This was never really in doubt, the clubs have no ability to hold the players over the international window due to Reg9. All this means is those players can play all 4 games instead of the 3 stipulated in Reg9.

The only game they reasonably would have been NOT available for would be the game against Japan, which already shapes as the most likely test of the tour in which to try out fringe players.

I don’t know that people would identify Ardie as the “cause” of imbalance GP, it’s about selection across the three. The big problem with Ardie was that he got tagged as being able to play 8 when they shoe-horned him in there so they could play both him and Cane together. Some of the old “find a place for your best players” mentality that crops up every now and then in most countries, and most often in the backrow.

Of the high impact backrowers available, Ardie is still the best and most balanced in my opinion.

“Yes, I’d like the Workrate for main please. Could I get that with a side order of Workrate? And some Workrate grated on top? Cheers.”

One thing I will say about Goodhue that isn’t particularly evident in our other midfield options is gee he can run a good line!!! If he was a half-step quicker we wouldn’t eve be having this conversation.

Leicester Fainga’anuku played pretty well for the Crusaders in Ennor’s absence but I suspect he is considered as being a bit too one dimensional at present. That tag can be tough to shake but he’s only 21 so time definitely on his side there.

I like Ennor, but I think his injuries have robbed him of some pace which is a problem. Also he just hasn’t had the game time to show if he is up to international standard yet.

I’ve seen him give up to about half an hour of quality at international level. IT’s not enough to ever break into the top tier but it might be all we need this weekend.

The one depth question is centre Riccardo. If ALB is out, and Rieko is a Utility, who is the next best 13?

That bench is dynamite HL. If Big Patty T can bring the fire for 20-30 mins maybe that bench impact spot is his?

I knew ALB was injured but Papalii is news. And yes the depth chart has come in leaps and bounds in a short time and credit to Foster for finding the right times to play rookies into some international form. Last year’s results are looking more like an aberration with each passing week.

Goodhue will get his opportunity to play his way back, but I think he will struggle. Also I have always seen him as more of a centre than second/5.

A strong side and largely a horse for courses selection.

Back three probably the best highball unit available. With ALB out Havilli with the more direct Ioane outside him is the most balanced option available.

Front row, both starting and bench, looks very strong and should match up well to the opposition.

The back-row mix is fascinating. Papalii not making the side after being preferred earlier in the year is a bit of a surprise, and I think they will miss his work rate. Curious to see who will be replaced by Blackadder in the second half. I think there is some clever tactical selection happening here as the Boks game plan will probably result in the AB’s needing to make fewer tackles. That said if there is one place this selection might come unstuck it is in back-row workrate.

At once the most reasonable and least erudite argument I have ever made on this site….

I genuinely think it matters though!

It’s more about directness than crashing or tackle busting for me OB, and I’m not wedded to having that directness in a specific midfield position, I just like to have it somewhere. Also I want to be clear I’m talking about how the midfielders attack the line, not about distribution. Both Havilli and ALB are good distributers.

Schuster and Taylor were before my time, but Little and Bunce were a good example of having a player who relied more on nimble footwork (Little) and another who was more direct (Bunce). Mauger played with the VERY direct Umaga. Nonu was a direct player, even later in his career, it was his distribution that improved and interestingly the Nonu/Smith midfield was a very direct midfield, not a lot of footwork at the line in that pair, much more sharp line running.

My main concern is that both players have an instinct to go to the line, and then look for space to run into laterally. As soon as the midfield moves laterally that provides time for the opposition defence to slide across, to shut down inside holes and it forces team mates to check their runs to wait and see where their midfielder is going stop. A decent rush with a clever umbrella can really punish that approach to play. A more direct run, using pace and angle to split the defence is a really powerful counterpoint, adding another question for the defence: “Is this play going to lateral or direct? should I be watching the ball or watching the options?”.

So again, I really like both those players, but I think they are each more effective when paired with a more direct midfield partner, a la Tupea with ALB at the Chiefs and Havilli with Ennor at the Crusaders. All that said the lateral problem I perceive in the All Blacks gets really compounded when you have a bunch of other players who ALSO like to play laterally like Mo’unga, Dmac and Reece.

I think this is the key HL.

Akira and Ardie are different players but they both thrive in the same ROLE. The achieve it differently but both are best in the wide channels and have more impact when they can leave the grunt work to others.

It’s such a disservice to Ardie to have him playing tighter. It just isn’t his game!

Both Havilli and ALB have an instinct often slow down before the line and look to use footwork to get into space. This isn’t a problem but sometimes you just want a guy in midfield running hard on the angle. SO generally my issue with ALB and Havilli is, offensively, they are too similar and I would like a more direct presence alongside either on of them.

I think generally the pilfering role is starting to be more spread out across the team, a la how South Africa do it. Looking for more pilfers out of the tight 5, especially hooker, than out of the backrow these days. Dmac’s two pilfers on Saturday were frankly ridiculous and a far greater indictment on Argentina’s work at the breakdown than on the AB backrow in my opinion. I literally gasped both times watching the Argies flap into those rucks with no intent.

Ofa was good, but this Argentina side is not vintage and Ofa has been inconsistent in the past. I think he has probably dropped behind Laulala in the pecking order as Nepo has really started to shine. Still both have injury histories and it’s a big drop down to the next guy.

The game isn’t just about attack Bluesfan! Sometimes you have to balance attacking qualities with defensive ones, especially if there is a particular way you want to play that can put a player under pressure to execute.

The reason I want Ioane on the team is when he is playing well it’s his defence that really stands out and it can be properly punishing.

Alright HL, it’s disagreement hunting time!

Depth is decent, and has really improved, but still a couple of areas of weakness. Tighthead is still not a position of strength and Ta’avao, while a hard worker and good bugger, does not have the consistency of scrummaging performance I’m after. That said, Tyrel Lomax looks to be coming along nicely. Loosehead looks to be in safe hands now though which is a big plus.

The fourth Lock spot is a real problem. Big Patty T showed again on the weekend that his motor is fragile. He started extremely well and faded out hard. Tupou Vaa’i is still very raw, has some work to do on his body height (classic young lock comment) and feels a bit too much like he is still caught in that Lock/6 greyzone. The gap between the 3rd best and the 4th best in the second row remains a yawning chasm.

Midfield is a funny one and obviously I’ve already written a lot about it. Broadly I would say our depth there is fine and is only going to get better. With Goodhue back from injury next year, and Ennor working his way back there is clearly no issue with depth of quality. It’s really just getting the right players in the mix on game day. I freaking loved how Quinn Tupea straightened an AB attack that has been too lateral, but for the first time this year I felt the ABs attack was too straight! With Dmac underplaying at 10 and Tupea, R.Ioane and J.Barret all in the same backline we saw a lot more collision and a lot less hunting for space. My preference going forward is probably going to be classifying the midfielders as footwork or straightline players and then looking to get variety. Tupea with ALB, Havilli with R.Ioane or Ennor. Havilli and ALB, while clearly the best players currently at 12 and 13, just don’t pair that well in my eyes.

Back three selection basically comes down to personal taste and opposition. I would play Barret, Bridge and Jordan against the boks because all 3 are excellent under the highball with R.Ioane covering wing and centre from the bench. Against longer kicking teams I’d look to bring in Dmac and Reece who can carve up on the counter. Horses for courses.

I think given this years performances I’m going to have to give A.Ioane credit for improving massively. He no longer fades out of games and has big impact. I can’t mark him down for struggling with what is a very tricky gameplan that requires him to concertina across the field when attack switches to defence. His tight defence, after phase 3, is totally fine and often dominant, but that period as he works his way back in tight after a turnover is a problem not of his own making. Kieran Read could do it because his trundle speed was quite fast and he read the play well. Akira’s body is slower when he isn’t sprinting and his game awareness isn’t elite yet, hardly his fault. But you are right, the shape of the attack means he is basically not where he needs to be to defend a lot of the time and that puts pressure on his backrow partners, which in turn means Ardie has to play tighter. Sotutu is the same, though we need to see more of him to make an assessment about his work rate. I was generally impressed with his work with the Blues so I suspect his issue is just coming to grips with the requirements of international rugby.

Right now I would be looking at Ardie 7, Jacobson 8 and Blackadder 6 OR Papalii 7. Jacobson 8 and Ioane at 6. Either mix has two guys with high work rate both sides of the ball and a guy who can punish in the wide channels.

Depends very much on where they are playing.

Japan has a lot of respect for the International game and are in a position where they want to stay in World Rugby’s good books. As such they tend to take their regulation 9 commitments seriously.

Guys in France have bigger problems though it’s really on a team by team basis, and can be affected by something as little as ladder position. Most French sides will release players if they are sitting mid-table and don’t expect to be either competing for the finals or facing relegation. Those who have more urgent needs tend to be less willing to release players and will often pressure them to refuse intenrational call-ups even when regulation 9 demands the clubs release the players.

Quade and Kerevi play in Japan and Rodda is on his way back to Aus soon anyway, so I would only be worried about guys who have not yet featured, like Skelton and Arnold.

At the end of the day regulation 9 covers off 12 matches per year. 3 in July, 3 in November, 6 in the RC and an addition 3 squad sessions of up to 3 days each. So in most cases you would expect Australia to be able to call on all available players for all key matches in a year and be able to bring them in for key squad sessions.

Referees also need to call on the attacking team to use the ball when their maul is going backwards. Too often they get to move backwards and get set and don’t get called to use it, I can only assume because the maul hasn’t “stopped moving towards A goal line”. A law oversight in my opinion.

Data takes time to analyse, and the more data points the more accuracy of predictions. Or so the theory goes.

South Africa arrived in Australia with 5 sets of data against real competition since the WC final, and those sets are not perfectly aligned. Perhaps Neinaber feels he need more data before he changes a winning formula. One should try to replace PSDT before replacing the game plan perhaps? Seems a reasonable thesis.

I suspect however your fears are warranted, but not just from the coaches but the players. They seem flat. The pack look tired. Etzebeth looks to be heading out of his Retallack years and into his Whitelock years. Thor Vermeulen’s lightning looks spent. Where are the next beastly Bok locks and 8?

The Australian props are FAR better than their forebears, but they are not firebreathers nor world beaters (Taniela aside). Fresh blood might be needed, but will it grow in the limp scrums of the Celtic league?

The lack of muscle in the African meat is deeply alarming. No PTSD no power, No Snyman no fear.

Also when you have gone through the hands and been jockeyed to touch three times, is it not perhaps time to try running a line in midfield? The lack of punch against a young lamb centre and the not especially fast Kerevi was telling.

Weiss and Koch might be seeing red in their judiciary suits after two silly after the play/whistle actions that the citing commissioner might want to look at.

How can you play a game plan that relies on discipline and execution, without discipline or execution?

Quade Cooper moved as a New Zealander back in 2001. He basically had no path to Citizenship as at the time and the rules were only loosened for NZ citizens reasonably recently (2016 I believe the rules changed to allow for high earning NZ citizens). It has nothing to do with residency requirements and everything to do with the exclusion of NZ special category visas from the standard naturalisation and application processes. I’ve been through this process personally and know it intimately.

I can’t comment on the status of Genia’s mother’s source of citizenship. Generally there are significant immigration and visa challenges for many people who were impacted by PNG’s independence from Australia in 1975 resulting in a wide away of exceptions from the standard pathways. This would appear to be the issue for Will Genia.

When dealing with an institution it is only reasonable to challenge individuals when the institutions are open, transparent and well run. Not the way one could describe Australia’s immigration department over the last 20 years.

The Citizenship rules in Australia are pretty byzantine and it’s particularly difficult for New Zealanders and Papuan New Guineans due to the various exceptions both countries have in the immigration process.

Frankly though the fact that Will Genia isn’t a citizen is a genuine travesty given HIS MOTHER is Australian. That’s an absolute joke.

In Cooper’s case he is at the mercy of the usual rules which, while harsh and rather pointless, apply to all permanent residents applying for citizenship. I’m not sure making exceptions to those rules for sportspeople is setting the best precedent.

That’s a good point though I don’t agree in it’s entirety. The World Cup final and the second Lions test show when South Africa are at their best they are able to accumulate points while restricting the opponents point scoring opportunities though in both those games they were able to extend their lead significantly in the second half.

I think the challenge for the Boks it they rely a lot on scoreboard pressure and that requires not only forcing penalties but not giving away penalties as well. They got the scoreboard ticking over (though admittedly with Pollard’s off night that pressure was reduced) but they kept Australia in the game by offering up 7 shots at goal. I do not instinctively think of the Springboks as being a disciplined side, they are too keen to disrupt the breakdown for that. It really throws their desire to influence refereeing decisions into sharp relief. If they don’t get the rub of the green much of their game plan is under pressure.

Agreed Richie and that’s the point I was making. If you are going to try and give yourself a rest the way RSA do, you have to accept that the opponent is going to get a rest too.