The Silver Fern

Not sure if this got mentioned earlier in thread but well done to French Rugby for showing some in the Northern Hemisphere still embrace and respect the Haka by literally putting it in the spotlight

@canefan said in Exodus:

@Chris-B said in Exodus:

@mikedogz Charles Piutau and Steven Luatua don't appear to be in this guy's lists.

They're probably the two that I would most have liked to keep.

Based on these lists, anyway, we haven't been too badly hurt by the exodus to Europe. Some guys who turned out to be very handy, but not many superstars.

Bundee was one who got away.

Guys like Simon Mannix and Jimmy Gopperth come to mind, as journeymen who end up having long and productive careers in the UK

And Nick Evans? Probably slightly more talented than a journeyman but always in DCs shadow

This is rugby at its best

Who said Ardie was done?

Bloody ripper result, has to be our greatest cricket achievement ever.

Funnily enough I was at an Indian restaurant on Saturday night and they had a tv with the cricket on. I was able to watch the BCs go from 3 down to 9 down in the time it took to eat my Rogan Josh. I mentioned to the waiter who was an avid Indian fan as I was leaving that I am a kiwi and I was pretty happy with what was going to be a 2-1 series win for us. Then didn’t check the result until last night thinking India would have comfortably got the required runs just after lunch some time.

Black Caps number one - a new era perhaps without Kane, just hope it doesn’t all come crashing down in games 2 and 3. WC win second simply because it is T20 and the cards fell our way with removal of Oz and Poms but still a tough game to win. Netball third simply because we bet OZz and AC fourth because we are sort of expected to win it. Not a win but an honourable mention to Liam Lawson to cap off a good few days for NZ.

Sounds like a disappointing read, think I will wait for Owen Farrells book to come out

@Kiwiwomble said in All Blacks vs Wallabies 2:

i cant help but wonder whats going on in the background, is he being told that because people like savea and BB have resigned they have to be at least int he quad, we did spend all the money for nothing kind of shit

Maybe sponsors want them in the team

Wish we could bring back mid week games on the EOYT

@NTA said in All Blacks vs Wallabies 2:

I don't mind that team but have to question the continued selection of Lolesio. Best of a bad bunch I guess, but I'm not convinced even that is true

Lolesio > BBarrett

Wouldn’t think it is a dead rubber as far as the Wallabies are concerned either - they must be pretty keen to improve their world ranking and what better way to do that than against ABs away from home

@No-Quarter said in All Blacks vs Wallabies 2:

All I will say is, thanks to terrible squad selections and Crusader bias, the 23 we are putting out this year is nowhere near as strong as it could be

Agree Havili shouldn’t be there but isn’t there more of a Chiefs bias in that 23?

Brilliant results, i going to be a cracking game

Would love to see a South Melbourne v Fitzroy GF

@NTA said in All Blacks vs Wallabies I:

Bell
Faessler
Tupou
Frost
Williams
Valetini
McReight
Wilson (c)
White
Lolesio
Koroibete
Paisami
Ikitau
Kellaway
Wright

BPA, Slipper, AAA, LSL, Gleeson, Taint, Lynagh, Pietsch

That is still a pretty good Wallaby team, backline especially could fire. Bench might lack a bit but don’t expect this to be a walkover- ABs by 12.

@Chris-B said in All Blacks vs Wallabies I:

@African-Monkey Lets agree that Aumua isn't an experienced test player.

There's still four guys who've debuted this year in the 23. That seems like enough to me.

Hansen spent years telling us how valuable experience is - and was very successful with that mantra. He failed at the end when he went away from it at RWC2019. I tend to agree with him

I don't think there's any great need to rush guys like Procter, Finau, Hotham and especially Bell into the team.

If we win this one, as reprobate says, maybe ease two or three of them into the return fixture.

The main thing IMO is to win!

Razor was always going to have to bring newbies in after the mass migration from post WC. I guess with all the hype of how great a coach he is he has had to try and balance getting the wins for us the public versus trying new things and players with a view to start building for 2027

@ARHS said in All Blacks vs Wallabies I:

Have heard unconfirmed rumours on Love Rieko DMac and Hotham this week (2 with injuries) . But the silence from official sources is deafening.
NRL is superior in generating interest in so many ways. AB fans are just left with speculation to chew on.

Without speculation this thread would only be 36 posts long by now not 360

@reprobate said in NZ First Five Crisis:

@frugby said in NZ First Five Crisis:

@nzzp said in NZ First Five Crisis:

@frugby said in NZ First Five Crisis:

neither of them are close to that superstar level though

hah! Just set the bar at GOAT level please!

They are not close to that; DMac probably has the potential with his speed and long passing game ... but they can do a job for the ABs.

Maybe it is reactionary, but that loss in Cape Town felt big for McKenzie's ABs career. I'd expect him to hold onto the jersey for now, so he has a chance to work his way back, but he failed to take that game by the scruff of the neck, and I really just see Mo'unga coming back and taking the jersey.

I'm also unsure how well McKenzie will age as a player - quite heavily reliant on pace?

What I really mean, is who is our next World Class 10, the next ABs 10 who is in the best in the world category? Maybe I am harsh, but I think at best McKenzie is a Top 5 in the world. I have Pollard, Sacha, Russell and Smith (at the very least) ahead of him.

When has Mo'unga ever taken a test against a big opponent by the scruff of the neck?
Also he's reliant on pace, McKenzie can actually pass as well as run.

maybe here

@sparky said in NZ First Five Crisis:

@Mr-Fish said in NZ First Five Crisis:

@frugby said in NZ First Five Crisis:

@nzzp said in NZ First Five Crisis:

@frugby said in NZ First Five Crisis:

neither of them are close to that superstar level though

hah! Just set the bar at GOAT level please!

They are not close to that; DMac probably has the potential with his speed and long passing game ... but they can do a job for the ABs.

Maybe it is reactionary, but that loss in Cape Town felt big for McKenzie's ABs career. I'd expect him to hold onto the jersey for now, so he has a chance to work his way back, but he failed to take that game by the scruff of the neck, and I really just see Mo'unga coming back and taking the jersey.

I'm also unsure how well McKenzie will age as a player - quite heavily reliant on pace?

What I really mean, is who is our next World Class 10, the next ABs 10 who is in the best in the world category? Maybe I am harsh, but I think at best McKenzie is a Top 5 in the world. I have Pollard, Sacha, Russell and Smith (at the very least) ahead of him.

Smith??

Pollard is overrated as a 10 - does the basics very well

Given Pollard has won back-to-back World Cups I would say he is underrated and doing the basics very well is what being an international Number 10 is all about.

He is the Glenn McGrath of rugby just going about his business doing the basics, nothing too flashy or high risk.