All Blacks 2025
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@frugby said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@frugby said in All Blacks 2025:
It should be remembered that the guy dropping out of the loose forward trio is Sam Cane - who, for all his criticisms hits as hard as anyone in the tackle, and did the dirty work. Ardie played at 7 will somewhat fill that void, but I still think they will be looking for a grafter - preferably with some meat on them. Could easily be Lakai at 8...
A backrow of Savea, Lakai and Sititi secures no lineout ball. You need a Hoskins and Samipeni sized individual in there. Preferably two.
No point picking someone just because they are big though. Samipeni hasn't exactly nailed down the blindside jersey for the Chiefs, and there is no point discussing Sotutu.
Well I'm not prescribing names with my point. Substitute Parker for Finau if you want, the point remains that a Test backrow requires big munters who can take lineouts.
Finau is a very good lineout loose forward.
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@frugby said in All Blacks 2025:
@antipodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@frugby said in All Blacks 2025:
It should be remembered that the guy dropping out of the loose forward trio is Sam Cane - who, for all his criticisms hits as hard as anyone in the tackle, and did the dirty work. Ardie played at 7 will somewhat fill that void, but I still think they will be looking for a grafter - preferably with some meat on them. Could easily be Lakai at 8...
A backrow of Savea, Lakai and Sititi secures no lineout ball. You need a Hoskins and Samipeni sized individual in there. Preferably two.
No point picking someone just because they are big though. Samipeni hasn't exactly nailed down the blindside jersey for the Chiefs, and there is no point discussing Sotutu.
I wouldn't get hung up if your are on bench or starting for the chiefs , Mcmillian has used more rotation than other teams plus looking at who can lift the team off the bench.
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@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2025:
@Nepia said in All Blacks 2025:
@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2025:
Devan Flanders could be in the conversation by the end of Super. Hopefully he comes back from his long-term injury with the same form he showed in 2024. He's the reason Howden went down to the Landers, he has the size for a test 6, and has the mobility, skillset and speed required at the next level. Would like to see more physicality in his game though, hopefully he can show that when he comes back.
He's having a decent shot at the Blackadder route to AB selection. But, he may lack a red stripe on his jersey for to be completely successful.
I feel like he ticks all the boxes but obviously needs to get back on the park. The only real concern I have is his physical presence on defence but I feel like he wasn't far off last year. Notably that game against the Drua in Fiji last year he really stood out as the dominant Canes loosie that day. Just needs to consistently dominate, he's definitely at peak age now so hopefully he can come back strong.
Flanders is in the same boat as Haig for me. A stand out at age grade level for NZ, but hasn't really kicked on as I would have hoped. It's early days for Haig but Flanders has been around for a while now. Plus Flanders struggles to get through a game without going down with cramp. Hopefully he is going to out grow that.
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@mariner4life 100%. You've hit the nail on the head. That's been the central problem in ABs selection for the last ten years.
I thought Scott Robertson would be bold and visionary as All Blacks boss, but it was continuity Foster and safety first from him for most of last year.
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@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2025:
Devan Flanders could be in the conversation by the end of Super. Hopefully he comes back from his long-term injury with the same form he showed in 2024. He's the reason Howden went down to the Landers, he has the size for a test 6, and has the mobility, skillset and speed required at the next level. Would like to see more physicality in his game though, hopefully he can show that when he comes back.
Do you ever get sick of pumping Canes players?
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Success has followed Robertson everywhere he has gone. In only one season as Crusaders/Canterbury coach did he not win the title. I'd back him to figure things out. Of the regular team last year, there is vacancy in the loose forwards to be filled, but outside of that, the only obvious change to make would be Proctor in for Ioane at 13. I am not sure there is anyone else who wasn't in and around the matchday 23 last year who has forced there way into a best starting XV. Obviously the bench plays a big role these days, but other than Tupaea or Tavatavanawai potentially coming onto the bench, again the guys who have been in the best form are largely the guys already there.
I am genuinely curious, what do these "bold" selections actually look like? Wallace Sititi and Pasilio Tosi were both very bold picks.
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@frugby said in All Blacks 2025:
I am genuinely curious, what do these "bold" selections actually look like? Wallace Sititi and Pasilio Tosi were both very bold picks.
See, for me this is concerning. We've got so used to mediocrity that selecting absolute stand out form players and only getting them on the field if injury strikes, is considered very bold.
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@Bones said in All Blacks 2025:
@frugby said in All Blacks 2025:
I am genuinely curious, what do these "bold" selections actually look like? Wallace Sititi and Pasilio Tosi were both very bold picks.
See, for me this is concerning. We've got so used to mediocrity that selecting absolute stand out form players and only getting them on the field if injury strikes, is considered very bold.
Sititi showed good form, but hardly put in a body of work that said he was an All Black for the here and now. As for Tosi - was he on anyone's radar?
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Tangitau in for Telea, Parker in for Finau, Ah Kuoi in for Blackadder, Te'lea in for Havili.
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@frugby said in All Blacks 2025:
Sititi showed good form, but hardly put in a body of work that said he was an All Black for the here and now.
Yeah true, if you ignore super rugby, he was anonymous.
As for Tosi - was he on anyone's radar?
See above.
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@Bones said in All Blacks 2025:
@frugby said in All Blacks 2025:
I am genuinely curious, what do these "bold" selections actually look like? Wallace Sititi and Pasilio Tosi were both very bold picks.
See, for me this is concerning. We've got so used to mediocrity that selecting absolute stand out form players and only getting them on the field if injury strikes, is considered very bold.
Yeah Sititi was hardly a bold and courageous call, he only got on the field because Razor favourite Blackadder broke down yet again.
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@Frank said in All Blacks 2025:
@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2025:
Devan Flanders could be in the conversation by the end of Super. Hopefully he comes back from his long-term injury with the same form he showed in 2024. He's the reason Howden went down to the Landers, he has the size for a test 6, and has the mobility, skillset and speed required at the next level. Would like to see more physicality in his game though, hopefully he can show that when he comes back.
Do you ever get sick of pumping Canes players?
Nope not when I think they deserve to be in the equation. Funny the guys that I talked up last year all played for the ABs (Love, Proctor and Lakai) so I’m not just talking out my arse.
I’m not saying Flanders will be an AB, I’m just pointing out that he could be another option to look at, if you read my comments I also said he needs to work on his physicality etc on defence and would need to first stay on the field for a good stretch of time to show what he’s made of.
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@mariner4life said in All Blacks 2025:
i find NZ rugby to be hyper insular and conservative.
I'd add we constantly look to replace retired players with exact replicas rather than pick the best player for that position and let them develop their own style.
E.g. We still look for a Kaino replacement when he last played in Black when he retired best part of a decade ago.
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@frugby said in All Blacks 2025:
I am genuinely curious, what do these "bold" selections actually look like? Wallace Sititi and Pasilio Tosi were both very bold picks.
I'm with you @frugby .
The first assumption appears to be that Fozzie's (and Schmidt and Ryan) RWC team - that got to the final and probably (SA fans take note) would have won if we hadn't had to play 60 minutes with 14 men and our goal kickers had been a bit luckier - was a bit of a fuck up.
I don't believe that. I think that team was pretty much spot on.
And after that, we were shorn of Coles, Taukeiáho, Laulala, Retallick, Whitelock, Frizell, Smith, Mo'unga and Faingaánuku - as well as lesser injuries that took players out for portions of the seaon, including Jordan, Papali'i, Blackadder and Jacobson. They also dropped Christie. Large-scale enforced changes for an international team.
The first person who mentioned Tosi as an option was (I'm pretty sure), Mark Hinton (including on the Fern) - less than a week out from the team naming.
At the first team naming, they picked 32 players. They were only ever going to pick (at most) two number 8s. Savea (reigning World Player of the Year) and one other - Sotutu or Sititi.
I thought they'd pick Hoskins. They picked Wallace. With the benefit of hindsight, I think I was wrong!
Nothing against Hoskins, but they're very different players.
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@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2025:
@mariner4life said in All Blacks 2025:
i find NZ rugby to be hyper insular and conservative.
I'd add we constantly look to replace retired players with exact replicas rather than pick the best player for that position and let them develop their own style.
E.g. We still look for a Kaino replacement when he last played in Black when he retired best part of a decade ago.
Even more so with Nonu and Smith. By crikey the ABs miss those two.
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@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2025:
@Frank said in All Blacks 2025:
@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2025:
Devan Flanders could be in the conversation by the end of Super. Hopefully he comes back from his long-term injury with the same form he showed in 2024. He's the reason Howden went down to the Landers, he has the size for a test 6, and has the mobility, skillset and speed required at the next level. Would like to see more physicality in his game though, hopefully he can show that when he comes back.
Do you ever get sick of pumping Canes players?
Nope not when I think they deserve to be in the equation. Funny the guys that I talked up last year all played for the ABs (Love, Proctor and Lakai) so I’m not just talking out my arse.
I’m not saying Flanders will be an AB, I’m just pointing out that he could be another option to look at, if you read my comments I also said he needs to work on his physicality etc on defence and would need to first stay on the field for a good stretch of time to show what he’s made of.
Steady, all three of these guys are far from automatic selections.
In saying that I do love your enthusiasm so don't ever change
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@MN5 said in All Blacks 2025:
@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2025:
@Frank said in All Blacks 2025:
@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2025:
Devan Flanders could be in the conversation by the end of Super. Hopefully he comes back from his long-term injury with the same form he showed in 2024. He's the reason Howden went down to the Landers, he has the size for a test 6, and has the mobility, skillset and speed required at the next level. Would like to see more physicality in his game though, hopefully he can show that when he comes back.
Do you ever get sick of pumping Canes players?
Nope not when I think they deserve to be in the equation. Funny the guys that I talked up last year all played for the ABs (Love, Proctor and Lakai) so I’m not just talking out my arse.
I’m not saying Flanders will be an AB, I’m just pointing out that he could be another option to look at, if you read my comments I also said he needs to work on his physicality etc on defence and would need to first stay on the field for a good stretch of time to show what he’s made of.
Steady, all three of these guys are far from automatic selections.
In saying that I do love your enthusiasm so don't ever change
Most of the ABs atm aren’t automatic selections but they are all in the frame for squad selection until they don’t get picked. 😁
Going back to that Tosi selection last year, even I didn’t see that coming. I still personally think he’s got a lot to work on but the upside is quite obvious to see as he’s a large human and is fairly mobile for his size.
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@Canes4life Agree on your second point.
On your first point - if everyone is fit:
Williams, Taylor, Lomax, Barrett, Vaaí, Not sure about 6, Savea, Sititi, Roigard, McKenzie (but maybe Beaudy for reasons I don't really understand), Clarke, Jordie, Rieko, Reece, Jordan.
de Groot, Taukei'aho, Tosi, Tuipolotu, Blackadder, Ratima, Tupaea, Barrett/Love
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@Chris-B said in All Blacks 2025:
@Canes4life Agree on your second point.
On your first point - if everyone is fit:
Williams, Taylor, Lomax, Barrett, Vaaí, Not sure about 6, Savea, Sititi, Roigard, McKenzie (but maybe Beaudy for reasons I don't really understand), Clarke, Jordie, Rieko, Reece, Jordan.
de Groot, Taukei'aho, Tosi, Tuipolotu, Blackadder, Ratima, Tupaea, Barrett/Love
Reiko and Blackadder. nah. Been there, done that. Let’s stop flogging a dead horse.
