The Silver Fern

@DaGrubster said in All Blacks 2025:

@canefan said in All Blacks 2025:

@DaGrubster I want to see some improvement in selection and tactics in 2025

Me too. I thought our tactics were a bit naive in the initial part of the year but we balanced out our approach the longer the year panned out.

I want a more merit based selection approach and want a heavier weighting applied to super rugby form.

The ABs were always a meritocracy. There was never much room for sentimentality, just ask Buck. I think we agree the ABs don't feel like a meritocracy right now, and it is holding us back

They would be better to pump some money into the MLR to get the standard up to at least the Japanese level.

@NTA said in England vs. Australia (2024):

I’ve never seen anyone shadow off loading before

😂😂😂

@DaGrubster There's a lot of guys in that side that do play for Moana Pasifika and others that played a bit at NPC level, but they weren't even regulars down at NPC level and a fair few of those Moana players aren't regulars for them either. So there are a fair few familiar faces to NZ viewers, but yeah, a lot if them ain't test level. It's a fairly weak Samoan line up, so this result is huge, and as for the heat factor, Italy were the ones camped on the Samoan try line for a lot of the 2nd half, and a lot of these Samoan players play in NZ anyway, unlike the Drua who are a proper Fiji based side made out of locals mostly.

I must say, Samoa's results against 6 nations opposition in the last 9 months or so has shown massive improvement. They could easily have won against Ireland and England and competed well against Argentina at the world cup as well to go with a big upset against Italy today.

It shows the benefits of having Moana Pasifika playing in a professional comp.

@MajorRage said in Euro 2024:

@Bovidae said in Euro 2024:

I think part of the hype is related to the English fans, especially, and media putting the EPL on such a pedestal. This means that the abilities of the English players are often inflated relative to players from other leagues/nationalities. How many would have heard of Fabián Ruiz or Mikel Oyarzabal before the Euros?

What? The EPL on a pedestal? The most watched annual league of the biggest sport, by a mile, on the planet?

I’m not sure of your on this thread to wind up or just generally have no clue.

I work with and socialize with season ticket holders to Arsenal, spurs, Chelsea, United, palace and qpr. None of them rave about the English players, and all of them you could name a top league player anywhere snd they’ll know.

The hype, the mania, is a country getting behind a team. And it’s fantastic. I know not one person who thought it was coming home. There was hope, yes, but deep down not much confidence.

But anything can, and will, happen in football. So all jump on the bandwagon. And it’s a fucking fun
One to be on. Lots of hope without fear and expectation.

MajorPom has entered the chat for 2024...

@ploughboy Haha, was just reading up on it, there's some angry people out there towards what he's done to them. I completely missed it at the time.

He's like the former All Whites soccer goalkeeper Michael Utting.

I assume he did the same shit to the poor naive Ashburton folk?

Looks like Akira is not playing, with Segner at 8

@Bovidae ideally as the tech irons out wrinkles they need them to be cheap enough that club players can afford them, and maybe each club has their players linked so they can monitor them as well, given they wont be able to do in game analysis, at least they can look post game and set some protocols around this.

@Tim said in Super Rugby Predictions - 2024:

Chiefs to beat Blues in the final (tight five depth is a big issue for Blues). Crusaders 9 and 10 not good enough, despite a great tight five. Havili to spend some time at 10.

Closest to the pin, I think. You got the finalists right before competition but the result the wrong round.

Cotter's done a great job developing the Blues Tight five this season.

@Windows97 Corey Evans

@KiwiMurph said in Quay Park stadium for Auckland?:

I think it would have been 1999 or 2000 that Leigh Hart started on Sports Cafe.

It was definitely before 2001.

Murph gets the chocolates. Hart says here (about 44m 30s in) that he joined in 2000, and Ric semi-corrects him to say "99, 2000".

@Nogusta said in NPC 2024:

Pivac.

It seems unlikely that Pivac would leave NEC Green Rockets for a fraction of the pay NPC gig. Unless he is looking to return home for other reasons. Whoever it is I just hope they trust talented youth and club standouts rather than importing average aging journeymen and then loosing potential 'next big thing' talent elsewhere (see Wallace Sititi).

@mikey07 said in Auckland A-League football team in 2024:

@African-Monkey We had just a tad under 95,000 for the year we had the 5th highest average in the A league last year. Really intrigued to see how you go away from home….loving this banter by the way.

Haha yeah, it's nice having 2 sides in the A league now, strengthens the national team, and creates a rivalry, which is only a positive for the game in this country.

We've looked fairly solid at the back so far, we need a proper striker though if we wanna finish high on the table though, and yes, Wellington is a hard place to play. Would happily take a point if offered.

I expect Alex Paulsen to cop plenty as well this week.

From the Rugby Awards:

All Blacks Player of the Year
Wallace Sititi

Tom French Memorial Māori Player of the Year
Tyrel Lomax

@ACT-Crusader I think SOuthland may have that, 27 or so, they took it from us which was about the same as what Manawatu had when they beat us last week I think (24?)

Could have and should have won even with 14 men

That better?

In possession, under little pressure

Perfect position and opportunity for a drop goal for the win

FB_IMG_1689528988131.jpg

@cgrant Hell I reckon Vai'i has been bloody good all year, mind you I a real Lord fan too.