All Blacks 2024
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I really think that Aumua needs to be brought into the ABs this year - that would make a very strong group of hookers
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@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2024 - no interminable Foster arguments:
What are peoples thoughts on midfield? Any bolters? QT?
This is tough one. To really answer it, I have to mention some of my AB midfield pet peeves:
- Picking players out of position (e.g. fullbacks or wingers at 13)
- I love pace at 13. However, I generally dislike the play of Winger/Centre hybrid players (e.g. Ennor).
- There is a bit of a logjam Ito NPC midfield talent getting meaningful Super Rugby gametime. So, the chances of AB Bolters are not high ATM imo.
It's very frustrating watching Ioane play at 13 for the ABs. Their outside backs are traditionally their strength and his distribution is not great. JB at 12 is pretty good.
Possible bolters:
- Levi Aumua (gainline tank with better than expected passing & offloading skills). He reminds me of the hedgehog in the fox and hedgehog story. The Fox does many things well, but the hedgehog does one thing extremely well and prevails.
- Super Young guns: Meihana Grindlay & Riley Higgins. Not saying make them the ABs first choice combo, but IF they get Super Rugby gametime and go well, they could be EOY tour bolters in 2024 or 2025. Again, see pet peeve number 3 above
- PPL have cooled on him (perhaps myself included), but PUJ has the all-round game for 13 that many of the other previously capped candidates lack and he's at that age that post-2015 AB selectors love (midfield players supposedly reach maturity in their mid-to-late 20s).
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@Punch_up said in All Blacks 2024 - no interminable Foster arguments:
@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2024 - no interminable Foster arguments:
What are peoples thoughts on midfield? Any bolters? QT?
This is tough one. To really answer it, I have to mention some of my AB midfield pet peeves:
- Picking players out of position (e.g. fullbacks or wingers at 13)
- I love pace at 13. However, I generally dislike the play of Winger/Centre hybrid players (e.g. Ennor).
- There is a bit of a logjam Ito NPC midfield talent getting meaningful Super Rugby gametime. So, the chances of AB Bolters are not high ATM imo.
It's very frustrating watching Ioane play at 13 for the ABs. Their outside backs are traditionally their strength and his distribution is not great. JB at 12 is pretty good.
Possible bolters:
- Levi Aumua (gainline tank with better than expected passing & offloading skills). He reminds me of the hedgehog in the fox and hedgehog story. The Fox does many things well, but the hedgehog does one thing extremely well and prevails.
- Super Young guns: Meihana Grindlay & Riley Higgins. Not saying make them the ABs first choice combo, but IF they get Super Rugby gametime and go well, they could be EOY tour bolters in 2024 or 2025. Again, see pet peeve number 3 above
- PPL have cooled on him (perhaps myself included), but PUJ has the all-round game for 13 that many of the other previously capped candidates lack and he's at that age that post-2015 AB selectors love (midfield players supposedly reach maturity in their mid-to-late 20s).
add to point 2 gideon-wrampling
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@Bones said in All Blacks 2024 - no interminable Foster arguments:
@Blunders said in All Blacks 2024 - no interminable Foster arguments:
@DaGrubster he has the physical size but he needs to show the grunt and consistency. Lord is a bit of a rake but has the height on his side.
Lord has a lot more than that on his side. I doubt there's a huge difference in the size of these two. There is a stark difference between their skills and athleticism though.
Height no, size yes. Parkinson is a unit, Lord still a bit of a twig.
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@frugby said in All Blacks 2024 - no interminable Foster arguments:
@Bones said in All Blacks 2024 - no interminable Foster arguments:
@Blunders said in All Blacks 2024 - no interminable Foster arguments:
@DaGrubster he has the physical size but he needs to show the grunt and consistency. Lord is a bit of a rake but has the height on his side.
Lord has a lot more than that on his side. I doubt there's a huge difference in the size of these two. There is a stark difference between their skills and athleticism though.
Height no, size yes. Parkinson is a unit, Lord still a bit of a twig.
Lord is no longer a twig. He was noticeably bulkier last year and he was physical to go with it. He just needs to outgrow his injury problems.
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I don’t think Sam Whitelock is finished yet. I reckon he’ll go around again. Be back for the 2027 World Cup.
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@Crazy-Horse said in All Blacks 2024 - no interminable Foster arguments:
@frugby said in All Blacks 2024 - no interminable Foster arguments:
@Bones said in All Blacks 2024 - no interminable Foster arguments:
@Blunders said in All Blacks 2024 - no interminable Foster arguments:
@DaGrubster he has the physical size but he needs to show the grunt and consistency. Lord is a bit of a rake but has the height on his side.
Lord has a lot more than that on his side. I doubt there's a huge difference in the size of these two. There is a stark difference between their skills and athleticism though.
Height no, size yes. Parkinson is a unit, Lord still a bit of a twig.
Lord is no longer a twig. He was noticeably bulkier last year and he was physical to go with it. He just needs to outgrow his injury problems.
He is bulkier, but he still has more filling out to do I think. I feel if you put him next to Retallick and Whitelock he would still look noticeably smaller.
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@frugby said in All Blacks 2024 - no interminable Foster arguments:
@Bones said in All Blacks 2024 - no interminable Foster arguments:
@Blunders said in All Blacks 2024 - no interminable Foster arguments:
@DaGrubster he has the physical size but he needs to show the grunt and consistency. Lord is a bit of a rake but has the height on his side.
Lord has a lot more than that on his side. I doubt there's a huge difference in the size of these two. There is a stark difference between their skills and athleticism though.
Height no, size yes. Parkinson is a unit, Lord still a bit of a twig.
Get him onto the Ethan Blackadder workout schedule. That’ll sort him.
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@frugby said in All Blacks 2024 - no interminable Foster arguments:
@Crazy-Horse said in All Blacks 2024 - no interminable Foster arguments:
@frugby said in All Blacks 2024 - no interminable Foster arguments:
@Bones said in All Blacks 2024 - no interminable Foster arguments:
@Blunders said in All Blacks 2024 - no interminable Foster arguments:
@DaGrubster he has the physical size but he needs to show the grunt and consistency. Lord is a bit of a rake but has the height on his side.
Lord has a lot more than that on his side. I doubt there's a huge difference in the size of these two. There is a stark difference between their skills and athleticism though.
Height no, size yes. Parkinson is a unit, Lord still a bit of a twig.
Lord is no longer a twig. He was noticeably bulkier last year and he was physical to go with it. He just needs to outgrow his injury problems.
He is bulkier, but he still has more filling out to do I think. I feel if you put him next to Retallick and Whitelock he would still look noticeably smaller.
We've already had Retallick saying Lord is bigger.
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@Bones said in All Blacks 2024 - no interminable Foster arguments:
@frugby said in All Blacks 2024 - no interminable Foster arguments:
@Crazy-Horse said in All Blacks 2024 - no interminable Foster arguments:
@frugby said in All Blacks 2024 - no interminable Foster arguments:
@Bones said in All Blacks 2024 - no interminable Foster arguments:
@Blunders said in All Blacks 2024 - no interminable Foster arguments:
@DaGrubster he has the physical size but he needs to show the grunt and consistency. Lord is a bit of a rake but has the height on his side.
Lord has a lot more than that on his side. I doubt there's a huge difference in the size of these two. There is a stark difference between their skills and athleticism though.
Height no, size yes. Parkinson is a unit, Lord still a bit of a twig.
Lord is no longer a twig. He was noticeably bulkier last year and he was physical to go with it. He just needs to outgrow his injury problems.
He is bulkier, but he still has more filling out to do I think. I feel if you put him next to Retallick and Whitelock he would still look noticeably smaller.
We've already had Retallick saying Lord is bigger.
Well he’s gonna sound like a cock if he says he’s smaller isn’t he ?
Of course Retallick is gonna talk up the newbie.
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Holland has good no-nonsense solid joints on him too, perfect for a lock.
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@nostrildamus said in All Blacks 2024 - no interminable Foster arguments:
Holland has good no-nonsense solid joints on him too, perfect for a lock.
Is he actually any good at rugby?
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@MN5 said in All Blacks 2024 - no interminable Foster arguments:
@frugby said in All Blacks 2024 - no interminable Foster arguments:
@Bones said in All Blacks 2024 - no interminable Foster arguments:
@Blunders said in All Blacks 2024 - no interminable Foster arguments:
@DaGrubster he has the physical size but he needs to show the grunt and consistency. Lord is a bit of a rake but has the height on his side.
Lord has a lot more than that on his side. I doubt there's a huge difference in the size of these two. There is a stark difference between their skills and athleticism though.
Height no, size yes. Parkinson is a unit, Lord still a bit of a twig.
Get him onto the Ethan Blackadder workout schedule. That’ll sort him.
He'll get bigger and gain the ability to walk on water.
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@Bones said in All Blacks 2024 - no interminable Foster arguments:
@taniwharugby Nope not taking away from that, I just think ST woulda been better - and I can't help but feel Taylor's form last year help shaped how great we think he was this year too.
Yeah, I thought ST would be our starting hooker come the RWC and would be an absolute weapon. Definite black mark against Ryan there who seemed to have some bias towards Taylor.
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@mariner4life I said "pretty good" not great. I should've added some context: In terms of the gameplan the ABs tried to play, they needed a big guy at 12 not David H. Although JB is suited to 12 physically and skills-wise, questions of creativity and vision (as you've mentioned) remain. Some of these areas for development are self-inflicte, BC Razor chose him at 12 but then he left for canes country and played mostly 15 and even 13 early on.
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@Frank said in All Blacks 2024 - no interminable Foster arguments:
@nostrildamus said in All Blacks 2024 - no interminable Foster arguments:
Holland has good no-nonsense solid joints on him too, perfect for a lock.
Is he actually any good at rugby?
He showed potential for NZ U20 and Otago.... https://i.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/126885745/meet-fabian-holland-the-teenage-dutch-lock-chasing-his-all-blacks-dream
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@MN5 said in All Blacks 2024 - no interminable Foster arguments:
We've already had Retallick saying Lord is bigger.
Well he’s gonna sound like a cock if he says he’s smaller isn’t he ?Considering BBBR is one of the biggest locks around, no.
