All Blacks 2025
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@Steven-Harris exactly, have herd same thing, but sportnation really, Marshall.
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@frugby said in All Blacks 2025:
wouldn’t make a difference, but if it did, it would be minimal.
At test level you should be looking for any improvements no matter how minimal.
We lead both Boks games in the second half - we only just lost to France by a point or so.
The margins are fine at test level - you can't afford to carry players.
We got absolutely nothing out of our bench loose forward and our bench utility back position last year. The likes of Lio Willie, Lam, Tavatavanawai etc should be being looked at to see if they can make a difference.
Proctor at 13 and Rieko at 23 is worth a look. Even something like a 6-2 bench with Sotutu covering the backs would be an interesting experiment - there would be cries that it would be too risky but what's really to lose when the likes of Jacobson and Havili/ALB got picked on the bench test after test and offered zero test after test.
I'm not saying try all of the above but at least try something.
There were some encouraging signs late in the AB season in terms of an evolution on the bench - the likes of Tosi and Tuipulotu really added some oomph late in games that wasn't there earlier in the season because they weren't involved.
Similarly on the wing we are crying out for more pace - Reece and Telea are dynamic in short spaces but lack real pace to really punish opposition when they get put into space. Tangitau has the profile of a player our backline could use if developed properly.
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@Steven-Harris said in All Blacks 2025:
Was in at the Sport Nation studios on friday , picked up some oil that both Fihaki and Tangitau will be selected in the first All Black squad .
Players locked in before the business end of Super Rugby
Interesting....
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@KiwiMurph thought the same as well , personally i would like to see these players under a more pressure come the playoffs ,knock out rugby you tend find out a bit more .
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@booboo to be fair his form is way better than it was last year when he was a surprise selection has shown some really good speed in open space at times and does possess a massive punt and can place kick from distance
I really don’t know end of the day Razor seems to see something in him that many of us can’t see
Anything to add @Chris -
@Steven-Harris said in All Blacks 2025:
@booboo to be fair his form is way better than it was last year when he was a surprise selection has shown some really good speed in open space at times and does possess a massive punt and can place kick from distance
I really don’t know end of the day Razor seems to see something in him that many of us can’t see
Anything to add @ChrisI have noticed he has moved in to the midfield when defending inside the 22 and has pulled off some big direct hits.If you go back and track him in the replays.
He does get lost on defence when he is wide sometimes but it seems that is a defensive pattern Matt Todd is using as Amua does the same thing.
He has pace is a big unit they might see him as a good option under the high ball.big boot which may get us down field.
People have their favourites I am not sure how he would go in test rugby.
I am not convinced he will be selected atm. -
@Bones said in All Blacks 2025:
@African-Monkey said in All Blacks 2025:
@Bones said in All Blacks 2025:
@frugby said in All Blacks 2025:
I get the vibe there is a whole crew of Aucklanders who are willing him on to fail, which I find really weird
I find it really weird that's the vibe you get.
Lol usually when you have mixed results as ABs coach you get criticized right?
Foster got criticised for
breathingeating by most of the country.Yes
I breathe, therefore I eat?
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@Steven-Harris said in All Blacks 2025:
Was in at the Sport Nation studios on friday , picked up some oil that both Fihaki and Tangitau will be selected in the first All Black squad .
Even if one of them breaks their leg?
Pretty early in the season to be locking in newbies, so I'm a bit sceptical that they are - but, I daresay both are being watched closely.
I'm imagining that for the French tests, Faingaánuku won't be back in the country -but, after that, I'm pretty sure he'll become a part of the equation. When does Jordie become available?
If they're selecting a pretty bloated squad of 36 for France, then the backs will look something like:
Roigard, Ratima, Hotham
BBarrett, McKenzie
JBarrett, Ioane, ALB, Proctor, Havili
Clarke, Reece
Jordan, LoveAnd then a few from Faingaánuku, Tangitau, Narawa, Fihaki, Perofeta, Teleá - and whomever else I've forgotten or has caught their eye.
Not sure there's space for both of Tangitau and Fihaki for a start.
There isn't in my squad - I don't need four wings.
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@Tim Super rugby stats:
Reece is:
3rd= in tries scored
3rd= in clean breaks
4th in defenders beaten
7th in metres gained
1st in offloadsAn incumbent AB winger and one of the other two has signed offshore.
I don't see him missing out to Fihaki!
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@Chris-B Jordie will available after Leinster's season ends on May 17th or May 24th if they make the European Cup final. His playing minutes have been carefully managed by Leinster so fatigue won't be a factor. My guess is that he will play a half of so of a club footy once he's back in New Zealand. He'll be a contender for Player of the Season in the Northern Hemisphere for 2024-5. Bar serious injury, he's a certainty for the All Blacks squad against France.
Leicester F is still contracted with Toulon until the end of July. Under NZR rules he will need to play for Ta$man in the NPC before he's All Blacks eligible. So he might play towards the end of the Rugby Championship if there is an injury. I think he's a near certainty for the end of year tour. He's played well at Toulon and Robertson is a fan.
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@Tim To be fair to Sevu Reece, Louis Bielle-Biarrey has been making lots of other wingers look slow in recent months. 21 years old and probably the best back in the world at the moment. The French are really lucky to have a such an exceptional talent. I wish we had someone like him at the moment. But we don't.
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@Tim said in All Blacks 2025:
@Chris-B He did that at Super Rugby level last year too, and struggled all season for the ABs.
Maybe - but, I'm not sure about the logic that says we should instead pick someone else who doesn't look as good at Super rugby on the off chance they might be better at tests.
Teleá is leaving which opens up a spot for Tangitau, who's looked the best of the rest to me. Big Leicester is in the wings..
I don't think they'll be in any rush to punt Sevu from the start of the year.
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@Bones said in All Blacks 2025:
@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:
I wish we had someone like him at the moment. But we don't.
We could well do, but we're not getting the chance to find out with the selection of average carthorses possessing bland all round skills.
the correct term is "vanilla"
Super Rugby Stats
