2025 All Blacks v France series
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@reprobate said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:
@brodean said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:
I've never noticed handling issues from Darry.
Blues really missed him this year. He's a another strong carrier and good close to the line.
@brodean said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:
@MN5 said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:
@Bovidae said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:
This photo shows how under-sized our loosies are:
Being the glass is half full fellow that I am it's also a case of a fucken tall prop and a tall lock.
Kirifi is a unit but yes, an undersized one. There's a place for him provided there's bigger options at 6 and 8.
Is Holland noted as a ball carrier ? I thought he went to ground pretty easy a few times last night. Certainly no Eben Etzebeth in that department ( yet )
Lio Willie basically looks the same size as Kirifi in this photo.
@brodean said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:
Dalts is a very good lineout jumper.
Your ability to claim excellence in every aspect of every Blues player while belittling every other player is truly impressive mate.
Blues players get bagged a lot and I'm just sticking up for them.
Christian Lio Willie is not every other player. The jury is still out on him but given he is little I have my doubts. Most of the players in the squad I support. There's a few selections I think are questionable.
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@sparky said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:
Using your example, Ma'a Nonu was dropped a few times and yeah I was unhappy about each of those and argued against them on here at the time if I remember correctly.
But each time he got dropped, he came back stronger and more professional. It was interesting reading the other day Ben White (half back for Toulon, Scotland and the British and Irish Lions) say that he's never encountered a more professional Rugby player than Ma'a Nonu.
That's what the brutal All Blacks environment produces. Skilled athletes who are craftsmen.
Not really. He was given multiple opportunities and dropped multiple times. He was tried at centre and on the wing by multiple AB coaches. Didn’t make the 05 Lions squad after making the ABs in 03 and even starting against the best team in the world at the time. Was dropped for the 07 RWC after featuring in 06.
He eventually became an AB great. Some players just need to be persisted with over longer periods.
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@ACT-Crusader said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:
@sparky said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:
Using your example, Ma'a Nonu was dropped a few times and yeah I was unhappy about each of those and argued against them on here at the time if I remember correctly.
But each time he got dropped, he came back stronger and more professional. It was interesting reading the other day Ben White (half back for Toulon, Scotland and the British and Irish Lions) say that he's never encountered a more professional Rugby player than Ma'a Nonu.
That's what the brutal All Blacks environment produces. Skilled athletes who are craftsmen.
Not really. He was given multiple opportunities and dropped multiple times. He was tried at centre and on the wing by multiple AB coaches. Didn’t make the 05 Lions squad after making the ABs in 03 and even starting against the best team in the world at the time. Was dropped for the 07 RWC after featuring in 06.
He eventually became an AB great. Some players just need to be persisted with over longer periods.
I always knew he was special.....
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@canefan said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:
@ACT-Crusader said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:
@sparky said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:
Using your example, Ma'a Nonu was dropped a few times and yeah I was unhappy about each of those and argued against them on here at the time if I remember correctly.
But each time he got dropped, he came back stronger and more professional. It was interesting reading the other day Ben White (half back for Toulon, Scotland and the British and Irish Lions) say that he's never encountered a more professional Rugby player than Ma'a Nonu.
That's what the brutal All Blacks environment produces. Skilled athletes who are craftsmen.
Not really. He was given multiple opportunities and dropped multiple times. He was tried at centre and on the wing by multiple AB coaches. Didn’t make the 05 Lions squad after making the ABs in 03 and even starting against the best team in the world at the time. Was dropped for the 07 RWC after featuring in 06.
He eventually became an AB great. Some players just need to be persisted with over longer periods.
I always knew he was special.....
Once he ditched the hoodie I knew he would be an AB great…..
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@ACT-Crusader said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:
@canefan said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:
@ACT-Crusader said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:
@sparky said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:
Using your example, Ma'a Nonu was dropped a few times and yeah I was unhappy about each of those and argued against them on here at the time if I remember correctly.
But each time he got dropped, he came back stronger and more professional. It was interesting reading the other day Ben White (half back for Toulon, Scotland and the British and Irish Lions) say that he's never encountered a more professional Rugby player than Ma'a Nonu.
That's what the brutal All Blacks environment produces. Skilled athletes who are craftsmen.
Not really. He was given multiple opportunities and dropped multiple times. He was tried at centre and on the wing by multiple AB coaches. Didn’t make the 05 Lions squad after making the ABs in 03 and even starting against the best team in the world at the time. Was dropped for the 07 RWC after featuring in 06.
He eventually became an AB great. Some players just need to be persisted with over longer periods.
I always knew he was special.....
Once he ditched the hoodie I knew he would be an AB great…..
@ACT-Crusader said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:
@canefan said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:
@ACT-Crusader said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:
@sparky said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:
Using your example, Ma'a Nonu was dropped a few times and yeah I was unhappy about each of those and argued against them on here at the time if I remember correctly.
But each time he got dropped, he came back stronger and more professional. It was interesting reading the other day Ben White (half back for Toulon, Scotland and the British and Irish Lions) say that he's never encountered a more professional Rugby player than Ma'a Nonu.
That's what the brutal All Blacks environment produces. Skilled athletes who are craftsmen.
Not really. He was given multiple opportunities and dropped multiple times. He was tried at centre and on the wing by multiple AB coaches. Didn’t make the 05 Lions squad after making the ABs in 03 and even starting against the best team in the world at the time. Was dropped for the 07 RWC after featuring in 06.
He eventually became an AB great. Some players just need to be persisted with over longer periods.
I always knew he was special.....
Once he ditched the hoodie I knew he would be an AB great…..
Fake news. Saw him at the pools just a couple of years back with a hoodie.
Hoodies are awesome and so is Nonu.
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@tomk said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:
Heard France could be making a lot of changes to the team. One french reporter said as many as 10 changes. Hard to believe
So their game plan is to ensure the All Blacks coaches scouting reports on last week's test match is futile..... Wheres the All blacks are a known quantity to France.
I can kind of understand what they are doing in that their approach takes all the pressure off them.
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@ACT-Crusader, I agre re Nonu, but also,
@ACT-Crusader said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:
Some players just
needtobepersisted withover longer periods.There been a few that have buggered off early because they perceive their way is blocked.
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@nonpartizan said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:
@tomk said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:
Heard France could be making a lot of changes to the team. One french reporter said as many as 10 changes. Hard to believe
So their game plan is to ensure the All Blacks coaches scouting reports on last week's test match is futile..... Wheres the All blacks are a known quantity to France.
I can kind of understand what they are doing in that their approach takes all the pressure off them.
I heard there are a grand total of 72 caps in this French squad.
I dont care what they are doing - it is incredibly disrespectful to do this. France vs All Blacks is an iconic fixture i. Rugby and they have turned it into a joke.
I really hope that we spank them by 50
Points in the next two tests and tell them don’t darken our door again -
@DaGrubster said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:
@nonpartizan said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:
@tomk said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:
Heard France could be making a lot of changes to the team. One french reporter said as many as 10 changes. Hard to believe
So their game plan is to ensure the All Blacks coaches scouting reports on last week's test match is futile..... Wheres the All blacks are a known quantity to France.
I can kind of understand what they are doing in that their approach takes all the pressure off them.
I heard there are a grand total of 72 caps in this French squad.
I dont care what they are doing - it is incredibly disrespectful to do this. France vs All Blacks is an iconic fixture i. Rugby and they have turned it into a joke.
I really hope that we spank them by 50
Points in the next two tests and tell them don’t darken our door againTrust me, I don't disagree with you at all.
What it does is not only undermine the fixture and test rugby at large it puts them in a no loss position of they either excuse the loss as it wasnt our best side or they crow about their second string winning.
Their approach takes all the pressure off them but it's unsportsmanlike. I believe the term would be it's not cricket.
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@canefan said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:
And it allows them to develop depth while devaluing test rugby. It doesn't help that we then can't pump them the way they deserve
This makes zero sense.
Grrrr how dare they develop depth with these uncapped players! Grrr how dare those inexperienced players be too good for us to beat by more!
