All Blacks 2024
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@gt12 said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@Windows97 said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@gt12 said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
Not really, we have five players available who have been capped and play first five, including three of the top four from recent AB squads.
One of those should be nowhere near an AB team, but the others are all reasonable choices. Dmac should be easily the first choice. We are fine.
Add in Plummer, Love, and even Burke (if available for this year) and we aren’t in bad shape.
I can't say I share your optimisim.
It was to be Perofeta's year to cement himself as an AB 10 and he's let it slip through his fingers, the Hurricane's own fans don't even rate Cameron, Love has spent the entire season at fullback, Ioane is a disaster. Plummer is the only one in decent form (at 1st 5) and he's more of a utility than a straight up first 5.
BB's best years at 1st 5 are well behind him, we're kinda left with the option of praying that DMac doesn't get injured.
I was really hoping that someone would come through but TBH the contenders appear to be getting worse not getting better.
Yawn.
And I suppose everything would be ok if Mo’unga came back?
I’m not enthusiastic, this is just the reality of a World Cup cycle.
We’ve had plenty of years when incumbents weren’t playing that well. If Perofeta is losing out to Plummer and Razor wants form, then fine that’s how selection works, pick him.
If he wants experience with test rugby, he has three options and since he’s surf fucking Jesus, he can fucking coach them.
I would be even more disappointed if Mo'unga came back...
My disappointment and concern is that in a year where it was set up perfectly for someone to put their hand up Dmac and Plumber are the only ones who have and Plumber is a long, unproven shot.
Perofeta and Ioane have gone backwards this year and no-one new has come through.
Razor is mutually exclusive to this conundrum.
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@No-Quarter said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
Someone like Perofeta has stacks of talent, you'd hope a good coach could help get the top two inches right and get him playing well more consistently. Which is basically the head coaches role. Razor has done well at Super level in this regard, so it'll be interesting to see if he can translate that to test level.
Overall, looking at the possible squads people have been naming, we are not lacking for talent so that just cannot be an excuse. A lot of other international coaches would love to have the quality of players Razor will have at his disposal.
Yes and no to this
Maybe Perofeta isn’t that good? He was always a fringe player that was yet to prove himself and unfortunately this year he's done nothing to prove to anyone he's even good enough to be in the team let alone putting pressure on DMac for the starting spot.
It’s not like Cotter is a bad coach, or the Blues are performing badly that would be affecting Perofeta's performance. Many of the Blues senior players (Papps, Sotutu, Clarke) have really improved this year and are demanding a place in the team. Perofeta is not.
Yes, I totally agree that coaches need to get the best out of their players. But there is a very big difference between a player that plays with confidence but doesn't read the game well and/or makes poor decisions (who can be coached) and a guy that crumbles under pressure and unconfidently bungles his way around the field (that's a little bit of coaching and a lot of psychology).
Personally, this year I think he’s crumbled under the pressure and expectation of delivering in super rugby this year to cement his AB spot and if that is going to break him then getting exposed to the cauldron of test match footy is only going to make things worse for him, not better.
Maybe he’s just a bit mentally soft and maybe he’s just not a test match quality player?
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At this stage of the season, I am pretty happy with the potential squad that Razor can pick, especially the forward pack, with only a couple of areas that we really don’t want to lose anyone long term.
1st 5 is one of those and the locking depth the other. Scott Barrett is one of the first names written down and potential captain but who is next to him and on the pine is the big question. Patty T is playing well but feel we want a bit more height and a true lineout technician when playing SA,Oreland etc.
I think we can get through that this year and it should become less of a problem as players mature or become available.
Fingers crossed we don’t lose many players before the international season starts
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Poor goal kicking more than poor general play too. He still needs to raise his game to secure that third spot though.
Also there’s some tough selections coming up at the Blues when the injured backs return. That will have a huge impact on some players chances
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@Bovidae said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
expect some unpopular selections/omissions
That's guaranteed. Just depends who he pisses off. About the only mob he surely won't piss off is Highlanders fans, as they have no expectation of any of their lot being selected.
Loosforwards alone I can see fans of all the other fraanchises being pissed off about one or more of their men missing out. How many loosies is he picking, and how much quality is there?
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@Duluth said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
Poor goal kicking more than poor general play too. He still needs to raise his game to secure that third spot though.
Also there’s some tough selections coming up at the Blues when the injured backs return. That will have a huge impact on some players chances
That's ideal if the other teams can force players to maintain good form to get a run.
Hall was talking about this on the rugby pod as a key to the Saders continued success - they often had so much class that really good players would end up being left out.
I'm not completely sold on Perofeta but it would seem fair to let him come back from injury and play a bit before writing him off as not up to it.
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@gt12 said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
I'm not completely sold on Perofeta but it would seem fair to let him come back from injury and play a bit before writing him off as not up to it.
Yes he certainly deserves that, I hope he comes back, plays brillliantly (but not too brilliantly agaisnt the Chiefs) and secures the third AB spot.
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@DaGrubster said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
Patty T is playing well but feel we want a bit more height and a true lineout technician when playing SA,Oreland etc.
You missed the "I".
It's Oireland and the Oirish -
@Windows97 said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
Maybe he’s just a bit mentally soft and maybe he’s just not a test match quality player?
This. He seems to lack the self-belief that a player like say Morgan, with less ability, seems to have. And a player needs to be an AB quality first
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@Winger said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@voodoo said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
But sure, lets throw him the keys to the bus.
I'm referring to the Canes. I believe J Barrett could be VG at first but would like to see him at SRP level first
What attributes do you think he has that make him suitable for 10? A decent boot, especially when compared to every other 10 we have played in recent years, I'll give you that.
What else?
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@voodoo said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
decent boot, especially when compared to every other 10 we have played in recent years, I'll give you that.
we haven't seen that for some time. He used to have a howitzer, but lately it's been disappointing. Cannot see him at 10 except in weirdly weird injury and replacement
scenarios -
@nzzp said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@voodoo said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
decent boot, especially when compared to every other 10 we have played in recent years, I'll give you that.
we haven't seen that for some time. He used to have a howitzer, but lately it's been disappointing. Cannot see him at 10 except in weirdly weird injury and replacement
scenariosI was trying to be generous
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@voodoo said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@Winger said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@voodoo said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
But sure, lets throw him the keys to the bus.
I'm referring to the Canes. I believe J Barrett could be VG at first but would like to see him at SRP level first
What attributes do you think he has that make him suitable for 10? A decent boot, especially when compared to every other 10 we have played in recent years, I'll give you that.
What else?
Kicking
Decision making
Defense
Passing
Ability to break defense
Confidence needed
