2025 All Blacks v France series
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On Rieko, I thought he looked very dangerous in the first half, and he made a couple of line breaks. One of the breaks was vintage Rieko on the angle through the gap with speed, I got a bit excited at that point thinking we were really going to utilise his strengths, but then play didn't seem to go his way after that. I think he's a lock for one of the wing spots, and the fact he can cover centre to a high standard (especially defensively which is what teams like the Boks prioritse in their 13s) gives us more flexibility with the bench.
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On the loosies, we are really missing Cane. Dalton is the closest thing we have to him at the moment, and a trio of Vaa'i, Dalton and Ardie/Sititi looks better balanced to me. Vaa'i gives the size in close and height in the lineout, Dalton spends all day smacking blokes and hitting rucks, and Ardie/Sititi are more free to roam and really use their running game to full effect.
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@No-Quarter said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:
On the loosies, we are really missing Cane. Dalton is the closest thing we have to him at the moment, and a trio of Vaa'i, Dalton and Ardie/Sititi looks better balanced to me. Vaa'i gives the size in close and height in the lineout, Dalton spends all day smacking blokes and hitting rucks, and Ardie/Sititi are more free to roam and really use their running game to full effect.
Yeah DP is a seven who kind of plays like a six without the lineout ability. Good with ball in hand when he has a go too.
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@nonpartizan said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:
Yeah, the kicking strategy seemed pretty hard to figure out.
We have a strategy?
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@African-Monkey said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:
He had a shocker but I'm also happy to see him get another crack.
Needs to be handled carefully though if it's a confidence thing. Maybe better on the bench for Frog 2 if confidence is an issue.
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@booboo said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:
@ARHS said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:
@KiwiMurph said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:
@MN5 said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:
Is Holland noted as a ball carrier ?
Not really.
Looks more Luke Romano than Brodie Retallick to me at this stage. I am just not seeing what others keep saying they do.
I'll admit, prior to last night I hadn't seen much in Holland. Reckon it shone through last night though.
Immediately become a fanboi.
He was rock-solid - great debut. Unspectacular, but did what he had to do with zero errors. Can't ask more than that.
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@Victor-Meldrew said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:
@African-Monkey said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:
He had a shocker but I'm also happy to see him get another crack.
Needs to be handled carefully though if it's a confidence thing. Maybe better on the bench for Frog 2 if confidence is an issue.
I'd start him again. Get him back out there, he would have learnt plenty from the first outing.
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@No-Quarter this is where I think someone like Reece shines, he goes looking for work.
Ioane did look sharp when we were lioking good in the 2nd half of the 1st half, but as you say play didn't honhis way, we went back to aimless kicking and then he is largely anonymous.
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@brodean said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:
I've never noticed handling issues from Darry.
Blues really missed him this year. He's a another strong carrier and good close to the line.
@brodean said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:
@MN5 said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:
@Bovidae said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:
This photo shows how under-sized our loosies are:
Being the glass is half full fellow that I am it's also a case of a fucken tall prop and a tall lock.
Kirifi is a unit but yes, an undersized one. There's a place for him provided there's bigger options at 6 and 8.
Is Holland noted as a ball carrier ? I thought he went to ground pretty easy a few times last night. Certainly no Eben Etzebeth in that department ( yet )
Lio Willie basically looks the same size as Kirifi in this photo.
@brodean said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:
Dalts is a very good lineout jumper.
Your ability to claim excellence in every aspect of every Blues player while belittling every other player is truly impressive mate.
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@reprobate said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:
@brodean said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:
I've never noticed handling issues from Darry.
Blues really missed him this year. He's a another strong carrier and good close to the line.
@brodean said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:
@MN5 said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:
@Bovidae said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:
This photo shows how under-sized our loosies are:
Being the glass is half full fellow that I am it's also a case of a fucken tall prop and a tall lock.
Kirifi is a unit but yes, an undersized one. There's a place for him provided there's bigger options at 6 and 8.
Is Holland noted as a ball carrier ? I thought he went to ground pretty easy a few times last night. Certainly no Eben Etzebeth in that department ( yet )
Lio Willie basically looks the same size as Kirifi in this photo.
@brodean said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:
Dalts is a very good lineout jumper.
Your ability to claim excellence in every aspect of every Blues player while belittling every other player is truly impressive mate.
Blues players get bagged a lot and I'm just sticking up for them.
Christian Lio Willie is not every other player. The jury is still out on him but given he is little I have my doubts. Most of the players in the squad I support. There's a few selections I think are questionable.
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@sparky said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:
Using your example, Ma'a Nonu was dropped a few times and yeah I was unhappy about each of those and argued against them on here at the time if I remember correctly.
But each time he got dropped, he came back stronger and more professional. It was interesting reading the other day Ben White (half back for Toulon, Scotland and the British and Irish Lions) say that he's never encountered a more professional Rugby player than Ma'a Nonu.
That's what the brutal All Blacks environment produces. Skilled athletes who are craftsmen.
Not really. He was given multiple opportunities and dropped multiple times. He was tried at centre and on the wing by multiple AB coaches. Didn’t make the 05 Lions squad after making the ABs in 03 and even starting against the best team in the world at the time. Was dropped for the 07 RWC after featuring in 06.
He eventually became an AB great. Some players just need to be persisted with over longer periods.
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@ACT-Crusader said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:
@sparky said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:
Using your example, Ma'a Nonu was dropped a few times and yeah I was unhappy about each of those and argued against them on here at the time if I remember correctly.
But each time he got dropped, he came back stronger and more professional. It was interesting reading the other day Ben White (half back for Toulon, Scotland and the British and Irish Lions) say that he's never encountered a more professional Rugby player than Ma'a Nonu.
That's what the brutal All Blacks environment produces. Skilled athletes who are craftsmen.
Not really. He was given multiple opportunities and dropped multiple times. He was tried at centre and on the wing by multiple AB coaches. Didn’t make the 05 Lions squad after making the ABs in 03 and even starting against the best team in the world at the time. Was dropped for the 07 RWC after featuring in 06.
He eventually became an AB great. Some players just need to be persisted with over longer periods.
I always knew he was special.....
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@canefan said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:
@ACT-Crusader said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:
@sparky said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:
Using your example, Ma'a Nonu was dropped a few times and yeah I was unhappy about each of those and argued against them on here at the time if I remember correctly.
But each time he got dropped, he came back stronger and more professional. It was interesting reading the other day Ben White (half back for Toulon, Scotland and the British and Irish Lions) say that he's never encountered a more professional Rugby player than Ma'a Nonu.
That's what the brutal All Blacks environment produces. Skilled athletes who are craftsmen.
Not really. He was given multiple opportunities and dropped multiple times. He was tried at centre and on the wing by multiple AB coaches. Didn’t make the 05 Lions squad after making the ABs in 03 and even starting against the best team in the world at the time. Was dropped for the 07 RWC after featuring in 06.
He eventually became an AB great. Some players just need to be persisted with over longer periods.
I always knew he was special.....
Once he ditched the hoodie I knew he would be an AB great…..
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@ACT-Crusader said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:
@canefan said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:
@ACT-Crusader said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:
@sparky said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:
Using your example, Ma'a Nonu was dropped a few times and yeah I was unhappy about each of those and argued against them on here at the time if I remember correctly.
But each time he got dropped, he came back stronger and more professional. It was interesting reading the other day Ben White (half back for Toulon, Scotland and the British and Irish Lions) say that he's never encountered a more professional Rugby player than Ma'a Nonu.
That's what the brutal All Blacks environment produces. Skilled athletes who are craftsmen.
Not really. He was given multiple opportunities and dropped multiple times. He was tried at centre and on the wing by multiple AB coaches. Didn’t make the 05 Lions squad after making the ABs in 03 and even starting against the best team in the world at the time. Was dropped for the 07 RWC after featuring in 06.
He eventually became an AB great. Some players just need to be persisted with over longer periods.
I always knew he was special.....
Once he ditched the hoodie I knew he would be an AB great…..
@ACT-Crusader said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:
@canefan said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:
@ACT-Crusader said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:
@sparky said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:
Using your example, Ma'a Nonu was dropped a few times and yeah I was unhappy about each of those and argued against them on here at the time if I remember correctly.
But each time he got dropped, he came back stronger and more professional. It was interesting reading the other day Ben White (half back for Toulon, Scotland and the British and Irish Lions) say that he's never encountered a more professional Rugby player than Ma'a Nonu.
That's what the brutal All Blacks environment produces. Skilled athletes who are craftsmen.
Not really. He was given multiple opportunities and dropped multiple times. He was tried at centre and on the wing by multiple AB coaches. Didn’t make the 05 Lions squad after making the ABs in 03 and even starting against the best team in the world at the time. Was dropped for the 07 RWC after featuring in 06.
He eventually became an AB great. Some players just need to be persisted with over longer periods.
I always knew he was special.....
Once he ditched the hoodie I knew he would be an AB great…..
Fake news. Saw him at the pools just a couple of years back with a hoodie.
Hoodies are awesome and so is Nonu.
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@tomk said in 2025 All Blacks v France series:
Heard France could be making a lot of changes to the team. One french reporter said as many as 10 changes. Hard to believe
So their game plan is to ensure the All Blacks coaches scouting reports on last week's test match is futile..... Wheres the All blacks are a known quantity to France.
I can kind of understand what they are doing in that their approach takes all the pressure off them.
