Selection panel should be Bob Dwyer, and Nic Bishop!

There is a mix of pacific heritage and foreign born. My premise was tongue in cheek. The Crusaders will never get the chop and are the strongest club, hence the post. New Zealanders are keen to see an Australian team get the chop, but when it is suggested a NZ team get the chop, alarm bells go off and we get all this reaction. The premise for chopping the Rebels is mainly due to the lack of quality Wallabies. Perhaps the failing of Australian Super Rugby is not in the teams or number of teams, but on the development and retention of players.

His Grandma is Samoan. https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/70023646/samoan-all-blacks-first-xv-the-players-nz-snared

Chop the Crusaders and NZ can help the Tongan Team to select their best players, rather than the All blacks pilfering foreigners. famous Tongan All blcks: 1: Carl Hoeft
All Blacks number: 971
Tests: 30
Debut: v England (27 June 1998)
Final Test: v France (20 November 2003)
Mini bio: A text-book scrumagger and powerful defender, Carl Hoeft become a fixture in the All Blacks front row in the late 1990s alongside Anton Oliver and Kees Meeuws. Hoeft’s time in the black jersey spanned over five years, 30 Test matches and included Rugby World Cup appearances in 1999 and 2003. At 115kgs and 1.84cm, Hoeft was an imposing presence in the number one jersey and just gets the nod over Ofa Tu’ungafasi in this All Blacks/Tongan selection.

2: Saimone Taumoepeau
All Blacks number: 1045
Tests: 3
Debut: v Italy (13 November 2004)
Final Test: v Scotland (26 November 2005)
Test points: 5 (1 try)

Mini bio: Better known as a loosehead prop, Tongan-born Saimone Taumoepeau also played hooker during his first class career so takes up the rake position in this line-up. Taumoepeau immigrated to New Zealand at the age of 20 and didn’t take long to make an impact with his All Blacks debut coming at the age of 24 against Italy. It was a memorable debut for mobile front-rower with a well-deserved try in the 59-10 victory. Taumoepeau played two more Tests on the All Blacks 2005 Grand Slam tour but struggled for more opportunities in the black jersey with All Blacks centurion Tony Woodcock having a stronghold on his position.

3: Karl Tu’inukuafe
All Blacks number: 1171
Tests: 13*
Test debut: 2018 v France

Mini bio: Although used predominantly as a loosehead for the All Blacks so far, Tu’inukuafe takes the number three jersey to complete a formidable front row of Tongan All Blacks. Not many players have made as big a splash as Tu’inukuafe did in his debut international season in 2018. At 135kg, Tu’inukuafe is a rock in the front row but also extremely mobile and skilled for such a big man. He was rewarded with a nomination for the World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year Award in 2018 to cap off a brilliant season.

4: Arthur Jennings
All Blacks number: 659
Games: 6
Debut: v British Columbia (14 October 1967)
Final Game: v Monmouthshire (6 December 1967)

Mini bio: Athletic lock Arthur Jennings is notable for being both the first Fijian and Tongan to play for the All Blacks (he is of Fijian and Tongan heritage). A stalwart of Bay of Plenty rugby from 1962 to 1970, Jennings made the breakthrough to the All Blacks after an impressive trial in 1967. Known for his jumping skills in the lineout and rangy ball-running, Jennings played six games on the All Blacks tour to Canada, Britain and France.

5: Vaea Fifita
All Blacks number: 1168
Tests: 9*
Debut: v Samoa (16 June 2017)

Mini bio: At 1.96cm and 111kg, Vaea Fifita has the perfect mix of height, power and speed to partner Arthur Jennings in the second row. An electric ball-runner and proficient line-out jumper, Fifita has impressed in his opportunities with the All Blacks so far. A player with genuine x-factor, Fifita showcased his game-breaking ability with a sensational try against Argentina in 2017. With the game in the balance, Fifita outflanked the Pumas defence to coast in for a try from over 50 metres out as the All Blacks went on to win 39-22.

6: Sione Lauaki
All Blacks number: 1055
Tests: 17
Debut: v Fiji (10 June 2005)
Final Test: v Samoa (3 September 2008)
Test points: 15 (3 tries)

Mini bio: Sione Lauaki first captured the attention of the rugby world when playing in a Test match for the Pacific Islanders against the All Blacks in 2004. Lauaki was a constant menace with ball in hand for the Pacific Islanders and crossed for a brilliant try in the 41-26 loss. The following year, Lauaki was selected in the All Blacks where he continued his devastating ball-running across 17 Test matches. Shannon Frizell is an unlucky contender for the number six jersey.

7: Tanerau Latimer
All Blacks number: 1089
Tests: 5
Debut: v France (13 June 2009)
Final Test: v France (28 November 2009)
Mini bio: Whilst he is well known for his Maori background, Tanerau Latimer also has some Tongan ancestry. Latimer was destined for success from a young age after debuting for the All Blacks Sevens at just 17. He transferred his skills to the fifteen-a-side game where he quickly became one of the leading openside flankers in the country. Known for his speed around the park and relentless work at the breakdown, Latimer was unfortunate to play in the same era as the great Richie McCaw. Latimer played all five of his Test matches in 2009 but remained a star at Super Rugby level where he played over 100 games for the Chiefs.

No 8: Isitolo Maka
All Blacks number: 972
Tests: 4
Debut: v England (27 June 1998)
Final Test: v South Africa (15 August 1998)
Test points: 5 (1 try)

Mini bio: Unstoppable close to the line and commanding at the back of the scrum, Isitolo Maka was a powerhouse No.8 who gained four All Blacks caps in the 1998 season. Able to bust through defenders like bowling pins, Maka used all of his 120kgs to full effect. Maka’s combination with Sione Lauaki in the loose forwards of this selection would cause nightmares for opposition defenders and ensure there is no shortage of go-forward ball for the backline.

9: Augustine Pulu
All Blacks number: 1136
Tests: 2
Debut: v USA (1 November 2014)
Last Test: v Scotland (15 November 2014)

Mini bio: The Counties Manukau and Blues halfback earned himself an All Blacks call up for the 2014 end of year tour. He was the only uncapped player named for the tour. He had caught the eye of All Blacks selectors with a series of consistent and energetic performances at provincial and Super Rugby level. Pulu played for club side Karaka and was another rugby talent to come out of the prestigious Wesley College. He joined fellow Wesley students Malakai Fekitoa and Charles Piutau in the 2014 end of year tour squad.

10. Richie Mo’unga
All Blacks number: 1167
Tests: 9*
Debut: v France XV (14 November 2017)
Test points: 52 (1 try, 19 conversions, 3 penalties)

Mini bio: It’s hard to believe Richie Mo’unga is still only 24. He’s been on the scene since making his Canterbury debut as a 19-year-old in 2013. He wasn’t even named in the Canterbury NPC squad that year, but a series of injuries and All Black absences meant he got the call up. Mo’unga went on to make eight appearances in 2013 and earned a full-time contract the following year. His breakthrough season came in 2017, where he started all of his 13 Super Rugby games for the Crusaders. He played for the Barbarians against the All Blacks at Twickenham in late 2017, before joining the All Blacks for their Northern Tour. He’s an exciting and very consistent player, and he’s got some electric players alongside him in this All Blacks/Tongan selection.

11. Jonah Lomu
All Blacks number: 941
Tests: 63
Debut: v France (26 June 1994)
Final Test: v Wales (23 November 2002)
Test points: 185 (37 tries)

Mini Bio: At aged 19 years, 45 days Jonah Lomu is still the youngest ever All Black. He’s one of the greatest ever players to have don the black jersey. When Lomu was at his best, he was virtually unstoppable. Standing at 1.96m and weighing up to 120kgs, Lomu was in top physical condition. He could run 100 metres in around 11 seconds. He attended two World Cup tournaments and achieved in other areas of rugby as well, winning gold with the New Zealand Sevens team at the Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur. Lomu finished his career with 203 first class games, scoring 126 tries. He played 73 games in total for the All Blacks, 63 of which were tests. His life changing moment came in the semifinal against England at the 1995 World Cup, when he ran straight over the top of Mike Catt. From that moment, everyone knew who Jonah Lomu was. Statistics don’t do full justice to the impact Lomu made in New Zealand and world rugby.

12. Ngani Laumape
All Blacks number: 1160
Tests: 10*
Debut: v British & Irish Lions (1 July 2017)
Test points: 30 (6 tries)

Mini bio: This is one position that might cause some discussion. It was a tough decision between Ngani Laumape and Pita Alatini, but in the end the Manawatu midfielder got the nod. Born in Palmerston North, Laumape attended Palmerston North Boys High School and went on tour with the first XV to Britain and Thailand. However, when Laumape left school, he was offered a contract at the Warriors and he chose to make the switch to league. A knee injury ended his season in 2015 and he decided he wanted to make the move back to the fifteen-man code. He made his Super Rugby debut for the Hurricanes in 2016 and he’s gone from strength to strength. Laumape was introduced into the All Blacks squad for the 2017 Pasifika Challenge and the British and Irish Lions tour.

13. Malakai Fekitoa
All Blacks number: 1131
Tests: 24
Debut: v England (7 June 2014)
Test points: 40 (8 tries)

Mini bio: Tongan-born Fekitoa joins Laumape in the midfield. He was a teenage talent at Wesley College, and it didn’t take long for the explosive midfielder to catch the eye of Auckland selectors. Named in their 2012 NPC squad, Fekitoa made 12 appearances and scored three tries and was signed by the Blues for the 2013 season. His Super Rugby introduction didn’t go as planned however, making just one appearance against France. Fekitoa signed with the Highlanders in 2014 and became a key member of their squad and their historic Super Rugby title in 2015. Fekitoa’s elevation to the All Blacks and his debut against England came just four months after he entered Super Rugby.

14. Doug Howlett
All Blacks number: 992
Tests: 62
Debut: v Tonga (16 June 2000)
Final Test: v Romania (29 September 2007)
Test points: 245 (49 tries)

Mini bio: Doug Howlett remains the All Blacks’ leading try scorer, after he scored 49 tries in 62 tests between 2000-2007. He started playing rugby at Auckland Grammar and was also an exceptional track runner. He was still at school when he made his first appearance for Auckland in 1996. After stints at the Highlanders and Hurricanes, Howlett found his home at the Blues and in 2000 he was recognised by All Blacks selectors. He made his debut against Tonga, which was extra special given Howlett’s Tongan heritage. Howlett ranks among the great All Black wings. He appeared in 103 Super Rugby matches, including the Blues’ victorious 2003 campaign.

15. Charles Piutau
All Blacks number: 1122
Tests: 17
Debut: v France (22 June 2013)
Test points: 25 (5 tries)

Mini bio: Whilst Charles Piutau only played on the wings for the All Blacks, he takes the 15 jersey in this side, after plying his trade at fullback for the Blues, and currently for his Premiership club side, the Bristol Bears in the UK. He’s now one of the highest paid players in world rugby. In 2010, he represented Tonga at the Junior World Championships in Argentina and in 2011 he was the top try scorer for the New Zealand Under 20 side. He played for club side Pakuranga and starred for the All Blacks Sevens team that won the World Series in 2011/12. Piutau grew up in Mangere and like many others in this All Blacks/Tongan team, attended Wesley College.

Chop the Crusaders. Let’s face it, NZ rugby relies too much on foreign islander born players. Cutting a NZ team can free up New Zealanders to play for their country, rather than stacking the side with pacific islanders, who could play for their country and strengthen their national sides. Look at some Samoans who played for New Zealand, who could have played for Samoa: 1: Charlie Faumuina

Faumuina played 50 tests for the All Blacks & was a World Cup winner in 2015. His ball skills and footwork belied his 127kg frame.
Honourable mentions: John Afoa and Neemia Tialata

2: Kevin Mealamu

There wasn’t much debate in the hooking role for this team. Mealamu’s 132 tests make him the second most capped All Black of all time, behind only the talismanic Richie McCaw.

3: Olo Brown

Set Piece powerhouse Brown was the cornerstone of the All Black pack through the 1990’s, accumulating 56 test caps. Fellow propping legends Os Du Randt and Jason Leonard regarded Brown as the best tight head they ever scrummaged against.

4 Patrick Tuipulotu

Tuipulotu typifies the physicality of the modern lock and has shown great leadership abilities by captaining Auckland at provincial level and the Blues at Super Rugby level. His 30 tests make him the most capped Samoan All Black lock ever.

5: Ross Filipo.

Lock is one position where there wasn’t a lot of depth of options, but Filipo adds mobility to the second row and is the perfect foil for Tuipulotu.

6: Jerry Collins

The late Jerry Collins is widely recognised as one of the most fearsome defenders in rugby history. A veteran of 48 tests including 3 as captain, his uncompromising style is a natural fit for the blindside jersey.
Honourable mention: Jerome Kaino

7: Sir Michael Jones

The great Sir Michael Jones revolutionised the 7 jersey with his athleticism. He accrued 55 tests for the All Blacks over a 12-year span and was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame in 2003.
Honourable mention: Josh Kronfeld

8: Rodney So’oialo

The Wellingtonian number 8 played fullback in his high school days & 7s for New Zealand. That speed and dynamism allowed him to accrue 62 tests for the All Blacks.

9: Graeme Bachop

A standout at the 1995 world cup, Bachop was one of the best passers the All Blacks have ever had.

10: Stephen Bachop

​

The older brother of halfback Graeme, Stephen Bachop was part of the infamous Otago wins against the British and Irish Lions in 1993 and Springboks in 1994.

11: Julian Savea

Nicknamed “The Bus” for his size & strength, Savea was the prototypical power wing. His 46 tries in 54 tests demonstrate his finishing abilities at the highest level.

12: Ma’a Nonu

103 tests across 13 seasons & a key figure in the World Cup wins of 2011 & 2015. Nonu is arguably the greatest 12 the All Blacks have ever produced.

13: Frank Bunce

Probably the toughest position to select when you consider who misses out, Bunce was the complete centre in both attack and defence.
Honourable mentions: Tana Umaga, Anton Lienert Brown, Joe Stanley.

14: BG Williams

The original Polynesian power wing, Williams terrorised defences through the 1970s. He was a hero to young Samoans growing up in that period and he is widely regarded as one of the pioneers of Samoan rugby in New Zealand.

15: Christian Cullen

One of the best attacking fullbacks in rugby history, the “Paekakariki Express” was a sight to behold in full flight. He scored over 150 tries across his first class career in New Zealand.
Honourable mention: Mills Muliaina.

The nice man cometh.
Test Career
Span Mat Won Lost Draw %
All Tests 71 33 35 3 48.59
NZ 14 2 11 1 17.85

That’s because they never apologised.

Campese has been named as fullback and Ewen McKenzie is named as prop.

unlucky. In that case donaldson should be 10

quality. fast ball and excellent player.

why not?

we need to blood a new fly half. Time for Reesjan Pasitoa.

Time to bring in a world class ex all black number 9. Tawera Kerr-Barlow

Time to get a dynamic number 6. Seru Uru
Time to make Frost permanent in number 4 or 5.
we need the x factor. bring in Suliasi Vunivalu

my 15:
1. Bell
2. Josh Nasser
3. AAA
4. Frost
5. Philip
6. Uru
7. Mc Wright
8. Nasairani
9. Tawera Kerr-Barlow
10. Reesjan Pasitoa
11. Korobete
12. Paisami
13. Ikitau
14. Suliasi Vunivalu
15. Jock Cambell

Dally Messenger, Andy Farrell, Sony Bill Williams. All 3 much better!

Our B side is doing ok. we are not allowed to pick our A side. That’s the rules! If we were allowed to pick the best players, then we would expect different results.

Brad Thorne. Great defence coach!

Has the penny dropped? Australia is short on exceptional players when it comes to banning most of its overseas players. Australia has very long odds on winning super rugby titles yet plans its test team selection around a competition that we constantly are dominated in. Many Australian players who have played abroad have gained experience and improved significantly.

Several Years ago the standard of South African rugby was in peril. When they allowed overseas players into the Springboks team they quickly became the best rugby team in the world.

The lure of a potential Wallabies jersey as opposed to being set up financially for life to care for your family and provide that financial security is the choice that sees many players seeking the money, gaining experience, and actually improving their chance of playing for the Wallabies, as many who have returned from overseas are rushed into the Wallabies team.

Choice: 1. play super rugby and hope you may be considered for a Wallabies jersey in the future, knowing that players who have played overseas get picked ahead of you anyway.

Choice 2. Play in Japan or Europe, get financially set for life to look after your family, improve your rugby skills and experience, and increase your chances of playing for the Wallabies, after Australians back home realise your talent.

Choice 3. Play overseas. Get financially set for life, improve your rugby and get selected to that countries team, either by descendant, or living there several years.

Choice 4. Play rugby league. Be a big fish in a small pond.

Not picking our best players, is the result we are experiencing and will continue to experience. The money is not going away. The simple nostalgic choice 1 is not pragmatic. Is it Australian Rugby’s strategic plan to do everything in its power to get the best players playing Super Rugby? That is not working. Shouldn’t the plan be to be the best in the world and pick our best players?

I would like to see Campese as attack coach!

I’ve heard Mark Ella might be around to play! Why look to the future when you can call up players from the past!

Who are the selectors and who selects players for game day? If we selected the best players for the position then we would fare better. Is there still too much politics in Australian rugby? The Force made the finals yet not represented at test level. Surely there is outstanding talent there!

Agreed! All our eggs are in the Noah basket. Noah is good, but we need a second option. We need to blood another flyhalf now!

Chieka never got it and Rennie is making errors in strategy. Bob Dwyer was a master in strategy. The wallabies won world cups when we played smart rugby. The Aussie way was never about ball in hand, it was all about smart rugby.

Hi Nick,
To summarise: we have a good coach. We have good players. We are selecting the wrong players in positions. We are choosing wrong options and tactics. We are playing dumb rugby.
Who is the Wallabies strategist? How important is a strategist to the team? Would a top quality strategist be able to turn things around for the wallabies? Who are the best candidates for the wallabies strategist?

Thanks Will. I thoroughly enjoyed you playing for the Wallabies – brilliant halfback. With your experience and insight, who would you start as halfback for the Wallabies and who should be reserve? I am also interest in hearing who you think is a good prospect in the future for halfback.

1. shot-clocks YES
2. Penalty goals reduced from three points to two – Better- Penalty and field goal 1 point, try 3 points – no conversion. Reward tries. Imagine 7’s without conversions! The game would focus on tries completely.
3. Allow the TMO to review the game as play continues and decide how to act in that time. YES and give a time limit also.
4. Make throwing the ball away an offence YES – and kicking it away!
5. Get rid of marks in the 22 NO

6. reduce the number of players from 15 to 14 – 7 forwards and 7 backs. It will open the game up. Reducing the scrum from 8 to 6 will place less risk on injury, collapse and reset. Removing both breakaways from the scrum will achieve this and open plan. 1 breakaway would be able to join the lineout.

Neser should replace Hazelwood and Richardson should replace Starc. 🏏