All Blacks 2025
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@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean Nah, form in the top European club competitions counts for something as the quality of the rugby is vaguely similar to SR these days, but I'm more sceptical about the value of the Japanese domestic competition, as any sort of preparation for playing All Blacks rugby. It seems a lot less intense.
I agree that Japan is a shit proxy for SR, but you're arguing that overseas players should be able to walk into the All Blacks.
You're Razor and I claim my $10.
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@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean Nah, form in the top European club competitions counts for something as the quality of the rugby is vaguely similar to SR these days, but I'm more sceptical about the value of the Japanese domestic competition, as any sort of preparation for playing All Blacks rugby. It seems a lot less intense.
I agree that Japan is a shit proxy for SR, but you're arguing that overseas players should be able to walk into the All Blacks.
You're Razor and I claim my $10.
With his flood of posts on multiple threads if he's not Razor I think he's LF's player manager.
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@antipodean Nope. I don't surf and I don't hate Hoskins Sotutu (or Akira Ioane).
I just want to see the All Blacks leave no stone unturned in reclaiming the Number 1 spot and winning back the Webb Ellis trophy.
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@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean I am not arguing that Leicester F is one of the great players of all time, but he is playing well enough and has enough talent to a part of the All Blacks squad once eligible.
I'm not saying you're wrong in your judgement of his current form in comparison to the other options - I'm just saying he needs to prove it in the same competition.
A bit like how Ardie and Beaudy proved their form in Japan translated into test level oh wait...
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@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean Nope. I don't surf and I don't hate Hoskins Sotutu (or Akira Ioane).
I just want to see the All Blacks leave no stone unturned in reclaiming the Number 1 spot and winning back the Webb Ellis trophy.
Quite the contrary
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@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean Nope. I don't surf and I don't hate Hoskins Sotutu (or Akira Ioane).
I just want to see the All Blacks leave no stone unturned in reclaiming the Number 1 spot and winning back the Webb Ellis trophy.
I think we're leaving that stone unturned, while turning over pebbles like Blackadder and if we bring back Frizell turning over whatever is worse than a pebble.
I'm with @KiwiMurph in that I'm happy for LF to come back when he's eilgible.
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We could very well have more than one ex NRL player gunning for an All Black spot before the next World Cup.
Dolphins cult hero Valynce Te Whare leaves the NRL for new opportunity
Valynce Te Whare has left the NRL and returned to rugby union after a three-year stay with the Dolphins.
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@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:
@Canes4life It would be good to have him as injury cover at 11 for Caleb Clarke. He might do a job ahead of ALB as a midfield impact off the bench, but Billy Proctor and Quinn Tupaea are likely to be in the mix too.
I have had one eye on Tupea since he game back from that horrific injury and I like what I see.
Has a bit of mongrel in him and carries with real spite.
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@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks 2025:
I have no problem with Leicester being in consideration once he is eligible for the ABs
However - I would have an issue with him leap frogging consistent domestic performers in the midfield who don't get an opportunity at test level.
Yep. There has to be consequences for abandoning the ship.
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@Nepia said in All Blacks 2025:
@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:
@Nepia He's only not eligible because NZR say so. I'm saying he should at least be allowed to train with the squad next year and maybe be considered for some of the Tests next year (e.g. the EOYT). There are precedents for this happening with returning players.
Yeah, and so what? It's up to NZR to determine who is eligible.
Why should NZR have to pay the costs of having an ineligible player train with the squad? And if he negotiates a deal with NZR to be eligible on the EOYT then good on him, but as it currently stands he isn't eligible because he chose to go to the NH on a permanent contract.
Can’t see much uptime for either party so LF can train with the ABs.
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@SBW1 said in All Blacks 2025:
We could very well have more than one ex NRL player gunning for an All Black spot before the next World Cup.Valynce Te Whare has left the NRL and returned to rugby union after a three-year stay with the Dolphins.
Lol that fat fuck was cut for a reason
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@sparky He has had a rough run, the chiefs midfield is deceptively competitive as well. Would love to see him become the front running 12/13 utility that ALB has had locked down for a while
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@DurryMexted Jordie Barrett is going to be running on fumes at best after completing a Southern Hemisphere rugby season, then a Northern Hemisphere rugby season back to back. We are going to need a new 12 for part of 2025 and Quinn Tupaea could be that player.
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@mariner4life said in All Blacks 2025:
@SBW1 said in All Blacks 2025:
We could very well have more than one ex NRL player gunning for an All Black spot before the next World Cup.Valynce Te Whare has left the NRL and returned to rugby union after a three-year stay with the Dolphins.
Lol that fat fuck was cut for a reason
Leagues version of Levi Aumua.
