All Blacks 2025
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@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
He did bottle it.
He failed to perform anywhere close to his best potential because he got himself ejected from the game through poor discipline.
So the key question in your mind is who replaces Ardie in the squad?
Ardie Savea suspended for one week over throat slit gesture
Hurricanes captain Ardie Savea has been suspended for one match following his controversial throat slitting gesture during their win over the Melbourne Rebels.
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Is this thread still about ABS 2025 or do we need to go back and cry all over again about a RWC?
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@Bones said in All Blacks 2025:
@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
Tavatavanawai kind of looks like he has a pot belly. If that's the case I think the current selectors frown on that sort of thing.
I reckon work rate and involvement probably trumps whether some rando on the internet thinks a player has a Potbelly.
Last time I checked the point of this forum was for randoms to speculate on rugby and rugby players?
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@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2025:
@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
He did bottle it.
He failed to perform anywhere close to his best potential because he got himself ejected from the game through poor discipline.
So the key question in your mind is who replaces Ardie in the squad?
Hurricanes captain Ardie Savea has been suspended for one match following his controversial throat slitting gesture during their win over the Melbourne Rebels.
The actual point was that Ardie Savea did the work of two loose forwards in the RWC final. Some people got all precious about Sam Cane.
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@SBW1 said in All Blacks 2025:
Liam Napier is about as reliable as it gets in NZ rugby media so it looks like Frizell is going to return - but not until next year
Frizell is now off contract with the Japanese club. Frizzell is, however, expected to re-sign a one-season extension with Toshiba before eyeing a return to New Zealand. Speaking after Sunday’s Japanese final, Frizell told RugbyJP.com: “It’s likely that I’ll be in Japan for another season. Firstly, I’m going to have a good break with my family and then we’ll see what happens.” -
@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Bones said in All Blacks 2025:
@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
Tavatavanawai kind of looks like he has a pot belly. If that's the case I think the current selectors frown on that sort of thing.
I reckon work rate and involvement probably trumps whether some rando on the internet thinks a player has a Potbelly.
Last time I checked the point of this forum was for randoms to speculate on rugby and rugby players?
My bad. Feel free to "speculate" on whether a player has love handles and what Razor thinks of them, whilst ignoring the actual rugby. Quality.
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@Bones said in All Blacks 2025:
@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Bones said in All Blacks 2025:
@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
Tavatavanawai kind of looks like he has a pot belly. If that's the case I think the current selectors frown on that sort of thing.
I reckon work rate and involvement probably trumps whether some rando on the internet thinks a player has a Potbelly.
Last time I checked the point of this forum was for randoms to speculate on rugby and rugby players?
My bad. Feel free to "speculate" on whether a player has love handles and what Razor thinks of them, whilst ignoring the actual rugby. Quality.
If you don't think that kind of thing is a factor then you mustn't have heard about the importance of body language also.
De Groot has been asked to lose some weight under two coaching regimes now.
These things are factors.
I wouldn't complain if Tavatavanawai was in the squad. I'd like to see how he goes. I just think that is potentially a factor against him.
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@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Bones Good on you.
No tell me more about this scientific potbelly discovery, the one severely impacting the highlanders best player and stopping him having any crucial involvement in a game. Then we can move onto guys like ALB, Clarke, Sititi and discover why them not having a girly waist is a factor in their non-selection.
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@Bones said in All Blacks 2025:
@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Bones Good on you.
No tell me more about this scientific potbelly discovery, the one severely impacting the highlanders best player and stopping him having any crucial involvement in a game. Then we can move onto guys like ALB, Clarke, Sititi and discover why them not having a girly waist is a factor in their non-selection.
Conditioning is a factor in professional coaches minds when it comes to choosing the professional athletes they want on their teams.
Do you really think that is a controversial position?
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@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Bones said in All Blacks 2025:
@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
@Bones Good on you.
No tell me more about this scientific potbelly discovery, the one severely impacting the highlanders best player and stopping him having any crucial involvement in a game. Then we can move onto guys like ALB, Clarke, Sititi and discover why them not having a girly waist is a factor in their non-selection.
Conditioning is a factor in professional coaches minds when it comes to choosing the professional athletes they want on their teams.
Do you really think that is a controversial position?
You didn't say anything about conditioning, you imagined a potbelly. So you think he's unfit?
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A pot belly on a professional athlete would generally be considered an indicator of lack of conditioning.
Lack of conditioning is generally an indicator that an athlete doesn't take their preparation seriously and lacks professionalism.
Some coaches of elite teams don't like to have players like that on their teams.
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@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
A pot belly on a professional athlete would generally be considered an indicator of lack of conditioning.
Lack of conditioning is generally an indicator that an athlete doesn't take their preparation seriously and lacks professionalism.
Some coaches of elite teams don't like to have players like that on their teams.
Like this guy. He was shit as. What a slug.
I'm more concerned about how a player can actually play rugby.
I remember a time years ago, when an AB coach preferred Caleb Ralph to Jonah Lomu, probably because he lacked conditioning. Preposterous when you look back now
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@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
A pot belly on a professional athlete would generally be considered an indicator of lack of conditioning.
Lack of conditioning is generally an indicator that an athlete doesn't take their preparation seriously and lacks professionalism.
Some coaches of elite teams don't like to have players like that on their teams.
It’s just how some people are built mate. Come on, you don’t live under a rock. Look up Chuck Liddell, and all time UFC great, he has the same kind of abdominal structure when fighting.
Jim played basically all the minutes for the Highlanders in an incredibly physical position and being the most involved. If he wasn’t tackling he was jackling for the ball which is incredibly fatiguing. Far from ‘lack of conditioning’.
I guess his competition leading 78 defenders beaten with the nearest to him being Dmac on 53 is even more impressive considering his lack of conditioning. Maybe there’s still a chance for all of us.
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@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
A pot belly on a professional athlete would generally be considered an indicator of lack of conditioning.
Lack of conditioning is generally an indicator that an athlete doesn't take their preparation seriously and lacks professionalism.
Some coaches of elite teams don't like to have players like that on their teams.
He definitely doesn't lack professionalism. the most respected respected player by his peers at the landers, played all bar 15 minutes this season. Lead the round robin in defenders beaten & turnover won. If Razor needs him to lose 3kgs over the next month I'm sure he would accept such a challenge
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@brodean said in All Blacks 2025:
A pot belly on a professional athlete would generally be considered an indicator of lack of conditioning.
Lack of conditioning is generally an indicator that an athlete doesn't take their preparation seriously and lacks professionalism.
Some coaches of elite teams don't like to have players like that on their teams.
You're ignoring the bit where you made up the potbelly.
And you ignored the other examples of "potbelly" players, who got selected.
And you ignored Tavatavanawai playing serious minutes and still being one of the best on the park at the end of matches.
By the same token, I reckon Ah Kuoi will never make the ABs because they don't like guys that have blue eyes.
How All Black's return to NZ could solve the No 6 dilemma
