New Zealand Joshua Ritchie Alan Izett DJ Edwards Jason Denton Heath Davis JD Hurricane Dexter Astele Samuel Yates Sam Bakkum Dan Larkinson Matt Dorn Gareth Weaver John Heads Geoff Smith Regan Hutchinson Chris Smith James Torres Mike Martyn Simon Humble Matt Scoble PM Jackson Damien Taylor Australia Benny Read Tom Delonge Wes Welker Morgan Burridge Donald Boland Ben Manera League Lover Pretzel Spark Rob Cribb Aaron Hunt Daniel Speirs Dion Alessi Steve Cambridge Ben Herd Alistair Son 16. Dave Eggman 17. Aaron O'Neill 18. Choco Man 19. Jazman Eightyfour 20. Charlie Downes 21. Kelvin Fung 22. James Hughes
Can someone do a preview comparing the strengths and weaknesses of the sides. The oddsmakers have them evenly matched.
Australia demolishes NZ at frontrow. NZ dominates at lock. Flank/8 maybe NZ just. 9/10 Australia again. Outside backs evenish NZ though IMO.
Roughly this, I'd say our backs are definitely better from 11-15. If Humble wasn't shunting it Flanker/8 would be less even, but definitely a fair analysis.
First time in 41 years i've heard of a spine for union. Our friends in the league forum talk about it quite a bit. Did you invent the (8-10) being the spine or is it an actual concept for union?
I believe it's a term borrowed from League, mainly because some #8s are starting to resemble a League hooker in some ways. Often you see a #8 pick the ball up from the back of the scrum or maul but more often now we're starting to see players with some creative skill fill that position. A fashionable play seems to be to take it forward a few steps and pass short to the scrum-half, who can therefore become a quasi-first reciever. The most regular example I've seen in the premiership of an 8-9-10 playing this way are Easter, Care and Evans for Harlequins. While there are still plenty of traditional straight-forward #8s at the top sides (especially Leicester and Saracens) I'm starting to hear the 'spine' talked about quite often and I think it's for this reason. In particular remember listening to an episode of the Eggchasers podcast (recommended but very anglo-centric) where one of the contributors insisted that Harlequins would best Bath this season despite an inferior tight 5, centres and wings because of their spine. In the end he was right.
It's also widely understood in professional circles that Athlai cannot stop himself giving the ball away.