All Blacks 2024
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@Tim
1 De Groot to start, Numia off the bench
2 Still wide open
3 Lomax
4 Scott Barrett
5 Still wide open
6 Finau probably
7 Papalii
8 Savea, but I hope Iose gets some game time.
9 Open between Fakatava, TJP and Christie.
10 DMac
11 Caleb Clarke has impressed me a lot this season
12 Jordie Barrett
13 Reiko Ioane
14 Mark Telea
15 Hopefully Ruben Love. -
@sparky de Groot has had about one good involvement per game this year. Looks unfit, and would be behind Tu'ungufasi (the Fern loves to bag him, but he is playing well and is a very good loosehead, who is frequently good off the bench for the ABs) and Numia. Obviously he can scrum, but if Williams comes back strongly then I think he could be in trouble. Depends on whether they want to go all out at the scrum, and whether they think he is the best player there.
Finau is smashing backs, but his involvement is inconsistent.
McKenzie has been very up and down this year. Maybe he is carrying an injury? His kicking game has been poor, and when he doesn't have fast ball he is struggling. Had a shocker last year against Australia, but that was his first game in a while.
Love is a classy player, covers a lot of ground in the backfield, and positioning is very good.
Roigard was a big loss.
A lot of positions up for grabs.
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@Tim said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
Roigard was a big loss
9 is arguably the most open position. Ironically, Roigard's injury has opened up opportunities and the competition for the slot and the likes of Fakatava, TJP and Ratima seem to have upped their game.
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There are genuinely terrible players who get talked up for the All Blacks every year without fail. "TJ" is the worst offender. TOM FUCKING CHRISTIE! Quentin Strange! Worst lock in professional rugby Pari Pari Parkinson is always there, and is the softest lock since Mark Cooksley. Callum Grace is the worst defender in NZ. Often these terrible commentators fall back on "he is the best lineout 8 in the country, he calls the lineouts." Revel in his excellence:
Sotutu is by far the best lineout loose forward in the country.
Now lets put George Bell and Brodie McAllister in the NZ XV, then pretend that George Bower is anything but a club player. Don't forget to talk up some horribly shit Highlanders players. Sam Gilbert used to get mentioned. Too bad he cannot move sideways and has no skills.
Flush that shit and never speak of it again.
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Aumua has made a big claim on the hooker spot this year and today took another step
Forward for it.What’s the deal with Taylor this year. Is he to be considered for the All Blacks?
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@DaGrubster Apparently he will be back in time for the playoffs. Maybe he can get some club games in?
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Me when I hear TJ, Marshall, and the rest of the idiots talk up the worst players in the country because they play in the South Island:
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@Old-Samurai-Jack said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
Blackadder in 45 minutes showed why he has the reputation but history says he will be broken in another 1.5 games.
Yeah they shipped 43 points because that guy was so good and didn't lock down any part of the defense.
South Island brain in full effect.
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Apart from dead set certainties, Lomax 3, Barrett 4, Ardie somewhere, would've been Roigard 9, Barrett 12, Ioane 13, either/both Reece/telea I'm really not sure. This is the biggest change in coaching group since Ted & Co set up the empire which crumbled under its own weight (obligatory foster is fat joke). It's quite exciting to have no idea what the starting 15/23 is, even if you could pick most of the extended squad.
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@Chris said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
Some people should just not post
Drunk,My eyes hurt from reading that illinformed shit rant. -
@Old-Samurai-Jack said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@Chris said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
Some people should just not post
Drunk,My eyes hurt from reading that illinformed shit rant.Yeah that to.
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@Tim said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
I love that every comment about Blackadder is "what a great guy" etc, not has he ever played at any significant level for more than one game?
He was shit at test level.
NO THANKS.
Todd or Ethan ?
Probably applies equally to be fair
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@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
There's a lot of competition for wing but Naholo must be giving the selectors food for thought.
He looks pretty good.
However, I think Sevu Reece, Mark Telea, Caleb Clarke and possibly Emoni Narawa are probably ahead of him because they are playing well and are more experienced.
