All Blacks 2024
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@Bones I don't think I need to concede anything of the sort. Name a country other than NZ that converted their test fullback into a 13 not once, not twice, but on three seperate occasions? Name a country other than NZ that converted their test winger into a 13 on two different occasions? That's five different positional switches by outside backs to the 13 jersey in the span of approximately 25 years.
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I think its prob
Oct 26 Japan
Nov 2 England
Nov 9 Italy
Nov 16 France
Nov 23 IrelandAlready booked the hotel in Dublin so hope right date
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Ireland game will be a ripper.
Cant get enthused by Twickenham very underwhelming place and a long way from the pitch. -
Robertson very luckily avoiding egg on his face for being the first AB coach to lose to Scotland. No way this latest AB team in rebuild mode would be able to handle a rugged experienced pack, Finn Russell pulling the strings like the magician he is, hard hitting
TonganScot Sione Tuipulotu in midfield and a rampaging pair ofBokshaggis munchers in Van De Merwe and Steyn out wide. -
@Punch_up said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@Bones I don't think I need to concede anything of the sort. Name a country other than NZ that converted their test fullback into a 13 not once, not twice, but on three seperate occasions? Name a country other than NZ that converted their test winger into a 13 on two different occasions? That's five different positional switches by outside backs to the 13 jersey in the span of approximately 25 years.
Happy to remind you of what you said if it's too hard to remember bro! I'm leaning towards, the above is exactly not what you said, not even close. Fickou, Farrell, North....or are these now minor countries?
@Punch_up said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
NZ is the only major country that doesn't always select specialists in midfield -
I don't think it's unusual at all for wings fullbacks and wings to swap places, same as fullbacks and 1st fives etc. I seem to recall Aus swapping players around quite a bit, and Boks etc. If I could be bothered etc I would have a look somewhere. Quite often teams liked starting players on wing until they get used to test rugby as the defence at 13 is so specialised? The likes of Ioane was a centre before he was a wing. Even Cullen started his provincial rugby rugby at centre etc
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@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
I don't think it's unusual at all for wings fullbacks and wings to swap places, same as fullbacks and 1st fives etc. I seem to recall Aus swapping players around quite a bit, and Boks etc. If I could be bothered etc I would have a look somewhere. Quite often teams liked starting players on wing until they get used to test rugby as the defence at 13 is so specialised? The likes of Ioane was a centre before he was a wing. Even Cullen started his provincial rugby rugby at centre etc
Australia were brilliant at getting all their awesome outside backs on the pitch together.
That was 20 odd years ago though, they’re shit now.
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@Punch_up said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@Bones Clearly, I was talking about outside backs (fullbacks and wingers) being converted into 13s, bc all the examples I cited were... outside backs (fullbacks and wingers) being converted into 13s.
No mate, clearly this is what you said.
@Punch_up said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
NZ is the only major country that doesn't always select specialists in midfieldYou still haven't clarified who the major countries are either.
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@Punch_up ok mate, I realise you probably talking about moving to 13, but I actually think most that you talk about were actually 13s who played at wing or fullback anyway, to be fitted in. I thinking didn't Ben Smith play 13 for the Otago and the Clan, Mils Mulianan was another, as I said Cullen was.
I not saying it always works , but I sure the Boks have done it a number of times and those players I think played at centre at lower levels too. -
Happy new year Ferners.
Having just read through this thread I’m not sure what gave me more of a laugh, the midfield / fullback hoohah (@Punch_up remember Matt Burke from OZ played both centre and fullback) or @sparky naming Drummond.
I’m optimistic about the future but am under no illusion that replacing both Whitelock and Retallick at the same time is a massive hole to fill. They were set and forget and it didn’t matter which one you selected, they were reliable as and not to mention their influence around the team.
Same with Aaron Smith. Yes we have some good young talent but we could see some rocky paths ahead as these guys find their feet at test level. Which brings me to the 9/10 combination. DMac is a courageous player but for me he is a really good fullback that can play 10. Saw some signs in last year’s Super rugby but at this point he still needs to shore up a few things as a 1st 5.
There is a lot of developing to be done because whilst there might be 10 names you could pen into a starting XV and start to convince yourself that “hey that’s not a bad lineup”, trying to bring the rest of it together becomes a little harder. The makeup of the match day 23 and the other squaddies, there are still a lot of question marks on who has the right skillset and will fit whatever gameplan they have.
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@ACT-Crusader Happy New Year! I hope it's a great one for you and yours.
For the record, I didn't say I'd select Drummond for the ABs in 2024, I said 'how about this side?' 😉
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@MajorRage He was never the same after having double hip surgery early in his career (after 2014 end of year tour?). Never had the same intensity.
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@Tim said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@MajorRage He was never the same after having double hip surgery early in his career (after 2014 end of year tour?). Never had the same intensity.
Yeah I think we may have seen his best. And that best for me was when he came off the bench for the ABs and added some starch. Loved it back in the day when him and Faumauina would come on in the last quarter.
Injuries, up and down form, the emergence of Scooter, and his place in the side has been precarious.
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