All Blacks XV 2024
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@nostrildamus the forward pack was exceptional and the loose forwards were apart of that. You can discredit Razors crusaders. Players like Grace and Christie regularly outshone their opponents and didn’t get a look in, plus that included two finals wins against the lions and one against jaguars.
Those blues forwards stepped up when the opposition was weakest. It means very very little
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@KiwiInLondon said in All Blacks XV 2024:
@nostrildamus the forward pack was exceptional and the loose forwards were apart of that. You can discredit Razors crusaders. Players like Grace and Christie regularly outshone their opponents and didn’t get a look in, plus that included two finals wins against the lions and one against jaguars.
Those blues forwards stepped up when the opposition was weakest. It means very very little
So you've just confirmed that it only counts when the Crusaders do well, Interesting take.
Maybe the Blues pack benefitted from having a better coach this year? Maybe Cotter just knew how to get the best out of the Blues pack, where even journeymen like Renata and Riccitelli stepped up their game? Maybe MacDonald and Coventry couldn't quite get these Blues players to the next level?
Credit where it's due, Robertson did a great job with Christie and Grace, especially the very limited Christie they were horrendous this year however, without him. Lio Willie and Blackadder were far better when they eventually took the field.
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@African-Monkey it’s different because it was seven years in a row, three times of those against South African opposition. Once against the one of the weaker comps in a long long time matters little. That’s the difference.
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@Darren said in All Blacks XV 2024:
So if Sotutu takes the field, that locks him into NZ for 4 years right?
That will put to bed the playing for England nonsense I hope.Only if he takes the field for the All Blacks. The ABs XV aren't a capture team.
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It's interesting the number of Crusaders who haven't been picked for either team.
If Razor and co were truly biased then it would've made sense to see guys like Finlay Brewis, Dom Gardiner, Zach Gallagher, Jamie Hannah, Cullen Grace, Rivez Reihana, Levi Aumua and Macca Springer in the XV.
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@KiwiInLondon said in All Blacks XV 2024:
@African-Monkey it’s different because it was seven years in a row, three times of those against South African opposition. Once against the one of the weaker comps in a long long time matters little. That’s the difference.
For the first 3 years, the Crusaders virtually had an AB pack playing Super Rugby lets not kid ourselves here.
So by your logic, 2020-2023 was also weak because there were no South African teams involved?
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@pakman said in All Blacks XV 2024:
@Bovidae Ta! Looks like part of longer interview?
Yes, but the full interview doesn't appear to be available yet. Here's some more talking about Jacomb.
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@African-Monkey don't feed the troll
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@Bovidae said in All Blacks XV 2024:
@pakman said in All Blacks XV 2024:
@Bovidae Ta! Looks like part of longer interview?
Yes, but the full interview doesn't appear to be available yet. Here's some more talking about Jacomb.
I stoked about Jacomb, because not only a Naki boy, but I been saying he got the makings of being a test 10 for last couple of years , looks so balanced to me.
Also I been on the Holland bandwagon for about 3-4 years now, the most natural made player for test lock I have seen, I reckoned it when I first saw him play, and nothing has ever changed my mind. I reckon him and Lord (who seems to of put on some required weight) look the frist choice locks.
Ok I have got on the bandwagon for Segner too, but maybe I wrong there , but I am stoked a couple of really good uns are seeing the light of day! -
@brodean from what I heard, Reihana came back from the Crusaders lacking any confidence, but he did build into the season as it wore on.
But he needs to secure the starting 10 berth at the Crusaders and go from there, has the skills, whether he has the top 2 inches is another matter.
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Not many players at the Crusaders were playing with confidence this year. I thought he was hard done by with then giving more opportunities to Hohepa and Havili.
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@brodean said in All Blacks XV 2024:
Not many players at the Crusaders were playing with confidence this year. I thought he was hard done by with then giving more opportunities to Hohepa and Havili.
Well he got the first crack at first five then unfortunately got injured for a few weeks then he lost momentum after that.
When he came back he seemed to lack confidence. -
Based on the squad selected I wouldn't mind seeing the 23 below.
- Xavier Numia (25 / Hurricanes / Wellington)
- Kurt Eklund (32 / Blues / Bay of Plenty)
- George Dyer (24/ Chiefs / Waikato)
- Fabian Holland (21 / Highlanders / Otago)
- Josh Lord (23 / Chiefs / Taranaki)*
- Oliver Haig (22 / Highlanders / Otago)
- Peter Lakai (21/ Hurricanes / Wellington)
- Hoskins Sotutu (26 / Blues / Counties Manukau)*
- Finlay Christie (29 / Blues / Ta$man)*
- Harry Plummer (26 / Blues / Auckland)*
- Kiniviliame Naholo (25 / Hurricanes / Taranaki)
- AJ Lam (26 / Blues / Auckland)
- Quinn Tupaea (25 / Chiefs / Waikato)*
- Emoni Narawa (25 / Chiefs / Bay of Plenty)*
- Shaun Stevenson (27 / Chiefs / North Harbour)*
- Bradley Slater (26 / Chiefs / Taranaki)
- George Bower (32 / Crusaders / Otago)*
- Marcel Renata (30 / Blues / Auckland)
- Isaia Walker-Leawere (27 / Hurricanes / Hawke’s Bay)
- Christian Lio-Willie (26 / Crusaders / Otago)
- Noah Hotham (21 / Crusaders / Ta$man)*
- Josh Jacomb (23 / Chiefs / Taranaki)
- Riley Higgins (22 / Hurricanes / Wellington)
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I like it.
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I expect Fihaki to be in the xv
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@Duluth said in All Blacks XV 2024:
I expect Fihaki to be in the xv
Same, but he shouldn't be which is why I've excluded him.
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They finally gave him a starting run against the Rebels and the Crusaders finally managed a decent win - only to drop him the following week for Havili. Reihana had a strong game. How can you expect a player to play with confidence when they're giving a lot more starting opportunities to Hohepa and Havili?