Goes to a sports discussion channel and disses sports discussion. We've got a genius here. Pretty much anyone with a head for rugby is discussing Sotutu's omission.
Its the question which every single person that clicked this asked. Including you. Thanks @TwoCentsRugby for doing the research for us. We appreciate your time and effort.
Actually I appreciate the clarity of his stats. And omissions of this kind are a great topic of discussion, it’s what makes being a Monday morning quarterback back so much fun for us old retired guys shouting out clouds.
Frank youve got it right . if thos e three are deficient in any way at this level its a gift of points to the opposition.BTW has razor said anything about sotutu being permanently out of ABS contention ..no thought not ,lot of parochial knowalls stirring the pot.
Was Jacobson's stats only when he played number 8 or for the whole comp? Plus would love to know how many rucks they hit? I guess out of those guys only Jacobson is a captain, leader and someone the team looks to when they need a big play. Also there's the attitude problem 🤔 but there always room for improvement.
Not overwhelming stats by Sotutu but kind of sums him up. I bet his GPS stats would struggle against the high work rate players in there. Push over try's are very flattering... Especially when they were against some pretty tiring and weak defence in some games. I'd be curious to know how many minutes Iose played compared to Sotutu since there is a direct comparison there of Try's and assists. From memory he didn't start as many games this season.
Sotutu played an immense amount of minutes this season (I believe somewhere around 1200), far more than the other 8s, although the stats in this video appear to be 'per 80m'. Sotutu had to do a lot of full 80s as it seems that Cotter prefer to bring on Choat for Dalton most games. Wouldn't be surprised if Sotutu's numbers started to fall off late in games or at the back end of the season (wasn't obvious to the eye tho).
Sotutu not making it in to the ABs is now old news! What I want to know is how the hell did Ethan Blackadder make the team!!?? What has he done all season to get picked?? Oh thats right hes from the crusaders just like razor 😴😴💤
Wow, Razor copping a lot of flak not selecting Hoskins..... He's free to go to Fiji next year, and through his Mother, England... Steve Borthwick sitting next to Hoskins at a Ponsonby Cafe next month might be interesting 🤔
Dunno why hoskins was left out difficult to know from the outside.the back row does look solid and i think they'll go well against a tough determined England side
Some direct interesting stats: In 12 games in Super Rugby, Sititi made 133 tackles and missed just nine. Sotutu made 143 tackles - he missed 21 Sititi conceded 3 penalties Sotutu conceded 12 penalties
From an outsider point of view, as I see it, the Hurricanes and the Chiefs style of play resembles more to the style of the ABs; more running with the ball and passing while they're running; almost all the passes and runs that Sotutu made in super rugby were more like in close range, like the Blues game we saw all season, crushing and overwhelming defenses with the big guys, one phase after another. I'm not saying that Sotutu can't play like that, but it's easier for me to picture Iose or Sititi running at full pace with the ball, meanwhile I see Sotutu crushing defenses more like a prop (BTW he look waaay more muscular and heavy than 2 years ago when he was faster and agile). Greeting from Chile.
Like your comment on style of play. Although Blues ground down opposition their style was predictable and boring (NH teams) scrum kick lineout drive score. It worked and they won but boring hopefully with Razor and Wayne in the background the AB's will play an exciting game. With lots of tries. He has 4 years to get it right.
If Ardie starts and plays the usual 60 minutes, we need players who can come on and make an impact. Sotutu was great this year in a dominant blues pack who ground other teams into the dust but I think Sititi is the better impact player, three points down with ten minutes to go I would rather have Sititi coming on. Now if Ardie was hurt and could not start I would Sotutu to start, the Sititi to come off the bench.
IMO - More of a surprise was Peter Lakai non-selection - can cover all 3 positions, dynamic on both sides of the ball, more upside & more leadership experience.
Great overview with the numbers to provide perspective. Enjoy your channel. Yeah Sotutu could be seen as hard done by but you can't pick everyone. Remember another number eight controversy with Bring Back Buck?
For me, Jacobsen is the weakest of the bunch. He was nothing special at the WC. And nothing special at the SR final. Big games matter. If Hoskins has a bad attitude, bring him into the ABs fold and work on his mentals. Cause ignoring guys like him just means they're gonna head to Japan or France. And ultimately rugby in NZ suffers.
I've always liked Sotutu but think RAZOR selects on TEAM UNITY. "A CHAMPION TEAM WILL ALWAYS BEAT A TEAM OF CHAMPIONS" All Black that Dominated "DIDN'T" have INDIVIDUAL Stars, they had a TEAM that INDIVIDUALS DID THERE JOB
One thing your missing is Sotutu is a really good lineout option and the make up of that squad with just 3 locks who are not out and out guaranteed go to guys to win all their ball makes it a big positive to have a sotutu there. Still think having Jacobsen their means no need for Blackadder.
Stats never tell the full story. Statistically Matt Todd was one of the best players of all time but really failed to make selections. Like you said it could even just be coach preference or they think 1 will match up better against England. It seems pretty clear to me that they only wanted 1 new cap per position (which makes sense) and for all we know the plan could be to change half the team step by step over the next few years.. in which case theres no need to rush Sotutus selection. Especially with so many potentials unavailable.
Blackadder´s selection a clear case of favoritism: hasn´t played enough minutes this year and looked heavy, sluggish and uninspired most of those he did manage. On top of that he´s been monstered by international forward packs in most of his previous starts in Black, most embarrassingly against Ireland in ´21, where his noticeable inability to impose himself on the breakdown cost the ABs valuable possession.
Sometimes I think people get too carried away with stats instead of going on gut instinct or intuition.As for Sotutu he is his own worst enemy not replying to calls and putting up things online that he shouldn't be isn't helping his cause
In regards to Hoskins Sotutu, it seems to be a similar situation to the Akira Ioane one. Ioane was great with ball in hand but was often questioned over his defensive workrate. Razor also spoke about atttitude in his interview after the squad announcement. It's worth noting that Sotutu went on his social media and posted something about being the most hated after missing out on Razor's first squad. Therefore I suspect his attitude might not be in the right place hence why he was overlooked at this stage. He's still good enough to get into the All Blacks and he will have been told what he needs to work on.
both these players earntt from season n finals form to be on ABs. The coaching is all crusaders bias, even leon macky ex blues coach but crusader player..., why they picked 3/7 under performing crusaders over Blues for ABs, Satutu n akira ahead of Blackadder, even plummer ahead of Perefeta, Riccatali b4 bell, etc. He should be mad, as they reward the past experiences over great current form. On that note Telea n Rico from the blues have played like the under performing crusaders n made ABs anyway.....
I think this definitely means Ardie is our no 8. I thought another point would be their lineout ability, thought Razor would like Sotutu's ability in the air. Should also be noted we don't know the physicals, like how fast Sititi accelerates, how many metres he covers on the park and all of that being 7-10kgs bigger than Sotutu. Clearly he sees Wallace as a player he can hopefully mould into a great by the time 2027 hits, really feel for Sotutu but in Razor we trust!
Yeah personally I dont see anything wrong with Sititi over Sotutu, its Blackadder over Sotutu on the back of like 4 games when he's awfully injury prone and already 29 which is more questionable.
Theres alot of salty armchair coaches out spewing hate on the coaches for leaving one guy out cause he had a good season, many did but they can only pic 32, the coachin team has considered everything and know who they need, a particular style..but carry on u'all know way more than razor , you should all be coaches
Top try scorer, only missed 2 games, totally in form....Ethan should have been left on side to have more game time... Sotutu was dropped before world cup, and has worked during off season and shown during this season. As mentioned by Sir John Kirwan what else does he need to do to prove he deserves to be an all black
That is Daltons job in the team to allow Hoskins to play wide. Exactly same in the ABs, Cane dominated those stats so Savea didn’t get bogged down in rucks. I wish the AB selectors were a bit more honest and just say they don’t think he is adult enough as he’s a bit of a clown.
Stats can be used anyway to paint a picture. They often lack context such as team gamestyle or quality of opposition. They can be handy to back an observation but they are no replacement for what you actually see. I'm not a big fan of Sotutu but I'm getting the impression that a certain forwards coach really does not like him. Yes Sotutu had a problem with work ethic when things got tough before this season but a coach like Vern Cotter would not accept below par effort.
@@TheForge10 yeah that is well known but we are talking about now. Those coaches are using stats in a deceptive way to justify their decision to appear more rational. If they just said that their observation and feeling was that Sotutu was not a good fit that would be better. All they are doing are stringing him along so as not to appear churlish.
good that sotutu didnt make it, but he also should have got rid of woke perenara and perofeta cheese is terribly overrated, seems jk has an influence, he was a decent rugby player but he couldnt coach for shit. and what? sititi? no should have been very fast number 8 IOSE from the horrorchokers in there. since we dont have the best halfback in the world at the moment(Cam Roigard) hes injured maybe go with Christie hes easily the next best. Light on locks? only 3 locks. and va'ai is really a 6 hes not a lock. so really we have 2 and half locks. we need retallick back badly. George Bell I hope he gets heaps of game time hes bit of a dane coles very fast. taylor meh hes ok.crap thrower tho. Ethan de Groot yip pretty good. Ethan Blackadder even better again hes excellent. Samipeni Finau um nope hes another lucky one.
@@Tom_McMurtry i had to google his name, yes i agree hes 'coming on' va'ii does have that 'turn over' thing at the ruck though, like a loosie not a lock lol iv been told hes a lock . we wont have overally tall or big locks then with barett and vai'ii is this robertsons plan? back to mega fast rugby cos we wont win as much ball at set piece line out, maybe scrum ok. however we will see wont we. cam roigard is the only point of difference for me over any other team in th world. he has it all but yes hes injured.
Sotutu also had one of his worst performances, pretty non existant despite a dominant blues performance in the final. The week before that the hurricanes loosies were also convincingly dismantled by the chiefs in all 3 positions. Sotutu dropped the ball cold a whole bunch in unforced errors as well, which doesn't show up in pure stats much. He's also been selected before and not impressed at all for the allblacks in the past. His reaction to the non selection may also reflect his temperament, which isn't all shown on the field stats either. I personally would have liked it if neither Savea or Beaudan Barret were available this year, it's a long time until next world cup. Blackadder(hardly any play, it's good to be a crusader selection), Jacobson and Finau(both with poor discipline, despite some harsh calls). All 3 very lucky in selection amongst very competative super rugby loosies. Hoskins unlucky in being an 8 only with Savea there. Sititi started 8 when Jacobson was injured and was too good to drop so jacobson just played a different position, went from strength to strength. Curse of success, chiefs loosies were much harder tested and showcased in a loosing pack than the go-forward blues pack as well.
Awesome stats thanks mate. Bit hard to interpret in isolation / in a vacuum. Turnovers or tackles need to ideally be evaluated given the context. There may be game-changing turnover vs middle of the field soft turnover, etc. I’m sure the coaches aren’t just looking at these sorts of stats by themselves and will be informed by the context
I think this shows a bit of insight into why he isnt selected though, his tackle stats could indicate a lower work rate and like you said the GPS stats are probably the actual key to see if/where his performance dips. also could be how razor is planning on using the 8's I wouldn't call any of the selected ones super distributors (except maybe savea but hes a freak) but the ones selected are all work rate and explosive machines, perhaps the ball playing is going to be done less in the loose forwards and either in the front row or backs? For this series at least maybe razor thinks his outstanding distribution and tries doesn't outweigh the risk of having a pillar missing 5m out or giving up a last tackle or not hitting enough rucks maybe? I was actually quite surprised how good Iose was on the stats though especially his high tackle completion rate and low missed tackle rate, geez we are still spoilt for loosies currently
I wonder if there is some kind of logic to how share of carries and possession would be with both a Sotutu and Savea in the back row. As well as how that impacts possible tackle stats and turnovers. Maybe there is some stats modelling which the selectors are using, which could maybe show something we’re not seeing. I’d reckon there’s maybe something to whether the make up of their back row, works with Ardie Savea, as he is very much carry and turn over heavy, and that was always balanced out by Sam Cane and Shannon Frizell for the bulk of the other work on and off the ball. Maybe if they had Sotutu and Savea in there, there would be some gap opening in how they want to do non carry work? I think sadly he is playing well, but maybe just doesn’t fit the model of how the ABs feel about the way they do back rows. Pretty gutting though for him as he’s been so good for a while. I could see Ardie move to 7, and have different options at 8, but I think the mould of an AB 7 has been so defined by a macaw and cane model, it may be hard to break away from that with a more dynamic player like a Savea or Ben Earl style player.
Thanks for the comparison & stats. Great start but this needs to be a 'all AB loosies' comparison chat, therefore including the just as contentious Blackadder selection. All AB loosies need to be able work across all loosies positions. A 'ALL AB' loosies comparison would reveal more. & my 'Prof. Nerd' input ; For relevance, context & usefulness performance stats should only be shown in the % /portion of relevant related activity, otherwise there's no context. Most obvious is number of games / time played but also eg 1- tackles + missed Ts and turnovers % of his total tackles turnover respectively as team tactics not the player, may put him outside the tackle / turnover zone. 2- Ball carries metres - affected by team tactics not the player, SO, divide by number of times player actually received the ball. 3- Etc, again, stats should only be shown as % /portion of relevant related activity.
Was thinking that could be why he wasn't picked. Definitely great attacking skills that are useful on the counter or threatening inside the 22. But i guess we are not really lacking in that department where others can cover. Only the first series and backing the boys and coach 💯 lets get it 💪
Fiji will take him thank you... Sotutu is a game breaker and is more creative with his passing game and a monster with scoring tries when close to the line
It's sad to say it but I also wonder about personality that maybe doesn't fit with the normal Rugby Union coaches. In Sotutu's interviews he seems to struggle to communicate clearly when compared to other All Blacks so I wonder if the coaches like Jason Ryan has struggled to get a relationship with Sotutu. Just proposing another possibility which may be completely wrong.
Yeah, as much as I like Sotutu, he does seem troubled somehow. Has anyone ever seen him smile? The ABs need a strong family culture and that tense energy needs a bitta love, or therapy. Happy that Havili isn't in. Can't put my finger on it, but the word ego comes to mind. Clever but somethings not right.
See the big picture , the only reason the want sititi to put on that black jersey is that they don’t want Samoa to get him first , after that they’ll dump him and move on to the next , same thing happened to Gus Sowakula na Sotutu 😂😂😂 NZ rugby at it best 🤦🏾🤦🏾🤦🏾
Hoskins in, Jacobson out. He should not be ignored. He has x factor. I haven't seen x factor from Blackadder. Sotutu in. I can understand if he chooses to leave NZ.
Ethan has x factor supreme re doing everything like a flying missile and not being scared for his body. Which unfortunately probably leads to all his injuries. Jacobson does the hard graft 24/7 but doesn't seem that exceptional apart from mindset
If Sotuto leaves NZ based on not being picked in the first squad, this shows he is weak in the mind and can't hack it. Razor's coaching team would have talked to him stating why and what he has to do to make the team, but that doesn't mean he won't be picked for the Northern tour
Be interested in hearing the thoughts for not considering Du'plessis Kirifi. Arguably Blackadder was only chosen because of his affinity with the crusaders. Between Hoskin, Kirifi and Adder, Dup had the highest tackle success rate, most turnovers won and was a defensive powerhouse with less games played. (other than adder at 10) Yes he might not be as strong offensively but arguably the AB's pride themselves on defense... Just curious!
I think Kirifi's good enough but he's an out and out 7 so is up against jacobson and dalton. Only thing those guys really have on him is size and maybe a little bit more flexibility to cover other positions. Kirifi probably a better fetch than both but that seems less desirable these days for whatever reason.
Was thinking that could be why he wasn't picked. Definitely great attacking skills that are useful on the counter or threatening inside the 22. But i guess we are not really lacking in that department where others can cover. Only the first series and backing the boys and coach 💯 lets get it 💪
Let's sum it up in a simple manner. Sotutu covers one position, he gives away more penalties than anyone else, he disappears when things gets tough on defense (Crusaders Game) and he has an attitude problem. He doesn't fit the type of play Razor and Ryan wants from their forwards. Fozzy didn't want him and Razor doesn't want him. There is reasons for that. Everyone should stop whining, we've got the best 8 in the world in Savea and now he can help grow Sititi.
Defence and work rate are much more important for a loose forward at test level than the amount of tries and try assists. Super rugby is a much more expansive with lots of running rugby which suits Sotutu but test rugby doesn’t
Oh nice analysis. Where do you find these stats? I was hunting around yesterday but coukdnt find anything detailed. I would like to have seen Blackadder in this group too. I guess they see Blackadder covering 6, but not so Sotutu? Robertson was pretty vague with his reasoning, so hards to know what he's seeing or not seeing in Sotutu. Those numbers you showed didn't show any major flaws, other than they wanted him to make more tackles, but as you pointed out, the Blues defensive plans may have revolved around Papalii making the tackle and Sotutu trying to make a turnover 🤷🏼♂️
Sotutu might pick carrying only when there's more space ahead instead of crash balling it as much as the others which is needed for setting up things. Also sotutu's post contact metres were a fair bit less than sititis post contact metres from memory
Wow where do you get these stats from? I've been searching for a stats resource for super rugby for ages. Anyway, very nice and thoughtful analysis. I think a lot of people have been looking at these stats in quite an isolated fashion but you've done a much better job of contextualizing them here so well done. Another stat that you didn't cover was the offloads where Sotutu is second in the comp. This is probably why his try assist stat is so much higher than the others. When you consider that in line with your stats on how much more inclined he is to pass, I think it shows he's a clearly a different kind of 8 who is instead looking to create space and put his teammates into it rather than just bash it up. Generally teams are looking for that precious gain line from their 8s at the top level (would be interesting to see the stats on that) so maybe that counts against him although it didn't seem to be a problem for the blues who prized that above all else this year. With all that said though, it was his work on the other side of the ball that was called out, not his work with ball in hand. I think your stats show his tackling is clearly below average compared to the others although it could be argued not criminally so.. The stat highlighting his higher rate of getting turnovers could be relevant as it could be like you say, he is looking to jackal rather than getting involved in the tackle, but that also doesn't covered for the missed tackles. Still, it's work on the other side of the ball, and he's good at at least that aspect of it. Overall it looks like Sotutu could just be a bit of a square peg for a round hole. It's a tough way to be in a game that generally want it's pieces to fit together like a well oiled machine.
Seems like Hoskins is a worse Ardie (hard to compete with the best player in the world currently), Ardie is going to play every game for 80 minutes. As much as it is a shame he's not in the squad, he just doesn't fit in with only 33. That spot is worth more using on someone else in a different position. As soon as Ardie retires Sotutu will be the next best.
Was Jacobsons stats when he was at 8? As he spent a lot of his time on the side…… Going on your stats, not sure why was left out only the coaches can really answer that but maybe because he has already been in the environment they think it might be a good chance to see how Wallace goes and with the other loose forwards that can cover 8 there just may not have been enough room for him. On Ardie, I would actually rather him at 7 if we were confident enough at 8….. Also thought Peter Lakai must have been very, very close to making the team
Yeah ethan is much better however they want a hard grafting forward who can cover all positions if need be and Ethan gets too easily injured because he throws his body too hard at everything so jacobson is needed until Ethan gets some consistency with not being injured
@@TwoCentsRugby he was full of praise for Billy on his work rate, defense, attack and ended of by saying there is a real opportunity for Billy. You can listen to him on the Aeterora Rugby Pod, great interview. But I cant find stats, but curious to see how they compare. I like the idea of Proctor starting with Jordie, be interesting to see if the stats back that up.
Someone has said it already there has to be some attitude problem there. He wasn’t picked by Foz in the second half of his reign and isn’t picked by razor either at this stage.
This is what happen to a very good player. Foster jealous of Sotutu and never pick sotutu .Foster lost most games including the world cup. Now, Robertson do the same. Jealous. Why pick Savea? Hes form in japan doesnt count. Japan is not a rugby nation. Rugby there is weak. I dont give a $#@ how good Ardie is. He have to play here in NZ to be picked. Why Hate sotutu. Hes the best blues player. Look at some saders player picked but never the 1/4 or semis. SAD.
Hoskin knows what the plan is and so do I.... He's in the team...just needs a little more time to develop...I have a gutt feeling Patrick Tuipolotu is holding a knee injury... Luke Jacobson deserves his spot even though his stats are the lowest of the 4 locks (Sititi, Jacobson and Tuipolotu)...I believe Jacobson is more ready for Test Rugby... thanks for reading my analysis.God bless the All Blacks.
He didn’t got picked now, but who knows, this is a long 4-year RWC campaign, he certainly can get picked later. I wouldn’t make a big deal out of this. Also, lets see how Sotutu takes this, he lowers his performance or steps it up.
Sotutu has been made a scapegoat as Ardie slots into number 8 above the form player with no games played in super rugby.Sabbaticals love them or hate them. Other NZ based form players have held starting positions ie DMac 10 Perofeta 15. Love to see Sotutu answer the criticism from Razor and Ryan but add to what he already does ie scoring tries and assisting tries.Sotutus stats will make the loosies stats v england look silly.
Thanks Mark, appreciate the stats and discussion starters. Unlike the general consensus, I didn't wonder why no Sotutu? Has nothing (liar!) to do with supporting the Chiefs. ;) Not so long ago Sotutu seemed to be struggling with performance consistency, so I guess that's why he stood out in Super this year. Which was awesome to see. His tackling stats have never really been outstanding though. He's a bloody good player btw and will probably wear the Black again later this year? My first reactions to this team selection was who is kind of paired up in the front, mid, backs from their super season teams. The men don't have that much time before the first games so maybe some of the selection pics also require a strong bond, a kind of, oh, those guys work together well type thing. Familiarity. Knowing how they can tackle, or step, or pass is one thing. Bonding is understanding the size and speed that person does everything, it makes two become one, which equals quicker instinctive response times... and I think we all know that hesitation has everything to do with missing chances. Stoked that Sititi has the chance to learn from the current leaders. Think he'll continue to get better each year and stand out even more.
I can see why Razor would look at picking Sotiti over Sotutu. Personally I wouldn't have picked Sotiti, but I always think that AB coaches need players to invest in long term. If he thinks he can make Sotiti a long term pick then that's fair enough. Sometimes these picks don't pay off I.E. Toeava but we have had some legendary bolters like Richie picked early.
Each super rugby coach has their style of play...the new Blues coach style won the trophy tho.. however it did not meet the stats sotutu needed to be in the new ABS coach's squad.. however there is still time and patience for sotutu to be included. 🙏
Adding Backadder & Bell just sink full stop. I'm no Jacobsen fan either. I would have gone Sotutu, Lakai & Lose. Move Ardie to No.6. Shocking first call Raor.....
Is it not the All Blacks coaches job to pick the best players? If you don’t gel or there is a perceived attitude problem then isn’t it your job to fix that? That’s why you get paid the big $$$ Hoskins is different. Needs a coach to put an arm around and back him. Stern Vern managed it….
My 2 cents... The way I see it... is sotutu an amazing player... yes maybe one of the best. In a one Man sport he would be a champion...but rugby is a team sport...a combination of all the parts if you will. Don't want to compare but Rassie doesn't always pick the best player but the one that fits in with the team... think Libbok being excluded, at some stage Bongi over Marx, although that changed as time went on but some stage people thought he was crazy for Making Marx an impact player off bench.
They have missed someone like Sotutu and Clarke - two players with the most line breaks and metres gained in Super Rugby and both in form and winners this year. Samipeni and Sevu could take a seat. Remember also, the best line of defence is attack - the ABs shouldnt be so negative......
You can not pick everyone. Really speaking, NZ have that many inform players at the moment that Razor could pick 2 teams as well as the Reserves and still have players miss out. Just because you like a player, doesn't mean that he should be in the All Blacks. This is why you have Razor and his support team making the call. It falls on them to pick who they think should be in the team.
What about discipline? Penalties conceded would be easy enough to find. Beyond that AB teams have started to concede a lot of cards Vs NH teams. Is there anything about these players' tackle technique that might be worrying selectors?
Still doesnt make any sense to me to not have atleast one guy in the team thats taller and at 8 if only for his lineout ability. Sooner or later with the locks we have available we are going to get exposed when either pat or scott is injured. Because Tupou vaai is not even close to an international level lock and everyone else below him is worthless aswell. Very surprising to me that Razor obviously continuing with the same overall team mindset as the previous coach...... Also would of liked to of seen Ardie coming off Sotutu's shoulder...... Also Ardie was the best player in the world LAST YEAR. He likely wont win that award again and will be heading into decline in 3 years time at the next WC. If Sotutu isnt back in there for the Rugby championship im getting bad vibes about what Razor is planning. Also where are the lineout stats? Because he really stood out to me in any lineout situation I saw him in.
Plenty of fire power in the AB selection for scoring points. The stats show that Sotutu will be a risk for turnovers, conceded penalties and missed tackles when in matters in high pressure games against big Northern Hem teams. But it wouldn't have hurt to have him on the bench for more Ab game time experience for his own growth. It is what it is.
@@isaacstocking7746 Blackadder does go in like a missile every time eh plays and sets the world on fire however this totoa disregard for his body always ends up injuring him pretty quick. It's a shame because he's the most talented loose forward since Ardie, Richie and kaino I think
Justice for Hoskins. It is crazy that he wasn’t selected I feel for him. Hopefully he gets his chance. Hoskins plays loose but he makes up for it with assists and tries imo.
Biggest mistake razor did was not picking sotutu instead he picked a rookie over experience and how well hoskin played this year he should have been in the a.bs 🤦
Why do you even question the omission ? ..is it a CLICKBAIT FISHING THINGY , just 2 getfeedback on your YTubby channel ?.
Talking about player omissions is normal in sports discussions. It's all about sharing different viewpoints and sparking conversation among fans
Goes to a sports discussion channel and disses sports discussion. We've got a genius here.
Pretty much anyone with a head for rugby is discussing Sotutu's omission.
Its the question which every single person that clicked this asked. Including you. Thanks @TwoCentsRugby for doing the research for us. We appreciate your time and effort.
And here you are giving it.
Actually I appreciate the clarity of his stats. And omissions of this kind are a great topic of discussion, it’s what makes being a Monday morning quarterback back so much fun for us old retired guys shouting out clouds.
Hoskin Sotutu maybe watching the ABs v Eng with interest he's eligible to play for England if coach Steve Borthwick comes aknockin
Sometimes could be based on 1s a,b,c & d on an off the field. Attitude, behaviour, character & discipline.
Frank youve got it right . if thos e three are deficient in any way at this level its a gift of points to the opposition.BTW has razor said anything about sotutu being permanently out of ABS contention ..no thought not ,lot of parochial knowalls stirring the pot.
Flanders slept on for sure too, feel with out brodie and whitelock having more lineout options be important given lack of height in ab second row now
Was Jacobson's stats only when he played number 8 or for the whole comp? Plus would love to know how many rucks they hit?
I guess out of those guys only Jacobson is a captain, leader and someone the team looks to when they need a big play.
Also there's the attitude problem 🤔 but there always room for improvement.
😢Flanders slept on
Yeah was trying to look at guys who played a bit more 8 though 😅
Not overwhelming stats by Sotutu but kind of sums him up. I bet his GPS stats would struggle against the high work rate players in there. Push over try's are very flattering... Especially when they were against some pretty tiring and weak defence in some games. I'd be curious to know how many minutes Iose played compared to Sotutu since there is a direct comparison there of Try's and assists. From memory he didn't start as many games this season.
Sotutu played an immense amount of minutes this season (I believe somewhere around 1200), far more than the other 8s, although the stats in this video appear to be 'per 80m'. Sotutu had to do a lot of full 80s as it seems that Cotter prefer to bring on Choat for Dalton most games. Wouldn't be surprised if Sotutu's numbers started to fall off late in games or at the back end of the season (wasn't obvious to the eye tho).
Sotutu not making it in to the ABs is now old news! What I want to know is how the hell did Ethan Blackadder make the team!!?? What has he done all season to get picked?? Oh thats right hes from the crusaders just like razor 😴😴💤
His already worn the jersey, move to Europe or Japan and focus on making as much money as he can while he’s at peak. Prepare for his retirement.
Wow, Razor copping a lot of flak not selecting Hoskins.....
He's free to go to Fiji next year, and through his Mother, England...
Steve Borthwick sitting next to Hoskins at a Ponsonby Cafe next month might be interesting 🤔
Dunno why hoskins was left out difficult to know from the outside.the back row does look solid and i think they'll go well against a tough determined England side
Some direct interesting stats:
In 12 games in Super Rugby, Sititi made 133 tackles and missed just nine.
Sotutu made 143 tackles - he missed 21
Sititi conceded 3 penalties
Sotutu conceded 12 penalties
Penalties against England would be an easy win for England.
England would rather kick their way to victory than score tries.
From an outsider point of view, as I see it, the Hurricanes and the Chiefs style of play resembles more to the style of the ABs; more running with the ball and passing while they're running; almost all the passes and runs that Sotutu made in super rugby were more like in close range, like the Blues game we saw all season, crushing and overwhelming defenses with the big guys, one phase after another. I'm not saying that Sotutu can't play like that, but it's easier for me to picture Iose or Sititi running at full pace with the ball, meanwhile I see Sotutu crushing defenses more like a prop (BTW he look waaay more muscular and heavy than 2 years ago when he was faster and agile).
Greeting from Chile.
Like your comment on style of play. Although Blues ground down opposition their style was predictable and boring (NH teams) scrum kick lineout drive score. It worked and they won but boring hopefully with Razor and Wayne in the background the AB's will play an exciting game. With lots of tries. He has 4 years to get it right.
Sititi made more post contact metres than sotutu
Lakai and Iose...
@@Tom_McMurtry Where do you get that stat.
Sotutu come and play 8 for Fiji 🇫🇯
If I remember correctly, Fijian weren’t too keen on him when he played against them in sevens, he came across as arrogant.
@@motodudu Didn't even know that he played 7s for NZ.
@@motoduduwhat? Sotutu never played for the NZ 7s you twit, you are confusing Akira Ioani with Hoskins Sotutu.
Wallace Sititi is an X factor player. Happy to see him picked. He’s young and the last thing we want is some European club snapping him up.
I think it was a good pick. They can potentially mould him into something special over the next few years. He is young natural talent.
If Ardie starts and plays the usual 60 minutes, we need players who can come on and make an impact. Sotutu was great this year in a dominant blues pack who ground other teams into the dust but I think Sititi is the better impact player, three points down with ten minutes to go I would rather have Sititi coming on. Now if Ardie was hurt and could not start I would Sotutu to start, the Sititi to come off the bench.
Robertson will always be in the crusader selection huddle 'psst psst👎😂
IMO - More of a surprise was Peter Lakai non-selection - can cover all 3 positions, dynamic on both sides of the ball, more upside & more leadership experience.
Maybe another season then he’s in. Or he’s in after these 3 games.
Hes been called up to train with the squad already. Which makes sense because hes not that far off.
@@sprigcs Has he?
@@LegendaryWizballlakai, love, darry, havili and bower are training with the squad as cover players
@@Zac-pu6fi I knew those 4 but did not think it included Lakai.
Great overview with the numbers to provide perspective. Enjoy your channel. Yeah Sotutu could be seen as hard done by but you can't pick everyone. Remember another number eight controversy with Bring Back Buck?
Yeah man exactly - back row is very competitive - especially with Savea 100% starting
Remember stevenson last year, every one cryed..but can you see why they didn't pic him..bad defence.
For me, Jacobsen is the weakest of the bunch. He was nothing special at the WC. And nothing special at the SR final. Big games matter. If Hoskins has a bad attitude, bring him into the ABs fold and work on his mentals. Cause ignoring guys like him just means they're gonna head to Japan or France. And ultimately rugby in NZ suffers.
I've always liked Sotutu but think RAZOR selects on TEAM UNITY. "A CHAMPION TEAM WILL ALWAYS BEAT A TEAM OF CHAMPIONS" All Black that Dominated "DIDN'T" have INDIVIDUAL Stars, they had a TEAM that INDIVIDUALS DID THERE JOB
One thing your missing is Sotutu is a really good lineout option and the make up of that squad with just 3 locks who are not out and out guaranteed go to guys to win all their ball makes it a big positive to have a sotutu there. Still think having Jacobsen their means no need for Blackadder.
Blackadder is competing with Finau for 6. Jacobson is bench cover for 6 7 8.
- Jacobson and Blackadder pretty much the same player (cancel each other out)
@@mungoblizzard6114 But one is defence oriented one attack.
@@LegendaryWizball who has the better work rate? 👀
@@mungoblizzard6114Ethan is better everywhere but almost goes too hard everywhere and injures himself. No regard for his body
Stats never tell the full story. Statistically Matt Todd was one of the best players of all time but really failed to make selections. Like you said it could even just be coach preference or they think 1 will match up better against England. It seems pretty clear to me that they only wanted 1 new cap per position (which makes sense) and for all we know the plan could be to change half the team step by step over the next few years.. in which case theres no need to rush Sotutus selection. Especially with so many potentials unavailable.
Yeah stats are definitely only just one factor aye. Sititi may be there more for future development, especially if Ardie is 8
Not statistically. Matt Todd is the greatest ever
@@Both-Barracudastop it
@@Both-Barracuda Yeah now we got Papali'i at 7 - yay!!!!!
Matt todd what a joke
Blackadder´s selection a clear case of favoritism: hasn´t played enough minutes this year and looked heavy, sluggish and uninspired most of those he did manage. On top of that he´s been monstered by international forward packs in most of his previous starts in Black, most embarrassingly against Ireland in ´21, where his noticeable inability to impose himself on the breakdown cost the ABs valuable possession.
Im sure the coaches will whip him into shape
youd be hardpressed to raise a fart on a bellyful of beans ,trotting out this load of BS,
You’re all crap
I’m not too big on Jacobson .I prefer iose but that’s me
I prefer Ethan and Iose too
Worked out with Taukeahau back ,playing Papali'i,Sititi and Williams with Tosi,then the pack Weight is 966kg !!!
lol glad to hear I'm not the only one trying to get to that 1000kg pack
@jacquesbooysen3773 the great news is ,by using 2 ABs eligible locks from super rugby,I have achieved a pack weight of 1002kg
@@jacquesbooysen3773 I think England may get a bit of a surprise with how big we are
Sometimes I think people get too carried away with stats instead of going on gut instinct or intuition.As for Sotutu he is his own worst enemy not replying to calls and putting up things online that he shouldn't be isn't helping his cause
Attitude may be a factor aye, hard to know from the outside
What has he been putting up online?
@@alexn6060 apparently things like the most hated player etc which might not seem much but it's doing him no favours.
@@TwoCentsRugbyHe's to loud for an allblack.
He’s too much of a sook, Razor doesn’t fall for guilt tripping
In regards to Hoskins Sotutu, it seems to be a similar situation to the Akira Ioane one. Ioane was great with ball in hand but was often questioned over his defensive workrate. Razor also spoke about atttitude in his interview after the squad announcement. It's worth noting that Sotutu went on his social media and posted something about being the most hated after missing out on Razor's first squad. Therefore I suspect his attitude might not be in the right place hence why he was overlooked at this stage. He's still good enough to get into the All Blacks and he will have been told what he needs to work on.
Sotutu also didn't return Jason's call last year when he missed out on the world cup squad
both these players earntt from season n finals form to be on ABs. The coaching is all crusaders bias, even leon macky ex blues coach but crusader player..., why they picked 3/7 under performing crusaders over Blues for ABs, Satutu n akira ahead of Blackadder, even plummer ahead of Perefeta, Riccatali b4 bell, etc. He should be mad, as they reward the past experiences over great current form. On that note Telea n Rico from the blues have played like the under performing crusaders n made ABs anyway.....
@@andrewah-voa8408under performing? The crusaders have been carrying the All blacks for years
I think this definitely means Ardie is our no 8. I thought another point would be their lineout ability, thought Razor would like Sotutu's ability in the air. Should also be noted we don't know the physicals, like how fast Sititi accelerates, how many metres he covers on the park and all of that being 7-10kgs bigger than Sotutu. Clearly he sees Wallace as a player he can hopefully mould into a great by the time 2027 hits, really feel for Sotutu but in Razor we trust!
Yeah personally I dont see anything wrong with Sititi over Sotutu, its Blackadder over Sotutu on the back of like 4 games when he's awfully injury prone and already 29 which is more questionable.
Holland confirmed they see Ardie as an 8
@@atapene That means Papali'i at 7 - what a JOKE!
@@thefobbie0034 papalii one of the best defensive player in the game.
Scott Hansen outright said on the Aotearoa Rugby Pod that Savea is seen as a no. 8, so there's that.
Theres alot of salty armchair coaches out spewing hate on the coaches for leaving one guy out cause he had a good season, many did but they can only pic 32, the coachin team has considered everything and know who they need, a particular style..but carry on u'all know way more than razor , you should all be coaches
Top try scorer, only missed 2 games, totally in form....Ethan should have been left on side to have more game time... Sotutu was dropped before world cup, and has worked during off season and shown during this season. As mentioned by Sir John Kirwan what else does he need to do to prove he deserves to be an all black
He picked Blackadder ahead of him. Could be Ardie 7 .. Sotutu 8 anyway the Fiji backrow does not care if it's Sititi, Sotutu or Sitotu lol .
Hoskins never looks too interested when he's playing, what about Rucks hit/cleaned?
That policy and style cost NZ a WC.
That is Daltons job in the team to allow Hoskins to play wide. Exactly same in the ABs, Cane dominated those stats so Savea didn’t get bogged down in rucks. I wish the AB selectors were a bit more honest and just say they don’t think he is adult enough as he’s a bit of a clown.
Stats can be used anyway to paint a picture. They often lack context such as team gamestyle or quality of opposition. They can be handy to back an observation but they are no replacement for what you actually see. I'm not a big fan of Sotutu but I'm getting the impression that a certain forwards coach really does not like him. Yes Sotutu had a problem with work ethic when things got tough before this season but a coach like Vern Cotter would not accept below par effort.
That coach came in after June 2022 and worked with Sotutu. By this time last year Sotutu was dropped.
@@TheForge10yeah sotutu didn't return Jason's call. And posted to Instagram. Most hated on Monday after the squad announcement
@@TheForge10 yeah that is well known but we are talking about now. Those coaches are using stats in a deceptive way to justify their decision to appear more rational. If they just said that their observation and feeling was that Sotutu was not a good fit that would be better. All they are doing are stringing him along so as not to appear churlish.
good that sotutu didnt make it, but he also should have got rid of woke perenara and perofeta cheese is terribly overrated, seems jk has an influence, he was a decent rugby player but he couldnt coach for shit. and what? sititi? no should have been very fast number 8 IOSE from the horrorchokers in there. since we dont have the best halfback in the world at the moment(Cam Roigard) hes injured maybe go with Christie hes easily the next best. Light on locks? only 3 locks. and va'ai is really a 6 hes not a lock. so really we have 2 and half locks. we need retallick back badly. George Bell I hope he gets heaps of game time hes bit of a dane coles very fast. taylor meh hes ok.crap thrower tho. Ethan de Groot yip pretty good. Ethan Blackadder even better again hes excellent. Samipeni Finau um nope hes another lucky one.
Sam darry looks good. Looked much better than Tūpou V who shys away from. The grunt work and gives away a fair few penalties
@@Tom_McMurtry i had to google his name, yes i agree hes 'coming on' va'ii does have that 'turn over' thing at the ruck though, like a loosie not a lock lol iv been told hes a lock . we wont have overally tall or big locks then with barett and vai'ii is this robertsons plan? back to mega fast rugby cos we wont win as much ball at set piece line out, maybe scrum ok. however we will see wont we. cam roigard is the only point of difference for me over any other team in th world. he has it all but yes hes injured.
Sotutu also had one of his worst performances, pretty non existant despite a dominant blues performance in the final. The week before that the hurricanes loosies were also convincingly dismantled by the chiefs in all 3 positions.
Sotutu dropped the ball cold a whole bunch in unforced errors as well, which doesn't show up in pure stats much.
He's also been selected before and not impressed at all for the allblacks in the past. His reaction to the non selection may also reflect his temperament, which isn't all shown on the field stats either.
I personally would have liked it if neither Savea or Beaudan Barret were available this year, it's a long time until next world cup.
Blackadder(hardly any play, it's good to be a crusader selection), Jacobson and Finau(both with poor discipline, despite some harsh calls). All 3 very lucky in selection amongst very competative super rugby loosies. Hoskins unlucky in being an 8 only with Savea there. Sititi started 8 when Jacobson was injured and was too good to drop so jacobson just played a different position, went from strength to strength. Curse of success, chiefs loosies were much harder tested and showcased in a loosing pack than the go-forward blues pack as well.
Awesome stats thanks mate. Bit hard to interpret in isolation / in a vacuum. Turnovers or tackles need to ideally be evaluated given the context. There may be game-changing turnover vs middle of the field soft turnover, etc. I’m sure the coaches aren’t just looking at these sorts of stats by themselves and will be informed by the context
Absolutely
I think he looks for plums, then often has a rest. Just like Akira Ioane, great with the ball in hand
I think this shows a bit of insight into why he isnt selected though, his tackle stats could indicate a lower work rate and like you said the GPS stats are probably the actual key to see if/where his performance dips.
also could be how razor is planning on using the 8's I wouldn't call any of the selected ones super distributors (except maybe savea but hes a freak) but the ones selected are all work rate and explosive machines, perhaps the ball playing is going to be done less in the loose forwards and either in the front row or backs?
For this series at least maybe razor thinks his outstanding distribution and tries doesn't outweigh the risk of having a pillar missing 5m out or giving up a last tackle or not hitting enough rucks maybe?
I was actually quite surprised how good Iose was on the stats though especially his high tackle completion rate and low missed tackle rate, geez we are still spoilt for loosies currently
Yeah I thought Iose might get in until they lost against the Cheifs
I wonder if there is some kind of logic to how share of carries and possession would be with both a Sotutu and Savea in the back row. As well as how that impacts possible tackle stats and turnovers.
Maybe there is some stats modelling which the selectors are using, which could maybe show something we’re not seeing.
I’d reckon there’s maybe something to whether the make up of their back row, works with Ardie Savea, as he is very much carry and turn over heavy, and that was always balanced out by Sam Cane and Shannon Frizell for the bulk of the other work on and off the ball. Maybe if they had Sotutu and Savea in there, there would be some gap opening in how they want to do non carry work?
I think sadly he is playing well, but maybe just doesn’t fit the model of how the ABs feel about the way they do back rows. Pretty gutting though for him as he’s been so good for a while.
I could see Ardie move to 7, and have different options at 8, but I think the mould of an AB 7 has been so defined by a macaw and cane model, it may be hard to break away from that with a more dynamic player like a Savea or Ben Earl style player.
Yeah I really think it's quite possible that Ardie being 8 just means there's no spot for him. Whereas Sititi may be one more for the future
Thanks for all the work to show us these stats
Thanks for the comparison & stats. Great start but this needs to be a 'all AB loosies' comparison chat, therefore including the just as contentious Blackadder selection. All AB loosies need to be able work across all loosies positions. A 'ALL AB' loosies comparison would reveal more.
& my 'Prof. Nerd' input ;
For relevance, context & usefulness performance stats should only be shown in the % /portion of relevant related activity, otherwise there's no context. Most obvious is number of games / time played but also eg
1- tackles + missed Ts and turnovers % of his total tackles turnover respectively as team tactics not the player, may put him outside the tackle / turnover zone.
2- Ball carries metres - affected by team tactics not the player, SO, divide by number of times player actually received the ball.
3- Etc, again, stats should only be shown as % /portion of relevant related activity.
Just hope Sititi isn’t picked like ‘Sowakula’.
I certainly hope not. I feel for Sowakula - he simply couldn't translate his SR form into test performance.
Tough one for Sotutu.
Was thinking that could be why he wasn't picked. Definitely great attacking skills that are useful on the counter or threatening inside the 22. But i guess we are not really lacking in that department where others can cover. Only the first series and backing the boys and coach 💯 lets get it 💪
could you maybe share the lineout stats in an infographic as well? I feel like those would heavily favor Sotutu either
Fiji will take him thank you... Sotutu is a game breaker and is more creative with his passing game and a monster with scoring tries when close to the line
No thanks we have Canakaivata and Mata at 8.Not forgetting Derenalagi and young Motikiai Murray.
It's sad to say it but I also wonder about personality that maybe doesn't fit with the normal Rugby Union coaches. In Sotutu's interviews he seems to struggle to communicate clearly when compared to other All Blacks so I wonder if the coaches like Jason Ryan has struggled to get a relationship with Sotutu. Just proposing another possibility which may be completely wrong.
Sometimes it's an attitude thing, is he teachable, fun to be with, encouraging to other players, helps build team unity etc?
Yeah, as much as I like Sotutu, he does seem troubled somehow. Has anyone ever seen him smile? The ABs need a strong family culture and that tense energy needs a bitta love, or therapy. Happy that Havili isn't in. Can't put my finger on it, but the word ego comes to mind. Clever but somethings not right.
See the big picture , the only reason the want sititi to put on that black jersey is that they don’t want Samoa to get him first , after that they’ll dump him and move on to the next , same thing happened to Gus Sowakula na Sotutu 😂😂😂 NZ rugby at it best 🤦🏾🤦🏾🤦🏾
Hoskins in, Jacobson out. He should not be ignored. He has x factor. I haven't seen x factor from Blackadder. Sotutu in. I can understand if he chooses to leave NZ.
Ethan has x factor supreme re doing everything like a flying missile and not being scared for his body. Which unfortunately probably leads to all his injuries. Jacobson does the hard graft 24/7 but doesn't seem that exceptional apart from mindset
If Sotuto leaves NZ based on not being picked in the first squad, this shows he is weak in the mind and can't hack it. Razor's coaching team would have talked to him stating why and what he has to do to make the team, but that doesn't mean he won't be picked for the Northern tour
Be interested in hearing the thoughts for not considering Du'plessis Kirifi. Arguably Blackadder was only chosen because of his affinity with the crusaders. Between Hoskin, Kirifi and Adder, Dup had the highest tackle success rate, most turnovers won and was a defensive powerhouse with less games played. (other than adder at 10) Yes he might not be as strong offensively but arguably the AB's pride themselves on defense... Just curious!
Kirofos a bit small I think. Not quite as dominant
I think Kirifi's good enough but he's an out and out 7 so is up against jacobson and dalton. Only thing those guys really have on him is size and maybe a little bit more flexibility to cover other positions. Kirifi probably a better fetch than both but that seems less desirable these days for whatever reason.
Was thinking that could be why he wasn't picked. Definitely great attacking skills that are useful on the counter or threatening inside the 22. But i guess we are not really lacking in that department where others can cover. Only the first series and backing the boys and coach 💯 lets get it 💪
Let's sum it up in a simple manner.
Sotutu covers one position, he gives away more penalties than anyone else, he disappears when things gets tough on defense (Crusaders Game) and he has an attitude problem.
He doesn't fit the type of play Razor and Ryan wants from their forwards.
Fozzy didn't want him and Razor doesn't want him.
There is reasons for that.
Everyone should stop whining, we've got the best 8 in the world in Savea and now he can help grow Sititi.
Watched him closely in the Super Rugby semi and was lazy and missed tackles. Slightly surprised he wasn't selected, but also understandable.
@@jamesblewmanagainst the brumbies?
What's Sam Cane in the wider squad for , he's retiring and he definitely doesn't play either side of the ball. He's just a waste of space.
Defence and work rate are much more important for a loose forward at test level than the amount of tries and try assists. Super rugby is a much more expansive with lots of running rugby which suits Sotutu but test rugby doesn’t
Yeah the blues did so much running rugby this year 🤣
Oh nice analysis. Where do you find these stats? I was hunting around yesterday but coukdnt find anything detailed. I would like to have seen Blackadder in this group too. I guess they see Blackadder covering 6, but not so Sotutu? Robertson was pretty vague with his reasoning, so hards to know what he's seeing or not seeing in Sotutu. Those numbers you showed didn't show any major flaws, other than they wanted him to make more tackles, but as you pointed out, the Blues defensive plans may have revolved around Papalii making the tackle and Sotutu trying to make a turnover 🤷🏼♂️
Blackadder shouldn’t be there at all the guy literally played 3 games ridiculous.
Sotutu might pick carrying only when there's more space ahead instead of crash balling it as much as the others which is needed for setting up things. Also sotutu's post contact metres were a fair bit less than sititis post contact metres from memory
Sotutu is the closest player we have to Zinzan. Sotutu is the future. Forget stats
If Sotutu gets more air time he becomes more dangerous, razor is a crusaders man.
The most important slide is the tackles per game.
Sotutu isn't so great going backwards.
Wow where do you get these stats from? I've been searching for a stats resource for super rugby for ages. Anyway, very nice and thoughtful analysis. I think a lot of people have been looking at these stats in quite an isolated fashion but you've done a much better job of contextualizing them here so well done.
Another stat that you didn't cover was the offloads where Sotutu is second in the comp. This is probably why his try assist stat is so much higher than the others. When you consider that in line with your stats on how much more inclined he is to pass, I think it shows he's a clearly a different kind of 8 who is instead looking to create space and put his teammates into it rather than just bash it up. Generally teams are looking for that precious gain line from their 8s at the top level (would be interesting to see the stats on that) so maybe that counts against him although it didn't seem to be a problem for the blues who prized that above all else this year.
With all that said though, it was his work on the other side of the ball that was called out, not his work with ball in hand. I think your stats show his tackling is clearly below average compared to the others although it could be argued not criminally so.. The stat highlighting his higher rate of getting turnovers could be relevant as it could be like you say, he is looking to jackal rather than getting involved in the tackle, but that also doesn't covered for the missed tackles. Still, it's work on the other side of the ball, and he's good at at least that aspect of it.
Overall it looks like Sotutu could just be a bit of a square peg for a round hole. It's a tough way to be in a game that generally want it's pieces to fit together like a well oiled machine.
Seems like Hoskins is a worse Ardie (hard to compete with the best player in the world currently), Ardie is going to play every game for 80 minutes. As much as it is a shame he's not in the squad, he just doesn't fit in with only 33. That spot is worth more using on someone else in a different position. As soon as Ardie retires Sotutu will be the next best.
Blackadder should’ve have made it
I believe the ab coach is a stupid pitch.
Was Jacobsons stats when he was at 8? As he spent a lot of his time on the side……
Going on your stats, not sure why was left out only the coaches can really answer that but maybe because he has already been in the environment they think it might be a good chance to see how Wallace goes and with the other loose forwards that can cover 8 there just may not have been enough room for him.
On Ardie, I would actually rather him at 7 if we were confident enough at 8…..
Also thought Peter Lakai must have been very, very close to making the team
Sotutu is future dimension…❓😳
🪖
He’s young natural talent. They could mould him into something special over the next few years.
Blackadder shouldn't been there he's prone to injuries and off a poor performance by the Crusaders this season Sotutu should been picked full stop
palagi stratage😮😊😅
Blackadder played well and won the crusaders games in the fee games he did play in. Including being the best loosy when they beat the blues
👍 IN SCOTTY WE TRUST...👍
Jacobson is so overrated! I don’t know why people see
Yeah ethan is much better however they want a hard grafting forward who can cover all positions if need be and Ethan gets too easily injured because he throws his body too hard at everything so jacobson is needed until Ethan gets some consistency with not being injured
Missing post contact metres which Sititi wins very easily
If you've got a stat for it I'll check it out!
Hey mate, could I ask you to do a video on Proctor vs Ioane stats for the year after the comments made from Hansen on the opportunity Proctor has.
Ah man what has Hansen been saying?
@@TwoCentsRugby he was full of praise for Billy on his work rate, defense, attack and ended of by saying there is a real opportunity for Billy. You can listen to him on the Aeterora Rugby Pod, great interview.
But I cant find stats, but curious to see how they compare.
I like the idea of Proctor starting with Jordie, be interesting to see if the stats back that up.
I think Sotutu will be back sometime this season.
Listen to SHansen on today's Rugby Pod.
Maybe he should play first five then.... 😅
Hmmm so Iose was robbed i see
Someone has said it already there has to be some attitude problem there. He wasn’t picked by Foz in the second half of his reign and isn’t picked by razor either at this stage.
He was left out as soon as ryan took over
Yet the Blues forward pack completely dominated the Chiefs forward pack - Chiefs loosies nowhere to be seen!
@@thefobbie0034might have been the tight five doing most of that. Sam Darry looks much better than Tūpou Vaii also
This is what happen to a very good player. Foster jealous of Sotutu and never pick sotutu .Foster lost most games including the world cup. Now, Robertson do the same. Jealous. Why pick Savea? Hes form in japan doesnt count. Japan is not a rugby nation. Rugby there is weak. I dont give a $#@ how good Ardie is. He have to play here in NZ to be picked. Why Hate sotutu. Hes the best blues player. Look at some saders player picked but never the 1/4 or semis. SAD.
Hoskin knows what the plan is and so do I.... He's in the team...just needs a little more time to develop...I have a gutt feeling Patrick Tuipolotu is holding a knee injury... Luke Jacobson deserves his spot even though his stats are the lowest of the 4 locks (Sititi, Jacobson and Tuipolotu)...I believe Jacobson is more ready for Test Rugby... thanks for reading my analysis.God bless the All Blacks.
He didn’t got picked now, but who knows, this is a long 4-year RWC campaign, he certainly can get picked later. I wouldn’t make a big deal out of this. Also, lets see how Sotutu takes this, he lowers his performance or steps it up.
Sotutu has been made a scapegoat as Ardie slots into number 8 above the form player with no games played in super rugby.Sabbaticals love them or hate them.
Other NZ based form players have held starting positions ie DMac 10 Perofeta 15.
Love to see Sotutu answer the criticism from Razor and Ryan but add to what he already does ie scoring tries and assisting tries.Sotutus stats will make the loosies stats v england look silly.
Thanks Mark, appreciate the stats and discussion starters.
Unlike the general consensus, I didn't wonder why no Sotutu?
Has nothing (liar!) to do with supporting the Chiefs. ;)
Not so long ago Sotutu seemed to be struggling with performance consistency, so I guess that's why he stood out in Super this year. Which was awesome to see.
His tackling stats have never really been outstanding though.
He's a bloody good player btw and will probably wear the Black again later this year?
My first reactions to this team selection was who is kind of paired up in the front, mid, backs from their super season teams.
The men don't have that much time before the first games so maybe some of the selection pics also require a strong bond, a kind of, oh, those guys work together well type thing. Familiarity. Knowing how they can tackle, or step, or pass is one thing. Bonding is understanding the size and speed that person does everything, it makes two become one, which equals quicker instinctive response times... and I think we all know that hesitation has everything to do with missing chances.
Stoked that Sititi has the chance to learn from the current leaders. Think he'll continue to get better each year and stand out even more.
I can see why Razor would look at picking Sotiti over Sotutu. Personally I wouldn't have picked Sotiti, but I always think that AB coaches need players to invest in long term. If he thinks he can make Sotiti a long term pick then that's fair enough. Sometimes these picks don't pay off I.E. Toeava but we have had some legendary bolters like Richie picked early.
Each super rugby coach has their style of play...the new Blues coach style won the trophy tho.. however it did not meet the stats sotutu needed to be in the new ABS coach's squad.. however there is still time and patience for sotutu to be included. 🙏
Adding Backadder & Bell just sink full stop. I'm no Jacobsen fan either. I would have gone Sotutu, Lakai & Lose. Move Ardie to No.6. Shocking first call Raor.....
Is it not the All Blacks coaches job to pick the best players? If you don’t gel or there is a perceived attitude problem then isn’t it your job to fix that? That’s why you get paid the big $$$ Hoskins is different. Needs a coach to put an arm around and back him. Stern Vern managed it….
My 2 cents...
The way I see it... is sotutu an amazing player... yes maybe one of the best. In a one Man sport he would be a champion...but rugby is a team sport...a combination of all the parts if you will. Don't want to compare but Rassie doesn't always pick the best player but the one that fits in with the team... think Libbok being excluded, at some stage Bongi over Marx, although that changed as time went on but some stage people thought he was crazy for Making Marx an impact player off bench.
They have missed someone like Sotutu and Clarke - two players with the most line breaks and metres gained in Super Rugby and both in form and winners this year. Samipeni and Sevu could take a seat. Remember also, the best line of defence is attack - the ABs shouldnt be so negative......
You can not pick everyone. Really speaking, NZ have that many inform players at the moment that Razor could pick 2 teams as well as the Reserves and still have players miss out. Just because you like a player, doesn't mean that he should be in the All Blacks. This is why you have Razor and his support team making the call. It falls on them to pick who they think should be in the team.
Maybe the WINDGAT thinks Sotutu is a bit of a SUURGAT. That is how Rassie deals with players who are caught onKANT. Curryism or is it a Bongi-ism.
What about discipline? Penalties conceded would be easy enough to find. Beyond that AB teams have started to concede a lot of cards Vs NH teams. Is there anything about these players' tackle technique that might be worrying selectors?
Still doesnt make any sense to me to not have atleast one guy in the team thats taller and at 8 if only for his lineout ability. Sooner or later with the locks we have available we are going to get exposed when either pat or scott is injured. Because Tupou vaai is not even close to an international level lock and everyone else below him is worthless aswell. Very surprising to me that Razor obviously continuing with the same overall team mindset as the previous coach...... Also would of liked to of seen Ardie coming off Sotutu's shoulder...... Also Ardie was the best player in the world LAST YEAR. He likely wont win that award again and will be heading into decline in 3 years time at the next WC. If Sotutu isnt back in there for the Rugby championship im getting bad vibes about what Razor is planning. Also where are the lineout stats? Because he really stood out to me in any lineout situation I saw him in.
Plenty of fire power in the AB selection for scoring points. The stats show that Sotutu will be a risk for turnovers, conceded penalties and missed tackles when in matters in high pressure games against big Northern Hem teams. But it wouldn't have hurt to have him on the bench for more Ab game time experience for his own growth. It is what it is.
I would have it 6-jacobson 7-ardie 8-hoskin razzor u flop why didn't u pick hoskin over sititi🤦 big flop mistakes😡
Has Sotutu been blackballed by the ABs or something? Blackadder and Jacobson are good all blacks but they aren’t setting the world on fire
Neither was sotutu when he was an all black and blackadder shouldn't be there
@@isaacstocking7746 Blackadder does go in like a missile every time eh plays and sets the world on fire however this totoa disregard for his body always ends up injuring him pretty quick. It's a shame because he's the most talented loose forward since Ardie, Richie and kaino I think
Look back at last year...sotutu didn't make the 3rd 15. Simple slack attitude. He will never be an Allblack going forward again
Hoskins very similar to Hacivah Dayimani from South Africa. Very great players who excel in every direction but the national coaches.
Justice for Hoskins. It is crazy that he wasn’t selected I feel for him. Hopefully he gets his chance. Hoskins plays loose but he makes up for it with assists and tries imo.
goes missing when plays for the ABs
He's had a couple of years to develop since then though, only like 25 years old now
@@TwoCentsRugbyyeah he looked a lot gruntier at the hard yards this year with the ball Hoskins did
Uso great stats..... Satutu's form for super rugby & ma'i was 12 tries n contributed greatly to the title...
Biggest mistake razor did was not picking sotutu instead he picked a rookie over experience and how well hoskin played this year he should have been in the a.bs 🤦