The Silver Fern

@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:

@voodoo Multiple times for Leinster against Glasgow at the weekend.

Is...is space created by making tackles? He's been doing it his whole career then.

@Tim it's broken. I've been hitting subscribe all morning

I no Sititis dad hes play for samua nek yur

Yeah definitely wouldn't have picked it as Guy Ritchie. It's a fair bit more serious than his usual. Bloody good though.

@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:

Reiko Ioane's a funny one. 81 All Black Tests, but he often looks bored and disinterested in games

Don't know what games you're watching, he works hard as fuck for not a huge amount of impact bar the odd crucial tackle is my take. Hate to say it, but that sounds like the Blackadder of the backs.

@Virgil yeah, fair. I'm in IT and know next to fuck all about computers.

@Chris-B oh mate, that's solid. I'm thoroughly convinced. Especially on the Taylor wrangling.

@booboo said in Hurricanes vs Crusaders:

@Bones said in Hurricanes vs Crusaders:

@Chris-B Taylor is smaller than Moananu. Bugger eh. Mauvaka is a kilo lighter.

Really? I'll believe you but wouldn't have picked it by the eye test.

Taylor is lighter, easily passes the eye test for me. I hadn't even noticed Moananu's height "issue" until it was brought up here.

@Chris-B said in Hurricanes vs Crusaders:

@booboo said in Hurricanes vs Crusaders:

@Bones said in Hurricanes vs Crusaders:

@Chris-B Taylor is smaller than Moananu. Bugger eh. Mauvaka is a kilo lighter.

Really? I'll believe you but wouldn't have picked it by the eye test.

I believe that's what the internet has told Bones, which is slightly different.

Ioane Moananu's Crusaders profile says he's 173 cm and 113kgs.

So according to the internet he's a bit shorter than DMac and 21cms shorter than Akira Ioane - but he weighs in the same as Akira!

I'm sceptical!

You believe right, but I'm sure the numbers you'll propose instead are much more reliable.

@booboo said in All Blacks 2025:

Hey, I'm not advocating for him. As you say there's plenty on front of him. I just noticed he did some good things. Something I've not noticed previously.

Didn't he hit a purple patch about this point last season? I thought he was better last year, but might not be as noticeable when you're getting beat.

@African-Monkey said in Hurricanes vs Crusaders:

@Bones said in Hurricanes vs Crusaders:

@sparky said in Hurricanes vs Crusaders:

@African-Monkey said in Hurricanes vs Crusaders:

Was George Bell the wrong player to invest in for the ABs last year?

Moananu looks 10 times better.

The only issue with Moananu is his height. 5 foot 8 is tiny for an international Hooker these days.

Yep, if Mbonambi had been an inch shorter, he wouldn't even have got one game of international rugby.

I was thinking of the same example, and he seems to go alright. I cannot see his height being an issue.

If anything it's a bonus in this day and age. Has Taylor had many cards for high tackles?

@African-Monkey said in All Blacks 2025:

@Bones said in All Blacks 2025:

@booboo said in All Blacks 2025:

Fihaki looked good last night ...

Apart from when he waved in the first try? Stephenson would have got crucified for that.

He's not the greatest of defenders that's for sure.

I see nothing in his game that isn't done the same or better by the likes of ENS, Lam, Tangitau, Stephenson....

@Machpants said in All Blacks 2025:

@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:

Fabian Holland looking every inch an All Black in waiting.

Only this match, not been that amazing up until now. More games the same required, one offs don't cut it, imo

Yeah I wouldn't say it was even close to an AB performance. Just wasn't anonymous like previous games.

Sparky is obviously still on a bender from Friday night.

@booboo said in All Blacks 2025:

Fihaki looked good last night ...

Apart from when he waved in the first try? Stephenson would have got crucified for that.

@Chris-B Taylor is smaller than Moananu. Bugger eh. Mauvaka is a kilo lighter.

@Machpants said in Blues v Moana Pasifika:

@Duluth said in Blues v Moana Pasifika:

It might get adjusted later, but Dalton had 18 tackles and no misses. Last week was 25 also at 100%

Is he a possible 6 for abs?

Played very much like a blindside today, Segner looked like the openside.