All Blacks 2024
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Sick of Razor's needlessly disruptive use of the subs, and his selection of bench players who don't make a positive impact.
We are losing our structure in the last 20 minutes of every test, stop rearranging the f---ing backline around to shoehorn the sideways running backline shape destroying Telea & ALB into 13.
If you have to just take off one of the wingers and the halfback to minimize the disruption to our attack, it's ruining our cohesion and momentum.
Having said that, how can you not score a single try in the last 20 minutes of 7 tests after bringing a complete bench of fresh players onto the field? It's unforgivable.
Ofa, ALB, Finau, Telea, etc. would rather have guys like Tosi/Numia, Tupaea/Proctor, Lakai, AJ Lam, etc. coming on than overrated duds like ALB, Telea who stink up the backline shape by crabbing sideways and killing our momentum on attack.
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@kpkanz said in All Blacks 2024:
I guess I just find it hard to believe that when an All Black is released to NPC to get some game time, that the NPC coach can override the wishes of the national coach and play them out of position, making the entire exercise pointless and potentially hindering the national team. (devils advocate, you can argue here that actually Narawa is so out of the ABs picture that Robertson let the Steamer coach know he can play him wherever he chooses, although I highly doubt that is the situation).
I don't think NPC coaches give a flying fuck what the All Blacks coach wants - they're too busy trying to make their own squad win.
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@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2024:
The ABs atm and their selections are doing my head in. It's a large case of try the same shit with the same players and expect different results. I agree with @darylmitchell, we need to stop giving players that have had plenty of chances to prove themselves time in the Black jersey. ALB and Ioane aren't cutting it for me in the centres, we need to give Proctor a run there.
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@antipodean said in All Blacks 2024:
@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2024:
The ABs atm and their selections are doing my head in. It's a large case of try the same shit with the same players and expect different results. I agree with @darylmitchell, we need to stop giving players that have had plenty of chances to prove themselves time in the Black jersey. ALB and Ioane aren't cutting it for me in the centres, we need to give Proctor a run there.
I suppose you enjoy the ABs losing then?
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One thing that annoyed me was the Sky post match. Not exactly surprising, but way too much focus / phrase for the Boks rather than looking critically at our weaknesses. The Boks are great yes, but make no mistake, we fucked up.
Not a word about Beauden kicking the ball away twice at the death.
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@foobaNZ said in All Blacks 2024:
One thing that annoyed me was the Sky post match. Not exactly surprising, but way too much focus / phrase for the Boks rather than looking critically at our weaknesses. The Boks are great yes, but make no mistake, we fucked up.
Not a word about Beauden kicking the ball away twice at the death.
Dagg got 66 caps.
Cullen got 60
Rokocoko got 68
Julian Savea got 54
Ben Smith got 84 and was eased aside unceremoniously in 2019 RWC.Beauden Barrett has 128 caps.......44 more caps than Ben from accounts.
NZ was always historically ruthless with their outside backs. When the legs go, its off to the knackers yard.
For some reason our selectors are as gun shy with dropping people as Beauden is on the field.
His last 40 or so caps have been unremarkable to distinctly average.
One of my favourite ever players just shiting all over his own legacy.
In the squad as a 10 and has monopolised the 15 shirt.
Bonkers carry on.
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@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2024:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2024:
@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2024:
The ABs atm and their selections are doing my head in. It's a large case of try the same shit with the same players and expect different results. I agree with @darylmitchell, we need to stop giving players that have had plenty of chances to prove themselves time in the Black jersey. ALB and Ioane aren't cutting it for me in the centres, we need to give Proctor a run there.
I suppose you enjoy the ABs losing then?
Yeah, in my deluded state I keep thinking the reason we're not winning is some unproven bloke called Proctor who can unlock every defence, win every lineout, scrum, ruck and maul.
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@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2024:
The ABs atm and their selections are doing my head in. It's a large case of try the same shit with the same players and expect different results. I agree with @darylmitchell, we need to stop giving players that have had plenty of chances to prove themselves time in the Black jersey. ALB and Ioane aren't cutting it for me in the centres, we need to give Proctor a run there. Bring Numia in for Ofa, he dismantled Canterbury's scrum yesterday and once again showed why he should be an AB after being the form prop in Super. Guys like Sititi, Lakai etc aswell are players that will propel the ABs and allow us to play the expansive game that many of us desire.
A big issue atm is when we've got Blackadder on the park with Cane/Papali'i we have F all go forward on attack and this is severely inhibiting our ability to get to the edges and release our attacking weapons.
I'd love to see the below 23 get a run on the end of year tour. I'm done with the 'hard hitting 7', we need someone that has the ability to be effective on both sides of the ball. Oh the irony.
- Wiliams
- Taylor
- Lomax
- S Barrett
- Darry
- Blackadder
- Lakai
- Savea
- Roigard
- McKenzie
- Clarke
- J Barrett
- Proctor
- Jordan
- Love
- Aumua
- Numia
- Newell
- Va'ai
- Sititi
- Ratima
- B Barrett
- Ioane
I agree with the premise. We have gone fairly stale.
We got an instant uptick when EDG and Lomax were thrown in, along with Fletch and Tamaiti when Fosters back was to the wall.
We similarly need to inject some effervescence into the backs now too. Some youthful enthusiasm.
Be it Ratima, Proctor, Love or otherwise.
Rassie is throwing Sasha and Fassi in at the deep end among others.
So not only are we losing in the here and now, we are also behind in the development stakes.
We have become shrinking violets at the selection table.
And now Razor is in the same pickle that Foster was in. He has lost a couple of games early doors and it ups the ante in every subsequent test. It becomes self preservation instead of innovation.
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There's nothing wrong with our midfield, and the more time Jordie and Rieko play together the better. It's no fluke that Clarke and Jordan had space to work with in this test, despite being up against one of the best defenses in world rugby. Both Jordie and Rieko were very direct with their attack early on which sucked defenders in, particularly Rieko who is lethal if you give him any space at all. They did their job well and were two of our best on the park, calling for either to be dropped after that is madness.
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I'd be happier to swap in Love at fullback and Ratima to start at halfback than almost any other change in this squad.
Which brings to me my concern that there's not much they can do because the squad itself is heavily compromised. Finau is finding his feet at Test level and learning it's a big step up. Blackadder is busy but doesn't dominate and Ardie is well out of form - basically all the good parts of his game have evaporated and the criticisms remain.
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@No-Quarter I am 50/50 on this. Reiko has been light years better since he was dropped I will say. But a classical distributing centre has it's appeal too. For me it's either Reiko or Proctor.
Jordie is the 12 in any case.
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@antipodean said in All Blacks 2024:
@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2024:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2024:
@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2024:
The ABs atm and their selections are doing my head in. It's a large case of try the same shit with the same players and expect different results. I agree with @darylmitchell, we need to stop giving players that have had plenty of chances to prove themselves time in the Black jersey. ALB and Ioane aren't cutting it for me in the centres, we need to give Proctor a run there.
I suppose you enjoy the ABs losing then?
Yeah, in my deluded state I keep thinking the reason we're not winning is some unproven bloke called Proctor who can unlock every defence, win every lineout, scrum, ruck and maul.
Yeah, because doing the same shit is really working for us aye. Maybe let's throw in guys that were actually showing form in Super rugby instead of the continued selection of players that don't get us results. If you want to keep getting mediocre results then by all means, keep picking the same players that simply don't perform on a consistent basis and at the level that we expect being AB fans.
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@kpkanz said in All Blacks 2024:
@Bones Even more ironic that Narawa has been playing center the entirety of the NPC since being out of All Blacks camp (I'd say EXTREMELY likely at the request of Razor).
Would be hilarious if he usurps Rieko as starting center.
I think Narawa can be a future great All Black, reminds me a lot of Sivivatu, very high spatial awareness and game IQ. Game looks slow motion for him.
Just watched BOP vs Ta$man highlights there.
Narawa had some lovely touches at centre. Scored one from 50 meters, set up another from 60 meters, and set up another that was chalked off incorrectly with a lovely one handed offload.
Admittedly not test level, but he looked dangerous. He didnt look like a winger at centre.
He looked like a centre.
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@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2024:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2024:
@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2024:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2024:
@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2024:
The ABs atm and their selections are doing my head in. It's a large case of try the same shit with the same players and expect different results. I agree with @darylmitchell, we need to stop giving players that have had plenty of chances to prove themselves time in the Black jersey. ALB and Ioane aren't cutting it for me in the centres, we need to give Proctor a run there.
I suppose you enjoy the ABs losing then?
Yeah, in my deluded state I keep thinking the reason we're not winning is some unproven bloke called Proctor who can unlock every defence, win every lineout, scrum, ruck and maul.
Yeah, because doing the same shit is really working for us aye. Maybe let's throw in guys that were actually showing form in Super rugby instead of the continued selection of players that don't get us results. If you want to keep getting mediocre results then by all means, keep picking the same players that simply don't perform on a consistent basis and at the level that we expect being AB fans.
There is a cadre of players in the 23 and beyond who have had way too many chances now.
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@foobaNZ said in All Blacks 2024:
@No-Quarter I am 50/50 on this. Reiko has been light years better since he was dropped I will say. But a classical distributing centre has it's appeal too. For me it's either Reiko or Proctor.
Jordie is the 12 in any case.
SA in SA isn't necessarily the place to blood a greenhorn. A look at the Ellis Park game would show that our less experienced players wilted a bit under pressure (along with some of our old heads...). I'd like to see Proctor get a decent run against Australia to see what he can do
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@Jet said in All Blacks 2024:
@kpkanz said in All Blacks 2024:
@Bones Even more ironic that Narawa has been playing center the entirety of the NPC since being out of All Blacks camp (I'd say EXTREMELY likely at the request of Razor).
Would be hilarious if he usurps Rieko as starting center.
I think Narawa can be a future great All Black, reminds me a lot of Sivivatu, very high spatial awareness and game IQ. Game looks slow motion for him.
Just watched BOP vs Ta$man highlights there.
Narawa had some lovely touches at centre. Scored one from 50 meters, set up another from 60 meters, and set up another that was chalked off incorrectly with a lovely one handed offload.
Admittedly not test level, but he looked dangerous. He didnt look like a winger at centre.
He looked like a centre.
At NPC level ffs.
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@antipodean said in All Blacks 2024:
@Jet said in All Blacks 2024:
@kpkanz said in All Blacks 2024:
@Bones Even more ironic that Narawa has been playing center the entirety of the NPC since being out of All Blacks camp (I'd say EXTREMELY likely at the request of Razor).
Would be hilarious if he usurps Rieko as starting center.
I think Narawa can be a future great All Black, reminds me a lot of Sivivatu, very high spatial awareness and game IQ. Game looks slow motion for him.
Just watched BOP vs Ta$man highlights there.
Narawa had some lovely touches at centre. Scored one from 50 meters, set up another from 60 meters, and set up another that was chalked off incorrectly with a lovely one handed offload.
Admittedly not test level, but he looked dangerous. He didnt look like a winger at centre.
He looked like a centre.
At NPC level ffs.
I know, I know.
