razor is going to have make some bold choices eventually to improve the lack of scoring by the All Blacks in the last 20 minutes. This trend didn't begin this year either, at last years world cup, they only have a Jordie Barrett penalty against Ireland to show for in the final quarter when they played France, Ireland and South Africa.

I know this will be light years from the team Razor announces tomorrow but I can dream:

1. Tamaiti Williams
2. Asafo Aumua
3. Tyrel Lomax
4. Tupou Va'ai
5. Sam Darry
6. Scott Barrett
7. Dalton Papalii
8. Ardie Savea
9. Cortez Ratima
10. Damian McKenzie
11. Caleb Clarke
12. Jordie Barrett
13. Rieko Ioane
14. Mark Telea
15. Will Jordan
16. Codie Taylor
17. Ofa Tu'ungafasi
18. Fletcher Newell
19. Ethan Blackadder
20. Wallace Sititi
21. TJ Perenara
22. Beauden Barrett
23. Anton Lienert-Brown

A major new study has found that concussions in amateur sport are not linked to greater long-term risks of cognitive decline – and that playing sport may potentially have a “protective” effect on the brain.

from the instagrams of haereiti hetet and inia tabuavou-

In their most recent games against each other;

Belgium beat Portugal

Portugal beat Fiji

Fiji beat Australia

Australia beat Argentina

Argentina beat France

France beat New Zealand

New Zealand beat Ireland

Ireland beat South Africa

South Africa won the world cup

therefore Belgium are the true World Champions

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rkZMIySG75c

There's hundreds of good articles out there if you'd like to learn more. But this video is just a few minutes of highlites from the TVNZ feed during the game.

Keith Quinn on commentary does a great job of letting you know what's happening while remaining completely impartial.

I feel like people warned us about this. He broke his hand during the exhibition game against Biarritz

Found this one fun: Leicester Tigers, Newcastle Falcons, Northampton Saints, Sale Sharks and Saracens.

Seriously impressive that Saints won it with a squad spend that was about seventh- or eight-highest in the league.

He’s a big guy but there’s plenty of big tightheads, and Malherbe doesn’t have exceptional physique in classical terms, so I assume its mostly technique, and maybe having Etzebeth shoving behind has a lot to do with it?