All Blacks XV 2024
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True. I thought it had been 3 years already
I believe his NZ contract ends at the same time
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Razor said his toughest decision was leaving Sotutu out of the All Blacks in July so would be hard to see him missing out on the XV unless he's not been answering phone calls again...
Razor's also confirmed 36 and 29 for the two EOYT squads and that some players will be shared (whether that means 65 total or some of the players count in both is unclear, but assuming the former...)
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Sotutu is a quality 8, NZ rugby should work hard to keep him.
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A bolter for the AB XV could be Waikato's Xavier Saifoloi (195cm, 114 kg), a bruising blindside.
My selection :Props : Kaivelata, Numia, Dyer, Renata, Lauaki
Hookers : McAllister, Riccitelli,
Locks : IWL, Holland, McWhannel,
LF : Haig, Saifoloi, Segner, Kirifi, Stodart, Suafoa (I hope Lakai will be with the ABs)
Scrum halves : Fakatava, Christie
1st Fives : Jacomb, Millar
Midfielders : Lam, Telea, Higgins, B. Sullivan
Back three : Tavatavanawai, Naholo, Banks, Z. Sullivan, ENS -
@cgrant said in All Blacks XV 2024:
A bolter for the AB XV could be Waikato's Xavier Saifoloi (195cm, 114 kg), a bruising blindside.
He is certainly looking better with more NPC games. However, I'd be surprised to see any non-SR players in the squad.
You would have to think that the likes of Fihaki will be selected for this squad if he has been brought into the ABs as injury cover.
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From the NZH:
With Clayton McMillan to lead a 29-man All Blacks XV squad for matches against Munster and Georgia.
Also:
Addressing whether 21-year-old Lakai will be included in his squad, Robertson indicated he would bounce between the All Blacks and All Blacks XV.
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@Bovidae said in All Blacks XV 2024:
From the NZH:
With Clayton McMillan to lead a 29-man All Blacks XV squad for matches against Munster and Georgia.
Also:
Addressing whether 21-year-old Lakai will be included in his squad, Robertson indicated he would bounce between the All Blacks and All Blacks XV.
That's good stuff, basically apprenticing with the main team but also getting international game time with the XV
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@Bovidae said in All Blacks XV 2024:
@cgrant said in All Blacks XV 2024:
A bolter for the AB XV could be Waikato's Xavier Saifoloi (195cm, 114 kg), a bruising blindside.
He is certainly looking better with more NPC games. However, I'd be surprised to see any non-SR players in the squad.
You would have to think that the likes of Fihaki will be selected for this squad if he has been brought into the ABs as injury cover.
Can we sign him and Mathis for Super?
If we are prepared to let some of the older heads go, we could have some old heads in our top loose trio and a young trio coming behind them in Saifoloi, Mathis, Wramping.
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@Bovidae said in All Blacks XV 2024:
@gt12 Better to discuss in the Chiefs thread but apart from Jacobson, who is 27, the rest of the Chiefs loose forwards are <25 yrs old. Big, mobile loose forwards are gold though.
I think two of the three have potential for the ABXV (that's my attempt to stay on topic @Duluth).
I wonder where Ah Kuoi fits in? Also a contender for this team?
We aren't bringing back the old man from Taranaki this year @Bovidae ?
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@cgrant said in All Blacks XV 2024:
A bolter for the AB XV could be Waikato's Xavier Saifoloi (195cm, 114 kg), a bruising blindside.
My selection :Props : Kaivelata, Numia, Dyer, Renata, Lauaki
Hookers : McAllister, Riccitelli,
Locks : IWL, Holland, McWhannel,
LF : Haig, Saifoloi, Segner, Kirifi, Stodart, Suafoa (I hope Lakai will be with the ABs)
Scrum halves : Fakatava, Christie
1st Fives : Jacomb, Millar
Midfielders : Lam, Telea, Higgins, B. Sullivan
Back three : Tavatavanawai, Naholo, Banks, Z. Sullivan, ENSIf Narewa and Love aren’t in AB 36 they’d have to be here.
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Off the wall, but I’d like to see TJP and Cane Co-captains of XV.
Can pass on the AB way to the youngsters and injury cover for 36.
For example, at 9 would allow, Ratima, Roigard, Christie, Hotham and TJP all to travel.
Riccitelli and Eklund allows Bell to float between. -
@pakman I don’t understand the point of that. A hundred test ex captain in the development team? TJP is past development and hasn’t got better in the past 2-3 years.
It’s the beginning of a RWC cycle. No room for old heads
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@KiwiInLondon said in All Blacks XV 2024:
@pakman I don’t understand the point of that. A hundred test ex captain in the development team? TJP is past development and hasn’t got better in the past 2-3 years.
It’s the beginning of a RWC cycle. No room for old heads
Are you getting confused between the ABs and the AB XV?
It's a development team, not the ABs. Makes perfect sense to get old heads to pass on their knowledge and advice to promising players - particularly on a tour.
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@Victor-Meldrew TJP wouldn’t be my choice on mentor for young players. A bit of an idiot
They’ll get that regardless from being in the same room, and I assume training paddock, with the ABs squad.
Maybe an argument for Cane, but again, in what world would they put an ex captain and 100 test AB in a development team. That’s not going to happen
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@KiwiInLondon said in All Blacks XV 2024:
@Victor-Meldrew TJP wouldn’t be my choice on mentor for young players. A bit of an idiot
Which 87+ cap AB halfback would you prefer?
They’ll get that regardless from being in the same room, and I assume training paddock, with the ABs squad.
Better they get match practice with uber-experienced ABs that just being in the same room with them.
Maybe an argument for Cane, but again, in what world would they put an ex captain and 100 test AB in a development team.
A world where there's original thinking, a longer-term view on player development, experienced players are used to mentor upcoming talent and work with coaches on developing that talent?
