All Blacks 2023
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@Steve said in All Blacks 2023:
I rewatched the 3 test series with Ireland and actually feel a wee bit more upbeat about NZ's prospects at the RWC.
It's the top 5% which has gone missing way too often as it has since about 2017/18 and that translates into flakiness. One match they are brilliant, the next they are shite. Good, disciplined teams with clear heads would have handled Ta'avao-gate and Aki-gate way better
I think Ireland showed their hand, and we haven't fully shown ours.
I don't rate Foster, and Ireland definitely have our number of late, but the pressure is all on them this time.There's momentum, I think, and am a lot more optimistic than middle of last year, but then you get a forwards performance like the 2nd half against England and you just have to wonder if it's misplaced.
Making the semi's would be an OK result, making the Finals would be icing on teh cake.
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@MajorRage said in All Blacks 2023:
@Steve said in All Blacks 2023:
I rewatched the 3 test series with Ireland and actually feel a wee bit more upbeat about NZ's prospects at the RWC.
We walloped them in the first game.
The second game was Ta'avao-gate and Aki-gate.
The third game was Porter-gate.
That's a 2/3 red card swing that on another day leads to a 2-1 or 3-0 series win.
Samisoni and Jordan were dicked around by Foster and underused in the series.
As it stands they are 2 of our most important players. Definite game breakers and points of difference.
We have a big lump in Jordie at 12 now too.I think Ireland showed their hand, and we haven't fully shown ours.
I don't rate Foster, and Ireland definitely have our number of late, but the pressure is all on them this time.
They will go into the World Cup as favourites.
Next time without a bent ref, NZ by 25+.
Sell the family silver and keep on fakkin punting.
Wow, you are a sucker for punishment ... No way I could watch that again.
Enjoying your optimism though.
At the end of the day, we may not even face Ireland but I do agree, that it's all about what happens on the day. If we can harness the motivation from the ladies, then anything really is possible.
Well I look at it like this......
Barring injury:
They will have for example...Lowe, Keenan and Hansen on the wings. JGP at 9. Their 15 is very good but very settled. There is no new fresh talent to be unleashed. They won't be dropping their VDF's and O'Mahoneys. Their team is the team we seen.
We could have any of Narawa, Jordan, Stevenson, Telea , McKenzie in our backfield. Roigard at 9 off the bench. They didn't face any of this before. Jordan only played game 2 off the bench and game 3. We may even have DMAC at 10.
We will also have a completely different front row to what we put out against them. We unearthed Lomax, Newell and De Groot after that series. Samisoni won't be dropped either.
Sowakula, RTS, Perofeta will be replaced in the squad.
Blackadder and Papalii should be involved.
Hopefully Foster rolls the dice.
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@Steve said in All Blacks 2023:
@MajorRage said in All Blacks 2023:
@Steve said in All Blacks 2023:
I rewatched the 3 test series with Ireland and actually feel a wee bit more upbeat about NZ's prospects at the RWC.
We walloped them in the first game.
The second game was Ta'avao-gate and Aki-gate.
The third game was Porter-gate.
That's a 2/3 red card swing that on another day leads to a 2-1 or 3-0 series win.
Samisoni and Jordan were dicked around by Foster and underused in the series.
As it stands they are 2 of our most important players. Definite game breakers and points of difference.
We have a big lump in Jordie at 12 now too.I think Ireland showed their hand, and we haven't fully shown ours.
I don't rate Foster, and Ireland definitely have our number of late, but the pressure is all on them this time.
They will go into the World Cup as favourites.
Next time without a bent ref, NZ by 25+.
Sell the family silver and keep on fakkin punting.
Wow, you are a sucker for punishment ... No way I could watch that again.
Enjoying your optimism though.
At the end of the day, we may not even face Ireland but I do agree, that it's all about what happens on the day. If we can harness the motivation from the ladies, then anything really is possible.
Well I look at it like this......
Barring injury:
They will have for example...Lowe, Keenan and Hansen on the wings. JGP at 9. Their 15 is very good but very settled. There is no new fresh talent to be unleashed. They won't be dropping their VDF's and O'Mahoneys. Their team is the team we seen.
We could have any of Narawa, Jordan, Stevenson, Telea , McKenzie in our backfield. Roigard at 9 off the bench. They didn't face any of this before. Jordan only played game 2 off the bench and game 3. We may even have DMAC at 10.
We will also have a completely different front row to what we put out against them. We unearthed Lomax, Newell and De Groot after that series. Samisoni won't be dropped either.
Sowakula, RTS, Perofeta will be replaced in the squad.
Blackadder and Papalii should be involved.
Hopefully Foster rolls the dice.
I have optimism we can beat anyone on our day ,
First test against Ireland, second in South Africa last year shows we can, against teams we are supposed to fear ,
My concern revolves more around the draw and our inconsistency in performances , 3 tough games in a row has me worried than the individual teams we have to play .
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@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2023:
@Steve said in All Blacks 2023:
I rewatched the 3 test series with Ireland and actually feel a wee bit more upbeat about NZ's prospects at the RWC.
It's the top 5% which has gone missing way too often as it has since about 2017/18 and that translates into flakiness. One match they are brilliant, the next they are shite. Good, disciplined teams with clear heads would have handled Ta'avao-gate and Aki-gate way better
I think Ireland showed their hand, and we haven't fully shown ours.
I don't rate Foster, and Ireland definitely have our number of late, but the pressure is all on them this time.There's momentum, I think, and am a lot more optimistic than middle of last year, but then you get a forwards performance like the 2nd half against England and you just have to wonder if it's misplaced.
Making the semi's would be an OK result, making the Finals would be icing on teh cake.
The team definitely lacks a brains trust. It can appear at times that Ardie, Beaudy and Mo'unga are playing their own game as opposed to the teams game.
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Ireland are exactly like England in 2003, they are coming to the end of their cycle, you know exactly who is going to play, and exactly how they are going to play. The trick is finding a way to beat it.
England pulled it off, just. Even then it took the kinder side of the draw, and surviving extra time. World Cups are fucking hard to win, no matter how good you are you need some shit to go your way.
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@Kirwan said in All Blacks 2023:
I think the team at it's worst can beat anybody. But I don't think this team can beat three good teams in a row.
It's the least optimistic I've been heading into a World Cup.
this ^^^
I just dont know what team is going to run out, the one that will score tries from anywhere on the pitch....or the one that will hand over possession easily by poorly executed cross field kick passes inside our own 22...and if its the former....im certain the next game with see the latter
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@Steve said in All Blacks 2023:
Samisoni and Jordan were dicked around by Foster and underused in the series.
On Jordan, he had covid so had to pull out of the 1st test and was eased back via the bench in the 2nd test.
There were a lot of injuries/illness which influenced team selection.
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Planet Rugby's form XV -
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@Daffy-Jaffy said in All Blacks 2023:
Planet Rugby's form XV -
Agree with the majority of that 15.
Beaudy and Mo'unga are rightfully nowhere to be seen.
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The stand out WTF selection in that article is PGS at 6.
Just shows how that position is still a conundrum. We really seem to struggle to develop tier 1 level test 6s for the requirements of the current game.
Plenty of Super quality ones but they all seem to struggle at the top level. -
Evan at super level there is no one that is standing up and say pick me.
For 6
Akira looks great in highlights.
PGS is great off the back of a scrum.
Flanders is really good on attack.
Renton never gives up.
Blackadder is the energizer bunny till he gets injured.
Jacobson who wont let anyone one down, but not going to make it into the highlights -
@Crucial said in All Blacks 2023:
The stand out WTF selection in that article is PGS at 6.
Just shows how that position is still a conundrum. We really seem to struggle to develop tier 1 level test 6s for the requirements of the current game.
Plenty of Super quality ones but they all seem to struggle at the top level.i am starting to feel we're spoilt for choice when it comes to players on the cusp....and in the past there might have been one that was given a chance and stuck with and grew into the role...now after a couple of games there is a chorus of "what about that guy"
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@Crucial said in All Blacks 2023:
The stand out WTF selection in that article is PGS at 6.
Just shows how that position is still a conundrum. We really seem to struggle to develop tier 1 level test 6s for the requirements of the current game.
Plenty of Super quality ones but they all seem to struggle at the top level.Blackadder shaped hole in there somewhere.
Mental that we went from Collins to Kaino to the square root of fuck all.
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@Kiwiwomble said in All Blacks 2023:
@Crucial said in All Blacks 2023:
The stand out WTF selection in that article is PGS at 6.
Just shows how that position is still a conundrum. We really seem to struggle to develop tier 1 level test 6s for the requirements of the current game.
Plenty of Super quality ones but they all seem to struggle at the top level.i am starting to feel we're spoilt for choice when it comes to players on the cusp....and in the past there might have been one that was given a chance and stuck with and grew into the role...now after a couple of games there is a chorus of "what about that guy"
You can see it.....like you can see who Razor will pick. These lads will be in next years squad.
Has Fozzie got the testicular fortitude to pick them now.
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@Darren said in All Blacks 2023:
Evan at super level there is no one that is standing up and say pick me.
For 6
Akira looks great in highlights.
PGS is great off the back of a scrum.
Flanders is really good on attack.
Renton never gives up.
Blackadder is the energizer bunny till he gets injured.Ethan for me.
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@Steve said in All Blacks 2023:
@Darren said in All Blacks 2023:
Evan at super level there is no one that is standing up and say pick me.
For 6
Akira looks great in highlights.
PGS is great off the back of a scrum.
Flanders is really good on attack.
Renton never gives up.
Blackadder is the energizer bunny till he gets injured.Ethan for me.
Ethan looks the closest to an 80 minutes player, Akira and PGS impact/off the bench players. Not sure about the other 2 at AB level. another suggestion is MMT, often plays at 8 but can play 6.