All Blacks 2025
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Finlay Christie is surely an ex- All Black. There are at least five better other options at Half Backs
A few other All Blacks backs from The Blues are in terrible form: Caleb Clarke, Beauden Barrett, Reiko Ioane.
If they can't sure better form in the final week then they risk the BIG CHOP from the selectors.
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@sparky when was the last time an experienced All Black was actually given the Chop? Owen Franks in 2019? TJP by Foster maybe? the last half decade only fringe guys Sotutu, Narawa etc. have suffered such a fate. I guess we will see what unfolds. Razor be ruthless give Rieko for example a kick up the ass send him to the NZ Maori team if need be
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Roigard, Ratima, Hotham, Fakatava, Funaki and even Preston are better options than Christie.
Pledger won't be ready for a couple of years but he's the most promising young halfback coming through right now with Sinton.
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@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2025:
@Frank said in All Blacks 2025:
Barret plays 80 and manages the ref better.
Scott is a card magnet, everyone knows that. I haven’t seen any evidence that Barrett handles the refs better than Ardie when Barrett gets himself in the bin frequently.
Plus Ardie is the type of player everyone will lift for, not sure SBarrett has the same influence.
He only had one YC last year, so is on the improve since becoming captain.
We need a group of strong leaders and that’s where I think we are lacking.
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@Darren said in All Blacks 2025:
After watching the Landers v Canes
I'd say my bolter is Tele'a He was very impressiveI'd be interested to see his defensive stats, but he's certainly not a shirker. If we want a guy to truck it up and actually make ground, he appears to be the best shout.
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@African-Monkey hopefully he gets a chance at 7nfor the ABs...he has been in some form.this year
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@Jet Terrible video.
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"Look here's some bad play by Anton Leinert-Brownwhen Reiko wasn't playing." That's not convincing.
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"Pundits and ex-players like him." Everyone knows the NZ rugby establishment stick together. That's one reason why we haven't won won a World Cup for 10 years and we're only third in the world.
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Then at 1:41 we got the "both sides of the ball" cliche.
I gave up after that.
The Blues have stopped scoring backline tries. They have totally dried up. Drier than the Sahara Desert. You can't pick the Blues Centre for the All Blacks when that happens.
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So is it Savea 7, Sititi 8 now.
I hope they got the courage to free up this year and just go for it
Exciting times so many good young players coming through -
@BerniesCorner said in All Blacks 2025:
So is it Savea 7, Sititi 8 now.
I hope they got the courage to free up this year and just go for it
Exciting times so many good young players coming throughI'm hoping Lakai makes the squad. He's already very good, but he will be twice the player in a couple years and should be a player the ABs have in mind for the WC. I can see him being picked ahead of Kirifi because of his versatility. Could be the perfect bench player for the ABs over the next couple years.
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@BerniesCorner Those two are penned in if fit. Then I'd have Finau at 6 and either Jacobson or Lakai on the bench. Papalii would be my other back row option if there's room in the squad.
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@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:
@BerniesCorner Those two are penned in if fit. Then I'd have Finau at 6 and either Jacobson or Lakai on the bench. Papalii would be my other back row option if there's room in the squad.
Yep, that seems about right. Kirifi is probably going to be arguably the unluckiest player in the country, but his lack of versatility probably counts against him.
I'm still not sold on Finau at 6 but there doesn't seem to be too many other options. Flanders has been out all year for the Canes but is due back this week, Howden seems to be going well for the Landers, Grace is too small to be a test 6 IMO, and Blackadder is always broken.
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At times it's been a hard watch over the last 5 years.
No reason now not to make hay. Exciting options across the team. Reward form ffs. -
@sparky said in All Blacks 2025:
Cory Jane and Israel Dagg being left out of the 2015 RWC World Cup squad for Nehe Milner-Skudder and Waisake Naholo with a broken leg are the last examples of a ruthless BIG CHOP from the All Blacks I can remember.
That Milner-Skudder come up in 2015 should be studied. From bursting into the Canes starting side out of nowhere to being one of our stars at the WC. Crazy how he had one crazy year and then his career fell off a cliff due to injuries. Real shame.
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@taniwharugby said in Moana Pasifika v Blues:
@African-Monkey hopefully he gets a chance at 7nfor the ABs...he has been in some form.this year
Yeah, like I've been against him playing at 7 over the years and felt that his best asset, the jackle, was best used on defence with him not committing as first tackler and letting Cane make most of the tackles up front, but with no 7s in the country being able to replicate Cane and what he offered, we're almost left with no choice but to play Ardie at 7.
It would also allow Sititi to go to 8 and whoever at 6 (again, whoever plays for whatever team they support will be in favour).
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@African-Monkey I guess the thing is, there was probably a period where he would have been our best 7 and 8, but with lesser options at 8, was forced to stay there rather than 7 where I think he does seem more suited, in a traditional role.
