All Blacks 2025

[sparky]

@canefan See my comments above about the poor quality of e club rugby. The European competitions are much stronger and do better job of developing players for Test Rugby.

[KiwiMurph]

I have no problem with Leicester being in consideration once he is eligible for the ABs

However - I would have an issue with him leap frogging consistent domestic performers in the midfield who don't get an opportunity at test level.

[sparky]

@Nepia It's December and there is not much Rugby to talk about, but I find Leicester F and Jordie Barrett each giving man of the match performances in two high-profile European Cup games heartening.

[MN5]

@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:

@antipodean Nope. I don't surf and I don't hate Hoskins Sotutu (or Akira Ioane).

I just want to see the All Blacks leave no stone unturned in reclaiming the Number 1 spot and winning back the Webb Ellis trophy.

Quite the contrary

[Nepia]

@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:

@antipodean Nope. I don't surf and I don't hate Hoskins Sotutu (or Akira Ioane).

I just want to see the All Blacks leave no stone unturned in reclaiming the Number 1 spot and winning back the Webb Ellis trophy.

I think we're leaving that stone unturned, while turning over pebbles like Blackadder and if we bring back Frizell turning over whatever is worse than a pebble.

I'm with @KiwiMurph in that I'm happy for LF to come back when he's eilgible.

[SBW1]

Dolphins cult hero Valynce Te Whare leaves the NRL for new opportunity

Valynce Te Whare has left the NRL and returned to rugby union after a three-year stay with the Dolphins.

We could very well have more than one ex NRL player gunning for an All Black spot before the next World Cup.

[Jet]

@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:

@Canes4life It would be good to have him as injury cover at 11 for Caleb Clarke. He might do a job ahead of ALB as a midfield impact off the bench, but Billy Proctor and Quinn Tupaea are likely to be in the mix too.

I have had one eye on Tupea since he game back from that horrific injury and I like what I see.

Has a bit of mongrel in him and carries with real spite.

[Jet]

@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks 2025:

I have no problem with Leicester being in consideration once he is eligible for the ABs

However - I would have an issue with him leap frogging consistent domestic performers in the midfield who don't get an opportunity at test level.

Yep. There has to be consequences for abandoning the ship.

[SBW1]

@Jet He was responsible for a late turnover against the Boks which was one of our last victories against the old foe. I can remember reminding Fozzie of this when he signed my hat when the All Blacks visited the Sunshine Coast.

[DaGrubster]

@Nepia said in All Blacks 2025:

@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:

@Nepia He's only not eligible because NZR say so. I'm saying he should at least be allowed to train with the squad next year and maybe be considered for some of the Tests next year (e.g. the EOYT). There are precedents for this happening with returning players.

Yeah, and so what? It's up to NZR to determine who is eligible.

Why should NZR have to pay the costs of having an ineligible player train with the squad? And if he negotiates a deal with NZR to be eligible on the EOYT then good on him, but as it currently stands he isn't eligible because he chose to go to the NH on a permanent contract.

Can’t see much uptime for either party so LF can train with the ABs.

[mariner4life]

@SBW1 said in All Blacks 2025:

Dolphins cult hero Valynce Te Whare leaves the NRL for new opportunity

Valynce Te Whare has left the NRL and returned to rugby union after a three-year stay with the Dolphins.

We could very well have more than one ex NRL player gunning for an All Black spot before the next World Cup.

Lol that fat fuck was cut for a reason

[sparky]

@Jet Quinn Tupaea should have been ahead of ALB in the All Black pecking order this year.

[DurryMexted]

@sparky He has had a rough run, the chiefs midfield is deceptively competitive as well. Would love to see him become the front running 12/13 utility that ALB has had locked down for a while

[sparky]

@DurryMexted Jordie Barrett is going to be running on fumes at best after completing a Southern Hemisphere rugby season, then a Northern Hemisphere rugby season back to back. We are going to need a new 12 for part of 2025 and Quinn Tupaea could be that player.

[reprobate]

The thing I like about Tupaea as a sub is that he is really pretty strong on the breakdown turnover, and coming on fresh with a few tired legs in the opposition getting to the rucks just a little slower should create a few opportunities.

[African Monkey]

@mariner4life said in All Blacks 2025:

@SBW1 said in All Blacks 2025:

Dolphins cult hero Valynce Te Whare leaves the NRL for new opportunity

Valynce Te Whare has left the NRL and returned to rugby union after a three-year stay with the Dolphins.

We could very well have more than one ex NRL player gunning for an All Black spot before the next World Cup.

Lol that fat fuck was cut for a reason

Leagues version of Levi Aumua.

[African Monkey]

@Jet said in All Blacks 2025:

@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:

@Canes4life It would be good to have him as injury cover at 11 for Caleb Clarke. He might do a job ahead of ALB as a midfield impact off the bench, but Billy Proctor and Quinn Tupaea are likely to be in the mix too.

I have had one eye on Tupea since he game back from that horrific injury and I like what I see.

Has a bit of mongrel in him and carries with real spite.

His carrying has certainly improved. The ABs tried to use him as a carrier in 2021, and he looked a bit uncomfortable doing it, where as now, he does it without applying the handbrake.

[KiwiMurph]

Would be happy to see Tupaea as an alternative to the current midfield options which never seem to change

[Bovidae]

McMillan needs to start Tupaea at 12 for the Chiefs first. Not doing that in the SR playoffs was a mistake.

[cgrant]

There is an incredible number of possible pairings in midfield :
JB - Ioane
JB - ALB
ALB - Ioane
JB - Proctor
ALB - Proctor
JB - AJ Lam
AJ Lam - Ioane
AJ Lam - Proctor
AJ Lam - ALB
ALB - AJ Lam
Higgins - Ioane
Higgins - Proctor
Higgins - ALB
Higgins - AJ Lam
Tupaea - Ioane
Tupaea - Proctor
Tupaea - AJ Lam
Tupaea - ALB

If you add LF in that mix, then the number of possibilities would get even higher.