Super Rugby 2018: Or Why It's Going To Be The Year Of The Highlanders Bitches

I am gradually losing my interest in test rugby and I used to believe it was a personal thing but these series against France have been really awful to watch.

Am I the only one?

What did you find about the series that was awful to watch?

In the first test, the expected pattern: France being able to front up until the 50th minute. The yellow card was only an excuse, the All Blacks would have run away with it anyway.
In the second test, the worst of the series, the All Blacks could never lose after the red card, but still they did not play well.
The third test was actually the best of the series, but alas, only for 40 minutes.

The inevitability of each All Blacks victory and the knowledge that they would eventually run away with it in the second half... Eventually I was only interested in seeing the new faces: How McKenzie goes at 10, how Goodhue performed (a bit wobbly in defense, I'd say), I liked Scot Barrett at lock and I absolutely loved Taylor in the first test...

But I felt there was nothing exciting about it, just another ABs thrashing on the cards...

Ok I see what your saying. I thought you may have been talking about the quality of the rugby played but France were looking to attack with their backs and only played with moderate amounts of kicking. Main problem was that France played very well in parts for each of the 3 games but just couldn't put it together long enough in any one game.

Quade Cooper wants to play for NZ Maori???????????

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/international/106597402/unwanted-wallabies-star-quade-cooper-would-like-to-play-for-new-zealand-maori

Is he eligible? Or does he have to play for a provincial NZ team?

I don't know. Luke McAlister played for the All Blacks in 2010 coming from Europe...
But I guess NZRU is keener to bend the rules for the All Blacks than for the Maori. After all, playing for the Maori is also an honor, and unlike the All Blacks, the NZRU don't feel the need to do whatever it takes to help them win.

What I find laughable is Quade Cooper saying he wants to "explore his heritage". Exploring his heritage is not done by playing on a rugby field with different people. It is done by moving to Waikato, settling down there, talking to people, long distance relatives, finding a local rugby club... Perhaps that can even help him work on his kiwi accent.

I disagree. And not just with Quade going to the Waikato to find his Ngapuhi iwi which he would have better luck finding in Northland

Perhaps he has realised that he is a washed up 30yo (excluding his presumable millions) who will never play for Australia again and is thinking back to simpler times when he was a small boy playing and watching rugby in NZ.

To be eligible for the MAB he will have to show his birth certificate to Maori elders and they will look through his whakapapa to discover his ancestors and see if any were Maori when the census was done circa 1870 and what their iwi and hapu are (can be multiple). Then he would give his mihi (introduction) where he talks about his ancestors and which mountain and river are his, etc. Actually playing rugby for the MAB would be the part of being in the MAB squad which wouldn't explore his heritage.

Oh my mistake. I assumed it had to be Waikato / BOP or thereabouts as was told some of the oldest traditions like Hangi, are typically found around Rotorua.

I'm sure living in the central North Island could help him connect with being Maori, but if he is trying to find learn about his own tribe then central Northland is the place.

My guess is that he is only interested in showing off against international opposition and do some trick or two to get the media talking him up again.

A couple of questions for everyone...

Thoughts on the lineup for Saturday? Does Mounga have what it takes

Secondly as à one eyed Cantabrian how do the rest of you feel about Jack Goodbye? Was reading the comments on Stuff and seems to be a fair amount of people thinking either he is not up to it at test level or has been rubbish. From what I saw he was a justified pick with a calm head on young shoulders

Mounga: he has got the goods, he just now needs good game time to polish him. He is the full package at super rugby level, now he needs to play test rugby. But we must remember it wss the same for Barret, Cruden and Carter. So far, so good.

Goodhue: he might or might not make it. But remember Ben Smith first tests in 2009, he was not anywhere near test level. What he needs is to pick up quickly in what to improve and work on that like other fringe All Blacks have.

There is only like 15 or 20 games until the WC so fringe players need game time in case we have another injury crisis and Beaver incident. I rate Mo'unga and Goodhue both very highly. The biggest talking point I would say is Shannon Frizell at 6 and for the first time in ages no specialist openside on the bench instead it's Luke Whitelock.

Goodhue hasn't set the world on fire in the last couple of tests but he's been solid. Stuff commentators can get stuffed.

I'm still a bit bemused by Frizell's quick rise. I think he's good but Hansen & Co must see something in him that I can't see because I don't think he's All Black caliber.

Safe to say Frizell went okay

Yeah, I was made to look stupid like a Stuff commentator.

But obviously Goodhue was great so that should shut the Stuff commentators up.

Mo'unga didn't have a great night but I still rate him at 10 over McKenzie so we should stick with him as the guy to be backup to Barrett. Need to keep throwing him game time as they can.

Milner-Skudder didn't impress as much as he needed to really. Unfortunately the 2018 edition isn't quite up to the NMS of earlier years thanks to that bloody string of injuries. I think we probably saw his last match as an All Black.

Well, as long as the article is not written by Mark Reason, Stuff is not that bad
Goodhue played perhaps his best game yet for the All Blacks? Mo'unga needs time at 10, and I can't see McKenzie as anything other than a 15. The issue I see is the midfield. With SBW constantly in and out, with Crotty's concussions and with Anton Lienert-Brown unable to claim a starting spot, there is only Laumape and Goodhue left? How many caps did Nonu and Conrad Smith amass?