All Blacks 2024.. locked
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Hooker - Cheers Colesy and thanks for the memories.
Sami T and Codie Taylor are the obvious top 2 for at least next few years. Taylor will be 36 in 2027 so he might not make it that far.
We’ll need to give game time to some young guns at 2. Brodie Mcallister, George Bell and Tyrone Thompson each look to me worth developing.
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@Bones said in All Blacks 2024:
@booboo said in All Blacks 2024:
Yep, both the Cantabs.
And keeping an eye out through Super Rugby.
If we discover a proper 6/lock, something interesting to see might be Kirifi on the bench.
Kirifi not on my potential AB list. And that's nothing to do with his Dad (Jack) being my first senior coach... who kept dropping me ... admittedly deservedly...
Just to my mind sits in the "adequate Super Rugby player" level
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@sparky said in All Blacks 2024:
Drummond - Just the Seven Super Titles with the Crusaders. You don’t play 100+ games for the Crusaders if there is not something about you. Enough said, a winner. He should have received a lot more All Blacks caps than he already has.
Peak virtue signalling.
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@booboo said in All Blacks 2024:
@sparky said in All Blacks 2024:
Billy Proctor
Not sold on this guy yet
Fucking hell, what more can he do? He's shat all over Ennor, Goodhue ALB in the last year or so.
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@booboo I’m a fan. He played well in the back end of the last Super season and on the AB’s tour of Japan. I hope he gets a shot in 2024 at Test level, but ultimately he may be behind Quinn Tupaea.
If he was English, he’d be one of their starters.
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Back Row -
Sam Cane and Shannon Frizell are off to Japan for a bit. Neither has clearly called time on their ABs career. They might have a role to play at international level again, but I don’t think either will be in the All Blacks team in 2027.
Beyond that, there is lots and lots to pick from: Ardie Savea, Dalton Papalii, Samipeni Finau, Ethan Blackadder, Cullen Grace, Billy Harmon, Kaylum Bolshier, Peter Lakai, Devan Flanders, MM-T, Dominic Gardiner, Christian Lio-Willie, Anton Segner and maybe Akira Ioane and Hoskins Sotutu if they get going again.
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Leadership:
It’s going to be very interesting to see who Razor picks as his Captain.
I’d go with Ardie who will only grow from his 2023 RWC experiences, is World Player of the Year and is outstanding with the off-field stuff.
Scott Barrett and Codie Taylor are all proven leaders too. Jordie Barrett was an on-field leader in the 2023 RWC and deserves to be part of the leadership group going forward.
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Feel like you've basically thrown every Super Rugby starter (and then some) into the ABs mix for next year, @sparky
I wouldn't be surprised if over 50% of the guys who get a call-up over the next few years have only played one Super season to date at the point in time.
The guys that absolutely need replacing for next year's squad are Coles, Laulala, Retallick, Whitelock, Frizell, Smith, Mo'unga and Beauden Barrett. You'd think most of those guys will be replaced by already capped ABs (Grace, Sotutu, Aumua, Perofeta etc) with a couple of exceptions. Then I think Razor will pad out the squad with a couple of very young options, a la Barrett, Retallick etc in 2012.
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If Super Rugby is one step down from Test Rugby, then the path way for established, high-performing and successful Super Players should be on to Test Rugby, the All Blacks XV, the New Zealand Māori or lucrative contracts overseas.
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I’d add Sam Cane to those who will need replacing next year or in the next two years.
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I’m not sure Aumua’s set piece work is good enough for the ABs anymore.
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I feel Razor is going to try and convince NZR to bring in the equivalent of the Giteau law. He did hint at it when he was appointed. If this happens we will see the likes of BBBR and Mounga play in black again. I'm ok with it personally if we limit it to two players.
