All Blacks 2023
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@Bones said in All Blacks 2023:
Haha good one josh. Couldn't agree more for the highlanders, couldn't agree less for the ABs. Would be great to see Frizzel at lock and Barrett at 6 🤮
Former All Black flanker backs potential Shannon Frizell position change
The No 6 jersey has been one of the most difficult to hold down throughout Ian Foster's tenure as All Blacks head coach.
You don't get it Bones. A FORMER ALL BLACK is saying he's good at lock.
We should all bow in reverence. -
@Frank said in All Blacks 2023:
You don't get it Bones. A FORMER ALL BLACK is saying he's good at lock.
We should all bow in reverence.It's an interesting headline choice by the editor. If it was an ex player whose opinion is respected they would use his name. No one is clicking on "Kronfeld says.."
His greatest moment of punditry was when he claimed the ABs were giving away jerseys because they picked McCaw off of NPC form
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‘The time is right’: All Blacks manager steps down after 19 years
All Blacks Manager Darren Shand has announced he will be leaving the team.
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@mariner4life said in All Blacks 2023:
@Chris-B comparing to the 2015 team is a fools errand. Arguably the finest rugby team ever assembled. A bunch of guys who are either all time greats for NZ, or in some cases the world. All playing well at the same time. That's lightening strike stuff.
Even the lessor lights of the team, like the back 3 or the hookers, were great players. Ridiculous side.
Yeah - I know. And if Sam Whitelock hadn't stolen that lineout they could have been beaten in the semi. But, he did!!!
That's why I drew my main comparison with the 2011 team.
By comparison 2015 scored 14 tries in the play-offs and 2011 scored 4. France was pretty soft in the 2015 QF though.
If we happen to win the whole thing it will be interesting to select merged teams - right now, it's pretty hard not to be biased towards the guys who have already got it done.
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That 2011 GF side still had Smith, Nonu, McCaw, Read, Kaino, Whitelock (but baby Sam), Kev and Woodcock.
Yes there are heaps of spots that 2023 vintage players would take (arguably the whole back 3, halfbacks, other lock) but those "lessor" players in 2011 had an incredible core to help them out.
Aside from the 2015 hangover players, are there any in teh 23 at the moment that you think will end up in the AB ATG conversation? Probably not. It took better teams than this to win it, but better teams than this have also lost it.
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@mariner4life said in All Blacks 2023:
Aside from the 2015 hangover players, are there any in teh 23 at the moment that you think will end up in the AB ATG conversation? Probably not. It took better teams than this to win it, but better teams than this have also lost it.
Some way to go, because it's early days for most of them.
Samisoni and My boy Will are possibilities. Maybe even Rieko in another cycle. Who knows what we'll be saying about our props 10 years from now.
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Sami is definitely one.
Reiko would have to go on an amazing trot to be held in the same reverence as Smith, Bunce and Robertson (just look at this thread, every 2nd poster still tries to call him a winger)
Will Jordan? Almost all great AB wingers are instant hits and then fade. Will will need to buck that trend."early days for most of them"
Just on this. The front rowers yes.
The locks are old as shit. SBarrett is nearly 30
Cane is at the end. Savea is nearly 30
Smith is already the GOAT.
Mo'unga is done with NZ rugby
JBarrett have probably one world cup cycle left in them
BBarrett is done.
I made my point about the wingers already. -
@mariner4life Without really disagreeing - Bunce was who I was thinking of in terms of Rieko. I doubt Frank had even started when he was Reiko's age - and RI has a very nice body of work on the wing, already.
Will's still scoring test tries as fast as anyone else ever has (might be second to Joe Rok now) - and next year I'm expecting he'll be our fullback.
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@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks 2023:
Ideally with Will Jordan he follows the path of Ben Smith whose test career didn't really take off until his mid 20s in 2012. Will Jordan is 25.
Ideally no he doesn't - instead let us hope he gets picked regularly and in his best position!
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@Crucial with JB being the preferred 12, who's the other form 12s, who as an added bonus cover other positions in the squad like DH did?
If they see ALB as 12/13 and are comfortable with is his durablity since he's had injury issues recently, perhaps the backup to RI is the risk point to cover in the squad?
LF is off overseas so a waste of time, Ennor is a bit shit. Fern favourite Umanga-Jenson is always injured, so who's the next 13?
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@Kirwan surely Proctor is next cab off the rank at 13?
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@taniwharugby has good pace, so wouldn't change how we play with RI there.
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@Stargazer was slow/medium pace before his injury. So , along with ALB, has question marks about his durability and now even slower than his peak. So changes were we attack.
I think his time has passed, and time to try someone new.
