All Blacks 2025
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@frugby said in All Blacks 2025:
@Bovidae said in All Blacks 2025:
@frugby said in All Blacks 2025:
intrigued to see CLW rewarded with the spot at eight.
CLW is a good player, and they obviously rate him as he stayed with the ABs on the EOYT. But, he is another undersized loose forward. They seem to like them though.
Outside of Finau, we are lacking in āsizedā loose forwards at the moment. What I like about CLW is he at least plays like a traditional number eight.
Sotutu has been very underwhelming for the Blues this year and hasnāt even been mentioned in dispatches. Haig has been injured, which really only leaves Parker. We are a nation of midgets at the moment in the loose forwards!
Sotutu certainly hasn't been the clear-cut comp player of the year in a champion side this year - but he has been both injured and suspended, and still looks the Blues best forward when he does play to me. He's got size and a fair bit of grunt, which frankly are the main things we are lacking in the loose, and happens to have shit-hot ball skills to go with it.
CLW is a very good but medium sized loosie. It's possible that he might be the form one at present, but they are a dime a dozen in NZ.
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@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks 2025:
It was only a couple of seasons ago that Billy Proctor's five-year contract was largely considered one of the worst deals done in contracting history
Sheesh, that's over egging the pudding, it was more along the lines of WTF than worst contract in history,
It's also noticeable that he didn't live up to the potential of that contract until it ended and he signed a two year contract, clearly the pressure was too much for him.
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@frugby said in All Blacks 2025:
I also find this whole de Groot has been bad narrative really funny. He has a had a few niggles but has largely been fine.
It almost as if the scrummaging efforts of the two next to him wouldnāt look out of place at club rugby.
EDG is suited to test rugby, Jason Ryan has consistently talked about this. I still think there is plenty of creedence in starting EDG, and bringing Williams on for impact. Who says you canāt sub Williams on after 35 mins like the Boks do?
I think itās quite easy to pick on an AB, especially in a side that is playing terrible. We expect them to be great week in week out without fail. I recall Tamaiti Williams(injured a fair amount yes) and Fletcher Newell both having below average seasons last year in an under performing side. Very hard for props to stand out or even look good when the pack struggles to go forward week in week out. Get to the test arena and they went up a level, I expect the same from EDG.
EDG has been doing his core roles well, I was concerned about him at the start of the season when the injury news popped up as I know his fitness has been his worst enemy in the past. This year he looks as light and fit as he has ever been but then picks up an ankle injury here and there. If you watch closely you will see he is frustrated as well, as the most senior player that a lot of guys are looking to in that team he will be feeling the heat the most I would say.
Yes he hasnāt had his best season but thatās footy, ups and downs. A 26 year old who is only coming into his prime propping years.
Might come across like I have highlanders glasses on here but I have been watching him closely week in week out and I will cast criticism on any player when it is warranted, I just donāt think EDG has been that bad. Has he been in great form, no, but with what Iāve been watching each week I am not concerned at all.
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@Landers92 I think there are quite a number of ABs who have been below the standard I'd expect from them for most of Super so far, and am hoping that a big part of that is the conditioning programs and when they're aiming to peak. Scott Barrett, Lomax, Aumua, Tosi etc have hardly been playing the house down.
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@Jet said in All Blacks 2025:
@1kiwi said in All Blacks 2025:
ALB gone for the season
Injury the Allblacks best selector once again....
as solid as ALB is (well mostly...) this could actually be a bit of a blessing in disguise as his automatic 'experience' pick in the 23 has been among the most excruciatingly boring aspects of AB selections since 2020/21, I want to see Tupaea, Higgins, LF, Proctor, etc.. get a decent run for once.
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@darylmitchell said in All Blacks 2025:
@Jet said in All Blacks 2025:
@1kiwi said in All Blacks 2025:
ALB gone for the season
Injury the Allblacks best selector once again....
as solid as ALB is (well mostly...) this could actually be a bit of a blessing in disguise as his automatic 'experience' pick in the 23 has been among the most excruciatingly boring aspects of AB selections since 2020/21, I want to see Tupaea, Higgins, LF, Proctor, etc.. get a decent run for once.
I hate to break it to youā¦ but it just means we are about to see more of Mr Havili.
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@darylmitchell said in All Blacks 2025:
@Jet said in All Blacks 2025:
@1kiwi said in All Blacks 2025:
ALB gone for the season
Injury the Allblacks best selector once again....
as solid as ALB is (well mostly...) this could actually be a bit of a blessing in disguise as his automatic 'experience' pick in the 23 has been among the most excruciatingly boring aspects of AB selections since 2020/21, I want to see Tupaea, Higgins, LF, Proctor, etc.. get a decent run for once.
Totally agree. But it's also good to have an experienced solid bloke on the bench to backup the new fellas. Maybe something QT can provide.
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@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2025:
@darylmitchell said in All Blacks 2025:
@Jet said in All Blacks 2025:
@1kiwi said in All Blacks 2025:
ALB gone for the season
Injury the Allblacks best selector once again....
as solid as ALB is (well mostly...) this could actually be a bit of a blessing in disguise as his automatic 'experience' pick in the 23 has been among the most excruciatingly boring aspects of AB selections since 2020/21, I want to see Tupaea, Higgins, LF, Proctor, etc.. get a decent run for once.
Totally agree. But it's also good to have an experienced solid bloke on the bench to backup the new fellas. Maybe something QT can provide.
Weirdly I still think of QT as the young new fulla but he's been in the ABs since 2021.
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@frugby said in All Blacks 2025:
Haig has been injured
And been very underwhelming on his return, not the behemoth I was told played last season.
Howden on the other hand has really stepped up, him and Ah Kuoi are the guys I'll be watching at the business end and certainly a better size than CLW. Here's hoping they keep delivering.
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@Nepia said in All Blacks 2025:
@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2025:
@darylmitchell said in All Blacks 2025:
@Jet said in All Blacks 2025:
@1kiwi said in All Blacks 2025:
ALB gone for the season
Injury the Allblacks best selector once again....
as solid as ALB is (well mostly...) this could actually be a bit of a blessing in disguise as his automatic 'experience' pick in the 23 has been among the most excruciatingly boring aspects of AB selections since 2020/21, I want to see Tupaea, Higgins, LF, Proctor, etc.. get a decent run for once.
Totally agree. But it's also good to have an experienced solid bloke on the bench to backup the new fellas. Maybe something QT can provide.
Weirdly I still think of QT as the young new fulla but he's been in the ABs since 2021.
14 caps most likely in a bit part role doesn't exactly scream experience.
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@Bones said in All Blacks 2025:
@Nepia said in All Blacks 2025:
@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2025:
@darylmitchell said in All Blacks 2025:
@Jet said in All Blacks 2025:
@1kiwi said in All Blacks 2025:
ALB gone for the season
Injury the Allblacks best selector once again....
as solid as ALB is (well mostly...) this could actually be a bit of a blessing in disguise as his automatic 'experience' pick in the 23 has been among the most excruciatingly boring aspects of AB selections since 2020/21, I want to see Tupaea, Higgins, LF, Proctor, etc.. get a decent run for once.
Totally agree. But it's also good to have an experienced solid bloke on the bench to backup the new fellas. Maybe something QT can provide.
Weirdly I still think of QT as the young new fulla but he's been in the ABs since 2021.
14 caps most likely in a bit part role doesn't exactly scream experience.
David Havili has more than double that plus his incredible utility value.
.....and we all know he's even more of a shoe in now.
But ( sigh ) Tupaea appears from the outset to have a lot more upside and physicality to battle the big nasty 12s from other countries.
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@Bones said in All Blacks 2025:
@MN5 said in All Blacks 2025:
shoe
No
Stop being negative, actually read my whole post
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@MN5 said in All Blacks 2025:
@Bones said in All Blacks 2025:
@MN5 said in All Blacks 2025:
shoe
No
Stop being negative, actually read my whole post
Shoo
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@Bones said in All Blacks 2025:
@frugby said in All Blacks 2025:
Haig has been injured
And been very underwhelming on his return, not the behemoth I was told played last season.
Howden on the other hand has really stepped up, him and Ah Kuoi are the guys I'll be watching at the business end and certainly a better size than CLW. Here's hoping they keep delivering.
He hasnāt been great this season but thoroughly deserved the ABs XV call up and was one of the better six options going around. If he had the luxury of being able to come off the bench rather than straight back after 10 weeks off with a broken foot, into a mess of a team, heād probably fair better. I donāt think anyone doesnāt back him to kick on. McMillian and Razor rate him. Give him a chance to get back to full fitness
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@KiwiInLondon oh ok yeah Haig at 6 for the ABs.
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@Bones said in All Blacks 2025:
@KiwiInLondon oh ok yeah Haig at 6 for the ABs.
Ahh no absolutely not. Another 12-18 months before I'd even suggest it
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Sititi played last year with his knee problem.
āI was carrying it throughout the back-end of the Chiefs season last year, one of those ones thatāll come up in the game, feel sore the next day, and then be right by the next game, it sort of just recurred like that,ā he divulged.
āBut in that last game against Italy in Turin, I hyper-extended my knee and damaged my meniscus.ā
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M Mr Fish referenced this topic on
The Waikato Times