Rugby Union

Have to say, with Codie Taylor possibly/probably injured Scott Robertson's team's Hooker selection strategy is looking very grim.

In the ABs he picked Taylor, Aumua & Bell. The latter looked ok when Taylor was rested in the first half of Super Rugby, but is very much a prospect, not anything like a guaranteed international player. And all 3 of them have had line out throwing troubles, particularly Aumua who has had issues for years.

Then in the AB XV he selected Brodie McAlister, Bradley Slater & Kurt Ekland. None of these 3 are starting Super Rugby hookers, Brodie McAlister was behind Taylor & Bell, Slater was behind Taukieaho, and Ekland was behind the Blues starting hooker Riccitelli.

Now, unless the latter has told NZR that he's intending to go overseas and try to qualify for Italy or something, not rating the championship winning hooker in the top 6 in New Zealand is just bizarre. He's not an especially flashy player, but has a high work rate and crucially does the key roles, particularly line out throwing, better than most other hookers in NZ.

Never seen the ref in this Scotland vs Fiji game, but I can understand how Fiji are struggling with him given his 0 comms style. Most of the Fiji players will be used to SH form of refereeing where there's information flowing from the referee confirming when ruck has formed, when hands should be off etc.

Instead this bloke just pings them over & over, its not cheating or anything but really Fiji are playing against 16 Scotland just get to piggy back down the field by kicking penalties rather than having to play much rugby to get territory. Very ugly sort of game to watch.

No lie, I had barely any interest in these upcoming games, and then I saw the team list for the All Blacks XV vs Munster and Devan Flanders picked at 8 (after missing out on the squad and only getting called up because Lio-Willie has been called into the ABs proper.

Then I was reading reddit /r/rugbyunion (stopped posting, but occasionally check it out to see what the mouth breathers are banging on about ;) ) and someone asking where Brayden Iose was and that the ABs XV didn't have a proper 8.

Which is a bit silly given Flanders is an 8 for Hawkes Bay, swapped with Iose a couple of times for the Hurricanes, and really only plays blindside because he's good enough to be in the team so they fit him in somewhere. I rate him hugely - massive human, always thought he was talented as a player but then watched him warming up at a Magpies game at McLean Park and this giant lad was covering so much ground with pace and power.

He's got the size and physical attributes to be a great international 6/8, just needs time free from injury playing to build form at Super rugby level. You can't teach size and pace.

All Blacks XV v Munster, 2 November 5.30PM (GMT) / 3 November 6.30AM (NZDT), Thomond Park, Limerick, Ireland

All Blacks XV match-day 23:

• George Bower* (Crusaders / Otago)
• Brodie McAlister (Crusaders / Canterbury)
• George Dyer (Chiefs / Waikato)
• Isaia Walker-Leawere (Hurricanes / Hawke's Bay)
• Fabian Holland (Highlanders / Otago)
• Oliver Haig (Highlanders / Otago)
• Du'Plessis Kirifi - Captain (Hurricanes / Wellington)
• Devan Flanders (Hurricanes / Hawke's Bay)
• Finlay Christie* (Blues / Tasman)
• Harry Plummer - Vice-Captain* (Blues / Auckland)
• Kini Naholo (Hurricanes / Taranaki)
• Quinn Tupaea* (Chiefs / Waikato)
• AJ Lam (Blues / Auckland)
• Chay Fihaki (Crusaders / Canterbury)
• Shaun Stevenson* (Chiefs / North Harbour) ⁠
• Bradley Slater (Chiefs / Taranaki)
• Xavier Numia (Hurricanes / Wellington)
• Marcel Renata (Blues / Auckland)
• Naitoa Ah Kuoi (Chiefs / Bay of Plenty)
• Corey Kellow (Crusaders / Canterbury)
• Noah Hotham* (Crusaders / Tasman)
• Josh Jacomb (Chiefs / Taranaki)
• Ruben Love* (Hurricanes / Wellington)

*denotes capped All Blacks player

UK timings for the nations cup

No idea if the Munster match is being shown sadly