All Blacks 2024
-
@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@Windows97 said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
It's quite funny how we've gone from a complete lack of depth at 8 to now overflowing. I'd be very tempted to put Savea back to 7 and give Sotutu and Sititi a go - they've both really deserved it.
Finau - Savea - Sotutu/Sititi has a lot of power to it. It's a bit tough on Papps but it's an excitng combination.
When did we have a complete lack of depth at No 8?
Read was always a permanent fixture leading up to 2019 and since then we've had Savea, Jacobson and Sotutu all playing well (at Super Rugby level).
At the start of the year we Savea oversea's, Sotutu was someone who hadn't lived up to his potential and Sititi was completly unknown. Not exactly flush with depth.
It was wide open for someone to put their hand up as a 8, thankfully Sotutu and Sititi have done that this year.
-
@sparky said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@Daffy-Jaffy Great stuff.
The big elephant in the room though is what will success or failure look like in his first year as AB's head coach?
I'll be delighted if he does as well as Sir Graham in his first season - which interestingly also started with tests vs England in Dunedin and Auckland (a bit of superstition in NZR HQ?).
SGH lost to Oz and got thumped by the Jaapies in Jo'burg. We better not lose to Oz, because we have to play both tests vs SA in SA (one in Jo'burg).
Unbeated on the EOYT, but scraped home vs Wales. Razor has a tougher EOYT.
Given this era of red and yellow cards, I'd say 11-4 would be a pass mark - anything better will be pretty good.
-
@booboo said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@mariner4life said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@george33 said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@sparky why
Running game, quick pass, gets the ball out fast, and as Rakete-Stones can attest, can hit like a truck.
Yeah ... seriously embarrassment getting smashed like that by a ruck rat (TM @Smuts )
Can’t claim I coined it. Too afraid of the Specimen’s wrath.
-
-
@Chris-B said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@sparky said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@Daffy-Jaffy Great stuff.
The big elephant in the room though is what will success or failure look like in his first year as AB's head coach?
I'll be delighted if he does as well as Sir Graham in his first season - which interestingly also started with tests vs England in Dunedin and Auckland (a bit of superstition in NZR HQ?).
SGH lost to Oz and got thumped by the Jaapies in Jo'burg. We better not lose to Oz, because we have to play both tests vs SA in SA (one in Jo'burg).
Unbeated on the EOYT, but scraped home vs Wales. Razor has a tougher EOYT.
Given this era of red and yellow cards, I'd say 11-4 would be a pass mark - anything better will be pretty good.
yeah, im far more interested in how we play and new guys or combinations....obviously would love to make a statement and beat everyone by +50...but some losses and understanding of what theyre trying to do will be accepted
-
@nzzp said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@Chris-B reckon 3 losses would be 'par'. Fewer is excellent, more is concerning.
It's only a rough guide - there might be mitigating circumstances - e.g. if DMac takes a shot in the ribs this weekend that rules him out for the season. As Kiwiwomble says, there's more to it than the win-loss balance sheet - but W-L is certainly a KPI!
We're going to have to play all of the Jaapies (twice), Ireland, France and England away from home. These aren't Mickey Mouse teams - so three losses says we've got to win two for these AND not lose any at home or elsewhere (e.g. in Oz).
Start thinking about the impacts of untimely cards and some of the people who are going to be reffing these games - I reckon three losses will be quite a bit better than par.
-
gone are the days of a soft tune up via Fiji or Samoa. And when a tour that had a trip to Ireland or Wales was a bit of a doddle. There are so many good teams now, anyone in the top 10 and you have to take it seriously.
Lots of games on the road this year as well
-
@mariner4life said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
gone are the days of a soft tune up via Fiji or Samoa. And when a tour that had a trip to Ireland or Wales was a bit of a doddle. There are so many good teams now, anyone in the top 10 and you have to take it seriously.
Lots of games on the road this year as well
Couldn’t agree with you more mate.
It also proves the point that rugby is certainly not dying. As much as some people wish it was.
-
@Landers92 said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@mariner4life said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
gone are the days of a soft tune up via Fiji or Samoa. And when a tour that had a trip to Ireland or Wales was a bit of a doddle. There are so many good teams now, anyone in the top 10 and you have to take it seriously.
Lots of games on the road this year as well
Couldn’t agree with you more mate.
It also proves the point that rugby is certainly not dying. As much as some people wish it was.
while i am not enamored with the on-field product most of the time, test rugby has literally never been better. There are so many good teams, and they all play a different style. Winning lots and lots gets harder every year.
-
@mariner4life said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@Landers92 said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@mariner4life said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
gone are the days of a soft tune up via Fiji or Samoa. And when a tour that had a trip to Ireland or Wales was a bit of a doddle. There are so many good teams now, anyone in the top 10 and you have to take it seriously.
Lots of games on the road this year as well
Couldn’t agree with you more mate.
It also proves the point that rugby is certainly not dying. As much as some people wish it was.
while i am not enamored with the on-field product most of the time, test rugby has literally never been better. There are so many good teams, and they all play a different style. Winning lots and lots gets harder every year.
Exactly. I should have added in ‘especially international footy’.
It’s in a great place.
-
@Landers92 said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@Tim said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
You can't market the head coach as a great guy while he advocates for the return of unpunished women beater Frizzell.
I hope the same gets said for when he selects Sevu Reece then…….
Are you saying MSR is a smokey at lock?
-
I'd suggest using the Blues gameplan, with a solid back three under high balls (since most other teams love playing kick tennis).
As for results; not losing a home series to England, not losing the Bledisloe. Winning at least once against the Boks and by the end of the year having sorted out any remaining issues to take at least three from four.
-
personally all i want is for us to go to Ireland and
-
@mariner4life save it for a quarter final
-
-
I'll be pretty stoked if we have max 3 wipeouts this year and I expect a couple of cutbacks along the way.
-
@Bones said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@Landers92 said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@Tim said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
You can't market the head coach as a great guy while he advocates for the return of unpunished women beater Frizzell.
I hope the same gets said for when he selects Sevu Reece then…….
Are you saying MSR is a smokey at lock?
NZR and majority of fans will slip Reeces history under the rug because he’s very very good haha.
MSR, I forgot all about his! Haha
-
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
I'd suggest using the Blues gameplan, with a solid back three under high balls (since most other teams love playing kick tennis).
As for results; not losing a home series to England, not losing the Bledisloe. Winning at least once against the Boks and by the end of the year having sorted out any remaining issues to take at least three from four.
Best thing about this game plan, is it works for knock out rugby, creates space for the backs and blunts the strength of teams they usually beat us.
Have to pick big bodies, and get them fit though.
I’m tempted to have savea on the bench for when we open it up and have the bigger Sotutu grind out the first 60.
-
@mariner4life said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@Landers92 said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
@mariner4life said in All Blacks 2024 - looking forward:
gone are the days of a soft tune up via Fiji or Samoa. And when a tour that had a trip to Ireland or Wales was a bit of a doddle. There are so many good teams now, anyone in the top 10 and you have to take it seriously.
Lots of games on the road this year as well
Couldn’t agree with you more mate.
It also proves the point that rugby is certainly not dying. As much as some people wish it was.
while i am not enamored with the on-field product most of the time, test rugby has literally never been better. There are so many good teams, and they all play a different style. Winning lots and lots gets harder every year.
There is plenty from on field that could (and I’m sure it does) turn even ardent fans away. It’s genuinely hard to watch 80 minutes of test footy without being frustrated, dismayed and bewildered by what we see.
With all that though, the levelling out of the international game has resulted in greater interest and an attitude of ‘every test counts’. That comes greater pressure and scrutiny on players, coaches, refs, administrators that the game hasn’t seen before. With that pressure the margin for error is so small.
What lies ahead for the ABs this year looks to be a pretty tough road so blooding new unproven test players will be a challenge. But there will be pressure to start afresh and use this year to get see what a crop of younger players could do.
But if combinations don’t click and results don’t come that pressure will start to mount rightly or wrongly.
