All Blacks 2025
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@African-Monkey dont disagree with anything you have posted pretty much on point
I am unashamed fan of Stevenson but believe he has a far better alround game than Fihaki has defence aside
Over the years the All Blacks have managed to hide some very average tacklers in defensive systems , Alan Hewson comes to mind but on the upside could be a match winner with his boot on the day -
@mariner4life said in All Blacks 2025:
Not to be overly negative, but can any one tell me what brand of rugby Razor's ABs play. For all the other big teams i can pretty much tell you what their over all plan is. I have no idea what the ABs are trying to do. It often looks different depending on who has the ball in their hands at any given time.
Fozzie kept it secret for years as well.... quite frustrating.
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@Steven-Harris said in All Blacks 2025:
@African-Monkey dont disagree with anything you have posted pretty much on point
I am unashamed fan of Stevenson but believe he has a far better alround game than Fihaki has defence aside
Over the years the All Blacks have managed to hide some very average tacklers in defensive systems , Alan Hewson comes to mind but on the upside could be a match winner with his boot on the dayAnd even recently Israel Dagg.
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@Old-Samurai-Jack said in All Blacks 2025:
@mariner4life said in All Blacks 2025:
Not to be overly negative, but can any one tell me what brand of rugby Razor's ABs play. For all the other big teams i can pretty much tell you what their over all plan is. I have no idea what the ABs are trying to do. It often looks different depending on who has the ball in their hands at any given time.
Fozzie kept it secret for years as well.... quite frustrating.
i sort of worked it out by the knocks outs of the world cup. literally the last 3 fucking games of his time as a coach. before that, yup, no clue.
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@mariner4life said in All Blacks 2025:
Not to be overly negative, but can any one tell me what brand of rugby Razor's ABs play. For all the other big teams i can pretty much tell you what their over all plan is. I have no idea what the ABs are trying to do. It often looks different depending on who has the ball in their hands at any given time.
Both sides of the ball footy.
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@Steven-Harris said in All Blacks 2025:
@African-Monkey dont disagree with anything you have posted pretty much on point
I am unashamed fan of Stevenson but believe he has a far better alround game than Fihaki has defence aside
Over the years the All Blacks have managed to hide some very average tacklers in defensive systems , Alan Hewson comes to mind but on the upside could be a match winner with his boot on the dayrichie mounga a more resent example
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@mariner4life said in All Blacks 2025:
@Old-Samurai-Jack said in All Blacks 2025:
@mariner4life said in All Blacks 2025:
Not to be overly negative, but can any one tell me what brand of rugby Razor's ABs play. For all the other big teams i can pretty much tell you what their over all plan is. I have no idea what the ABs are trying to do. It often looks different depending on who has the ball in their hands at any given time.
Fozzie kept it secret for years as well.... quite frustrating.
i sort of worked it out by the knocks outs of the world cup. literally the last 3 fucking games of his time as a coach. before that, yup, no clue.
Yeah, Razor's All Blacks are so similar to Fozzie's, so much headless chicken stuff. We were awesome in that RWC though, seemed like we simplified things which amplified our strengths, and actually deserved to win the thing in the end. Let's hope it doesn't take Razor 3 more years to figure it out...
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@No-Quarter said in All Blacks 2025:
@mariner4life said in All Blacks 2025:
@Old-Samurai-Jack said in All Blacks 2025:
@mariner4life said in All Blacks 2025:
Not to be overly negative, but can any one tell me what brand of rugby Razor's ABs play. For all the other big teams i can pretty much tell you what their over all plan is. I have no idea what the ABs are trying to do. It often looks different depending on who has the ball in their hands at any given time.
Fozzie kept it secret for years as well.... quite frustrating.
i sort of worked it out by the knocks outs of the world cup. literally the last 3 fucking games of his time as a coach. before that, yup, no clue.
Yeah, Razor's All Blacks are so similar to Fozzie's, so much headless chicken stuff. We were awesome in that RWC though, seemed like we simplified things which amplified our strengths, and actually deserved to win the thing in the end. Let's hope it doesn't take Razor 3 more years to figure it out...
Didn't a wise man once say rugby (or was it league) is a simple game? Run, tackle, get up and run some more... Razor doesn't need to reinvent the wheel, although he appeared to want to relabel fozzieball as his own early last season
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@No-Quarter Joe Schmidt's influence. Really he hope he has a role with the Blues next year (can't see him wanting to return to international rugby).
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@Tim said in All Blacks 2025:
@No-Quarter Joe Schmidt's influence. Really he hope he has a role with the Blues next year (can't see him wanting to return to international rugby).
but won't he be in a Wallabies advisory role then?
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@darylmitchell May well be, and I have forgotten about it?
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@Tim said in All Blacks 2025:
@darylmitchell May well be, and I have forgotten about it?
Nothing is set in stone, but he has offered to help - depends on next coach wanting him etc
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@Crazy-Horse said in All Blacks 2025:
@frugby said in All Blacks 2025:
Finau has dominated, but that is not a change at this level - nothing to suggest this is going to change at test level.
I agree with a lot of your post but I have noticed a difference in Finau this year that might suggest things might change for him at test level. He is appearing to me to be doing more of the dirty work. Last year I got the impression Finau was standing off, looking for the big hit.
Finau and Jordon are two players that in my mind have changed the way they are playing. A change brought on by the super coaches or the AB coaches? I don't know.
As for the rest, yes many are not playing the house down, but I am hoping that will change in the next few rounds. There is still a lot of the season to go.
The “work ons” ringing in their ears perhaps.
Finau has been a pleasant surprise because whilst I believe Razor is a fan, there must’ve been disappointment after those early starts last year. I hope he returns to the starting lineup this season.
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@Chris-B said in All Blacks 2025:
@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.
I think there will be a number of surprises for the French series. It has the hallmarks of the type of series to be trying a few different combinations.
Whilst it seems early to be locking in selections, it’s not unusual for commentators and media to be talking to ‘insiders’ getting a sense of what their thinking is on certain players and then taking any positive comments out of proportion.
In my view it’s good for the game and if intentionally done can send a few messages out there without actually giving anything away. Certainly what has been done in the past.
As for Cully and Hinton, a number of those selections might be categorised as informed speculation…..
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@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks 2025:
I think there will be a number of surprises for the French series. It has the hallmarks of the type of series to be trying a few different combinations.
Hope so, but I'm not holding my breath for the first two games.
Either Robertson's picking his players for some almost-secret game plan we can't see, he's incredibly risk averse or lacks confidence. Maybe a bit of all three.
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@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2025:
@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks 2025:
I think there will be a number of surprises for the French series. It has the hallmarks of the type of series to be trying a few different combinations.
Hope so, but I'm not holding my breath for the first two games.
Either Robertson's picking his players for some almost-secret game plan we can't see, he's incredibly risk averse or lacks confidence. Maybe a bit of all three.
Or he's a homer whose default setting is to play favourites rather than on merit
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@No-Quarter said in All Blacks 2025:
@mariner4life said in All Blacks 2025:
@Old-Samurai-Jack said in All Blacks 2025:
@mariner4life said in All Blacks 2025:
Not to be overly negative, but can any one tell me what brand of rugby Razor's ABs play. For all the other big teams i can pretty much tell you what their over all plan is. I have no idea what the ABs are trying to do. It often looks different depending on who has the ball in their hands at any given time.
Fozzie kept it secret for years as well.... quite frustrating.
i sort of worked it out by the knocks outs of the world cup. literally the last 3 fucking games of his time as a coach. before that, yup, no clue.
Yeah, Razor's All Blacks are so similar to Fozzie's, so much headless chicken stuff.
This was the thing that annoyed me most last year. Robertson spent a lot of the previous four years briefing, through his pals in the media, against Foster and the brand of rugby his All Blacks played. Robertson became coach and the All Blacks played in almost exactly the same way. It was continuity Foster in all but name.
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@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:
@No-Quarter said in All Blacks 2025:
@mariner4life said in All Blacks 2025:
@Old-Samurai-Jack said in All Blacks 2025:
@mariner4life said in All Blacks 2025:
Not to be overly negative, but can any one tell me what brand of rugby Razor's ABs play. For all the other big teams i can pretty much tell you what their over all plan is. I have no idea what the ABs are trying to do. It often looks different depending on who has the ball in their hands at any given time.
Fozzie kept it secret for years as well.... quite frustrating.
i sort of worked it out by the knocks outs of the world cup. literally the last 3 fucking games of his time as a coach. before that, yup, no clue.
Yeah, Razor's All Blacks are so similar to Fozzie's, so much headless chicken stuff.
This was the thing that annoyed me most last year. Robertson spent a lot of the previous four year briefing, through his pals in the media, against Foster and the brand of rugby his All Blacks played. Robertson became coach and the All Blacks played in almost exactly the same way. It was continuity Foster in all but name.
Quite at odds with how I remember his Crusaders team playing as well. Just lacking in imagination and innovation
