All Blacks 2024
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Brad Shields? How has his name even entered this thread 😂
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@Toddy said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
Why the fuck would they pick Cane. His form has been a roller coaster over the last four years - especially when coming back from injury. He was immense in the quarter final - ok in the semi and then a pile of shit in the final. Cost us the game. If he was covering a position that had no depth I'd understand. But that isn't the case. There should still be a good core of experienced players in the team so his leadership isn't needed.
Also hope they don't pick Shields. If he wanted the jersey he should've stayed to battle it out. Just can't see how he's playing good enough to have this conversation.
There have been a lot of loosies starring in SRP so far. I agree, probably time to move on
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@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@Kiwiwomble in saying that I would have Lakai in front of Harmon.
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@nzzp said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
he's crumbled under pressure so many times and is far too inconsisten
Multiple MOTM efforts for the ABs. Didn't step up against the more physical sides. I'm not sure I'd pick him, but he is far from a failure in Black
More that the tactic of positioning him in the wide channels failed against the Boks because almost none of the rugby took place there. He paid the price for low involvements caused by tactics
The way he was used by the AB XV last year is interesting. In one match he was exclusively in the wide channels but in the other he was in the centre of the field. Testing an A & B scenario?
The Blues have used him in a tight role this season. It works for this stage of his career. Not sure he has that same acceleration after all the ankle problems
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@Duluth Case in point being when he got the ball with space out wide in the first half against the Canes. In 2016 he probably goes the length of the field and scores. Today, definitely not haha.
He was better in the wider channels up until about 2022. He doesn't have the same athleticism to play wider anymore, so he has no choice but to play a tighter game that involves more contact.
It helps that he's playing under a coach domestically that can get the best out of him playing closer to the ruck.
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@Duluth said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@Chris said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
Just my opinion I don’t think he will pick a real rookie HB in his first squad.
There's 3 experienced halfbacks?
TJ, Christie and ?
Fakatava or Ratima who Razor rates he tried to get both to the Crusaders they have more SR minutes under their belts than Funaki.
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Injuries pose challenge for Robertson ahead of first All Blacks squad announcement
Injuries are the uncontrollables that have the potential to keep new All Blacks coach Scott Robertson awake at night six weeks out from naming his first 32-man national squad.
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I’m not sure about ‘quite a few chances’ he got none last year obviously and the year before that sparingly used.
I think he started in the test match against Aus )the Raynal test match). It was his first game in 2 months and people expected him to be playing the house down after watching Savea play for 2 months straight.
Can’t remember about his chances before that, but it is clear that he has matured into a better player after the work he has put in over the last 8-10 months
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@DaGrubster said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
It was his first game in 2 months and people expected him to be playing the house down after watching Savea play for 2 months straight
and this is where our current season structure just sucks. Once super rugby finishes, these guys don't get to play high level rugby unless they are in the test team.
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@mariner4life said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@DaGrubster said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
It was his first game in 2 months and people expected him to be playing the house down after watching Savea play for 2 months straight
and this is where our current season structure just sucks. Once super rugby finishes, these guys don't get to play high level rugby unless they are in the test team.
There could be an interesting idea there to build an NZ specific model to allow that focused on what NZR really cares about - the AB brand.
It would require cooperation from Oz and SA though, so I don't like the chances, however, if SANZAAR allowed two teams from the Pacific Nations Cup to come up to the Rugby Championship (likely Fiji and Japan who could play off with the other nations to allow movement between the competitions), we could add the ABXV or Maori AB team to that competition (likely alongside Australia A). If OZ didn't or couldn't participate, we could have two teams in the competition.
We could then have at least one of our second teams competing against Samoa, Tonga, USA, and Canada. Whether the level of that competition is stronger or weaker than NPC is a separate question, but it would allow for collaboration across the two squads and have guys in the next tier playing if and when injuries strike.
Feel free to bag this, I'm not wedded to it, just putting it up for discussion.
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@Bones said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@Chris said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
they have more SR minutes under their belts than Funaki.
Is this really a plus though? If Funaki can be playing as good, or better in less minutes, then surely that's a pro rather than a con.
I suppose it depends how they look at it operating behind a forward pack which is going forward mostly gives him an arm chair ride,compared to HBs operating under more stress and going backwards a lot so performing under pressure more.
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@Chris said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@Bones said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@Chris said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
they have more SR minutes under their belts than Funaki.
Is this really a plus though? If Funaki can be playing as good, or better in less minutes, then surely that's a pro rather than a con.
I suppose it depends how they look at it operating behind a forward pack which is going forward mostly gives him an arm chair ride,compared to HBs operating under more stress and going backwards a lot so performing under pressure more.
Where the fuck did those goalposts go 😉
