All Blacks 2024
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@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@Tim said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
Can't see the point of selecting a player who won't play Super Rugby in 2024 or 2025. You are effectively selecting a player from overseas. May as well get Mo'unga and Retallick in that case.
I'd select Cane. He's a 95 test AB and AB captain who was playing excellent rugby at the World Cup.
Get a young loosie (I.e. Lakai or whoever) around the squad for the year to soak up knowledge from Cane then transition in 2025.
Newshub reported that he has retired from international rugby. The inference is that retirement is effective immediately, as they lead with the fact that the ABs will have a new captain. Is that not correct (I would not be surprised)
EDIT: He is still keen to play test rugby this season, good on ya Newshub
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@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@pakman said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@pakman said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@frugby said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@pakman said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
Interesting that Stuff article on Cane mentions a 32 man AB squad. Presume nine front row, four locks, six back row, two halves, two first fives, four midfield and five in back three?
Three halfbacks is a lock in, so probably shave off a back row.
Given we're talking two domestic tests, I'm not convinced three halfbacks is a lock. I expect it will come down to who Razor wants to take a look at. Great shame there's no AB XV match in July.
Not picking 3 halfbacks and 3 hookers in a 32 man squad is madness. Need backup in case someone goes down during warm ups at least
DMac?
So a halfback goes down in warm-up and our starting 10 is our back up 9 vs England?
Beaudy is our starting 10.
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@pakman said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@pakman said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@pakman said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@frugby said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@pakman said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
Interesting that Stuff article on Cane mentions a 32 man AB squad. Presume nine front row, four locks, six back row, two halves, two first fives, four midfield and five in back three?
Three halfbacks is a lock in, so probably shave off a back row.
Given we're talking two domestic tests, I'm not convinced three halfbacks is a lock. I expect it will come down to who Razor wants to take a look at. Great shame there's no AB XV match in July.
Not picking 3 halfbacks and 3 hookers in a 32 man squad is madness. Need backup in case someone goes down during warm ups at least
DMac?
So a halfback goes down in warm-up and our starting 10 is our back up 9 vs England?
Beaudy is our starting 10.
That's yuck. Beauden Barrett was a shit 10 when he last played there, 2 years ago.
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@frugby said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
Provided he was fit, they'll look to get him five tests to get him to 100 I think... is he in the top side? Time will tell.
The obvious three are Fiji, Japan and Italy. Maybe Argie and Aussie?
Generally speaking there's not a lot of room for sentimentality in rugby but, all the same, would be nice to see him go out captaining the side against Argentina or something in his 100th cap.
He's been an underrated and underappreciated player and captain for the team for a number of years now and he deserves a final match that isn't that World Cup final.
Ignoring his departure, however, I'd still prefer a fit and firing Sam Cane at 7 against the likes of England and South Africa (though I don't know if either of those adjectives apply to him currently) but we do need to see if Hoskins Sotutu can handle those types of teams (assuming he's given another chance to prove himself...), so who knows what will happen?
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@Bones said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@Mr-Fish I can't figure out how Sotutu at 8 relates to Cane at 7. Are we talking Savea at 7?
Sorry yeah that wasn't super clear.
If the selectors want to try Sotutu against the Springboks and England, it's difficult to see them leaving Savea out of the starting line-up altogether, which would presumably push Cane out of the team.
There's so many permutations, but naturally a lot will become clearer once that first squad is named.
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@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@Tim said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
Can't see the point of selecting a player who won't play Super Rugby in 2024 or 2025. You are effectively selecting a player from overseas. May as well get Mo'unga and Retallick in that case.
I'd select Cane. He's a 95 test AB and AB captain who was playing excellent rugby at the World Cup.
Get a young loosie (I.e. Lakai or whoever) around the squad for the year to soak up knowledge from Cane then transition in 2025.
Presuming the coaching staff are conservative for the England series:
I think the additions to the front rowers club may be solely Numia for Laulala and Aumua for Coles. Locks will be Barrett, Tuipulotu and two others (hopefully McWhannell). Cane, Sotutu, Papali'i, Finau, Savea, Ioane as backrowers (Lakai to come in after England are dispatched). Halves are TJP, Christie and Funaki. First fives are DMac and Beaudy with Havili in the team covering positions in midfield too. Midfielders are Jordie, Rieko, Havili and Proctor. Back three will be Reece, Clarke, Love, Tele'a and ..?
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@antipodean got to be Narawa. Might be a bit of a punt taken on Highlanders Telea depending on how he finishes the season.
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@antipodean That's 33! Think Lakai might be in if Cane not yet hundy. For me Cane (or Lakai)/Paps/Finau/Akira/RD/Hoskins.
Accept logic of three 9s, but hard to pare down to five loosies. -
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@pakman said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@antipodean That's 33! Think Lakai might be in if Cane not yet hundy. For me Cane (or Lakai)/Paps/Finau/Akira/RD/Hoskins.
Accept logic of three 9s, but hard to pare down to five loosies.Good point, I should've kept count as I dazed at the crystal ball. Might be easiest to restrict the back three positions to make 32.
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@antipodean Or just use some Silver Lake moolah to stretch to 33!
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@antipodean said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
Halves are TJP, Christie and Funaki.
Fuckin hell - desperation city
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@Victor-Meldrew Bryn Hall a few rugby pods ago said the Razor likes to have a few of his 'supporters' in the sheds to facilitate the message. Havili and Reece are about the only two Saders backs showing enough to be considered!
And why Bower might also squeeze in.
