All Blacks 2024
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While we can speculate on which loosie is better than the other what we do know is that they are all slightly different but all very very good.
We also know that we are no longer in the Mitchel days of coaching and I am sure the players missing out have been told what they need to do to get in .... in a position that has lots of injurys and with an ABs XV and Māori's and 14 tests this year. I'm pretty sure there will be room for Hoskins to show what he can do sometime this year.When you interview for jobs and have three outstanding candidates the final reason for picking one over the other can be quite frankly a coin toss. I dont think they actually tossed a coin but decided they had seen something they wanted just a tiny bit more in one player over the other.
And there's only one way to find out. -
Lock, 10 and 12 are still the biggest holes to fill.
We've gone with three locks, two of which are slightly broken/injured, Two 15s who play 10 (well but are actually both best at 15) but no up and comers, and 1 specialist 12.
Will they trt to convert Proctor to 12? -
Could we have some positivism about Sotutu, please? The man's got a skill set which is unique in New Zealand rugby. TWM ought to be focussed on how to get him to reach his potential, which if they succeed should have him remembered as a great All Black.
After all, at the end of the day, we're all in this together. -
@pakman said in All Blacks 2024 - selection:
Could we have some positivism about Sotutu, please? The man's got a skill set which is unique in New Zealand rugby. TWM ought to be focussed on how to get him to reach his potential, which if they succeed should have him remembered as a great All Black.
After all, at the end of the day, we're all in this together.To be fair, Sititi so far has shades of Lauaki/Vunipola with a high work rate. So can't fault that selection.
It's just puzzling that a centre that can play 8 has no versatility and Josh Blackie reincarnated is preferred.
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@Darren said in All Blacks 2024 - selection:
We all know Blackadder is going to break, and then it will be interesting who they call in.
Will it be Grace or Sotutu?
Will the fern meltdown escalate?I have a feeling it would be Grace. If Savea broke I think it would be Sotutu.
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@nzzp said in All Blacks 2024 - selection:
Ethan's games as AB
(+) = substitute; (-) = replaced
2021
3 Jul vs Tonga at Auckland 102-0 (+)
10 Jul vs Fiji at Dunedin 57-23
5 Sep vs Australia at Perth 38-21 (+)
12 Sep vs Argentina at Robina 39-0 (+)
18 Sep vs Argentina at Brisbane 36-13
25 Sep vs South Africa at Townsville 19-17
2 Oct vs South Africa at Robina 29-31 (+)
30 Oct vs Wales at Cardiff 54-16
13 Nov vs Ireland at Dublin 20-29 (-)2023
5 Oct vs Uruguay at Lyon 73-0 (+)This is pretty damning.
Permanently injured player who doesn't appear to have the frame or game to play 6 just strolls back in - when he effectively hasn't played test rugby for 3 years (and wasn't even established 3 years ago).
Instead of making a call on Jacobson vs Blackadder they've effectively just picked the same player twice.
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@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks 2024 - selection:
Instead of making a call on Jacobson vs Blackadder they've effectively just picked the same player twice
this is really my only concern. And, to add to it, you could easily argue that with DP, they've picked the same player 3 times.
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@KiwiMurph everyone needs to be able to play multiple positions passably....rather than one position really well
@mariner4life i just read somewhere else, and i have found the quite myself so need to confirm, but they said they had read razor said they lied sititi as a ball runner....if they move savea to 7....so even he isn't focusing on one position
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@Kiwiwomble said in All Blacks 2024 - selection:
@KiwiMurph everyone needs to be able to play multiple positions passably....rather than one position really well
That seems to have been the trend since 2015 and it's served us well!!
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@Kiwiwomble said in All Blacks 2024 - selection:
@KiwiMurph everyone needs to be able to play multiple positions passably....rather than one position really well
Sure. But we've just come from a world cup squad where we picked 4 wingers and not enough sixes and ended up with Vaai starting at 6 in the first game of the tournament
Now we have 4 wingers and one six in Finau....
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@mariner4life said in All Blacks 2024 - selection:
@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks 2024 - selection:
Instead of making a call on Jacobson vs Blackadder they've effectively just picked the same player twice
this is really my only concern. And, to add to it, you could easily argue that with DP, they've picked the same player 3 times.
This!
I don’t get why we have three very similar players and the others don’t look like they have crossover skill sets.
So we’ve got Blackadder and Finau as 6s - very different players, Paps and Jacobson at 7 - ok, I can see what we are looking for, then Ardie and Sititi at 8 - very different players.
I cant see how if our 6 or 8 goes down we’ll still be able to have people plug in and go do a job.
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@canefan said in All Blacks 2024 - selection:
@Chris-B all he has to do is stay fit then
All? I think somebody just jumped into a yawning sarchasm..
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@mariner4life said in All Blacks 2024 - selection:
@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks 2024 - selection:
Instead of making a call on Jacobson vs Blackadder they've effectively just picked the same player twice
this is really my only concern. And, to add to it, you could easily argue that with DP, they've picked the same player 3 times.
Isn't that exactly what you were arguing for the other day?
My comment is dictated on the game plan being built to suit the top 23, and then picking the squad as like-for-like replacements, rather than "the next best player" which means if option 1 is out, you need to tweak how you play as well as swap guys in and out.
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I'm kind of wondering if what they've done is pick their starting loose forwards:
Finau, Dalton, Ardie
Picked two guys who can play all three positions to cover the bench: Jacobson and Blackadder
And Sititi in there to see how being an AB works and possibly covering Ardie if he gets injured - Jacobson or Blackadder shifting in if one of the other guys gets injured.
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@Chris-B said in All Blacks 2024 - selection:
I'm kind of wondering if what they've done is pick their starting loose forwards:
Finau, Dalton, Ardie
Picked two guys who can play all three positions to cover the bench: Jacobson and Blackadder
And Sititi in there to see how being an AB works and possibly covering Ardie if he gets injured - Jacobson or Blackadder shifting in if one of the other guys gets injured.
Yes. I can see how they could rate Sotutu but not pick him based on this plan. If Akira had stayed I wonder if he had a chance given he covers 6/8.
