All Blacks 2025
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@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2025:
- I’m not sold on Bower
Then you’re not watching close enough. Solid as a rock in the scrum and in the tight. Makes his tackles and cleans out when required. Does the small things at a high level. Not a big runner of the ball.
But they will likely have him on standby similar to last year and continue to invest in the future with that spot. And if it all goes pear shape or injuries strike they know they have a dependable player in waiting.
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@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks 2025:
@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2025:
- I’m not sold on Bower
Then you’re not watching close enough. Solid as a rock in the scrum and in the tight. Makes his tackles and cleans out when required. Does the small things at a high level. Not a big runner of the ball.
But they will likely have him on standby similar to last year and continue to invest in the future with that spot. And if it all goes pear shape or injuries strike they know they have a dependable player in waiting.
Bower has been a defensive liability at test level.
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@ACT-Crusader said in All Blacks 2025:
@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2025:
- I’m not sold on Bower
Then you’re not watching close enough. Solid as a rock in the scrum and in the tight. Makes his tackles and cleans out when required. Does the small things at a high level. Not a big runner of the ball.
But they will likely have him on standby similar to last year and continue to invest in the future with that spot. And if it all goes pear shape or injuries strike they know they have a dependable player in waiting.
I agree with that. Not our first choice, but still handy to have when injuries hit, and I never rated him at all when I first saw him and couldn't believe he got called up at the time in 2020, but he's grown on me and is a solid player.
Maybe the loosehead version of Angus Ta’avao?
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@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
Yeah I would say Cane, Savea and Frizell showed their true colours as players when the going got tough in their most critical game. Cane and Frizell bottled it and Savea ended up doing the work of two loose forwards.
I suspect Cane had given his all against Ireland. That was a big effort.
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@Chris-B said in All Blacks 2025:
@Grooter said in All Blacks 2025:
@Canes4life never quite realised how many of our milquetoast All Blacks are from Ta$man
Simple advice for the other provinces - get better!
Razor's philosophy is, "When in doubt select from Ta$man. At a minimum they will be smarter"!
My province is actually doing quite well thank you very much. Better than yours of late. 😁
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@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
Cane and Frizell bottled it and Savea ended up doing the work of two loose forwards.
Whatever can be said of Sam Cane as an All Black, the idea of him bottling it is def. not one of them.
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@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2025:
My province is actually doing quite well thank you very much. Better than yours of late. 😁
I don't know, if below is accurate:
R9 Canes beaten by Crusaders 31-24
R10 Crusaders beat Blues 25-22; Canes draw 17-17 with Force
R11 Crusaders smash Landers 43-10; Canes beat Brumbies 35-29
R12 Canes wallop Chiefs 35-17
R13 Chiefs smash Crusaders after latter's bye 35-19; Canes rest
R14 Canes sneak past Highlanders 24-20; Crusaders wallop Tahs 48-33
R15 Crusaders tiptoe past Highlanders 15-12; Canes likewise against Reds 31-27
R16 Crusaders armwrestle Brumbies 33-31; Canes destroy Moana 64-12I don't know how far back you want to go but it looks more to me that the Crusaders are building against stronger sides and apart from an exhausted Moana and your glorious R12, the Canes are chugging along ok mostly, but a bit of swings and roundabouts.
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Mods feel free to delete or move the above. I was just curious how super form might be influencing opinions on likely ABs. To me the Blues are arguablly improving if erratic, but hard to credit it to specific players returning (Sotutu maybe? Tele'a returning after 3 week ban?)
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@nostrildamus that well known province, Canes.
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@nostrildamus said in All Blacks 2025:
@Canes4life said in All Blacks 2025:
My province is actually doing quite well thank you very much. Better than yours of late. 😁
I don't know, if below is accurate:
R9 Canes beaten by Crusaders 31-24
R10 Crusaders beat Blues 25-22; Canes draw 17-17 with Force
R11 Crusaders smash Landers 43-10; Canes beat Brumbies 35-29
R12 Canes wallop Chiefs 35-17
R13 Chiefs smash Crusaders after latter's bye 35-19; Canes rest
R14 Canes sneak past Highlanders 24-20; Crusaders wallop Tahs 48-33
R15 Crusaders tiptoe past Highlanders 15-12; Canes likewise against Reds 31-27
R16 Crusaders armwrestle Brumbies 33-31; Canes destroy Moana 64-12I don't know how far back you want to go but it looks more to me that the Crusaders are building against stronger sides and apart from an exhausted Moana and your glorious R12, the Canes are chugging along ok mostly, but a bit of swings and roundabouts.
Mate, I’m talking about Wellington. 🤣
But will respond to the above nevertheless. I think you are severely underplaying both of the Canes wins against the Brumbies and Reds away. Those were two very good performances.
The Landers game is a hard one to evaluate because half the team had COVID heading into that game and they still won. When you add in the Chiefs and Moana floggings, the Canes are definitely coming into the playoffs in more form than the Crusaders.
In saying that, playoffs is a different ball game, everything gets tougher, the conditions get worse and games are won by the barest of margins. Anything can happen and I’m sure there will be plenty of drama still to come in what has been a great season.
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@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2025:
@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
Cane and Frizell bottled it and Savea ended up doing the work of two loose forwards.
Whatever can be said of Sam Cane as an All Black, the idea of him bottling it is def. not one of them.
He's the first player to be red carded in an RWC final because he failed to keep his discipline.
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@barky1 said in All Blacks 2025:
@brodean lack of discipline? Bullshit!
Didn’t he also get carded in a Super final against the Saders which ultimately turned the game on its head?
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@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2025:
@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
Cane and Frizell bottled it and Savea ended up doing the work of two loose forwards.
Whatever can be said of Sam Cane as an All Black, the idea of him bottling it is def. not one of them.
He's the first player to be red carded in an RWC final because he failed to keep his discipline.
Big arrow you've drawn there between lack of bottle and getting a (dubious IMHO) red card.
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