All Blacks 2025
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@frugby said in All Blacks 2025:
@KiwiMurph said in All Blacks 2025:
@frugby said in All Blacks 2025:
I don’t know why people can’t comprehend that just picking 15 new players isn’t a good idea
Nice straw man argument. Who has suggested 15 new players?
My point more generally, is in my opinion, people are going overboard. The All Blacks issues are personnel problems, particularly in the loose forwards. We lack a big enforcer… we are crying out for a player like Harry Wilson. We lack an elite first five… McKenzie isn’t that, but he is probably the best we have - there’s no depth either.
We’re talking about fine margins here, and at the moment we don’t have the solutions… switching Ioane for Billy Proctor for example, in my opinion, wouldn’t make a difference, but if it did, it would be minimal.
Trying new players in certain positions probably makes us worse - not better.
Barring injuries, of the ABs XV who played France, is there anyone obvious who moves the needle on that team? Ruben Love is another example here. Might he be a good option if Jordan is to play on the wing? Maybe, but he hasn’t shown a level at Super Rugby to suggest he is a world-beater.
I couldn't disagree with this post more. We absolutely have the personnel, our problems are poor game plans and poor on-field decision making, which is a coaching problem. We could have beaten SA in SA, and France in France, but we threw those games away with poor tactics and decisions.
We have two vastly experienced 10s, and DMac is absolutely an elite 10 that most (all?) international teams would love to have in their 23, I am struggling to believe you think otherwise. He guided us to smacking the Irish in their own back yard in our best performance last year. He has a strong kicking game, a strong passing game, kicks his goals, and is a real threat ball in hand - exactly the type of 10 modern AB teams have wanted. He also makes very few errors these days, but because he was error prone when he first hit the scene people can't seem to come to terms with the idea that he has actually improved over time, so that mud just won't wash off.
On the loosies, the coaches don't seem to think we have a personnel problem there, particularly at 6 where they started workhorse Blackadder every single game he was fit. They felt Akira and Sotutu were surplus to requirements, despite both being in career best form, and in Akira's case plenty of experience in black including multiple MOTM performances. The only reason we lack an "enforcer" at 6 is because the coaches don't want an enforcer, they want someone with a high work rate instead. Again, that's a tactics/coaching problem, not a personnel problem.
And how the hell do we know that giving players that dominated Super a chance at test level would only make a minimal difference? They chucked rookie Sititi in at 6 when Blackadder was inevitably injured, a position he was not familiar with, and he dominated. And that was after he got taught a lesson in the Super final by Akira so it's not like he was even dominating all comers at the level down that year. To not even given some of these other guys a chance, while selecting people like Bell and Fihaki, is again a coaching problem not a personnel problem.
NZ still has stacks of talent. What we need is a coach that actually knows how to get the best out of that talent with game plans and tactics that suit their strengths. Most international coaches would give their left testicle for a guy like Rieko, yet all we did last year was use him as a crash ball merchant?? Wtf?
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Not to be overly negative, but can any one tell me what brand of rugby Razor's ABs play. For all the other big teams i can pretty much tell you what their over all plan is. I have no idea what the ABs are trying to do. It often looks different depending on who has the ball in their hands at any given time.
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@African-Monkey dont disagree with anything you have posted pretty much on point
I am unashamed fan of Stevenson but believe he has a far better alround game than Fihaki has defence aside
Over the years the All Blacks have managed to hide some very average tacklers in defensive systems , Alan Hewson comes to mind but on the upside could be a match winner with his boot on the day -
@mariner4life said in All Blacks 2025:
Not to be overly negative, but can any one tell me what brand of rugby Razor's ABs play. For all the other big teams i can pretty much tell you what their over all plan is. I have no idea what the ABs are trying to do. It often looks different depending on who has the ball in their hands at any given time.
Fozzie kept it secret for years as well.... quite frustrating.
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@Steven-Harris said in All Blacks 2025:
@African-Monkey dont disagree with anything you have posted pretty much on point
I am unashamed fan of Stevenson but believe he has a far better alround game than Fihaki has defence aside
Over the years the All Blacks have managed to hide some very average tacklers in defensive systems , Alan Hewson comes to mind but on the upside could be a match winner with his boot on the dayAnd even recently Israel Dagg.
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@Old-Samurai-Jack said in All Blacks 2025:
@mariner4life said in All Blacks 2025:
Not to be overly negative, but can any one tell me what brand of rugby Razor's ABs play. For all the other big teams i can pretty much tell you what their over all plan is. I have no idea what the ABs are trying to do. It often looks different depending on who has the ball in their hands at any given time.
Fozzie kept it secret for years as well.... quite frustrating.
i sort of worked it out by the knocks outs of the world cup. literally the last 3 fucking games of his time as a coach. before that, yup, no clue.
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@mariner4life said in All Blacks 2025:
Not to be overly negative, but can any one tell me what brand of rugby Razor's ABs play. For all the other big teams i can pretty much tell you what their over all plan is. I have no idea what the ABs are trying to do. It often looks different depending on who has the ball in their hands at any given time.
Both sides of the ball footy.
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@Steven-Harris said in All Blacks 2025:
@African-Monkey dont disagree with anything you have posted pretty much on point
I am unashamed fan of Stevenson but believe he has a far better alround game than Fihaki has defence aside
Over the years the All Blacks have managed to hide some very average tacklers in defensive systems , Alan Hewson comes to mind but on the upside could be a match winner with his boot on the dayrichie mounga a more resent example
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@mariner4life said in All Blacks 2025:
@Old-Samurai-Jack said in All Blacks 2025:
@mariner4life said in All Blacks 2025:
Not to be overly negative, but can any one tell me what brand of rugby Razor's ABs play. For all the other big teams i can pretty much tell you what their over all plan is. I have no idea what the ABs are trying to do. It often looks different depending on who has the ball in their hands at any given time.
Fozzie kept it secret for years as well.... quite frustrating.
i sort of worked it out by the knocks outs of the world cup. literally the last 3 fucking games of his time as a coach. before that, yup, no clue.
Yeah, Razor's All Blacks are so similar to Fozzie's, so much headless chicken stuff. We were awesome in that RWC though, seemed like we simplified things which amplified our strengths, and actually deserved to win the thing in the end. Let's hope it doesn't take Razor 3 more years to figure it out...
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@No-Quarter said in All Blacks 2025:
@mariner4life said in All Blacks 2025:
@Old-Samurai-Jack said in All Blacks 2025:
@mariner4life said in All Blacks 2025:
Not to be overly negative, but can any one tell me what brand of rugby Razor's ABs play. For all the other big teams i can pretty much tell you what their over all plan is. I have no idea what the ABs are trying to do. It often looks different depending on who has the ball in their hands at any given time.
Fozzie kept it secret for years as well.... quite frustrating.
i sort of worked it out by the knocks outs of the world cup. literally the last 3 fucking games of his time as a coach. before that, yup, no clue.
Yeah, Razor's All Blacks are so similar to Fozzie's, so much headless chicken stuff. We were awesome in that RWC though, seemed like we simplified things which amplified our strengths, and actually deserved to win the thing in the end. Let's hope it doesn't take Razor 3 more years to figure it out...
Didn't a wise man once say rugby (or was it league) is a simple game? Run, tackle, get up and run some more... Razor doesn't need to reinvent the wheel, although he appeared to want to relabel fozzieball as his own early last season
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@No-Quarter Joe Schmidt's influence. Really he hope he has a role with the Blues next year (can't see him wanting to return to international rugby).
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@Tim said in All Blacks 2025:
@No-Quarter Joe Schmidt's influence. Really he hope he has a role with the Blues next year (can't see him wanting to return to international rugby).
but won't he be in a Wallabies advisory role then?
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@darylmitchell May well be, and I have forgotten about it?
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@Tim said in All Blacks 2025:
@darylmitchell May well be, and I have forgotten about it?
Nothing is set in stone, but he has offered to help - depends on next coach wanting him etc
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@Crazy-Horse said in All Blacks 2025:
@frugby said in All Blacks 2025:
Finau has dominated, but that is not a change at this level - nothing to suggest this is going to change at test level.
I agree with a lot of your post but I have noticed a difference in Finau this year that might suggest things might change for him at test level. He is appearing to me to be doing more of the dirty work. Last year I got the impression Finau was standing off, looking for the big hit.
Finau and Jordon are two players that in my mind have changed the way they are playing. A change brought on by the super coaches or the AB coaches? I don't know.
As for the rest, yes many are not playing the house down, but I am hoping that will change in the next few rounds. There is still a lot of the season to go.
The “work ons” ringing in their ears perhaps.
Finau has been a pleasant surprise because whilst I believe Razor is a fan, there must’ve been disappointment after those early starts last year. I hope he returns to the starting lineup this season.
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@Chris-B said in All Blacks 2025:
@Steven-Harris said in All Blacks 2025:
Was in at the Sport Nation studios on friday , picked up some oil that both Fihaki and Tangitau will be selected in the first All Black squad .
Even if one of them breaks their leg?
Pretty early in the season to be locking in newbies, so I'm a bit sceptical that they are - but, I daresay both are being watched closely.
I'm imagining that for the French tests, Faingaánuku won't be back in the country -but, after that, I'm pretty sure he'll become a part of the equation. When does Jordie become available?
If they're selecting a pretty bloated squad of 36 for France, then the backs will look something like:
Roigard, Ratima, Hotham
BBarrett, McKenzie
JBarrett, Ioane, ALB, Proctor, Havili
Clarke, Reece
Jordan, LoveAnd then a few from Faingaánuku, Tangitau, Narawa, Fihaki, Perofeta, Teleá - and whomever else I've forgotten or has caught their eye.
Not sure there's space for both of Tangitau and Fihaki for a start.
There isn't in my squad - I don't need four wings.
I think there will be a number of surprises for the French series. It has the hallmarks of the type of series to be trying a few different combinations.
Whilst it seems early to be locking in selections, it’s not unusual for commentators and media to be talking to ‘insiders’ getting a sense of what their thinking is on certain players and then taking any positive comments out of proportion.
In my view it’s good for the game and if intentionally done can send a few messages out there without actually giving anything away. Certainly what has been done in the past.
As for Cully and Hinton, a number of those selections might be categorised as informed speculation…..
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@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks 2025:
I think there will be a number of surprises for the French series. It has the hallmarks of the type of series to be trying a few different combinations.
Hope so, but I'm not holding my breath for the first two games.
Either Robertson's picking his players for some almost-secret game plan we can't see, he's incredibly risk averse or lacks confidence. Maybe a bit of all three.
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@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2025:
@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks 2025:
I think there will be a number of surprises for the French series. It has the hallmarks of the type of series to be trying a few different combinations.
Hope so, but I'm not holding my breath for the first two games.
Either Robertson's picking his players for some almost-secret game plan we can't see, he's incredibly risk averse or lacks confidence. Maybe a bit of all three.
Or he's a homer whose default setting is to play favourites rather than on merit
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@No-Quarter said in All Blacks 2025:
@mariner4life said in All Blacks 2025:
@Old-Samurai-Jack said in All Blacks 2025:
@mariner4life said in All Blacks 2025:
Not to be overly negative, but can any one tell me what brand of rugby Razor's ABs play. For all the other big teams i can pretty much tell you what their over all plan is. I have no idea what the ABs are trying to do. It often looks different depending on who has the ball in their hands at any given time.
Fozzie kept it secret for years as well.... quite frustrating.
i sort of worked it out by the knocks outs of the world cup. literally the last 3 fucking games of his time as a coach. before that, yup, no clue.
Yeah, Razor's All Blacks are so similar to Fozzie's, so much headless chicken stuff.
This was the thing that annoyed me most last year. Robertson spent a lot of the previous four years briefing, through his pals in the media, against Foster and the brand of rugby his All Blacks played. Robertson became coach and the All Blacks played in almost exactly the same way. It was continuity Foster in all but name.
