All Blacks 2024
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@reprobate. DMac has kicked well over 55m several times before. But he has shortened his place kick routine by 20 seconds or so in SA. May take a while to regain his rhythm and accuracy. That said, less than a metre off in 2 kicks is not a lot to fix.
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@Bovidae said in All Blacks 2024:
Lomax was subbed too late as he clearly looked gassed before the YC incident.
Agreed.
The fact Tamaiti Williams played until the 68th minute and Lomax still being on in the 72nd minute tells you all you need to know about how they feel about Ofa and Newell in big tests/moments. EDG coming back is a big addition and helps in that regard. I wouldn’t mind never seeing Ofa have another cap in the black jersey.
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I don't get the call for Lam to be added to the midfield. We have yet to see if he can pass the ball effectively.
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If Fozzie was 1/4 in a Rugby Championship would he be allowed back in the country?
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@Landers92 said in All Blacks 2024:
@Jet said in All Blacks 2024:
But the experienced heads are letting him down. Barrett kicking the ball away week in week out, McKenzie missing kicks. The captain dropping a pass cold today while hot on attack. Two completely avoidable yellow cards today.
This isn’t aimed at you in particular but it’s a prime example so don’t take this the wrong way.
I don’t think I ever saw these kind of excuses for Foster and poor performances. It’s funny how things change when it suits someone’s narrative lol
Oh no, its 100% on Razor.
Because he keeps picking them, and/or tells them to do this dumb shit like bombs in our own 22.
The point of my post was that he is at 3 losses already, with Ireland England and France to come.
He has painted himself into a corner.Is he bold enough now to bring in a couple of new guys to do what the old guys cant/wont do.
Razors biggest issue (and biggest shock to me from his tenure so far) is that he is essentially trying to play Razor ball (whatever that is) with Fosters team.
His first squad was Fosters squad. No real bolters. A lot of youth that was drafted in hasnt been used. Tosi, Proctor, Love, Sititi until yesterday. And we wouldnt have seen Darry only for scooter getting injured. We may not have seen Sititi yesterday only for Blackadder being injured.
I dont see that its materially any better than what Foster served up, and he copped plenty of welly from all and sundry.
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I preferred when the Allblacks were inaccessible and a bit mysterious.
There is too much access these days, documentaries etc. It's all too collegiate and nice.
I remember Kolisi being interviewed at the POTY awards and was asked about Savea and he said "im so proud of him".
I was thinking fuck that, youre not even team mates, you should be punching the head off each other at the bottom off a ruck, not liking each others instagram posts.
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@Jet said in All Blacks 2024:
I preferred when the Allblacks were inaccessible and a bit mysterious.
There is too much access these days, documentaries etc. It's all too collegiate and nice.
I remember Kolisi being interviewed at the POTY awards and was asked about Savea and he said "im so proud of him".
I was thinking fuck that, youre not even team mates, you should be punching the head off each other at the bottom off a ruck, not liking each others instagram posts.
You sound like Roy Keane haha.
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@Jet said in All Blacks 2024:
I preferred when the Allblacks were inaccessible and a bit mysterious.
There is too much access these days, documentaries etc. It's all too collegiate and nice.
I remember Kolisi being interviewed at the POTY awards and was asked about Savea and he said "im so proud of him".
I was thinking fuck that, youre not even team mates, you should be punching the head off each other at the bottom off a ruck, not liking each others instagram posts.
I rewatched the 2005 Lions tests in full recently.
The amount of off the ball stuff was hilarious to watch, and I dont remember noticing any of it at the time.
Even DC was leaving the elbow in to lads heads as he was getting back to his feet.
Loads of punching in rucks.
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@African-Monkey said in All Blacks 2024:
@Jet said in All Blacks 2024:
I preferred when the Allblacks were inaccessible and a bit mysterious.
There is too much access these days, documentaries etc. It's all too collegiate and nice.
I remember Kolisi being interviewed at the POTY awards and was asked about Savea and he said "im so proud of him".
I was thinking fuck that, youre not even team mates, you should be punching the head off each other at the bottom off a ruck, not liking each others instagram posts.
You sound like Roy Keane haha.
He won POTY. Thats his job.
You dont praise the post man for delivering your letters.
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@Jet said in All Blacks 2024:
I remember Kolisi being interviewed at the POTY awards and was asked about Savea and he said "im so proud of him".
I was thinking fuck that, youre not even team mates, you should be punching the head off each other at the bottom off a ruck, not liking each others instagram posts.Nah, I'm OK with that as it's actually one of the great things about rugby. Didn't Cane stay with his opposite number in Sth Africa when recovering from his broken neck?
I think it was Bismark Du Plessis who said of an opponent (Andrew Hore?) "I like nothing better than trying to rip his head off - except having too many beers with him afterwards".
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@Yeahtheboys said in Springboks vs All Blacks 2:
Fozzie never lost a Rugby Championship
Foster only had ONE actual full RC with home and away.
2020 - no SA
2021 - no away games to SA or ARG because of COVID
2022 - the only proper RC, we had two games in SA and the 2nd test win was the decider for the entire RC, a wins a win but that match was an anomaly, the players going all out in a freak match knowing full and well that a loss would mean their coach being Sacked
2023 - shortened RC, only 3 games, and 2 of them against SA/AUS we were at home.
Razor with the current team wins each one of these.
The Foster revisionism is truly amazing.
You actually have to watch the games back from before Schmidt and Ryan joined to appreciate how truly bad our rugby was.I remember feeling HOPELESS against even Argentina we were that bad.
Every loss this year we have legitimately been in a good position and thrown it away, It's a completely different context to the lows of the Foster era where we never looked like winning ANY game.
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I'm of the opinion that the All Blacks aren't too far away from clicking, and I actually wouldn't be surprised to see them go undefeated for the rest of the year.
However, the coming three games against Australia (twice) and Japan will be crucial. All three matches should be relative gimmes - Robertson should be able to throw out basically any team using the current squad and expect a reasonable win. As such, it's crucial to find the right balance between bringing newer guys up to speed and cementing combinations before the rematch against England at Twickenham, which should be a belter.
I think the front row is well enough stocked at the moment. I'd like to see Pasilio Tosi get a start against Japan and minutes off the bench in both games against Australia. I can't imagine Xavier Numia will be brought into the squad for Australia but he should be playing against Japan at the very least. Asafo Aumua needs confidence at Test level and that means starting two of the next three matches, even though Codie Taylor is playing out of his skin. Samisoni Taukei'aho would bring a lot of additional starch to the forward pack and will hopefully be back for the EOYT.
Tupou Vaa'i has probably been the All Blacks' MVP in 2024. A rest in one of the games wouldn't hurt but you get the feeling that consistent selection has been a big factor in him stepping up this year. Sam Darry has been good and Josh Lord needs minutes too. Each of the current four locks should be getting at least one start over the next three games, and ideally, Darry would be starting a game against Australia.
The loose forwards remain a conundrum. Sam Cane is gone at the end of the year so while I can see why Razor wanted him starting against South Africa, someone else needs to be getting minutes in the No 7 jersey (though Cane should get the honour of cracking a century) - I still have no idea whether that should be Papali'i, Blackadder, Jacobsob or even Savea. Perhaps a Blackadder/Papali'i/Sititi trio with Savea coming off the bench would give the best bang for the buck? Razor has finally dropped Perenara and Barrett to the bench but they've been switching in and out over the last few years - is he willing to drop a formerly nailed-on starter in Savea to the pine? Sotutu might be worth a call-up on the EOYT given Savea's continued lack of impact.
As I said back in May...
@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks 2024:
If Perenara is selected to start at 9, there's zero doubt in my mind that everyone on here will be complaining endlessly when he's inevitably giving the backline terrible service in July.
Perenara is not what the All Blacks need and I don't think he's justified his selection even on the bench anymore. To be perfectly honest though, Hotham isn't any better when it comes to speed/accuracy of pass but at least there's a chance those aspects of his game might improve. Would it be smart to select Roigard for the EOYT if he hasn't played any minutes during the NPC? This is one of the biggest problem positions right now, given the lack of experience the players that look most like long-term All Blacks currently have under their belts. It could be a completely different story in a year, however. But for the moment, Ratima certainly needs to be starting until Roigard is back fit and firing.
10 is probably largely dependent on what's happening with McKenzie. If he's heading to La Rochelle then obviously it's time to move on but if he's hanging around then he should be starting at 10 for two of the three coming games with Harry Plummer getting a go in the other. Despite his goal-kicking woes on Saturday, McKenzie is still clearly the best 10 NZ has right now. I wouldn't mind seeing Josh Jacomb taken on the EOYT but maybe the All Blacks XV is a better option (though given the All Blacks have two games following that ABXV tour, he could link up with them following and perhaps ride the pine against Italy).
It's time to try either ALB or Billy Proctor at centre with Reiko shifting to the wing. I wouldn't mind seeing Proctor given first crack in the next match. Jordie Barrett is still the best option at 12 but maybe Quinn Tupaea will get a recall on the trip north (though I don't think he's the long-term answer either).
Jordan didn't have much of an impact at fullback but he didn't get a lot of touches of the ball. He's probably worthy of another start of two against Australia but obviously Ruben Love and Perofeta are both options there. Perofeta seemed like Razor's preferred option at the start of the year and I think he did quite well in both games against England but, again, is he the long-term solution? 15 is a bit like halfback where there are talented options but none of them have much in the way of experience (or, in Jordan's case, enough minutes there to say he's not up to it). Would love to see Zarn Sullivan crack on at fullback. It certainly shouldn't be Beauden Barrett, however.
My EOYT squad of 36:
Props (6): Ethan de Groot, Tamaiti Williams, Xaver Numia, Tyrel Lomax, Fletcher Newell, Pasilio Tosi
Hookers (3): Codie Taylor, Samisoni Taukei'aho/George Bell, Asafo Aumua
Locks (4): Scott Barrett, Tupou Vaa'i, Sam Darry, Josh Lord
Loose forwards (7): Ethan Blackadder, Wallace Sititi, Samipeni Finau, Dalton Papali'i, Sam Cane, Ardie Savea, Hoskins Sotutu
Halfbacks (3): Cortez Ratima, Noah Hotham, Cam Roigard/Finlay Christie (because at least he's hanging around)
First fives (3): Damian McKenzie/Josh Jacomb, Harry Plummer, Beauden Barrett
Midfield (4): Jordie Barrett, Anton Lienert-Brown, Billy Proctor, Quinn Tupaea
Outside backs (6): Will Jordan, Rieko Ioane, Caleb Clarke, Emoni Narawa, Stephen Perofeta, Ruben LoveAll Blacks XV team:
George Bower, George Bell/Ricky Riccitelli, Ofa Tu'ungafasi
Patrick Tuipulotu, Fabian Holland
Cameron Suafoa, Peter Lakai, Luke Jacobson
Finlay Christie/Folau Fakatava, Josh Jacomb
David Havili, Rameka Poihipi
Mark Tele'a, Sevu Reece
Zarn SullivanReserves:
Ricky Riccitelli/Henry Bell?, Aidan Ross, George Dyer, Max Hicks, Hugh Renton
Folau Fakatava/Taufa Funaki, Daniel Rona, Harrison Godfrey -
In summary we are in with a shout vs anyone because we have a forward pack
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Apparently Roigard did a bronco of 4.15 or something...well down the recovery road.
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Patrick Tuipolotu needs to be in the end of year tour. He offers very good go forward (Ala the blues), and is a staunch defender. Even if you only play him 30-50 minutes he offers power against the big packs.
Interesting we have a couple of young loose forwards coming out of Auckland. Suafoa is a big lump and Che Clark is a real fast, good, offloading 6. (Just unsure of his defence). Both are genuine lineout options as Clark is 6’4 and Suafoa 6’5 There’s talent on the way atleast.
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@Boston-Boy said in All Blacks 2024:
Patrick Tuipolotu needs to be in the end of year tour. He offers very good go forward (Ala the blues), and is a staunch defender. Even if you only play him 30-50 minutes he offers power against the big packs.
Interesting we have a couple of young loose forwards coming out of Auckland. Suafoa is a big lump and Che Clark is a real fast, good, offloading 6. (Just unsure of his defence). Both are genuine lineout options as Clark is 6’4 and Suafoa 6’5 There’s talent on the way atleast.
Tuipulotu was effective against England for about one half of rugby and then offered next to nothing for the rest of his minutes in that series. It's the same stuff the All Blacks have been getting from him since he first debuted.
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@taniwharugby said in All Blacks 2024:
Apparently Roigard did a bronco of 4.15 or something...well down the recovery road.
What's his best
