All Blacks 2024

Victor Meldrew

@booboo said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:

Funaki. Nice options. Will keep an eye on him.

Hard to judge fully behind a dominant pack, but I thought the same - fast pass too.

booboo

@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:

@booboo said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:

Funaki. Nice options. Will keep an eye on him.

Hard to judge fully behind a dominant pack, but I thought the same - fast pass too.

I'm easily impressed Vic

Victor Meldrew

@booboo said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:

@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:

@booboo said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:

Funaki. Nice options. Will keep an eye on him.

Hard to judge fully behind a dominant pack, but I thought the same - fast pass too.

I'm easily impressed Vic

Makes you wonder if Christie being an incumbent AB prevents the selectors having a good, long look at him in SR

Bones

@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:

@booboo said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:

Funaki. Nice options. Will keep an eye on him.

Hard to judge fully behind a dominant pack, but I thought the same - fast pass too.

One aspect which I was impressed with was the way h didn't fuck around at the breakdown - got in there and went after the ball and did his best to make sure it was safe if it was under threat. But yeah, aggressive, quick, good options.

Victor Meldrew

@Bones said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:

@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:

@booboo said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:

Funaki. Nice options. Will keep an eye on him.

Hard to judge fully behind a dominant pack, but I thought the same - fast pass too.

One aspect which I was impressed with was the way h didn't fuck around at the breakdown - got in there and went after the ball and did his best to make sure it was safe if it was under threat. But yeah, aggressive, quick, good options.

I'm not a Christie-basher and think he's an OK option closing out a game, but at times you can almost hear the cogs turning in his head at the base of the ruck.

Caleb Clarke impressed tonight as well. Some nice off-loads and actually ran fast and hard when he had the ball.

Bones

@Victor-Meldrew was that Clarke with the run that set up Funaki? Wish I'd seen shitloads more of that guy. Fingers crossed he keeps it up.

Tim

@Bones yep

Victor Meldrew

@Bones

Yeah. Haven't watched him too closely, but he does seem to be running harder and faster this year while still trying to keep the ball alive.

cgrant

@pakman said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:

@Chris said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:

@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:

Fakatava has done nothing this year to justify his name being in the selection frame. For every good thing he does, he makes two or three bad decisions or passes. I'm not saying he won't get there with time, we all saw how good he was a few years back, but he's currently a shadow of that player and what he really needs now is consistent minutes on the park, not spending all his time on the training field.

I think we'll likely see Christie, Perenara and Ratima selected for the July Tests, with Roigard potentially returning to the mix for the EOYT. Fakatava should spend a full season playing for the Highlanders and Hawke's Bay.

Throughout the squad there shouldn't be too many changes...

Gone are Dane Coles, Nepo Laulala, Sam Whitelock, Brodie Retallick, Shannon Frizell, Aaron Smith, Cam Roigard, Richie Mo'unga, Leicester Fainga'anuku and Will Jordan (injury).

Given the above turnover, it's unlikely that someone experienced like Ofa Tu'ungafasi (and still young, in propping terms) will miss out. Ardie Savea, Sam Cane and Beauden Barrett will all likely still be selected too.

Coles - Aumua
Laulala - Ma'u, Numia, Dyer
Whitelock/Retallick - Lord and Tuipulotu, Strange, Walker-Leawere, McWhannell
Frizell - Ioane or Sotutu, Grace
Smith/Roigard - Perenara and Ratima
Mo'unga - Love or Perofeta
Fainga'anuku - Narawa, Proctor
Jordan - Stevenson

Bower to replace Laulala rated highly by Ryan, even though he is a LH
he can cover TH so can Willliams.

Please not Tamaiti at TH.

Neither Bower.

cgrant

Possible bolters :
Numia, Tosi, McWhannell, Proctor, Love.
I have been impressed by Tanielu Telea so far but I have serious doubts about a possible call.

Mr Fish

Bolters or just new caps? Feel like Numia, Proctor and Love have been steadily heading in that direction over the last couple of years, I don't think their selections would be a big shock.

sparky

Possible New Caps based on the first half of the season: Numia, Walker-Leawere, McWhannell, Lakai, Iose, Proctor, Nanai-Seturo, Love, Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens.

Peter Lakai and Brayden Iose might be a bit little to play Test Rugby in the Backrow but they've been outstanding so far this season.

Winger

@sparky said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:

Peter Lakai and Brayden Iose might be a bit little to play Test Rugby in the Backrow but they've been outstanding so far this season.

They aren't locks or front row forwards

Lakai 21 1.86 110kg
Iose 25 1.88 105kg
Savea 1.88/1.90 105kg
McCaw 1.87 107kg
Cane 32 1.89 108kg
Kirifi 27 1.81 102kg (maybe too small)

Lakai in particular is easily big enough for a test 7. For me that's where his future lies. I expect him to be an AB this year if his current form continues.

Iose is playing great rugby but might be considered too small for an ideal 8. But he is about the same size as Savea. And can also play 7. But I doubt if he will make it this year. Unless there are injuries.

Victor Meldrew

@cgrant

Bit early, but I'm keeping my eye on Lakai, Funaki and, after today, Wallace Sititi from the Chiefs. Agree on Proctor & Love. Finau is a lock-in for me.

MN5

@Winger said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:

@sparky said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:

Peter Lakai and Brayden Iose might be a bit little to play Test Rugby in the Backrow but they've been outstanding so far this season.

They aren't locks or front row forwards

Lakai 21 1.86 110kg
Iose 25 1.88 105kg
Savea 1.88/1.90 105kg
McCaw 1.87 107kg
Cane 32 1.89 108kg
Kirifi 27 1.81 102kg (maybe too small)

Lakai in particular is easily big enough for a test 7. For me that's where his future lies. I expect him to be an AB this year if his current form continues.

Iose is playing great rugby but might be considered too small for an ideal 8. But he is about the same size as Savea. And can also play 7. But I doubt if he will make it this year. Unless there are injuries.

Savea is so versatile he can adjust his height to suit playing openside ( 1.88 ) or number 8 ( 1.9 )

BerniesCorner

It's amazing compared to 12 months ago the new talent that has arrived vying for a place in the ABs.
This year is guaranteed excitement. We could even have a loose trio of Savea, Finau and Sititi.

The downer is knowing that NZR have given away 7.5% of the business or whatever it is and I have trouble making peace with that. It's incredible that NZR could be so short sighted. 2019-2023 was a complete and utter disaster for NZ rugby. WC excluded.

booboo

Is T-cubed an option at 9 again?

What did he do wrong?

Bovidae

Tahuriorangi's speed of passing is still noticeably slower than it used to be. When he made the ABs in 2018 he looked to be the new Aaron Smith.

Bones

@booboo said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:

Is T-cubed an option at 9 again?

What did he do wrong?

On the strength of one game where the opposition provided a training run?

Dan54

@Bones said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:

@booboo said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:

Is T-cubed an option at 9 again?

What did he do wrong?

On the strength of one game where the opposition provided a training run?

Not sure if booboo meant because of the one game, but I wondered about the Funaki thing that I have read on forums, same thing unfortunately it hard to tell after playing such weak opposition.

The Silver Fern

All Blacks 2024