PolicyGuy:

 

It's ten more players, right?

 

So, for sure they'll take specialists: a loosehead prop, a tighthead prop and a hooker (coach has already mentioned them); two loose forwards; and a halfback.
That's six. Who/where would be the other four?

Handle9: Probably another lock, a 5/8, a midfield back and an outside back

OK, who's who in the zoo? Names?

• a loosehead prop
• a hooker
• a tighthead prop
• a lock
• two loose forwards - Bochier and ...?
• a halfback - Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi?
• a 5/8
• a midfield back
• an outside back

Or might it be

• a loosehead prop
• a hooker
• a tighthead prop
• three players covering lock and loosie - Bochier and ... and ...?
• a halfback - Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi?
• two players covering 5/8 and back three
• a midfield back

Let the wild speculation begin! :D

These comments are unusually honest from Rugby Australia. It also gives some context to why Sanzar doesn't want to change the dates.

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/rugby-union/rugby-australia-nzr-relationship-at-its-lowest-ebb-mclennan-20200929-p560fe.html

Memo to the ABs:

For just a moment, think about the police, nurses, ambulance workers, armed forces personnel, doctors, service station personnel, fire service staff etc ... many of these who will also be away from family on Xmas day, most for significantly less pay than you receive, and almost all of them spending their working Xmas day in a less desirable location than a 4-star hotel.

Seriously, get over it, I'm tired of this non-issue clogging the news day after day.

dafman:

 

Memo to the ABs:

 

For just a moment, think about the police, nurses, ambulance workers, armed forces personnel, doctors, service station personnel, fire service staff etc ... many of these who will also be away from family on Xmas day, most for significantly less pay than you receive, and almost all of them spending their working Xmas day in a less desirable location than a 4-star hotel.

 

Seriously, get over it, I'm tired of this non-issue clogging the news day after day.

 

Well, it was not what was agreed. If that police, nurses, ambulance workers etc were all told they could be with their families on Xmas day and then were told they couldn't, then you could imagine they would have right to be upset.

It just needs to be worked through. If it gets clicks, it will be reported. Surely, you know this by now. There are equal number of stupid articles on any other number of topics published each day.

networkn:

dafman:

Memo to the ABs:

For just a moment, think about the police, nurses, ambulance workers, armed forces personnel, doctors, service station personnel, fire service staff etc ... many of these who will also be away from family on Xmas day, most for significantly less pay than you receive, and almost all of them spending their working Xmas day in a less desirable location than a 4-star hotel.

Seriously, get over it, I'm tired of this non-issue clogging the news day after day.

Well, it was not what was agreed. If that police, nurses, ambulance workers etc were all told they could be with their families on Xmas day and then were told they couldn't, then you could imagine they would have right to be upset.

It just needs to be worked through. If it gets clicks, it will be reported. Surely, you know this by now. There are equal number of stupid articles on any other number of topics published each day.

 

 

NZR feels pretty confident there was at least a verbal agreement, why otherwise act surprised and upset if they knew all along they had agreed to not be home for Xmas?

There is a lot more to this than is being reported and it's ridiculous to think NZR is always to blame for everything. There is plenty of Arrogance and foolishness to go around.

IF we hadn't gone back into L3/L2 lockdown, I believe it would have almost certainly would have been that the RC would have been hosted here. If we refused to move the schedule as has been indicated, then NZR were stupid, but I'd want proof before assuming anything said by anyone is actually true at this point. Different people within ARU are saying different things.

I don't think it's 1 option. It's just as valid to ask for the schedule to accommodate families being home for Xmas, as just as much of a valid choice as making them be away. I am sure if you asked the AB's players if they wanted to shorten the schedule or miss xmas with their families, it would have been in favour of more games in a shorter time frame.

Before the last/current lockdown it was always planned by NZ Rugby that the other teams would be home and out of quarantine before xmas day.

If NZ had kept the Rugby Championship then the SA and Arg teams would have been here in two weeks time (cant remember the exact date they were supposed to arrive), training and ready to get into the Rugby Championship not long after the 2nd Bledisloe Cup game. By shifting the whole comp to Aus it has pushed the dates out roughly 3 weeks from what was originally agreed.

So yes, I think the AB's do have a valid complaint about this change.

networkn:

NZR feels pretty confident there was at least a verbal agreement, why otherwise act surprised and upset if they knew all along they had agreed to not be home for Xmas?

There is a lot more to this than is being reported and it's ridiculous to think NZR is always to blame for everything. There is plenty of Arrogance and foolishness to go around.

IF we hadn't gone back into L3/L2 lockdown, I believe it would have almost certainly would have been that the RC would have been hosted here. If we refused to move the schedule as has been indicated, then NZR were stupid, but I'd want proof before assuming anything said by anyone is actually true at this point. Different people within ARU are saying different things.

I don't think it's 1 option. It's just as valid to ask for the schedule to accommodate families being home for Xmas, as just as much of a valid choice as making them be away. I am sure if you asked the AB's players if they wanted to shorten the schedule or miss xmas with their families, it would have been in favour of more games in a shorter time frame.

dafman:

Memo to the ABs:

For just a moment, think about the police, nurses, ambulance workers, armed forces personnel, doctors, service station personnel, fire service staff etc ... many of these who will also be away from family on Xmas day, most for significantly less pay than you receive, and almost all of them spending their working Xmas day in a less desirable location than a 4-star hotel.

Seriously, get over it, I'm tired of this non-issue clogging the news day after day.

tukapa1:

 

I understand the broadcast deal was done with the games on each weekend which complicates trying to shorten the tournament and would likely result in a major financial hit.

I can't see for the life of me how the tournament being shortened would have any impact on a financials, It's not like anyone who would have watched the last game wouldn't watch it because it's on a few days earlier. I guess stadium MIGHT be less full, but they are only going to be partially full anyways.

Perhaps we can wrap it up in the first two tests here and then the last 2 are dead rubbers, and send everyone home and walk away from the last test or play it with players happy to stay or who may not be as worried by xmas with family? That would hurt a lot more financially.

Rennie, NZR, and the AB's incl coach all are saying they are surprised by the draw.

I think a bit of commonsense and a lot less ego in quarters needs to be applied, and I expect it probably will.