The Silver Fern

@Jet said in All Blacks 2025:

@cgrant said in All Blacks 2025:

@nzzp said in All Blacks 2025:

@cgrant do you think Razor will drop a Barrett?

No, but JB could take the 15 jersey. He was very good at fullback for Leinster vs Clermont in every aspect of this position.

They already have their Sexton replacement too.

That Sam Prendergast is absolutely mustard and better than any 10 we have knocking around on our shores. The way he takes it to the line is a joy to watch. He's not particularly fast and not obviously strong but he has an eternity on the ball.

He is better than the current iteration of Barrett and McKenzie already.

The difference is NZ has a lot of quality talent coming through in the forwards (Sititi, Lakai, Va'ai, Numia, Tosi, Holland etc..), Ireland is struggling to replace the old guard who are busted flushes.

Beating Ireland shouldn't be used as a measuring stick, Argentina almost pipped them at home, Ireland were absolutely woeful against them and Australia.

there are better options than Mailimali and Gray

Tupaea played the season for Waikato at 11, he makes big metres on the left

Wrampling has played just as much on the wing in his career as midfield

Daniel Rona also started a few games in 2024 on the left wing for Chiefs

i wouldn't mind if Stevenson goes, he was very poor in 2024 grand final.

And it means we'll get to see Leroy Carter tearing up in Super Rugby

ENS at 15, 11 Carter, Narawa 14

Stevenson's NZ Rugby future in balance, seeks early release for Japanese move

Reports the one-test All Black has already signed are premature.

Stevenson is gone burger

@Bovidae will be the 4th different U20 coach in 4 years

@Bovidae said in Chiefs 2025:

https://www.chiefs.co.nz/news-item/international-coaches-dewes-and-gibbes-join-gallagher-chiefs-coaching-group

Dewes replaces White. Gibbes replaces Filipo.

interesting they cite workload for Filipo stepping down, Maori All Blacks only play 2 games a year

@ACT-Crusader said in Crusaders 2025:

@darylmitchell said in Crusaders 2025:

@Chris How can you dislike Rob Penney? He's an outstanding bloke.

No amount of dramatic music along with some grainy stills of him in the red n black hoops will make up for him being a coach that still makes a lot of errors.

You could say the same about Razor in 2024 - complete misuse of his bench resulting in two choke losses to SA and also going from 20-point leads in three different games against England and Australia to very nearly losing all 3 of them.... Rotating McKenzie from 10 after the momentum of the Ireland game - Subbing our best performing player (Roigard) while in the lead against France. The list of monumental errors goes on....

@reprobate

DP is taller and heavier than Read, heavier than Kaino, Sititi is 3kg heavier than Kaino, heavier than Read, Blackadder is the same height and weight as Kaino. Lakai is 110kg the same weight as Kaino.

Savea is really the only outlier, Jacobson and Cane are same weight as McCaw, I don't think you could be further off the mark.

@mariner4life about 2 years past prime mate - sentimental selections for POM, Healy & Henderson who should've been put out to pasture already.

@Chris How can you dislike Rob Penney? He's an outstanding bloke.

@Chris Why are Crusaders always so in-house and insular with their coaching picks?

It all comes down to having an existing connection with Canterbury or Crusaders culture as a former player or coach. Why do they rarely look outside of their own backyard?

Ronan O'Gara was sought out by Razor himself and that decision was a raging success.....the players mentioned how good it was to be exposed to a different (NH) perspective, set mindset from having O'Gara in camp.

What are they scared of? It's delivered titles before (Colin Cooper 2002, Vern Cotter 2005 & 2006, Goodman,, O'Gara, etc...)

@Chris said in Crusaders 2025:

No comment on Brad Mooar I could say a lot but just not worth the time.

You said Mainsbridge didn't get along with Mooar and they booted him out in 2019 cos they reckoned he was kinda shit.........so why has he been brought back?

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/360496595/mike-delany-steps-down-black-ferns-assistant-coach

I've heard he's replacing Ellison at the Crusaders

@Landers92 said in Italy v All Blacks:

Hey team, sorry again for not getting team/backline naming yet again. Proving to be quite difficult this tour, tight lipped and time difference.

What I can say though(I’ve been told) is that there are going to be some player/players who have gone on this tour that aren’t going to get a game, not including the Japan test. Pretty disappointing if that proves to be true. This tour should be used to get as much info on these new guys where possible and playing in these kinds of tests in my opinion.

Razor has proven to be more cowardly than Foster ever was....

Overly conservative with his paranoid 'win-now' selection mentality after we lost 1st Puma's test.... We're 4 years away from the next World Cup you ding dong....

Disrespectfully hands guys like Plummer 2 minutes off the bench, refuses to have confidence in his wider squad...... at all.

If he had any balls Clarke would've played the June series, Love would've gotten far more chances instead of Reece, etc...

Sititi and Lakai would've been fixed in the 23 much earlier (instead of only getting their initial opportunities due to injuries to others). I would rate the season 5.5/10.

@Bovidae said in Super Rugby 2025:

I would not be surprised if Brown is in the no.20 jersey as he provides better cover at 7 than Parker.

nah, McMillan rates Parker and has played him at 7 plenty before, he was also on the AB XV tour - he will be in the 23 for sure.

@Canes4life Dallas McLeod & Daniel Rona make Saders/Chiefs best 23 - not Leroy Carter & old man O'Connor FFS.

@Mr-Fish beating England isn't a achievement - they conceded 42 points - to the 10th ranked Wallabies - at their home fortress Twickenham FFS....... they are woeful.

@kpkanz said in All Blacks v France:

@darylmitchell We went for it right after we made the kick and went up the field from our 22 for a chance to win the game and blew it.

Was expecting them to go for corner. With a load of penalties being conceded they might have bet on getting another or setting up for a drop goal. With 6mins remaining that's potentially enough to secure an additional 3.

Separately you need your forwards to be confident about the corner, if there's a hint of any kind that isn't the case for whatever reason (e.g. fatigue, injury, fear of giving away penalty) the 10 should go for the sticks.

We've lost the equal most tests in a year (2022) since 2009 & all wins against England were extremely unconvincing - We almost threw all 3 England matches at the death FFS......

I think people got carried away after beating a poor English side who lost by 6 points to Australia (Ranked 10th), then an aging Irish side who showed they aren't really at the races against Argentina as well. If we look earlier in the season, the win against Australia in Sydney was also by the skin of our teeth. Not many convincing performances this year in the big games with a win now side and a huge amount of caps.....

I would still take Schmidt/Foster from 2023 were we actually won the RC convincingly, beat Argentina 42-10 & 44-6 in the Semi's, South Africa 36-20 at Mt Smart & only lost 12-10 in World Cup final (despite having 14 men) over this facade of 'improvement'.......

We deserve to lose for this fucking soft go for 3 to be losing by 1 with 5 minutes left decision.

The moment was right there for them to step up, execute and win the game but they weren't up for it.

They got the result they chose. No ambition. I fucking hate this mindset in Int. Rugby and makes me want to tune out until Super Rugby starts again.