All Blacks 2024
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@frugby said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
Prop I think could be an interesting one. Though Tu'ungafasi and Williams can both play tighthead, they pretty much only play loosehead these days. Ryan has tended to pick specialists, which means those two + EDG, Numia and Bower are playing for three spots.
Would leave a gap at tighthead, and with few options to fill it. Ta'avao for a recall? Tosi as a bolter? Dyer?
I’m willing to bet money that Bower misses out here, seeing as he’s not a starter and an eye for the future, 32 year old Bower doesn’t make the squad for me. Not when you already have a 32 year old Ofa in there.
For me it’s EDG, Ofa, T.Williams and Numia. Those are our answers at loose head imo.
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@Bovidae said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
I'm interested to see how the scrum goes this year. BBBR in particular made a huge difference to the power on the TH side. Whitelock usually packed on that side when in combination with Barrett. One of the locks will have a big role to play.
The other one will be relieved he can cruise a bit then
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@Bovidae said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
I'm interested to see how the scrum goes this year. BBBR in particular made a huge difference to the power on the TH side. Whitelock usually packed on that side when in combination with Barrett. One of the locks will have a big role to play.
Patty T seems to be a late bloomer on TH side. Quite why he played LH against Chch is beyond me!
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@Tim said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
19.47 Wallace Sititi
May not make an AB XXIII this year, but a squad bolter if ever there was one.
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@Frank I like both Akira and Anton Segner. If they play well in the knockouts, both could make the ABs.
Both need to use their power more and show they have more hunger and a higher ceiling than the other options available at 6. I do worry about Akira's mentality when the going gets tough.
There really are an embarrassment of riches for the AB in the backrow at the moment.
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@sparky I understand that the AB coaches don't like Akira as well as a lot of non Blues fans, but he's very important to how this Blues side plays. We're a worse side without him out there, as we've see when he hasn't played. Cotter has gotten the best out of him playing in close quarters, where as previous coaches used him exclusively in the wider channels, to the point where he didn't look comfortable in his role in the ABs side once Ryan and Schmidt took over in 2022. If he got picked now to play the role they want him to play, he'd be far more comfortable in playing it.
Segner hasn't played much of late. He's a good player who does the core roles in every loose forward position very well, but isn't as strong in contact as the other Blues players yet, and I think he'd struggle at the next level currently. Lakai is better as someone who can play in all 3 positions in the loose.
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@African-Monkey I agree with all that.
It will be interesting to see if Anton Segner stay in NZ or heads back to Europe.
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@Bones said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@Canes4life why Ratima over Funaki?
But yeah interesting that Hotham has all of a sudden become a favourite for some after running the ball well in a couple of games (and looking awful earlier), yet others have been performing all season and now aren't as good...
What team does Hotham play for again?
Though to be fair mate, Hotham has been on NZR's radar as an up and comer for a few years now. Have heard him name checked etc by Steve Lancaster a year or 2 back when discussing players they have got on radar.
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@sparky said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@African-Monkey I agree with all that.
It will be interesting to see if Anton Segner stay in NZ or heads back to Europe.
He can only play for ABs and Germany at a higher level, he'd be crazy to leave without giving it a few more years here first. He had ambition, not just want to make money, and is still young
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@sparky said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
I like Sititi, but I think he needs more experience before being put in the All Blacks squad. Some more time in the NPC and with the All Blacks XV won't do him any harm.
IIRC Sititi has played mainly at 7 for NH as Suafoa was the preferred no.8. NH might be better to move Suafoa to 6.
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@African-Monkey said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@sparky I understand that the AB coaches don't like Akira as well as a lot of non Blues fans, but he's very important to how this Blues side plays. We're a worse side without him out there, as we've see when he hasn't played. Cotter has gotten the best out of him playing in close quarters, where as previous coaches used him exclusively in the wider channels, to the point where he didn't look comfortable in his role in the ABs side once Ryan and Schmidt took over in 2022. If he got picked now to play the role they want him to play, he'd be far more comfortable in playing it.
Segner hasn't played much of late. He's a good player who does the core roles in every loose forward position very well, but isn't as strong in contact as the other Blues players yet, and I think he'd struggle at the next level currently. Lakai is better as someone who can play in all 3 positions in the loose.
I wouldn't be surprised if Ioane makes the All Blacks ahead of Sotutu, to be perfectly honest.
If the selectors plump for Savea, Papali'i, Finau, Lakai and Blackadder then I think all the positions are fairly well covered so there's no desperate need to go for any specific specialists, in which case either Sotutu or Ioane fits the bill, and I think Ioane is better suited to Test rugby.
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@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@Bones said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@Canes4life why Ratima over Funaki?
But yeah interesting that Hotham has all of a sudden become a favourite for some after running the ball well in a couple of games (and looking awful earlier), yet others have been performing all season and now aren't as good...
What team does Hotham play for again?
Though to be fair mate, Hotham has been on NZR's radar as an up and comer for a few years now. Have heard him name checked etc by Steve Lancaster a year or 2 back when discussing players they have got on radar.
You can talk about this imaginary radar all you like, but I don't think it really means anything.
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@Bones said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@Dan54 said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@Bones said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@Canes4life why Ratima over Funaki?
But yeah interesting that Hotham has all of a sudden become a favourite for some after running the ball well in a couple of games (and looking awful earlier), yet others have been performing all season and now aren't as good...
What team does Hotham play for again?
Though to be fair mate, Hotham has been on NZR's radar as an up and comer for a few years now. Have heard him name checked etc by Steve Lancaster a year or 2 back when discussing players they have got on radar.
You can talk about this imaginary radar all you like, but I don't think it really means anything.
If you need a radar to spot them I have to assume they can’t be very good players.
