All Blacks 2025
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@sparky assume Pisi is Tosi?
If it weren't for TJ Perenara's injury last year, Robertson wouldn't have debuted any players until the Fiji Test. Suspect he'll go for the 'tried and true' in at least the first game against France, especially after their less than impressive performance against Italy at the end of last year.
So I think that's largely on the money, but with Jordan at fullback and either Reece or Tele'a on the wing, and either Tuupulotu or Lord on the bench in place of Holland. Could potentially see Taukei'aho over one of the other two hookers also.
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@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:
@cgrant said in All Blacks 2025:
Rieko Ioane won't be dropped, IMO. He'll start, not ALB.
He's shown nothing this year. Absolutely zero form at all. Unless he can fix that, I can't see him making the squad. Robertson is loyal, not blind.
Making the 23 or making the wider squad? I don't think there's a scenario where a guy who started 10 matches last year doesn't make Robertson's first squad of 2025.
I hadn't actually realised you'd left him out of the team... Have a feeling Robertson will plump for him at 13... Might be a different scenario if there were another option absolutely smashing the door down at centre but Lienert-Brown has been good rather than great and Billy Proctor has been injured.
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@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:
@cgrant said in All Blacks 2025:
Rieko Ioane won't be dropped, IMO. He'll start, not ALB.
He's shown nothing this year. Absolutely zero form at all. Unless he can fix that, I can't see him making the squad. Robertson is loyal, not blind.
It's not like he was busting down doors last year either. He'll be there. Not that he'll be needed if Higgins recovers, won't matter who the outside backs are then.
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This guy is the best no 10 in NZ
This is great news -
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@BerniesCorner said in All Blacks 2025:
This guy is the best no 10 in NZ
This is great newsSomeone tell Razor
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@Bones said in All Blacks 2025:
@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:
@cgrant said in All Blacks 2025:
Rieko Ioane won't be dropped, IMO. He'll start, not ALB.
He's shown nothing this year. Absolutely zero form at all. Unless he can fix that, I can't see him making the squad. Robertson is loyal, not blind.
It's not like he was busting down doors last year either. He'll be there. Not that he'll be needed if Higgins recovers, won't matter who the outside backs are then.
Ioane has played 40 more tests for NZ (81) than Will Jordan (41) and has scored 1 try less.
Our Rieko is well into "charmed life" territory now.
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@Jet said in All Blacks 2025:
@Bones said in All Blacks 2025:
@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:
@cgrant said in All Blacks 2025:
Rieko Ioane won't be dropped, IMO. He'll start, not ALB.
He's shown nothing this year. Absolutely zero form at all. Unless he can fix that, I can't see him making the squad. Robertson is loyal, not blind.
It's not like he was busting down doors last year either. He'll be there. Not that he'll be needed if Higgins recovers, won't matter who the outside backs are then.
Ioane has played 40 more tests for NZ (81) than Will Jordan (41) and has scored 1 try less.
Our Rieko is well into "charmed life" territory now.
Wow, Conrad Smith was obviously awful, 94 tests only 26 tries!
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@Bones said in All Blacks 2025:
@MN5 said in All Blacks 2025:
@Bones said in All Blacks 2025:
@Machpants said in All Blacks 2025:
@Bones said in All Blacks 2025:
Huh, I always assume vanilla is used to describe bland players that don't stand out.
That's what vanilla means, yes
Right, so it would be bizarre to call a player vanilla when one of the notable things about him is that he'd bring something different to the ABs.
This is exactly the question I asked and got shot down cos my comprehension is no good.
Tour.
*Tou're....nope...i took it too far
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something i think we / AB's coaches undersell is metaphorical momentum, guys on these huge waves of form....guys that if you gave them a black jersey would happily run out there to take on the world....get critiqued and picked apart to a level incumbents dont and ultimately someone says "but experience"...and all the wind gets taken out of these guys sails, sure i get experience has value, especially captain or game driver....but out and out weapons like Tangitau could be...get this guy fucking out there
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@Machpants said in All Blacks 2025:
@Jet said in All Blacks 2025:
@Bones said in All Blacks 2025:
@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:
@cgrant said in All Blacks 2025:
Rieko Ioane won't be dropped, IMO. He'll start, not ALB.
He's shown nothing this year. Absolutely zero form at all. Unless he can fix that, I can't see him making the squad. Robertson is loyal, not blind.
It's not like he was busting down doors last year either. He'll be there. Not that he'll be needed if Higgins recovers, won't matter who the outside backs are then.
Ioane has played 40 more tests for NZ (81) than Will Jordan (41) and has scored 1 try less.
Our Rieko is well into "charmed life" territory now.
Wow, Conrad Smith was obviously awful, 94 tests only 26 tries!
Best centre of all time for me was our Conrad. Maybe Danie Gerber a close second.
I think we have both come to the same point from different perspectives.
Riekos move to centre has completely null and voided the one thing he was good at. Scoring tries.
Conrad offered something. Rieko doesn’t.
