All Blacks 2024
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Peering into the crystal ball and trying to make out the shape of next year's squad, although there are red and black barriers that appear intermittently and obscure my vision.
Loose forwards:
Papalii
Lakai
Savea
Sotutu
Sititi
The last one is a bit hard to make out, there's Finau, there's another player in a six jersey, but a really overrated player, who's lying injured on the field, keeps obscuring my view. -
If Sititi, Lakai and Savea are two of the three starting loosies. We will probably need a lineout option as the third loosie. The make up and how trios will compliment eachother
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Looking at props now. There are four good options: Williams, Tu'ungufasi, Lomax, Tosi. de Groot has really regressed. Ball carrying was poor, he was unfit, and he got found out in the scrum. Newell is mediocre in the scrum at test level, and offers nothing else.
3rd loosehead and tighthead are wide open.
The Chiefs' young props (Norris and Dyer) were disappointing in 2024, but might bounce back. de Groot still can too. Numia and Fusitua are options at loosehead, Mafileo might be in the mix too. Any tighthead options?
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@Canes4life Who is most likely to play 6 for the Canes?
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@Tim said in All Blacks 2024:
@sparky Not against England or Ireland. How many penalties against France? The dodgy neck-roll call?
I agreed with the neck-roll call. Yeah he had great games against England and Ireland. I don't have the figures to hand but I suspect he has been one of the most penalised ABs this year. If he can sort that out, he's world class.
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@Tim said in All Blacks 2024:
@Canes4life Who is most likely to play 6 for the Canes?
It depends where they see Delany, they will either play Delany at lock and have Flanders at 6, or they’ll play Delany at 6 and have Gallagher at lock. Flanders and Iose will share duties at 8.
Flanders and Shields will also cover 6 if Delany plays lock.
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@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2024:
@Tim said in All Blacks 2024:
@Canes4life Who is most likely to play 6 for the Canes?
It depends where they see Delany, they will either play Delany at lock and have Flanders at 6, or they’ll play Delany at 6 and have Gallagher at lock. Flanders and Iose will share duties at 8.
Flanders and Shields will also cover 6 if Delany plays lock.
Would've liked to see Delaney at 6 more, but just don't think he plays the right mongrel type game and after Flanders' season am leaning more towards him.
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@Bones said in All Blacks 2024:
@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2024:
@Tim said in All Blacks 2024:
@Canes4life Who is most likely to play 6 for the Canes?
It depends where they see Delany, they will either play Delany at lock and have Flanders at 6, or they’ll play Delany at 6 and have Gallagher at lock. Flanders and Iose will share duties at 8.
Flanders and Shields will also cover 6 if Delany plays lock.
Would've liked to see Delaney at 6 more, but just don't think he plays the right mongrel type game and after Flanders' season am leaning more towards him.
Yeah, technically Delany is a very good player but I agree he might lack the mongrel to be a test 6. I wouldn’t mind seeing him get more time at 6 during Super to prove otherwise though, especially if the Canes see Zach Gallagher as one of their starting locks.
I tend to feel the same about Flanders, I feel like he has a good skill set but lacks a bit of mongrel.
Maybe next year is the coming of age for both of them, both coming into their prime years.
Personally I wouldn’t mind the Canes run with a loose trio of 6. Delany, 7. Lakai and 8. Flanders with Iose and Kirifi as impact.
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@Canes4life My impression of Flanders in previous seasons was that he played pretty soft, but he appeared to make improvement this season.
